Tags
Book Review, Crimson Edge Press, Dark Fantasy, Joshua Robertson, Short Stories, The Name of Death
Title: The Name of Death
Author: Joshua Robertson
Published by: Crimson Edge Press (January 2, 2017)
Page Count: 39 (ebook)
Blurb: Drada Koehn is a fearless, formidable fighter ensnared in a presaged war against the northern humans. When the Speaker foretells their victory upon discovery of the name of death, she sets out to unravel the mysterious prophecy. Now, bound by duty and honor, Drada faces untold horrors with her companions, searching for what may never be found. In a story of unexpected twists, she soon finds that her resolve to see the quest done will be the fortune or doom of her people.
My Take: I had the impression, after reading Grimsdalr and Anaerfell, that Joshua Robertson was a talented writer. This novella confirmed everything I believed about his talent level and more.
The tale begins with Drada, a fierce female who is on a quest to learn the name of death. Early in the tale, it becomes clear that death is pursuing her and her companions. The tale is short, yet in that space of time there is plenty of development for the characters, the location, and even some backstory about what is taking place in the world beyond what these characters are experiencing. Joshua is able to weave so much into such a short space, and it is all done extremely well. I felt like I knew the characters and some of their struggles and the reasons behind the war raging among the races.
Joshua is an author of Dark Fantasy, and there certainly is no departure from that genre in this story. But that is to be expected with a title like The Name of Death. If you picked it up seeking a happy ending, you didn’t really pay attention to the title. But this story is worth it. So, so worth it. And at the current price of FREE, there is no reason to not download and read this one. It will end up being worth the 30-60 minutes of your time.
I look forward to reading more by Joshua, including his trilogy of books now that they are all available. If you haven’t read anything by this talented author, do yourself a favor and pick up this book and start reading today.
Author David Wiley 