Mysterion, October 2020

“The Original Sin of William Blackhand” by R. Keelan

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

“The Original Sin of William Blackhand” by R. Keelan takes place in Fourteenth Century England. In this world, certain persons, known as the God-touched, have extraordinary powers. The narrator witnesses a young woman he loves steal a relic from a church, then fall through the ice on a frozen river. She escapes in a miraculous fashion, only to be burnt at the stake as a heretic.

Years later, serving as an executioner for the God-touched who are convicted of crimes, he has an opportunity to expunge the guilt he feels over what happened to the woman.

I have been deliberately vague about the details of the plot, because this is a story containing elements which are best appreciated when newly encountered by the reader. It is extremely well written, creating a vivid and believable portrait of its place and time. The characters are fully developed, and the fantasy elements are perfectly integrated into a realistic setting.

Victoria Silverwolf has to remember to turn the clocks back soon.