more on It Happened at the Ball
Oct. 12th, 2018 11:05 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asakiyumeI’ve finished reading It Happened at the Ball—very interesting to see the directions the stories took the theme.
I have to start with Sherwood Smith’s story, which is the crowning jewl of the collection. It’s a novella, which means you can really sink into the place, the characters, and the situations. If you’re familiar with Sherwood’s Sartorias-deles world, this story shows how Colend became its own nation—but if you’re not familiar, no worries at all. This story is completely comprehensible on its own.
The situation: A great ball is being held; all the nobility of the region will be at it. Warriors from an aggressive bordering state are also in the city, on a pretext of being interested in trade but actually planning an attack. They, too, are invited to the ball—what will happen?
The genius of the story is in the characters, especially the intelligent, charismatic, and above all kind protagonist, Martande Lirende. It is a delight to watch him defuse situations, deflect unwanted attention, and engage enemies without spilling blood (blood does get spilled, but not on screen). Here, for example, is how he reacts when a noblewoman he’s dancing with makes fun of the looks of the king:
But it’s not just Martande whom we get an intimate feel for: it’s pretty much any character who steps onto the page--the elderly (female) Count of Ranflar, tasked with dancing with the warlord Rajin; the warlord himself, whose misreading of the ballroom is an object lesson in cultural blindness; Messenger Yedoc, struggling to express herself in a language she can’t speak well; even little Gelis, a child:
Seriously: even if you didn’t like any of the other stories in the anthology, it would be worth it for this one tale.
But I suspect you'll find things to like in the other stories--each has something unusual or interesting to recommend it.
“The Şiret Mask” I talked about earlier—over here.
“Just Another Quiet Evening at Almack’s” (Marissa Doyle)
This one is set in 1811 in a version of England with magic. It had a cute take on aphrodisiacs, with a very clever and logically consistent way of dealing with the effect. I liked the young girl who was the cause of the problem—she was imaginative and enterprising, even if the consequences were not what she hoped for. And I liked the gentleman who turned up for the main character, too.
“Homeworld Stranger” (Sara Stamey)
This is part of a larger work and definitely was more of a vignette than a freestanding story, but you get a sense of the lineaments of the larger story it’s part of. I appreciated the novelty of the “space-western” feel of it, unique in the anthology.
“Kerygma in Waltz Time” (Charlotte Gumanaam)
This story has two distinct halves. In the first, the narrator, an unemployed college graduate with a degree in English literature, answers a mysterious job ad: “Virtual game test subjects. Knowledge of literature a must.” She and all the other applicants are taken to a huge library whose books are in piles on the floor and are asked how they would organize them. The narrator and another job applicant fall into conversation about the books, taxonomies, sequels, fan fiction and more that I suspect will either be very appealing or very offputting. The second half involves the virtual game whose concept and mechanism are fascinating; I was intrigued.
“Dancing Bangles” (Irene Radford)
There are two sisters in this, one a spy and the other a pirate. The story had the flavor of the 1973 Three Musketeers film with Raquel Welch and Michael York, but felt a bit rushed. There was this great line, though: “She took her glower to a deeper, more piratical level.”
“A Plague of Dancers” (Gillian Pollack)
This takes place in the Middle Ages after the plague has swept through a region. At last the people have come out to celebrate instead of grieve, but will the dance they start up turn into a dance of death? This one raised a lot of questions for me about the dance, the danger it poses, and the resolution, but that may have been the author’s intention.
“A Borrowed Heart” (Deborah J. Ross)
This is another that has two distinct parts. In the first, the courtesan Lenore saves a young man from a succubus and then, in a remarkable scene, gentles the succubus by touching her sensuously and tenderly. It was lovely to read. In the second part, Lenore must save her sister, who appears to be dying of a broken heart. There are no scenes as sensual in this part as Lenore’s attentions to the succubus, but there are some very touching familial moments.
“The Gown of Harmonies” (Francesca Forrest)
This is mine: it’s about a blind seamstress who creates a ball gown that makes music as the wearer dances.
“The Dress” (Lynne April Brown)
A flash fiction piece about those who safeguard a special dress that makes princes fall in love with those who wear it. A nice detail is that the dress changes from generation to generation so it’s always in style.
“A Waltz for May” (P.G. Nagle)
Set in Galveston during the Civil War, this quiet, intimate story has lovely characterization. You start out thinking that maybe Emma’s Aunt May is going to be the story’s antagonist, but that ends up not being the case. It’s a pleasure to spend time with these characters.
“Sherbet on Silver” (Brenda Clough)
A very entertaining vampire story with a redoubtable non-vampire husband-and-wife team. Enjoyed it very much.
“Gilt and Glamour” (Layla Lawlor)
The protagonist and his partner are searching for a pooka in Shadow New York. The pooka’s careless disregard for the limitations and circumstances of humans made me laugh:
And that’s all of them!
I have to start with Sherwood Smith’s story, which is the crowning jewl of the collection. It’s a novella, which means you can really sink into the place, the characters, and the situations. If you’re familiar with Sherwood’s Sartorias-deles world, this story shows how Colend became its own nation—but if you’re not familiar, no worries at all. This story is completely comprehensible on its own.
The situation: A great ball is being held; all the nobility of the region will be at it. Warriors from an aggressive bordering state are also in the city, on a pretext of being interested in trade but actually planning an attack. They, too, are invited to the ball—what will happen?
