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altivoAfter spending the morning puzzling out Microsoft's abominably complex directions for applying fixes to Win2K to deal with this idiotic change in daylight saving time, I decided I'd had enough and left after lunch, pleading my cold (which is still dragging me down.)
Thinking I'd probably just fall asleep but would try anyway, I settled down with The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold (![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
kyellgold) just released from Sofawolf. Well, there was no falling asleep until I got to the very end. If you liked Volle and Pendant of Fortune you can't miss this collection of tales.
"The Prisoner's Release" has appeared before, of course, and tells of events in between the two full length novels. All the other stories have connections to the same world and characters, as well. From "Inside the Cage," first and longest of the four tales, we find out exactly what happened to the young cougar Jonas when he ran away from The Jackal's Staff, and the tribulations he went through as a result. In another story, we learn the next phase in the life of that sweet wolf Richy, Volle's favorite at The Jackal's Staff. Is there life after the Staff? Indeed, there seems to be. "The Prisoner's Release" itself has been revised a bit, with more details added. Cameo appearances by various characters criss-cross between the stories. We see the skilled tailor fox Mikka, who plays a large role in Jonas' survival, selling Volle a shirt in the marketplace of Caril during "Home Again," which tells of Volle's arrival back in Ferrenis and how he and Streak were settled on their little farm. We get to meet Lord Fardew's unruly whelps and learn of the mischief they get into in "For Love or Family." There the incorrigible villain Dereath Talison makes a reappearance, as we learn more of the events that shattered Lord Fardew's life and eventually allowed Dereath to take his place.
Some of these characters I find irresistible from their first appearance. Streak, of course, is nearly everyone's favorite, but wait until you meet Fardew's son Cef. Jonas deserved a follow up, and does himself proud (along with doing lots of other males of various species.) Best of all, Richy turns out to be even better than anyone could have thought, revealing his heart of gold and then giving it to... No, I won't tell you to whom.
I hope the author intends to tell us more. I'd love to learn about Tally's past, for instance. Or something more about Volle's classmate Reese. From whence did Lord Tistunish come and how did he arrive in the position in which Volle met him? How did Lord and "Lady" Barclaw meet and arrive at their rather interesting accommodation to the Court's expectations in Tephos? What really happened when Xiller went to Ferrenis? What was Prince Gennic's back story? There were some interesting hints when these two appeared in Volle and then they were gone. In any case, this book was a page turner that kept me awake in spite of doses of cold medicine, all the way to the end where I wanted still more.
Oh, and I should mention the illustrations too, by a different artist for each story. Vince Suzukawa, Taurin Fox, Leo Magna (of Fur-Piled,) and Adam Wan all make distinctive contributions. Sara Palmer has not completely vanished either, as she provided an adorably romantic picture of Volle and Streak for the cover.
This book is a must for Gold's readers. If you are new to his work, though, I strongly encourage you to read Volle first. That novel provides background that enriches the four stories in The Prisoner's Release and they will not be as powerful unless you know those prior details.
Rating: 5 of 5 possible apples
Thinking I'd probably just fall asleep but would try anyway, I settled down with The Prisoner's Release and Other Stories by Kyell Gold (
kyellgold) just released from Sofawolf. Well, there was no falling asleep until I got to the very end. If you liked Volle and Pendant of Fortune you can't miss this collection of tales."The Prisoner's Release" has appeared before, of course, and tells of events in between the two full length novels. All the other stories have connections to the same world and characters, as well. From "Inside the Cage," first and longest of the four tales, we find out exactly what happened to the young cougar Jonas when he ran away from The Jackal's Staff, and the tribulations he went through as a result. In another story, we learn the next phase in the life of that sweet wolf Richy, Volle's favorite at The Jackal's Staff. Is there life after the Staff? Indeed, there seems to be. "The Prisoner's Release" itself has been revised a bit, with more details added. Cameo appearances by various characters criss-cross between the stories. We see the skilled tailor fox Mikka, who plays a large role in Jonas' survival, selling Volle a shirt in the marketplace of Caril during "Home Again," which tells of Volle's arrival back in Ferrenis and how he and Streak were settled on their little farm. We get to meet Lord Fardew's unruly whelps and learn of the mischief they get into in "For Love or Family." There the incorrigible villain Dereath Talison makes a reappearance, as we learn more of the events that shattered Lord Fardew's life and eventually allowed Dereath to take his place.
Some of these characters I find irresistible from their first appearance. Streak, of course, is nearly everyone's favorite, but wait until you meet Fardew's son Cef. Jonas deserved a follow up, and does himself proud (along with doing lots of other males of various species.) Best of all, Richy turns out to be even better than anyone could have thought, revealing his heart of gold and then giving it to... No, I won't tell you to whom.
I hope the author intends to tell us more. I'd love to learn about Tally's past, for instance. Or something more about Volle's classmate Reese. From whence did Lord Tistunish come and how did he arrive in the position in which Volle met him? How did Lord and "Lady" Barclaw meet and arrive at their rather interesting accommodation to the Court's expectations in Tephos? What really happened when Xiller went to Ferrenis? What was Prince Gennic's back story? There were some interesting hints when these two appeared in Volle and then they were gone. In any case, this book was a page turner that kept me awake in spite of doses of cold medicine, all the way to the end where I wanted still more.
Oh, and I should mention the illustrations too, by a different artist for each story. Vince Suzukawa, Taurin Fox, Leo Magna (of Fur-Piled,) and Adam Wan all make distinctive contributions. Sara Palmer has not completely vanished either, as she provided an adorably romantic picture of Volle and Streak for the cover.
This book is a must for Gold's readers. If you are new to his work, though, I strongly encourage you to read Volle first. That novel provides background that enriches the four stories in The Prisoner's Release and they will not be as powerful unless you know those prior details.
Rating: 5 of 5 possible apples
