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La Sylphide #1
Sylphide
It's been six weeks since Allish Statia, former prima ballerina at the Mersetzdeitz Ballet, broke her leg during the last performance of La Sylphide. In that time, she has healed (mostly), relaxed (a lot), and taken advantage of her husband's willingness to order take-out on most weeknights.
Then someone broke into her apartment and pointed a gun at her.
Using the wind elemental powers few knew she had, she is able to subdue the man. But he is only part of something much bigger—and much more dangerous.
Then someone broke into her apartment and pointed a gun at her.
Using the wind elemental powers few knew she had, she is able to subdue the man. But he is only part of something much bigger—and much more dangerous.
- GenresFantasyContemporary
150 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 7, 2015
About the author
K. Gorman
33 books78 followersK. Gorman is a Science Fiction and Fantasy author from Western Canada with a love for most things nerd. When she's not writing, she can be found devouring books, movies, television series, and attempting to keep her garden alive.
Want to stay in the loop? Kelly is active on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, and semi-active on Tiktok. You can also get a free short story if you join the mailing list on her website!
Want to stay in the loop? Kelly is active on Facebook, Threads, and Instagram, and semi-active on Tiktok. You can also get a free short story if you join the mailing list on her website!
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
April 5, 2018
I got signed up to the author's mailing list as part of a contest. Didn't win, but I did get a few free books out of it, including this. I really liked this novellette and was impressed enough with author that I've also bought the next book in the series. (Which says a lot because I usually only read free books unless I already know the author well).
The main character is named Allish, which I choose to pronounce like Alice with a slurred ending, though I'm not sure how the author actually intended it to be. The setting is close enough to modern day tech to fool the reader into thinking of it as an Urban Fantasy set in a modern, English-speaking country. But then we get to describing the names of countries, which are unrecognizable (and unmemorable) and you realize it's a complete fantasy world after all. It would have made more sense to me if the native characters names were more conventional while the mages who were supposed to come from a different world had different names, or if both were different but in noticably different ways. Anyway… these things are fairly minor but this is why I can't give it the full 5 star rating.
I only noticed one typo (author says "conscious" when she meant "consciousness") which is better than most books I read. (There was one other that turned out to be intentional as the character spoke that way, so that doesn't count).
In the story itself, the world was just like ours (excluding political borders) and had no magic until recently when a number of magic using refugees from another world showed up. The other world was being destroyed so they came to settle here. All of this is background and isn't shown in the story itself, that's just the world as it is. There are some details that never do get explained too. This is just the story of one woman (from the normal world) who gains magic in her own way, and it turns out to be very different from how the alien mages have theirs.
It's a nice little origin story for a character. Well written, fast paced, and with a decent mix of action and character development.
Overall, I liked this story a lot and definitely recommend it to any modern fantasy readers out there. Especially if you're also a comic book fan — while the story had almost no similarity to a superhero story I think it will appeal similarly to supers origin stories. In fact, I would kinda love seeing this translated into graphic novel format. That would be pretty awesome actually - now I hope the author actually reads this.
The main character is named Allish, which I choose to pronounce like Alice with a slurred ending, though I'm not sure how the author actually intended it to be. The setting is close enough to modern day tech to fool the reader into thinking of it as an Urban Fantasy set in a modern, English-speaking country. But then we get to describing the names of countries, which are unrecognizable (and unmemorable) and you realize it's a complete fantasy world after all. It would have made more sense to me if the native characters names were more conventional while the mages who were supposed to come from a different world had different names, or if both were different but in noticably different ways. Anyway… these things are fairly minor but this is why I can't give it the full 5 star rating.
I only noticed one typo (author says "conscious" when she meant "consciousness") which is better than most books I read. (There was one other that turned out to be intentional as the character spoke that way, so that doesn't count).
In the story itself, the world was just like ours (excluding political borders) and had no magic until recently when a number of magic using refugees from another world showed up. The other world was being destroyed so they came to settle here. All of this is background and isn't shown in the story itself, that's just the world as it is. There are some details that never do get explained too. This is just the story of one woman (from the normal world) who gains magic in her own way, and it turns out to be very different from how the alien mages have theirs.
It's a nice little origin story for a character. Well written, fast paced, and with a decent mix of action and character development.
Overall, I liked this story a lot and definitely recommend it to any modern fantasy readers out there. Especially if you're also a comic book fan — while the story had almost no similarity to a superhero story I think it will appeal similarly to supers origin stories. In fact, I would kinda love seeing this translated into graphic novel format. That would be pretty awesome actually - now I hope the author actually reads this.
August 2, 2017
I received this book free from the Author.
It is the first time that I have read her work and it will not be the last time, I am now a fan.
The story starts out strong and does not slow down. The action just keeps going up and up.
I like the characters and the way situations or locations are described.
I am now going to get the second book which is called Tempest and I can hardly wait because I want to see what happens.
It is the first time that I have read her work and it will not be the last time, I am now a fan.
The story starts out strong and does not slow down. The action just keeps going up and up.
I like the characters and the way situations or locations are described.
I am now going to get the second book which is called Tempest and I can hardly wait because I want to see what happens.
September 25, 2017
An interesting story about how a dancer created a sylph through the creation and interpretation of the dance Sylph. Allish is no mere human and neither is her husband. They both come from a different world and revenge is the order of the day.
