Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #44, May 2020
“Heart of Vengeance” by Gregory D. Mele
“The Whispering Healer” by Larisa Walk
“Do Not Fear, For the Work Will Be Pure” by Michael Johnstone
Reviewed by Seraph
“Heart of Vengeance” by Gregory D. Mele
This alternate-history fantasy tale is set in Azatlán, a hybrid Ancient Greek and Meso-American land of the author’s own creation. The protagonist is arguably as much the beautiful and mysterious Anukhepa as it is the now-deposed king Helomon. You first meet him as he is escaping a coup, but it is not long after that she finds him wandering alone in the mists, startled by the appearance of a priestess of the Death God Xokolatl. Their journeys, victories and romance are all legendary in their own right, but there is nothing in this world that compares to their vengeance. A dark tale of betrayal and lethal fury, this thoroughly enjoyable story is as much about the power of love and sacrifice as it is the justice of the grave. More than anything, though, the one who rules beyond the grave will not be denied his due. It is well-written, without a doubt, but it also draws you in. The characters are multi-dimensional, the plot is direct but innovative, and the ending is satisfying without cliché. The only complaint, if it is even a complaint, is that there feels to be far more Meso-American influence than Ancient Greek on balance, something hardly worth mentioning beyond the promise of both in the forward.
“The Whispering Healer” by Larisa Walk
Stories of revelation are among my personal favorites, likely second only to tales of redemption. This tale, set in the eighteenth century Russian countryside, is a beautiful illustration of both concepts. The titular heroine, a healer name Anisia, finds herself caring for a sickly child and its rescuer. Suspicious and fearful of the man’s true nature from the start, she nevertheless answers the call of her vocation, working literal miracles to save the life of the child. When confronted with a wondrous creature of myth that is far less evil than imposed dogma would have her believe, she finds herself straying deeper and deeper into the unknown waters that promise uncomfortable truths. Ignorance and superstition give way to affection and loyalty, perhaps even kinship, as the truth of her powers and her own nature are brought to light. The revelation at the end comes as little surprise, but as a good friend once told me, the destination at the end of a journey is often not very surprising. After all, few set out from the safety of home without knowing where they intend to arrive. The journey is all about the unexpected things that happen on your way there, and this path is full of the unexpected for Anisia.
“Do Not Fear, for the Work Will be Pure” by Michael Johnstone
While labeled as weird fiction, (a description that is not inaccurate), most of what you find beyond the initial concept of the mutated/ mutilated Heng is not very foreign at all. Set in what is almost certainly a high fantasy world and time frame, it follows the mission of the royal sculptor Deonoro Zayal. Rather hapless and out of his depth, he is sent out into the wilds to meet and design a sculpture of the leader of the Heng as punishment for certain indiscretions with a Baron’s wife. His rotund figure and somewhat bewildered musing as to the rage of the man whom he cuckolded paints the picture of a man far more at home in the halls (or bedchambers) of royal society than in the wilds facing down mutated brigands. These mutations, or tamek, are viewed as proof of sin, even upon newborns. Anyone bearing one is forever banished from society in shame. Some tamek also seem to be deliberate mutilations, often levied as punishments. This leader he is sent to interview, Grothag, is grotesque in the truest sense of the word, but it is the gift of the sculptor to the see the truth, or amana, within. His conversations with Grothag not only reveal the humanity concealed beneath the savagery necessary for her survival, but also his own, and it is only by recognizing and offering this truth up as part of his newest work of art that she spares his life.