“Stand at Duben-Geb” By Ryan Harvey

Black Gate

Khasar and Alagh fight over whether to move the clan out into the open to new ground or remain hidden from the dreaded Sorghul.  Alagh bides his time to become the talahn through murder.  When Khasar accuses him, they have to duel.  The duel, though, is interrupted by an attack from the Sorghul, which is interrupted by something far larger.

Some cool sense of wonder here, but this loses a bit of the emotional heart of the other two Ahn-Tarqa stories--"An Acolyte of Black Spires" and "Farewell to Tyrn"--in favor of many battles.  Probably we should have built up more of Khasar's character.

"The Hanging Gardener" by Ryan Harvey

Plasma Frequencies

Hunt this one down--especially if you like exotic flavored horror.

In Babylon's Hanging Gardens are many strange plants cultivated by Seluku, "The Hanging Gardener" who has created them.  The Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar, easily rages against magicians, so he packs the troublemakers off on a not-so-tranquil walk among the gardens:

"The sight of this forest climbing in tiers from the edge of the Euphrates.... [M]any had entered the gardens, and never returned."

 Nebuchadnezzar hands over a Canaanite priest, who initially appears old.  Though he pities the old priest in tattered clothes, Seluku plans on the most painful deaths.  On second glance, maybe Katuwas isn't so old?  Katuwas gives a final warning, but who could believe anyone so doddered and frail?

"The Sorrowless Thief” By Ryan Harvey

Black Gate


A drug-addicted beggar tries to talk Dyzan Ludd, a Sorrowless, out of a foolhardy robbery of the Shapers, the lords who rule Ahn-Tarqa.  He goes anyway.

His plan is bold:  to enter the caravan full of Shapers.  His plan is fool-proof... except they'd anticipated his arrival.

They have a plan for him:  to look into something darker than the Sorrow.  They may not like what he has to tell them.

An intense tale although the frame is not as strong and not yet integral to the telling.  Worth reading.  May the forthcoming novel set in the same world as these Ahn-Tarqa tales have even more reveals and splendors, and be as populated with strong heroes as Dyzan.

Farewell to Tyrn (Ahn-Tarqa) by Ryan Harvey

ebook

The mystery of the Sorrow is better explained here.  Belde discovers she is one of the Sorrowless, those whose can look into the heart of the Sorrow and yet not feel the infinite sadness.  The Shapers come to her parents' house to weed out the Sorrowless they've felt there, but they don't immediately realize that it's the daughter, Belde, who can look into the Sorrow.  They send their modified dinosaur beak-nose chasing after.  Rint, her own small beak-nose, and Belde flee.

A fun romp through the world of Ahn-Tarqa, which also appeared in WotF.  After these two stories, I'm eager to read more.

Foolish Mortals by Ryan Harvey

Everyday Fiction

Looking back a decade or so, Amanda and Roger recall a new girl, Wendy Bliss, who came to school but they don't remember when she left.  They find pictures and memories they'd lost.  It is a school production of A Midsummer Night's Dream that brings back the strangeness of the girl, the one who seemed to tell Roger, "What fools you mortals be."

"An Acolyte of Black Spires" by Ryan Harvey

First appeared in WotF 27

In a world where society requires masks, not signs of pleasure, Sorrow is a mysterious and oppressive power that governs its inhabitants.  Quarl is given a new helper to help his research.  However, his researcher pushes the boundaries of what is permissible.  She eventually reveals herself to be not whom she pretended to be--at the worst possible moment.  A moving work inspiring people to look outside their culture for possibilities of life.

My minor qualm, which I tend to have of stories of this nature, is the mouthful of words.  While I recognize works like this are intended to invoke another world/culture, words should be a little easier to trip off the tongue in the language they are written.

Ryan Harvey

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2. Black Gate
3. Everyday Fiction
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Stories of Ahn-Tarqa:

1. WotF 27
2. Farewell to Tyrn
3. Stand at Duben-Geb
4. The Sorrowless Thief