Luke Forney. who reviewed the first third of the 384-page Black Gate 14 last month, continues to share his thoughts on our latest issue with part two of a big three-part review, saying “the novellas in particular stole the show.” He starts with a look at “The Price of Two Blades” by Pete Butler:

A story-teller and entertainer sits down to learn a new story for his repertoire, and finds much more. This is an absolutely brilliant piece. The novella flew by, playing both with action fantasy and the art of telling stories. One of the best pieces of short fiction I’ve read from 2010, it would be an injustice for this one not to win some awards.

He also discovers the adventures of Morlock for the first time in the novella “Destroyer” by James Enge:

A tale of Enge’s popular character, Morlock the Maker. Morlock leads a family through hostile territory, trying to pass through a valley in the middle of a gigantic mountain range. With insect-like enemies on all sides, Morlock does everything he can to lead his charges to safety. This was my introduction to Morlock, and I will certainly be on the lookout for more, including both of Enge’s Morlock books out from Pyr.

And finally, “The Natural History of Calamity” by Robert J. Howe:

The last novella of the collection is another winner… the  tale of a karmic detective in a case far deeper than she ever imagined…  The plot was very engaging, working as a mystery novella along with its fantasy trappings. I will be looking for more from Howe.

 You can find Part Two of the complete review here.