Reviewed by Mick
twenty-four
Reviewed by Mick
In this romance cum fantasy story Harry meets Ruth. During a boring convention the two meet and an impromptu date ensues. Harry soon notices that his date is something special - very special. Ruth is polydactyl (don't worry - I had to look that up in the dictionary too!) meaning she has more than the normal number of fingers and toes - hence the title of the story. The true nature of this fantasy does not become evident until we move towards the end of the narrative.
This is a tightly written story. It is consistent and the characterisation is subtle and yet powerful. The concept for this story is unique, the idea is simple and draws the reader into its fold. The narrative moves seamlessly from present to past and finally jumps neatly into the future.
When writing any fantasy type story there is always the temptation to over-write the genre. Yet the author has been strict and only allowed the fantasy to infiltrate the story insofar as it furthers the tale. The writing never goes over the top and has a nice flow that is easy to follow, easy to lose yourself in.
Technically the writing is of a high standard. The concept is solid and as speculative fiction the fantasy element is believable.
There is only one section of this story that I felt was a little disappointing. The character Ruth was beautifully filled out with intelligent descriptive and interactive passages. Ruth is a strong woman who has dealt with her disability with maturity, realism and a touch of humour. She has come to terms with her polydactyly - so much so that I found myself jealous of her "sixness" rather than repulsed. This is a sign of fine writing. Yet at the end of the story Ruth wishes away her deformity during the fantasy element of the story. I felt that this was out of character and I found myself disappointed that the polydactyly that had made this woman something very special was wilfully done away with.
Intentionally I have not divulged too much of the fantasy element that enters the story towards the end of "twenty-four". It is a little gem that you will have to find for yourself.
Read this story - a must.
Reviewed by © Mick
Read twenty-four
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