[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]
Strange Horizons, February 5, 2024
“Of Flowing Stone, of Liquid Gold, of Justice, Ash, and Battle” by Malda Marlys
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
Written in second person, “Of Flowing Stone, of Liquid Gold, of Justice, Ash, and Battle” by Malda Marlys traces your existence from a young deity of earth and volcano, to a defender of your people in human form, to an emperor of many lands, to an elderly figurehead in a bureaucracy. Driven to an act of wholesale destruction by your wrath at an invading army, you later learn to be a beneficent leader. In old age, you witness your government corrupted by greed.
The intent may be to depict the evolution from youthful naiveté to mature wisdom to decline with age, whether in an individual or an organization. Be that as it may, the author writes in clear fashion that resembles an essay or a religious text. There are a few dramatic moments, but overall the resulting work is more interesting than moving.
Victoria Silverwolf remembered to bring a book to work tonight.