Part 6 of a 6-Part Review Series by
“Rhoye grabbed the hideous thing by the scalp, pressing it to the tabletop, whereupon Astropho, grimacing as he did so, dug his fingertips into its eyesocket to pry out its eyeball.”
This installment marks the last tale in The Girl with the Fire in Her Hair by Robert Mills. It’s been a great ride and once again Mills, if anything, delighted us with a blend of exquisite prose and classic adventures all throughout the book.
PLOT:
Rhoye and Astropho take it upon themselves to go visit the small town of Augwick, where most of the men have gone missing under strange circumstances. We will learn of how Haralfe, former apprentice of the Loyal Guild of Merchant Magi at the city of Galdurburgh, has become a powerful golenmaster with a corrupt soul and how our heroes, with the help of the local townsfolk, will have to defeat him in order to bring back normalcy to Augwick.
This story will not only exalt the courage and prowess of Rhoye and best friend, but also that of the local residents, ordinary folks placed in extraordinary circumstances.
PLAYING IT TOO SAFE?
This is a very fun and entertaining story, BUT I felt that coming from Mr. Mills, it played out too much on the safe side, feeling a bit too ‘formulaic’ at times in its plot development. I know what the author is capable of writing, so perhaps I’m holding him up to higher standards than the average fantasy writer, but this was a point that must be mentioned.
The most positive comment I can give is in regards to how we see all throughout the story an active involvement of ordinary people in extinguishing the evil of the land. Usually in these tropes the hero does all the work, in fact he often warns ordinary folk to get out of the way and stay home. But here there would be no good ending if it wasn’t for a joint effort from all parties involved. Even the small deeds performed by ordinary men and women CAN make a difference!
CONCLUSION:
As we wrap up this 6-part series the question instinctively rises: is The Girl with the Fire in Her Hair a better overall collection than Man of Swords?
My answer is NO. And this is not a knock on this latest collection or the author at all. But if we want to be objective, Man of Swords set the bar very high and by comparison, The Girl feels more average, and though remaining a fun read on its own, it is not the best we’ve seen.
The stories unfold within a safer ‘formulaic’ fantasy format more commonly seen in current fiction writing. What distinguishes it is certainly the exquisite prose, and the fact that Mills knows how to put together good action scenes.
Having said all that, I still must recommend this collection to all of you who still care about compelling characters and fantasy realms where it is still possible to escape for a few hours!
🦀
Many thanks for this wonderful review, Gio. My full appreciation for the time and attention you have lavished on my stories, I can scarcely begin to express. Your insights and observations have been incredibly helpful, hopefully to help me improve my craft going forward. Thanks also of course to Henry for this amazing site which really has become a must-read for anyone interested in indie fiction of all flavours. My thanks to you both.
Regarding which of my books is better? My mother always used to say it is impossible to choose between your children, nor should you ever try: being mother to eight, she doubtless knew what she was talking about! Despite having only the one child myself, I more fully understand what she meant now, at least in regards to these offspring of my imagination: I find it impossible to choose between my books, my stories, my characters – even the villains. Maybe that’s the job of the writer, to see the good in everything, find the favourites in even the most improbable places, the charm in the chaos, the beauty in danger. Thankfully we have our loyal readers, and good critics, to keep us on track (he says, while rambling precariously).
What’s next from me? I’m again hard at work on ‘Knight of Swords’, the direct sequel to ‘Man of Swords’, although the unforeseen two month hiatus from my writing over this summer gone means it will most likely be delayed until next Spring. But, as the adage goes, ‘better late and great than on time and fine’. And I think it will be great: the stories I have already completed are, I hope, my best yet. I’ll be sure to give a heads-up when it’s ready to go.
My gratitude again,
Robert
Many thanks for the kind words, Robert. Honestly, the site would not be as good as it is without Gio’s contributions.
‘Better late and great than on time and fine’. I have to remember that one.
It’s been an honor and a pleasure to read these fantastic tales of yours, Robert. I said this before, your writing is SPECIAL and even the most bland of your stories still trumps most other Indies out there. But because of that, I still have to review one book at a time objectively and I hope my criticism will only help fuel your FIRE WITHIN!
INFAMOUS🦀