Jessica (HDB)

Why has no one told me about Daniel Polansky until now? Oh, I have been blind. If it wasn't for TOR, and their brilliant series of short fiction, I may never have discovered this extremely talented author. If you'll recall, I promised myself that I'd get back into both Fantasy and short fiction this year. Well, Polansky has made that mission all the more attainable. If this is what I can expect, I have no qualms whatsoever!

When I was a teenager, the Redwall series was one of my favorite things to read. Sentient animals, with loyal blood running through their veins, constantly at war with one another. I ate it up. This took me back to those days. However, I'm pleased to say that this story is infinitely darker than those. It's gritty. It's bloody. There is death and revenge involved. It was like my favorite stories grew up with me, and I couldn't have been happier.

The Builders is like Redwall meets a western featuring John Wayne. The characters are raw. Their pasts are filled with violence, and it is only the promise of revenge that calls them back to those lives they attempted to leave behind. This story is action packed. It's filled to the brim with twists, and turns. At the end of the day, it will leave you breathless. All of that, smashed into one novella length story.

I'm impressed. More Daniel Polansky is definitely in my future.