Swift and the Black Dog

by Ginn Hale

When Jack Swift killed a tyrant and won the revolution he became a national hero. But someone in the new government prefers dead heroes to living, swearing, cynical wizards. Caught between bullets, revenge and desire, Jack had better be swift indeed.

Genres: Fantasy, M M Romance, Short Stories, Queer, Romance, Anthologies, Steampunk

50 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 7, 2016

Reviews

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Posted at Shelf Inflicted

Rich, dark and mesmerizing, cleanly written and uncluttered, full of lush imagery, healing and harming magic, and featuring a cast of distinctive, unforgettable characters. As much as I would have liked to spend a lot more time with Jack Swift and Owen Finch as they right the world’s wrongs, I felt satisfied with the length of the story and its resolution.

Originally published in the Charmed and Dangerous anthology.

[☆ Todd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Holy crap, the world building in this story made this mysterious land (built on a series of cliffs, complete with airplanes and other modern conveniences) sound one part awesome and two parts awful.

The writing was top notch, the magical abilities of various wizards was extremely cool, and I really enjoyed the plot twist at the end.

My only complaint was the short length, as I did connect with both Jack and Finch, but I'm greedy, so I wanted sooooo much more of them, seeing their relationship flourish and continue.

4 stars.

[Vivian · Rating 4 out of 5]

It ain't easy being a hero.

Jack Swift settled into disrepute, again, quite easily after he helped overthrow the Tyranny. Friends come and go, even those who we thought were the closest of close, dearest. Death seems to be stalking the heroes of the revolution; Jack ignores the signs until a wayward message drags him back into the thick of it.

Magic, murder, and mayhem. Hale does a wonderful job with fantasy world building and there's no disappointment here. Novella, be damned, Hale lays it all out. A little bit of romance, and a whole lot of story squeezed into this adventure.

Fits perfectly with my I 🖤 Bad Boys Challenge for Anarchist/Revolutionary.

* Gift from my ♥Secret Cupid♥

[Skye Kilaen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantasy short story with HUGE worldbuilding and a stark look at the aftermath of teenage wizards fighting evil (i.e. child soldiers). Jack Swift, the main character, was one of those teenage wizards who overthrew an evil regime. Now someone in the new government - which isn't as shiny as it was supposed to be - wants the surviving wizards dead.

Jack connects with Owen Finch, a young man who's part of the resistance, and together they track down who's at the center of the attacks. I loved Jack's darkness, Owen's light, and the struggle between them to do what's right, when they both have different understandings about what that is. The magic system is fascinating.

I wouldn't call it romance because the relationship between Jack and Owen is secondary to the adventure, but romance fans will find plenty to love here.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve been a fan of Ginn Hale for a while now and I’m always super happy when authors not only write great novels but are good at writing short stories as well. It’s a different craft and, to be honest, I don’t think everybody is good at both. Since I’m a fan I just one-clicked when I saw that there was a short story by her that I thought I hadn’t read. Um, turns out the same story was already published in the anthology Charmed and Dangerous, which I had, in fact, already read, but never mind, this shortie is so good that a second read was no hardship at all.

Swift & the Black Dog is set in a complex and unique fantasy setting with a former tyrant who was killed by four teenage wizards ten years ago. They all have different ways (magic) and we witness in this book what happens to them and to the society when not everything changes only because one bad sovereign disappears (something that is repeated again and again in our own history in this world).

What I find really refreshing is that these former teenagers are no heroes. Well, they are painted like it in the media but the truth is that they are really not. They come from terrible backgrounds, were abandoned, abused. It is no surprise that they are not the sanest or nicest of characters.

The story is written from one of these characters, Swift, who has to face betrayal and loss, but unexpected help might just melt his stony heart and give him a wish to live.

The world building is complex, the characters intriguing, and the plot unexpected on several occasions. I appreciate a lot that the darker side of the story takes place off-page and is only mentioned to give explanations and more depths to the story or the characters’ backgrounds. So while this is really not a fluffy story, it isn’t in your face dark as well.

All in all, I think this is a great story and if you like shorts and fantasy, I’d suggest you check this out.

