Heroic Fantasy Quarterly #29, August 2016

“Shadows in Sakamura” by Matthew Wuertz

Reviewed by Herbert M. Shaw

“Shadows in Sakamura” by Matthew Wuertz

Shadows engage the living in a feudal Japanese adventure. Tsukiko and her lover Katsu walk as makurai warriors. By day, Tsukiko follows as his shadow and the moon reverses their state. Even as shadows, their magical state allows them to physically take on the living. The story, which could serve as one in a series, brings the two to the titular village, where they investigate a mysterious magic that has been slowly killing its inhabitants one by one. While not much origin is given for the main characters, their adventure plays out in a style that would make Sir Arthur Conan Doyle smile.

“Racing the Headsman” by Andrew Knighton

Take to the high seas with English Captain Sir Henry Torrent in an action-packed race against time toward the end of the reign of King Charles II. Torrent’s arrogance gets the better of him as his crew is forced to face the might of revolutionary Admiral Caldsby as the Royalists must take on the Loyalists. The historical fantasy adventure features sailors, pirates, monarchs, and brief lessons in humility and hubris on the part of the main character.

“Spatha Stercae” by James Frederick William Rowe

Any Latin scholars have already deduced the humor presented here. A mutant giant terrorizes a small Roman town and only a convicted thief stands to outsmart the behemoth with a strategy for which some readers may not have the stomach. Told in a poetic fashion reminiscent of the ancient stories of Rome and the epic Beowulf, HFQ Editor Rowe’s story reads like a legendary song; an operatic underdog story that proves they can still make them like they used to.