Hiya, Xylch!
First thing I'd like to say is that this is my first review - I only joined WdC this afternoon. So I'll try to make this review useful, but if I diverge from a standard format, or style, or language that is commonly used in reviews, please see that as a reflection upon me, not you. I'm a youngin' in this.
So!
Overall, my one-word impression of "The Troll Wife" is "charming." When I read your story, it felt like I was reading an old European fairy tale - which I am sure was your intent. The upside to this is a sense of authenticity. Your trolls felt like they were part of a believable mythology. Trolls, to me, are kind of an "everyman" of the fantastical world - every culture seems to have some version of trolls, with a wide variety of physical traits, magical powers, and man-eating tendencies. While I couldn't, off the top of my head, pinpoint what culture your troll mythology hails from, I think that is a positive. They certainly felt very "trollish" and that was an enjoyable experience.
One downside to the authentic feeling of this story is that I'm not sure I ever got a sense of who you are, as the writer. The simple, fairy-tale-esque story format kept description to a minimum, and it seemed mostly dialogue-driven. While that does tell me a lot about your characters, I don't know that I learned anything about you in this story. That might be your point, and if so, take this comment with a grain of salt. One of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman, frequently dips his toes into the fairy tale genre, with works like his novel STARDUST. I felt that your story was of a similar feel, but fell just a bit short of the standard. If I had to sum up what I think is missing, it would be a feeling of YOUR presence within the tale.
From a more technical perspective, I have very little to advise. Your grammar and spelling are solid, so nothing there. There were times that I felt the story pace got a little rushed, but then again, I hesitate to really focus on that, as it might be delibately in keeping with the fairy tale tradition. Since fairy tales are meant to be conveyed orally, a fast plot pace is understandable. So to that end, I would say that if your goal was to have your plot move at a relatively fast pace, good work!
For final thoughts on the work, I'll say this - I would find this work perfectly in place inside of a published collection of European fables. However, I wonder if you might have something deeper, or a more sophisticated take on the genre, than this submission.
I enjoyed reading it, so thanks for writing it! |
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