____________________________________
Genre: Science Fiction / Fantasy, Short Story, Romance
Tags: M/M, Antihero, Dark, Magic
Content Warnings: Violence, Death of Secondary Character, Betrayal, Mention of Child Abuse, Torture, Murder, Mass Execution
Rating: 4.5 stars
Blog: Review for Just Love Romance

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyable! Dystopian excellence I need more of this world. I always like Ginn Hales anthology submissions, and obviously need to read her individual works.

[Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing Champion of the Scarlet Wolf book 2 I wansn't in the mood for a large story. I was suffering because I had finished a good book and the characters and the world refused to leave me alone. So I picked up this short story and I loved it! I'm not a big fan of short stories because I love when stories are big and complicated and sometimes get out of hand. But this one... wow! The worldbuilding again is superb! I shouldn't be surprise by now, but still it amazes me how Mrs. Hale can create something so alive with so little words. I highly recommend this one if you're a fan of fantasy and magic, you wouldn't be disappointed.

[Leta Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short and good. Sort of amazed at the world-building accomplished in so few pages. Would love to see more in this universe, but get the impression from the ending that it's a one and done. Loved it. A fave of this year.

[GeishaX · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short novella was almost able to cure me of my dislike for everything short - I mean like short stories or novellas. Ginn Hale has proven before that she can worldbuild with the best of them. And again we find an unsual, unique and imaginative setting, gritty and dark and really interesting. And our MC Jack Swift, a magician in a world where magicians have strange powers. He commands smoke and winds and lightning. But the magic of other magicians works differently. Jack killed a tyrant in his youth and supposedly freed the country. Only it seems like it has not been really freed and he might need to take action again. And he makes an ally on the way of a younger, good looking guard with an idealistic mind.

I really like Ginn Hale's writing since back "Wicked Gentlemen" and I totally fell for ther Shifter-Series. And I fell for Jack Swift. Only.... It's so short. Why don't we get to spend more time with Swift and Finch? I would have liked to see more of them together. I also would have liked to see how things work out with the new government. But most especially I would have wanted an real ending. This felt like there was a chapter missing - or two.

[Smutty Sully · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not sure that was 50 pages, there was an awful lot of intense and fascinating world building for something this short.

I don't know what the technical term for it is, but I really like the sudden immersion (throw me into the pond?) style of world-building.

SFF with a tiny bit of romance, and that's fine! Will add some highlights and tags later.

Thank you, Libby, for releasing all of my holds at once and distracting me from my ARCs and buddy reads. 😂

[Hilcia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent 78 page novella, with rich world-building, memorable characters and great writing.

[Mir · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic writing, very dark story.

[C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow... how did this relatively short story manage such a depth and a range of emotions into me as a reader? This is impressive, a perfect pearl reflecting the brilliance of this author. This has enough material that it could be turned into a series!
Loved the characters, realistic anti-hero main character, the world creation, and the final twist. That twist was not the most sudden but the most perfectly developed throughout the story I've seen in a good while. Enough tips and clues here and there so that a clever reader could guess the truth behind Peter. Yet it was the slow revelations about each character and how the fight had changed them which made this outstanding for me. It was dark, politicaly and socially charged and it just made the whole story more rounded and realistic. It was refreshing to see realistic consequences of heroic actions.

[Tiuri · Rating 5 out of 5]

By far my favourite story in the Charmed and Dangerous anthology. Within the limited space of a novella, the world-building in this is out of this world. The magic is as intriguing as the titular protagonist.

[Wandering Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

One of the wonderful stories in the Charmed and Dangerous anthology.

[Arlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautifully written fantasy about the powers of wizardry, both good and evil, and how these powers are utilized and imposed among a sea of humanity.

The author deftly infuses such detailed and sumptuous imagery into this story that the writing is elevated into an expressive form of visual art. This highly descriptive writing yields a series of clear and vivid images that provide tangible anchors for readers as they foray into a foreign world steeped in magic and mysticism.

My only critique is that such exquisite description and attention to detail has a significant impact on the pacing of a story. The descriptive passages far outweigh the action sequences in this read. It seems strange to me that such an elaborate world was created for such a short story. This feels like more like the groundwork for a more extensive story.. A novel or series, perhaps?

