Judgment Wheel

by Nate Philbrick

"I killed the priests. Today I find out if their god has the guts to punish me."

A convicted murderer faces execution for his crimes on the mysterious Judgment Wheel, a force that kills the guilty and spares the innocent. But the innocent do not exist...do they?

14 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 18, 2015

About the author

Reader, minimalistic fantasy author, and digital artist.

Reviews

[Fire · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an interesting short story. This book makes you think a lot when a wheel determines the innocent and the guilty and sentences them to death is it justice? Is there truly innocence?

This is a very quick read and leaves you thinking when it is done. Honestly my only complaint is that it is too short, I wanted more. Maybe the author will expand on this idea. *hint* *hint*

[S.C. Gregory · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Great Read

Really enjoyed this short story. It was an intriguing glimpse into an interesting new world. Judgment Wheel was more than I expected and I look forward to reading more works by this author.

[Milly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and viciously delightful, how Philbrick can catch the attention in such a few short pages is surprisingly masterful. It took great restraint to not skip to the end and find out the fate of this interesting antihero. Thanks for a goodread!

[Grace Crandall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ayy so this was excellent.

The prose was measured and solid, and I loved the slow progression of the main character from stoic rebellion into fear and doubt. I'm a sucker for redemption arcs--always have been--and while I would have liked to see the progression of this one a bit more, it worked perfectly as a short story :)

[Katie Sholty · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I killed the priests." That opening line propels you into a world where execution is handed out to death row inmates in a bizarre gladiator like fashion. What do you do when the drums call your name? Do you run? Do you stand tall and face what is coming? Do you dare to hope that you will be found innocent by the god who hands down the punishment?

This short story by Nate Philbrick is electrifying. It's one of the few short stories that I have read this year, that will stick with you and leave you wanting to know about this world.

[M.R. Cullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I like to read short stories, simply because they are short. You don't really expect character development or character growth in a short story, but really talented writers can do it. Judgement Wheel is an excellent example of the short story form. The main character develops well and the story leaves you guessing right to the end. My only complaint is "What we're the two words!" Highly recommended if your looking for a short bit of escapism into what I can only imagine is a very dark world.

[Scott Dunford · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and compelling

The guilty die and the innocent go free? This short story explores the themes of guilt and innocence using creative and thought provoking means. An excellent work by an emerging author.

[Brandon Eastin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great short story

[Lydia Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking

Thought-provoking and interesting short story. Well-developed concept of the different responses to judgment. Doesn't take long to read at all!

[Kachina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Huh. I'm not sure if I quite understand what happened.

Still worth a read though.

[Ben Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting premise...

... But it needs to focus more on sensory details throughout as well as developing the protagonist. Despite that, it's a thoroughly enjoyable story.