The genius of the story is in the characters, especially the intelligent, charismatic, and above all kind protagonist, Martande Lirende. It is a delight to watch him defuse situations, deflect unwanted attention, and engage enemies without spilling blood (blood does get spilled, but not on screen). Here, for example, is how he reacts when a noblewoman he’s dancing with makes fun of the looks of the king:
“Prince Fish Face. Now the king. Surely you know that [name for him]. Everyone in the first circle says it.”
“Ah, but I find him beautiful,” Martande said.
Luor slanted a glance of derision, assuming shared mockery, to smack into a wall of sincere
conviction.
“Beautiful,” she repeated, the exclamation half question. “I’ve seen him, when my mother presented me at court. He cannot have changed so materially in ten years.”
He lifted a shoulder as they dipped, turned, and met palm to palm again, toes pointed, shoulders back. “We know the word beautiful,” he said in that tone of calm sincerity, “but I expect we all define it differently. For me, that which delights my heart is beautiful, and King Eniad, in all his painstaking doubt and generosity of spirit, is beautiful.”
But it’s not just Martande whom we get an intimate feel for: it’s pretty much any character who steps onto the page--the elderly (female) Count of Ranflar, tasked with dancing with the warlord Rajin; the warlord himself, whose misreading of the ballroom is an object lesson in cultural blindness; Messenger Yedoc, struggling to express herself in a language she can’t speak well; even little Gelis, a child:
“Everything was fascinating! Even the older people. Usually so boring. It was strange, how expressive elders were when you couldn’t see their faces. ”
Seriously: even if you didn’t like any of the other stories in the anthology, it would be worth it for this one tale.
But I suspect you'll find things to like in the other stories--each has something unusual or interesting to recommend it.
“The Şiret Mask” I talked about earlier—over here.
“Just Another Quiet Evening at Almack’s” (Marissa Doyle)
This one is set in 1811 in a version of England with magic. It had a cute take on aphrodisiacs, with a very clever and logically consistent way of dealing with the effect. I liked the young girl who was the cause of the problem—she was imaginative and enterprising, even if the consequences were not what she hoped for. And I liked the gentleman who turned up for the main character, too.
“Homeworld Stranger” (Sara Stamey)
This is part of a larger work and definitely was more of a vignette than a freestanding story, but you get a sense of the lineaments of the larger story it’s part of. I appreciated the novelty of the “space-western” feel of it, unique in the anthology.
“Kerygma in Waltz Time” (Charlotte Gumanaam)
This story has two distinct halves. In the first, the narrator, an unemployed college graduate with a degree in English literature, answers a mysterious job ad: “Virtual game test subjects. Knowledge of literature a must.” She and all the other applicants are taken to a huge library whose books are in piles on the floor and are asked how they would organize them. The narrator and another job applicant fall into conversation about the books, taxonomies, sequels, fan fiction and more that I suspect will either be very appealing or very offputting. The second half involves the virtual game whose concept and mechanism are fascinating; I was intrigued.
“Dancing Bangles” (Irene Radford)
There are two sisters in this, one a spy and the other a pirate. The story had the flavor of the 1973 Three Musketeers film with Raquel Welch and Michael York, but felt a bit rushed. There was this great line, though: “She took her glower to a deeper, more piratical level.”
“A Plague of Dancers” (Gillian Pollack)
This takes place in the Middle Ages after the plague has swept through a region. At last the people have come out to celebrate instead of grieve, but will the dance they start up turn into a dance of death? This one raised a lot of questions for me about the dance, the danger it poses, and the resolution, but that may have been the author’s intention.
“A Borrowed Heart” (Deborah J. Ross)
This is another that has two distinct parts. In the first, the courtesan Lenore saves a young man from a succubus and then, in a remarkable scene, gentles the succubus by touching her sensuously and tenderly. It was lovely to read. In the second part, Lenore must save her sister, who appears to be dying of a broken heart. There are no scenes as sensual in this part as Lenore’s attentions to the succubus, but there are some very touching familial moments.
“The Gown of Harmonies” (Francesca Forrest)
This is mine: it’s about a blind seamstress who creates a ball gown that makes music as the wearer dances.
“The Dress” (Lynne April Brown)
A flash fiction piece about those who safeguard a special dress that makes princes fall in love with those who wear it. A nice detail is that the dress changes from generation to generation so it’s always in style.
“A Waltz for May” (P.G. Nagle)
Set in Galveston during the Civil War, this quiet, intimate story has lovely characterization. You start out thinking that maybe Emma’s Aunt May is going to be the story’s antagonist, but that ends up not being the case. It’s a pleasure to spend time with these characters.
“Sherbet on Silver” (Brenda Clough)
A very entertaining vampire story with a redoubtable non-vampire husband-and-wife team. Enjoyed it very much.
“Gilt and Glamour” (Layla Lawlor)
The protagonist and his partner are searching for a pooka in Shadow New York. The pooka’s careless disregard for the limitations and circumstances of humans made me laugh:
“You should try being something else for a while. A bumblebee, maybe, or a cloud. Does wonders to clear the mind.”
“We can’t do that.”
“Oh,” she said. “That’s right, I forget. Well, you should try it anyway.”
And that’s all of them!