[Cyril · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm having a very confused moment because I SWEAR I've read this story before and I have no idea how.

Either way: a million percent love this story. I love the idea of telling the story of revolutionaries after the dictator is overthrown. It's not glamorous but damn is it good. Gritty and real with twists and turns. A fantastic short story for the fantasy lover. (Hale's world building is SO GOOD UGH)

[Ng · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!

Such a short book but with a novel worth details.
A fantastic read - left me yearning for more about this world. With a few strokes the author managed to provide most of the history about the people who led the revolution.

[Shelba · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really wish I had been able to read this in one uninterrupted go, as it was just really brilliant. The amount of character building, world building and plot thrown into such a short story was immensely impressive.

[D. Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can always count on Mrs. Hale to create a brilliant story in less than 60 pages...

[Mélanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Une nouvelle sympathique à lire, un univers nouveau pour moi et assez dense.

Dès les premières pages nous sommes plongés en plein cœur de l'histoire, de son genre et de ses personnages, ce qui rend parfois la compréhension de l’ensemble difficile. Par contre, une fois accoutumée, le récit est assez prenant et vous happe pour découvrir le fin mot de l'histoire.

Jack est un personnage intéressant, complexe, blasé par son passé et ses actions. L'amertume a pris place dans sa vie et son cœur.
Dans la mission que lui a confiée, où plutôt imposée, son amie Rachael, il va faire la rencontre de Finch, jeune homme enthousiaste, calme, qui croit en ses idées et en un avenir meilleur. Cette rencontre va le faire prendre conscience de certaines choses et lui offrir une meilleure facette de son esprit, de lui-même, ses nuages s'évaporent pour laisser place à l’espoir, à une seconde chance, une renaissance.

Le texte est plaisant, il y a des rebondissements, du danger, des surprises, de la magie. La relation entre Jack et Finch n'est pas prioritaire mais se fond parfaitement dans l'action et surtout dans le comportement de Jack, son ressenti. J'ai aimé cette relation entre les deux hommes.

La plume de l'auteur est riche, dense, elle nous inonde de descriptions parfaites avec des mots adaptés à l'univers, des mots qui expriment à merveille les impressions et l'état d'esprit de Jack.

A la lecture de cette courte nouvelle, vous comprendrez pourquoi ce titre, qui est choisi à la perfection.

Bref, une bonne lecture malgré mes difficultés d'adaptation du début, une histoire très bien écrite, très très peu de fautes, ce qui est agréable, riche, sombre, de bons moments, de l’action, un bon mélange de magie et de plaisir, et une fin des plus surprenante !

A découvrir.

[Carmen-Shea Hepburn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Charmed & Dangerous Anthology, which I came across almost by accident having purchased it mostly just so I could read 'A Queer Trade' by KJ Charles (which, now that I think of it, I still haven't read!).

I was scrolling through the pages, can't really remember why, when the opening line caught my eye: "We were just kids," it started, and before I knew it I'd been sucked in...

It's been a very long while since I read any SF/F and I absolutely loved reading this one, most especially because it takes a look at the "afterwards", at what happens after a child hero has saved the day- at the politics, at the mental health aspects, at the societal expectation still placed upon their shoulders, at how the people will love you only so long as you're living up to their perceived image of you. All this, with some wizardry, magic, and world building thrown in to boot!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars I read this in the Charmed and Dangerous anthology, and I'm amazed by how much backstory and world building went into this short story. I'll definitely be checking out more from Hale!

[M'rella]

Previously published in Charmed and Dangerous anthology.

[Maya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

A universe described in all its gory details as a setting for young love. How could I not like?

[Kochka94 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Avec cette nouvelle d'une centaine de pages, l'auteur nous propose un univers très riche, très bien construit mais qui nous laisse très frustrés par le format de l'histoire, beaucoup trop court pour les possibilités de ce monde.

