Beneath Ceaseless Skies #434, June 12, 2025

“Let the Gods Drown With Us” by R. K. Duncan

“Not a Fish” by Andrew Dykstal

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

“Let the Gods Drown With Us” by R. K. Duncan takes place in a land that was once prosperous, but is now mostly underwater. During ebb tides, the populace can visit their former palace as it emerges from the sea. During one such visit, the younger brother of the protagonist is possessed. He offers a prophecy that predicts three possible fates for the people. They can remain, and die in a final flood; they can travel west, and make a new life for themselves by conquering another people in bloody battle; or they can travel east on the sunken road that leads to the drowned lands. What follows are conflicts among the protagonist, who favors traveling east, although this seems impossible; her older brother, who favors going west, although this will turn a peaceful people into violent raiders; and the rulers, including her mother, who subject her younger brother to dangerous procedures meant to elicit further prophecies.

The best parts of this story are its vivid descriptions of the underwater palace and its dramatic climax. The middle section is less involving and somewhat repetitious. (The younger brother’s prophecy is repeated more than once.) The work is fairly long, and might have benefited from some judicious editing.

“Not a Fish” by Andrew Dykstal begins in startling fashion with a priest falling out of the sky to his death. It seems that the god of this land has been granting prayers in a way that leads to chaos. The narrator, an advisor to the king, believes it has something to do with the recent adoption of an alphabetic system of notation, taken from a conquered people, that replaces a hieroglyphic system. Investigation leads to discovery of how a captured enemy and one of the king’s messengers are involved, concluding in a dramatic fashion.

The premise of how a change in language alters the effects of prayers is an unusual and interesting one. The nature of the god is also unique. The story is told in an informal, cynical way, which is a refreshing change from many other tales of fantasy, which are often narrated in elevated language, which can seem pretentious.

Victoria Silverwolf is not a fish.