Short Story Collection Review: Tales from Arva: Volume 1 by Kevis Hendrickson

As part of my month long theme of short and shortish stories, todays' feature is Tales from Arva, a collection of poetry, parables, legends and myths set in the same fantasy world.  This common location was the only thing these stories shared.  Each one was completely unique.

The author offered me a free copy of this book in return for a review after seeing that I both like fantasy books and like writing reviews about them. 

After I wrote my review, I discovered that some of the stories contained in this collection are also available as individual short stories.  I ended up posting a bonus review of The Tale of Liril with that story because it was my favorite of the bunch.


Tales from Arva: Volume 1 by Kevis Hendrickson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Parables, legends and myths, both bittersweet and tragic...

I liked Tales of Arva, though I must say I enjoyed some of the tales more than others. Since each one is unique, I'll address each tale separately.

Review: Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears by Michael Gardner

Iron William and the Carpenter's Tears by Michael Gardner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Great plot, well-researched, and above all, fun to read!

Iron William Kidd is a former secret agent for the English King Henry. After falling out of favor, he finds himself opposite a former colleague, Hamilton Rush. When the two collide, the results are disastrous for both, though Kidd seems to get the worst of it. He nearly loses his hands, but his friend Vllen, one of the innovative minds of the budding renaissance, devises a pair of metal gauntlets that fuse with his maimed flesh.

Not only must Kidd cope with his less than agile replacement hands, but also a nearly impossible quest. With nothing more than a snippet of text hinting at the missing relic's existence and the threat of the Church's retribution should he fail, Kidd is faced with the ultimate cold case file, and he's not the only one after the prize.