By Robert Victor Mills
Part 3 of a 6-Part Review Series by
~“Have you much experience in the fistic disciplines?” “A little,” said Rhoye, never one for vaunt.
“Oh,” said Vica, crestfallen. “This may prove short.” “Aye, that it may.”~
The third tale in this collection once again finds Rohye accompanied by best friend and poet Astropho. It seems as though this joining of forces has been paying good dividends in the last few tales and the interactions of these two main characters is always fun and engaging.
PLOT:
This time our power duo finds itself crossing the river on a boat named the Chrysomal on their way to the city of Altamantia, after Avaya (an Assayer of Khelydos the God of Trade) asked them to deliver a miniature box of engraved rosewood to the High Marshall of the Great Temple of Erishala, from whom they would of course receive a generous recompense.
Other travelers and supporting characters will cross paths with our heroes on the boat, including a champion boxer whose name is well known for being undefeated in the region.
After the big burly fighter seemingly recognizes Astropho and accuses him of ‘stealing his woman’, it is to be expected that a fight will take place to ‘right a wrong’.
What happens next? Pick up a copy of The Girl with the Fire in Her Hair and find out!
THOUGHTS:
I thought overall this was a solid Wandered Lands tale, but I was left with a few questions unanswered. Whether that was intentional of the author I can’t say.
- Did Astropho indeed steal the woman of this other man? Even though we know by now that Astropho really ‘admires’ the opposite sex, he never comes off as the immoral type that would aid in adultery, at least not based on his code of ethics we’ve seen on display in the past.
- What was in the miniature box they were tasked to deliver? We never find out, which I found kind of odd. This seemed to have great importance and was entrusted to Astropho with the most regard. Maybe this will be revealed in a later adventure? Or perhaps Mills decided to leave his audience hanging? No idea!
CONCLUSIONS:
The Giant’s Purse is another entertaining tale from the Wandered Lands with an awesome fistfight for the ages and exquisite prose that flows delightfully. However, I must add that it left me with a little feeling of dissatisfaction, hindsight. Something felt incomplete or perhaps somewhat ‘rushed’. If this was intentionally done, fine. Not all stories are supposed to offer all the explanations we expect, and perhaps some things are best left to the imagination!
🦀
Many thanks once again for this very kind review. I really appreciate your continued support of my strange little stories.
Like my other boxing yarn, The Ember Nixie from Man of Swords, this one is a comedy where I tried to squeeze humour out of wordplay, half-truths and misdirections. Astropho’s honesty in the situation is open to question, of course, as he often dissembles to unbalance a rival; but he rarely ever lies to Rhoye, so when he says ‘I care nothing for his false accusations’ I think that suggests his innocence in the affair. But who knows? 😉
I’m glad you found the story entertaining despite its flaws.
What’s in the box?? 😁
“Oh, this is a relic indeed,” said Kionates, handing the box to the sister. “This casket contains one of the fingerbones of Orotreus of Xantochos, one of the founders of our Order. He helped erect the Great Temple in which we worship. This was stolen, along with many of our treasures, when Xantochos was looted by the Akhaenites over two centuries ago.”
“An avatar of Goddess Erishala is said to have appeared to Orotreus during his life,” added Vicatiora, no less awed. “The bone in this box has been in presence of the Goddess herself.”
A skeletal fingerbone. A bare knuckle in a box of matchwood. But to say anymore would put me in peril of the comedian attempting to explain the gag, a hazard into which I fear I may have already fallen. 🙂
Thank you for pointing that out! That totally flew over my head! 😁
All good, Gio. Always appreciate your feedback. 🙂