Special Double Review

Black Gate Online, October 14, 2013

“The Gentle Sleeper” by David Evan Harris

Reviewed by Chuck Rothman

Arland is “The Gentle Sleeper,” an assassin who has what seems to be a very weak power, but who wields it skillfully. He’d gone to the castle of the tyrant Baron Weller who has taken his lover Marraine in order to torture her to give up plans for an attack. Weller is a smart and very cruel villain and seems to remain several steps ahead of Arland. David Evan Harris has written a masterful adventure, which manages to work some science into the plot, something unusual in pure fantasy. This is high fantasy adventure at its best.

Chuck Rothman‘s novels Staroamer’s Fate and Syron’s Fate were recently republished by Fantastic Books.

Black Gate Online, October 14, 2013

“The Gentle Sleeper” by David Evan Harris

Reviewed by Cyd Athens

Arland is an Elemental wizard, one of the best. He has fine control over the element Air. When Marraine, his “friend,” is taken by the evil Baron Weller, Arland goes to rescue and avenge her.

This is a trope story where the Hero goes to save his Love Interest and the Evil Overlord taunts, gloats, and flaunts his power, spending so much time in pointless monologue and letting his Henchmen get in their pot shots that he loses a battle that was his to win. Typical of its type, this story only exists because the Baron does not simply extract the information from Marraine, the Love Interest, then deal with the Hero, Arland, in a decisive manner. Rather than smart, this Evil Overlord is a sadist. Arland’s torture at the Baron’s hands continues so long that readers become collateral damage. Pretty much from the onset, the ending is predictable. The only mystery there revolves around how the Hero is going to best the Evil Overlord. There is never a question that the Hero will prevail.

Cyd Athens indulges a speculative fiction addiction from 45ø 29 30.65 N, 122ø 35 30.91 W.