Nous sommes vingt ans après qu'un groupe d'adolescents a renversé un tyran et fait basculer cette dictature en démocratie. Sauf que la société parfaite à laquelle ils aspiraient ne s'est pas vraiment installée, la terreur règne, les rafles sont légions, les disparités perdurent et les homosexuels sont mis à l'index.

Jack Swift a grandi depuis qu'il a, avec sa bande de potes, tué le tyran, à l'aide de sa Façon, entendez par là son pouvoir magique, plus sur un concours de circonstances qu'animé par de véritables motivations patriotiques. Et quand son amie Rachael lui demande un service, il se dit que la tranquillité est bien finie et qu'il est sans doute temps de faire ce à quoi il s'était engagé des années plus tôt. Et il va recevoir l'aide de Finch, un jeune homme empli d'idéaux et d'espoirs d'un monde meilleur... et sacrément sexy.

Nous sommes plongés dès la première page en plein coeur de ce monde, sans avoir de prologue qui nous expliquerait un peu les tenants et les aboutissants de cette société assez surprenante et complexe. Mais je me suis laissée embarquée très facilement par la plume de l'auteur, qui nous immerge et nous embarque dans l'aventure.

J'ai vraiment passé un excellent moment avec cette nouvelle, qui m'a donné envie d'en savoir plus, j'ai d'ailleurs eu la même impression en lisant Prodige, une autre nouvelle du même auteur, cette frustration de trop peu. J'ai la chance d'avoir la série Le pourfendeur dans ma palette à lire, et j'ai hâte de me plonger dans un roman de l'auteur qui prend sans doute le temps d'installer ses personnages et son univers, puisque la série compte à ce jour 5 tomes traduits.

[Bookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars M/M dystopian paranormal romance.
A short story from the M/M anthology ‘Charmed and Dangerous’ that is set in a dystopian world.
Jack is a disillusioned wizard who struggles with the aftermath of the revolution that he and his friends inadvertently unleashed.
Finch a young idealist tries to help him when his remaining friend is assassinated but then the attraction between the two is not something that Jack is unable to resist despite his efforts.

The world building is interesting with magical powers, interesting topography and as it hints at bigotry towards queer people and seems to imply that wizards are mostly queer? I wasn’t too sure about that point.

Because it is a short story there is not a lot of room to see a relationship between Jack and Finch but what is there is good. Although the one sex scene was unfortunately a fade away.

I am not typically into dystopian plots but I liked Jack and Finch to want more of their story.

[Yoruhime · Rating 2 out of 5]

Actually, my rating would be closer than two and half. The universe, the magic system, the relations between Jack and his old group... It's fascinating, dark, wild. I loved the beginning of this book : I was ready to jump in. Hell, I wanted to jump in, learn more. Much more.

Except you don't - learn more or jump in. Or at least I couldn't. It's short, far, far too short a story to plunge into the pages. The books stays a bit like an outline - a very interesting one, mind, but this "draft-feel" stayed with me during my whole read. I hoped for development : there was infinitely more to do with such a universe, all the ideas ! As for the romance, to say it's paper thin is an euphemism.
So I finished it, half angry and half disappointed. Mostly disappointed, in fact. Such a pity.

[Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read as part of the Charmed and Dangerous Anthology

I really loved the premise of this one--child war heroes set a decade or two after they saved the world and showing the sort of gritty aftermath of that. I honestly thought it was SO fascinating and could have very much read an entire book set in this 'verse. Though I did feel like the story felt very well contained in this short story format, I did think there was a lot of world-building and backstory here. Overall I think the author managed to convey the information really well, but given the amount of it, there were definitely times I felt a little confused and where I think a longer novel that could have taken time to expand would have worked well.

[ΛNNΞ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I spend years search for another "Hunger Games". The darkly complicated distopian world inhabitanted by facinatingly complex and reluctant heros. This book is that and more. Despite it's short length, the world building is incredible, never boring, just vividly atmospheric and wonderful. And of course engaging characters that easily slipped under my skin. The romance component is really minor, almost non-existent, but I didn't mind ... that is how good the rest of this is ... it's enough to carry this short story. I could easy see this develop into a full length novel or even series ... I would totally be game! Brilliantly done ...

(Read as part of the Charmed and Dangerous Anthology)