Fierce by Emma C. BuenenMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Once I had got past the rather slow beginning to ‘Fierce’ the story developed well. In essence this novella was the prequel to a much longer tale, The Raven’s Call, and I found it intriguing and engaging. The main characters, Rayl, Kiri, and Galti Khan are all very well written and as a woman warrior Rayl quickly attracts the respect and admiration of the reader. Once the background of her trained and faithful band of widows becomes clearer then this understanding helps a lot in growing to like this tale. Her faithful dog, Shadow, also has a significant place in the story.
I think the excess of too much ‘telling’ rather than ‘showing’ at the beginning of the book is what makes it feel a little tedious. However, once you get involved in the various plots and betrayals within the Askuzai, a tribe of nomads, it becomes a page turner. At the end of the novella I was left wanting more and so this short story achieved its aim I suppose! The front cover illustration is excellent, with images that naturally float into your mind during several of the relevant tensely described scenes.