November 4, 2017
excellent story. ballerina breaks her leg world changing around her
February 18, 2025
I don't really know why it didn't take my attention. I did finish it
February 27, 2017
Alisha was a former prima ballerina, before she broke her leg. Someone breaks into her apartment, and she manages to subdue him with her special power. Something bigger is going on and you just have to read it until you find out what. Great story
August 17, 2015
La Sylphide - A Gripping Short Story
Posted first at Amazon with Four Stars
I enjoyed reading the draft of Ms Gorman’s offering at her web site, and following up with the finished story was an equal pleasure for a couple of reasons: I didn’t have to wait a week between chapters, LOL, and there were a few changes that I liked and none that I didn’t.
I’m not sure of the genre; there are elements of romance, and fantasy and SF along with some dystopia to keep the reader engaged, though I think romance and fantasy dominate. As befits a story of this length, the plot doesn’t take many (any) side trips.
Still, I hoped for a more explicit resolution of a couple of plot threads (read: It wasn’t long enough!). This likely says more about me than the story, so I’ll avoid spoilers.
Ms Gorman’s characters seem true to me. I liked all of them, even Telemut, but Allish and Seth particularly struck the mark. Her descriptions are lush, even when chronicling the more dystopian scenes.
I read La Sylphide using the Kindle app on my MacBook, the formatting was fine. The cover evoked Allish as both dance and sprite; I liked it, but didn’t check how my greyscale Kindle rendered it. The characters use real language.
I noticed a couple of typos which may by now have been corrected, but probably would interfere with no one’s enjoyment.
I recommend La Sylphide to anyone looking for a striking mélange of romance and fantastical elements.
Posted first at Amazon with Four Stars
I enjoyed reading the draft of Ms Gorman’s offering at her web site, and following up with the finished story was an equal pleasure for a couple of reasons: I didn’t have to wait a week between chapters, LOL, and there were a few changes that I liked and none that I didn’t.
I’m not sure of the genre; there are elements of romance, and fantasy and SF along with some dystopia to keep the reader engaged, though I think romance and fantasy dominate. As befits a story of this length, the plot doesn’t take many (any) side trips.
Still, I hoped for a more explicit resolution of a couple of plot threads (read: It wasn’t long enough!). This likely says more about me than the story, so I’ll avoid spoilers.
Ms Gorman’s characters seem true to me. I liked all of them, even Telemut, but Allish and Seth particularly struck the mark. Her descriptions are lush, even when chronicling the more dystopian scenes.
I read La Sylphide using the Kindle app on my MacBook, the formatting was fine. The cover evoked Allish as both dance and sprite; I liked it, but didn’t check how my greyscale Kindle rendered it. The characters use real language.
I noticed a couple of typos which may by now have been corrected, but probably would interfere with no one’s enjoyment.
I recommend La Sylphide to anyone looking for a striking mélange of romance and fantastical elements.
August 17, 2017
Title: Sylphide
Author: K. Gorman
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Pages: 117
Rating: 4.5
Heat: 0
Thoughts: This was a very gripping story, I didn't want to put it down. The world that I became immersed in was so fascinating. It reminded me of Seattle or Gotham City, always overcast, dark, and almost constantly raining. And some of the names were so different yet not outlandish, like Allish and Ivern, so close to Alice and Ivan yet not. I liked it, made it seem more likely that they were from different worlds but not too unrealistic. Mages fleeing from their home to this one end up causing the dormant magic to manifest in a few of the locals, Allish being one of them. She is what they call an elemental, she can control air but can't do any spells like the mages. This protects her at first, but isn't enough to take on the new threat seeking revenge on the Mages for leaving her behind.
I did find it odd that with the different things that the mages could do that they couldn't just heal her leg. But then there wasn't really much explained about what the mages can and can't do other than teleport and use the elements like elemental. I do hope more gets revealed as the series continues. I look forward to reading it!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
Author: K. Gorman
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Ebook
Pages: 117
Rating: 4.5
Heat: 0
Thoughts: This was a very gripping story, I didn't want to put it down. The world that I became immersed in was so fascinating. It reminded me of Seattle or Gotham City, always overcast, dark, and almost constantly raining. And some of the names were so different yet not outlandish, like Allish and Ivern, so close to Alice and Ivan yet not. I liked it, made it seem more likely that they were from different worlds but not too unrealistic. Mages fleeing from their home to this one end up causing the dormant magic to manifest in a few of the locals, Allish being one of them. She is what they call an elemental, she can control air but can't do any spells like the mages. This protects her at first, but isn't enough to take on the new threat seeking revenge on the Mages for leaving her behind.
I did find it odd that with the different things that the mages could do that they couldn't just heal her leg. But then there wasn't really much explained about what the mages can and can't do other than teleport and use the elements like elemental. I do hope more gets revealed as the series continues. I look forward to reading it!
Please note that I received a complimentary copy of this work in exchange for an honest review.
September 29, 2015
La Sylphide is a fantastic, fantastical foray into a genre I don't read much--enough?--of.
This short story was compelling and thrilling in equal measure, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
This short story was compelling and thrilling in equal measure, and I can't recommend it highly enough.
Very enjoyable and highly recommended.
February 5, 2016
I really enjoyed the story and the characters. Of course I would have loved more but I did enjoy the action and characters they really came to life. Hopefully we will be able to enjoy more of this story and find out just how much becoming one with the Sylph changed her.
February 6, 2016
You become part of the story.
The story line is refreshing and inventive. I would recommend to older readers, to much un-necessary foul language for the young.
The story line is refreshing and inventive. I would recommend to older readers, to much un-necessary foul language for the young.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews