illegible_scribble
6/13/2019
Theoretically, based on their synopses, the Vernon/Kingfisher stories should not be up my alley. I'm not really into folktale and fairytale retellings, and much prefer science fiction to fantasy.
And yet, I still find that her stories hit the mark with me: Castle Hangnail, Summer in Orcus, The Clockwork Boys, The Wonder Engine, and especially Swordheart. I think it's that her protagonists are ordinary people who are deeply pragmatic and practical, and that she somehow manages to successfully meld sarcastic humor with kindness, and darkness with hope - while completely avoiding the saccharine quality to which a lot of fantasy falls victim.
This story is an enjoyable little subversion of the fantasy trope where a human's life is touched by one of the fae, and the human spends the rest of their life desperately pining for their otherworldly lover.
This won't be the first story on my Hugo ballot, but I absolutely think it deserves its nomination.