Vincent Darlage’s Reviews > Swords & Larceny > Status Update

"The Orpheus Job" by A. Lee Martinez was about an unlikely band of goblins invading the afterlife. At first, I thought I wasn't going to like this one - it felt cutesy and artificial on the outset, but darn it if the writing and characters didn't drag me right in. It turned out to be a charming, and fun, and gripping story.

"Legacy of Dragons" by Wen Spencer was a lot of fun, filled with magic, wonder, thievery, a kitty race (the kissa), and some great locations. I enjoyed this story a lot.

"The Unworthy" by Stephen Aryan turned out to be a tragic horror story, which I liked. It had an unfortunate "as you know, Bob" moment on the first page, which almost soured me on the story, but it carried itself through. Not a great story, but I did like the tragic, horrific ending.

"Gilt and Glamour" by Tracy S. Morris was a decent enough of a D&D style adventure for some thieves hired to steal some compromising documents. I liked the stakes. I didn't like how easy the magic worked (but that's a taste thing, not a real critique of the writing, YMMV). I liked the characters. Some of the bickering and back-story techniques felt..."obvious"? Maybe I'll find the right word when I write my review

"The Mistress of Spiders and the Hooded Crow" by Bill Willingham was an excellent story, with wonderful atmosphere and wording. Honestly, it was so well done that I felt myself immersed to the point that I forgot I was reading a book about larceny and heists, so the ending honestly took me by surprise!

"The Beer Run" by Mark Finn was a delightful romp, with goblins, dwarves, and other D&D-type races all living together in a campaign world. The narrator has pulled together a heist involving a beer auction and a system of laundering money for a network of criminals. Of course, things went sidewise, and some quick-thinking goblins, competent protagonists, and a lot of mayhem may well save the day.