Grimdark #46, April 2026“Centurion” by Angela Slatter
“The King of Ninridu” by Derek Leman
“Renaissance Notes Episode III. Soil” by Miles Cameron and Emma Bennett
“Front Man Fallen” by Janny Wurts
Ruin Marble by Arkady Martine (reprint, not reviewed)
See That My Grave Is Kept Clean by Josh Rountree (reprint not reviewed)
Or Be Forever Fallen by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor (reprint, not reviewed)
Reviewed by Jesse James Fain
“Centurion” by Angela Slatter drops us into the shoes of Paul, a man looking for purpose as he is slowly dying of something internal. Down at the bar, he meets Gabi, and the two start a banter-filled relationship that ends in a night of passion. The relationship seems just a one-night stand, until several meetings unfold and reveal a bizarre secret that transforms both Paul and Gabi’s lives.
“Centurion” kept me interested but falls to some of the common issues with short fiction. It establishes a relationship with little external conflict, reveals a premise, and then promptly ends with the premise as a plot resolution. The characters are well written, the idea is wonderful, and even the prose excellent, but this was the start of a novel and not a complete story. That detracts from the feeling of resolution most stories need to end well, not in an “everyone is ok” sort of way, but in a “good job” kind of way.
“The King of Ninridu” is also the king of this issue, as Derek Leman delivers a Grimdark tale of war and slavery in a world that feels like ancient Egypt or Mesopotamia. We follow Ishtup, Puzur, and Kasid as they survive a raid on their village, are taken into slavery, and must try to make their way home from bondage. This tale fits the grimdark motif, delivering on the sin and violence I expected from the title of the magazine. It’s not a complicated tale, but it has enough issues, twists, and turns to be a good read. I would absolutely check out more of Leman’s work.
“Renaissance Notes Episode III. Soil” by Miles Cameron & Emma Bennett puts us with a team of scientists and astronauts on a mission to seed a world to become an agricultural resource, but unknown ships and geological and horticultural discoveries complicate the mission and spark arguments among the crew.
I am not the target audience for this story, so my opinions should be seen through that lens, but this is a hard SF tale about how soil feeds plants and what discoveries mean more than any kind of action, adventure, or horror. I did not enjoy this as a standalone and highly believe it needs other episodes to shine.
“Front Man Fallen” by Janny Wurts opens with Kristo, our protagonist in a sword and sorcery feeling world, looking to pawn a mighty and rare bow. He is on the run from the Imperials, cutthroats, and even the men he was trying to do honest business with.
The story itself is enjoyable but basic, and this is clearly not the first tale for Kristo or his world. I rather like Kristo as a character, a man who rolls with the punches and is doggedly loyal to his companions while he lies, cheats, and steals from his enemies and dishonest men along the way.
The struggle with “Front Man Fallen” is that the prose is so obnoxiously purple it seems beaten with a war hammer made of dictionaries. Reading a segment of it aloud to my wife made her wince, not from a lack of quality in fiction, but because it felt like reading Chaucer in high school. I’m an avid reader and college-educated, and while I did not need a dictionary, I had to slow down to understand what was being said.
Jesse James Fain is an author, editor, and retired athlete. If you like the way he reviews fiction, you will most likely enjoy his other ramblings and writings. Find more at outlawauthor.com