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"The Conspiracy" by Lord Malinov (romance with twists) 8, 9, 10
http://www.dejanews.com/getdoc.xp?AN=327655093


"The Conspiracy" by Lord Malinov (malinov@mindless.com). Guest review by
Fiddler.

Lord Malinov has been writing a story every day for two months now. The
only way for these to be reviewed is for seven guest reviewers to take a
day of the week each. I'll take Saturdays.

This is not really a story, it is the draft of a story. It would
benefit from a week in the compost barrel and a proof reader. That
said, it is the draft of one fine story, and a real one, 13K. Part of
the game seems to be that Malinov writes them and posts them the same
day; he apparently uses a spellchecker, but not the sort of human
proofreader who would say, "you mean 'up TO here,' not 'up THE here.'"

Mark and Jennifer are former lovers and present friends. Jennifer has
the hots for Phil, a friend of Alicia's who doesn't see Jennifer as
sexy. So Alicia brings Phil out on the balcony a slightly-open glass
door away from Jennifer's bedroom. In that bedroom, by prearrangement,
Mark and Jennifer are staging a very sexy reunion. That's the plot;
since it's by Malinov, there are subplots and counterplots.

If you are looking for a sexy story, you could do a lot worse. If you
enjoy Malinov's sort of tight-rope act, you couldn't do better.

Ratings for "The Conspiracy"
Athena (technical quality): 8
Venus (plot & character): 9
Fiddler (appeal to this reviewer): 10