mikewhiteman's review
4.0
The Influence Of The Iron Range - Marissa Lingen ****
Brings faery into 1800s America but with a current message, as the narrator fights to protect a presidential election from the Good Neighbours' influence and glamours. The conflicts between Viola and both the faery and her candidate's own mundane bodyguards become increasingly complex and the ambiguity of fighting for enfranchisement for all but against undue influence is balanced precisely.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses - Bennett North ***
A simple revenge story in a drought-stricken old west environment, with a young girl hunting the last of the bandits who killed her family. The silver sin-eating coins and bullets are interesting but I wasn't sure what to make of their effect on the protagonist compared to others, it wasn't clear if they really did purge sinners or if something else was going on. As a straight revenge story, it worked well, but left me feeling outside it.
Brings faery into 1800s America but with a current message, as the narrator fights to protect a presidential election from the Good Neighbours' influence and glamours. The conflicts between Viola and both the faery and her candidate's own mundane bodyguards become increasingly complex and the ambiguity of fighting for enfranchisement for all but against undue influence is balanced precisely.
Forgive Us Our Trespasses - Bennett North ***
A simple revenge story in a drought-stricken old west environment, with a young girl hunting the last of the bandits who killed her family. The silver sin-eating coins and bullets are interesting but I wasn't sure what to make of their effect on the protagonist compared to others, it wasn't clear if they really did purge sinners or if something else was going on. As a straight revenge story, it worked well, but left me feeling outside it.
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