Sign in with Facebook
Michelle F's Reviews > In the Lost Lands
In the Lost Lands
by
by
Michelle F's review
bookshelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, reviewed, short-story, threeple-reads
Feb 08, 2022
bookshelves: fantasy, high-fantasy, reviewed, short-story, threeple-reads
Yet another George short...
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about this take on the old 'be careful what you wish for' cautionary tale is the POV it is related from. Generally we follow the poor unfortunate fresh from their encounter with the: mischievous genie, mysterious merchant, inscrutable mystic, greedy leprechauns, etc. In the Lost Lands, it is Gray Alys who knows what people desire, and she denies no request on her. It is from Alys' eyes that we see this story unfold, and that's a bold authorial choice. There are plenty of reasons to avoid using an enigma-shrouded, all-knowing figure as a main character...it's too easy to ruin the mystery, maybe; too tempting to try and reveal motivations. Or, on the flip side, it becomes frustrating for the reader to slog through the false tensions created by a 'protagonist' who knows everything but doesn't share it with the audience until it is convenient. Perhaps it is a function of the constraint of a short story, but Martin really pulls it off in In the Lost Lands.
Gray Alys is doubly tasked by the knight Jerais: the beautiful queen Melange wants the ability to shapeshift – to roam free and wild as a wolf in the nighttime – and Jerais himself wants badly for Alys to fail in giving the Queen what she most desires. As Alys refuses no one, it is this seemingly impossible undertaking that we watch unfold.
Martin, as always, manages to sneak in a great sense of place as he weaves this smart tale. And it is so very clever. I nearly came away disappointed, though, as the final bit of the wish granting was almost too offhand to catch. I originally thought that maybe it was just me, but when I sheepishly confessed my 'a-ha!' moment to my buddy-readers, it turned out that it wasn't apparent to them, either. It was this 'a-ha!'(view spoiler) that elevated this short from good to great for me.
This ranks pretty highly in my estimation of Martin's short stories, and in general. Worth a read for most fantasy fans.
This was a fun GRRM short that came close to missing its mark with an almost-too-subtle last twist.
A notable thing about this take on the old 'be careful what you wish for' cautionary tale is the POV it is related from. Generally we follow the poor unfortunate fresh from their encounter with the: mischievous genie, mysterious merchant, inscrutable mystic, greedy leprechauns, etc. In the Lost Lands, it is Gray Alys who knows what people desire, and she denies no request on her. It is from Alys' eyes that we see this story unfold, and that's a bold authorial choice. There are plenty of reasons to avoid using an enigma-shrouded, all-knowing figure as a main character...it's too easy to ruin the mystery, maybe; too tempting to try and reveal motivations. Or, on the flip side, it becomes frustrating for the reader to slog through the false tensions created by a 'protagonist' who knows everything but doesn't share it with the audience until it is convenient. Perhaps it is a function of the constraint of a short story, but Martin really pulls it off in In the Lost Lands.
Gray Alys is doubly tasked by the knight Jerais: the beautiful queen Melange wants the ability to shapeshift – to roam free and wild as a wolf in the nighttime – and Jerais himself wants badly for Alys to fail in giving the Queen what she most desires. As Alys refuses no one, it is this seemingly impossible undertaking that we watch unfold.
Martin, as always, manages to sneak in a great sense of place as he weaves this smart tale. And it is so very clever. I nearly came away disappointed, though, as the final bit of the wish granting was almost too offhand to catch. I originally thought that maybe it was just me, but when I sheepishly confessed my 'a-ha!' moment to my buddy-readers, it turned out that it wasn't apparent to them, either. It was this 'a-ha!'(view spoiler) that elevated this short from good to great for me.
This ranks pretty highly in my estimation of Martin's short stories, and in general. Worth a read for most fantasy fans.
Sign into Goodreads to see if any of your friends have read
In the Lost Lands.
Sign In »
Reading Progress
May 27, 2021
–
Started Reading
May 27, 2021
–
Finished Reading
February 8, 2022
– Shelved
Comments Showing 1-8 of 8 (8 new)
date
newest »
newest »
message 1:
by
Nataliya
(new)
Feb 08, 2022 07:38PM
I have never thought of GRRM as a short story writer, mostly because of those thick books of his. Great review, Michelle!
reply
|
flag
Nataliya wrote: "I have never thought of GRRM as a short story writer, mostly because of those thick books of his. Great review, Michelle!"Thanks! He has a pretty substantial short story/novella catalog. Most fall into the speculative genre, from what I can see.
I think he really shines in these bite-sized bits, with some exceptions. Although I enjoy those big books, he is much less inclined to tint purple in the short stories! He is a Gloomy Gus, though. The most regularly checked box on our GRRM bingo card is “Crushing Disappointment” 😂
Again, great review. Now I'm looking forward even more to reading it.
chvang wrote: "Again, great review. Now I'm looking forward even more to reading it."Thanks :) I’m excited to know you’re on the same Martin journey. I hope you like this one.
I wouldn't even be on this journey (or at least, not for a while) if it weren't for you; it's been a great one so far so I'm looking forward to it.(Hey, now I can finally watch the Nightflyers TV show.)
I’m looking forward to checking out the show too. Nightflyers has such great potential for visual presentation. That is really awesome, chvang. Sharing book joy is one of the best things, and it makes me glad I chose to actually post my thoughts instead of keeping scribbles in notebooks :)
I like reading and it's always a joy to share it with people. I'm glad you chose to share your G.R.R.M. read-a-thon, because I've had a grand time. Feel free to shoot me any book recommendations whether you're on a kick or just on a whim.
I certainly will. I’d be delighted if you would do the same!
