The Six Deaths of the Saint - Alix E. Harrow - ★★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Alix E. Harrow

SERIES: Into Shadow, #3

GENRE: Fantasy

RATING: 4.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A strange combination of complex yet simple. Loved this short fantasy – it redeems the ‘Into Shadow’ collection.

Story Synopsis:

A servant girl finds herself “saved” by the Saint of War. The prince of the kingdom claims her immediately. No… not in a romantic way. She is trained to be his greatest warrior, a weapon he can unleash on anyone who stands against him. The girl learns quickly, she wins battles, she becomes known as the Red Devil. Poems are sung in her honour. But the wars never end and the perils rise along with the sacrifices. How many times is she destined to repeat her actions?

The story is written in the second-person perspective of the servant girl, with a minor first person narration by the Saint of War.

This short story is a part of ‘Into Shadow’, described by Amazon as ‘an enthralling collection of dark fantasy stories about the lure of forbidden knowledge.’

This is not a romance, and yet it is a story of love. Of loyalty. Of guilt and sacrifices. Of drawing a line when needed.

I have kept my synopsis as bare and simple as possible because this is a story you should go into blind. It is just 30 pages long, but within those few pages lie a plethora of emotional complexities. Though a fantasy, the proceedings feel realistic, and in today’s world, even convincing. For a story with just four main characters, the plot speaks volumes.

Initially it was tough for me to understand where the author intended to take the story, but once I got it, the end was fairly easy to guess. Despite this, I relished the journey, because when the writing and the characters are good, the journey is as interesting as the destination.

For some reason, I kept picturing Gwendoline Christie in her ‘Brienne of Tarth’ avatar as the Red Devil, and that served to enhance my experience.

I have read two novels by Alix E. Harrow – The Ten Thousand Doors of January and Starling House. I loved the first and had mixed feelings about the second. But what was common to both was her writing. She tends to use words to the maximum advantage, creating a vivid picture even when she is constrained by the word count requirements. This story is further proof of her writing prowess.

That said, I wish this story were a tad bit longer because I would have liked some more details about the fantastical elements.

Nevertheless, a compelling read. I enjoyed this much. It is the best of the three stories I read from this collection. The second person narration might be a hurdle for some readers, but if you don’t mind that pov, do give this a try.

This standalone work is the third story in the ‘Into Shadow’ collection, and is currently available free to Amazon Prime subscribers.

I have read three stories from this collection, and the remaining four are too poorly rated for me to waste time on them. My journey ‘Into Shadow’ thus ends here. Onto the next set!