The set is uneven but fresh (probably related to the French language and culture) and very well written, when too many fantasy writers alas prefer history to rigorous writing. All the news taking place in the same universe (the Old Kingdom), but at different times and different places. Also writing styles, athmosphères and stories are very different: I was constantly surprised, and if I did not like too new I knew anyway I would discover something completely new to the Next news.
Do not rely on the cover: no news is type "dark fantasy", and some are small delicate jewelry (Suzelle particular).
1- "Janua Vera" - 2 stars
The first news is brief, thankfully. It is an exercise lyrical style, full of pomp, describing a pivotal moment in the history of the Old Kingdom (but we do not understand that then, having read other news). It does not happen much and this may put off readers (who lent the book to a novice in fantasy, he read the first news conscienseusement and gave me the book immediately after).
And do not stop at this first new (I remembered a little later that the bookseller had said)!
2- "Bad deal" - 5 stars
Great gusto, Humorous, caustic, with rhythm, suspense, colorful characters, and thankfully it is also the longest story in the collection I think. I regretted to see the end, I would have spent an entire novel with that scoundrel of Benvenuto, hitman his condition. The narrative is in first person, very colorful. And even if Benvenuto described negatively ("I am an honest boy.. Venal, interested, devoid of any duty I do not know even the meaning of the word martyr But I pegged selfishness to the body, and selfishness was precisely trying to kick my moral foundation. "), I felt a lot of sympathy for this poor guy who tries to do his job, but that falls on a rather unusual contract.
I understood that Winning the War: An Account of the Old Kingdom, the novel then published by the same author, took up one of the stories in this collection. I hope he starts again from this, that all the material for a great novel.
3- "The ladies of service" - 2.5 stars
This is a story that a little pastiche medieval novels with knights and damsels in distress. Except that the lady is a widow and has a somewhat special character. The fall was predictable I think for seasoned players, all reads without displeasure, but I neither loved nor hated the characters, while the new one relies primarily on them.
4- "A very precious gift" - 3 stars
I enjoyed fantastic tip, which remains somewhat vague. A warrior is about to die. His companion will do everything to help, including surrender to the supernatural, while previously he believed only the strength of his arms and his sword.
5- "The Tale of Suzelle" - 5 stars
Unlike other players, I really liked. The writer tells us Suzelle of life, poor peasant, her childhood where she was full of malice in her teens when she was a little dreamy beauty to old age. It's cruel but that's life. I was a little like being in a new George Sand, always with a pinch of fantasy, which I found particularly successful.
6- "jinx Day" - 4 stars
The author here becomes a little Terry Pratchett and took great pleasure I think to tell us the most catastrophic day can be a cleric (me it seems), Master Druse Calame. After careful auscultation experts go to Clearly, the patient suffers from a syndrome Palimpsest. Suffice to say, it has full bad luck. Here's an excerpt of dialogue reflecting the spirit of the new:
"-How Long incubation does it last?
- All Doctissime night. I felt the first attacks this morning [...]
- Did you lock the problems?
- I broke my key, Doctissime.
- Have you had any accidents?
- My staircase Doctissime.
- Have you lost large sums of money?
- Was stolen this morning Doctissime.
- Do you tend to fall in all water points you meet?
- Alas ... and the waters tend to fall on me ...
- Have you been bitten by dogs?
- One; but I run fast, Doctissime. "
It is a new a little "free" exercise more style than anything else, but I had fun.
7- "A consuming love" - 3 stars
This is the story of a village. And a hermit. And especially a love obsession. It is also a police investigation by a Hercule Poirot belonging to the religion of "dried". It's well told, poetic.
8- "confidant" - 2.5 stars
We enter into the mysteries of "Withered" religious who dedicate their lives to flush all unburied dead (and they put the heart to work, they dig wells, they investigate mysteriously missing wives ... ) to bury them properly. It is cold in the back, and that's the goal.
