Fresh Reviewage!
Another review for Black Gate #14, again mentioning Two Blades, this time from Locus Online. Here's the money quote:
It is definitely a moral-based story, yet the author lets consequences make the point, rather than lectures. Unlike many of the tales in this issue, the prose is self-effacing and flashless; it effectively creates some emotionally harrowing scenes.
So, not nearly as effusive as the other one (and the "RECOMMENDED" tag accompanying descriptions of three other stories was absent from mine), but nevertheless I'm prepared to take it as positive. "Self-effacing and flashless" seems more descriptive than a statement of quality, for good or ill, but for a story like this, "effectively creates some emotionally harrowing scenes" definitely counts as praise.
So, in short, I'm smiling.
It is definitely a moral-based story, yet the author lets consequences make the point, rather than lectures. Unlike many of the tales in this issue, the prose is self-effacing and flashless; it effectively creates some emotionally harrowing scenes.
So, not nearly as effusive as the other one (and the "RECOMMENDED" tag accompanying descriptions of three other stories was absent from mine), but nevertheless I'm prepared to take it as positive. "Self-effacing and flashless" seems more descriptive than a statement of quality, for good or ill, but for a story like this, "effectively creates some emotionally harrowing scenes" definitely counts as praise.
So, in short, I'm smiling.