As a short story writer, I don’t deal with reviews as often as novelists do. I repost all the “reviews are love” memes on Facebook, but since my stories are normally just one piece in an anthology of stories – one flower in a garden, I seldom have my prose mentioned specifically.
However, “Trolls are Different” in Swords and Sorceries: Tales of Heroic Fantasy, Vol. 1 was favorably mentioned by both Jason Ray Carney and Craig Herbertson. Also by Richard Fisher.
“Trolls are Different” is not conventional sword and sorcery but nevertheless a compelling tale about defeating enemies via “poisoned hospitality.” J. R. Carney, on Amazon.com
“Trolls are Different” by Susan Murrie Macdonald, is a little gem involving a head village lady in some subtle diplomacy to sort out the bad guys. The tale departs some way from a conventional fantasy tale but loses nothing by this. C. Herbertson Parallel Universes Publications Blogspot
“Trolls are Different” by Susan Murrie Macdonald
Foreign soldiers are invading. This typically leads to theft, murder, and rape. But Marana has a bold plan. It will take cooperation from everyone. Can she reason with a battle hardened army? Richard Fisher, on Amazon.com.
I am personally consider “Trolls are Different” my best story so far. I intend to be shamelessly immodest and nominate it for next year’s Darrell Award. If you belong to SFWA (I don’t yet, maybe in a year or two), you have my permission to nominate the story fora Nebula Award, if you feel so inclined. (I don’t expect that to happen, but I won’t complain if it does.)
“Trolls are Different” was inspired by Mercedes Lackey and Tarr Troll [Jennifer Haskell, author of Swamp Tales and Swamp Stars] Lackey is, of course, the best-selling author of the Valdemar series and the Elemental Masters books. Jennifer is a nice lady in Louisiana who dresses up as a swamp troll for Louisiana Renaissance Festival and the Mid-South Renaissance Faire. Lackey once had one of her characters refer to a hedge-witch she’d known who used weak power well, more effectively than a powerful sorceress used her vast power to less effect. Thus I came up with the story of a hearthwitch, who was also a village headwoman, who teamed up with a troll shaman to defeat an overwhelming enemy. The story was originally written with Sword and Sorceress in mind, but being a painfully slow writer, by the time I finished the story, Sword and Sorceress had gone to an invitation-only anthology, and although Sword and Sorceress #30 was my first sale at professional rates, they have not issued me an invitation to resubmit to a future volume … yet.
Most of the stories in SWORDS AND SORCERIES: TALES OF HEROIC FANTASY, VOL. 1 are very Robert E. Howard-ish. If you like traditional sword & sorcery, suggest to your friends and family that this book would be welcome beneath your Christmas tree. It would make me, my fellow authors, and my editor very happy if you bought a copy for yourself and/or for gifts for friends and family.
Susan Murrie Macdonald at Castle Gwynn, Tennesse Renaissance Festival {photo credit, Ian Macdonald}
Susan Macdonald's Blog 