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* "Camara, Lady of the Sword" by Tom Bombadil (heroic fantasy)
10, 10, 10
* "Camara, Lady of the Sword" by Tom Bombadil (stbush@iglou.com). This story purports to be an ancient epic about Lady Camara of Tyberion (pronounced Ka-ma'-rah, similar to cabana), a swordsman, archer, and minor mage, who is skilled in unarmed combat as well as with many weapons. She is highly knowledgeable in diverse areas, especially healing. Camara's stories may only be told late in the evening, when innocent children, and even some innocent wives and husbands, have retired. Few are unaffected by the proper telling of her tales, though the reactions are often mixed. Thou hast been warned! {I made that last sentence up myself!} An epic is an extended narrative - usually (but not in this case) in poetic format - that celebrates in elevated or dignified language the feats of a legendary or traditional hero. In the days before cable TV and arcade games, bards used to travel from town to town and castle to castle and relate epics while listeners consumed mead. Epics don't have a climax and denouement that follow the pattern of a normal novel or modern movie, and this may be irksome to some readers. I am not a sword and sorcery fan; in fact, I have a sneaking suspicion that magick doesn't work at all and that life would be uninteresting if it did. {I get tired of the rules constantly changing and the ever-present deus ex machina to solve serious problems in unrealistic ways.} Nevertheless, I enjoyed this tale, which presented interesting and exciting sexual activities in the exotic context of Camara's quest for the medallion of King Merovance and her simultaneous search for meaning in her life. It was a very good story. Like most epics, this story is presented through the eyes of the bard, who is reciting the tale to an assembled multitude and who occasionally digresses to tell another tale at the request of a Lord or Lady. Although you'll want to read this entire story, the lengthy tale (360K) is subdivided into nine chapters that permit the reader to enjoy the epic in smaller installments. Ratings for "Camara" Athena (technical quality): 10 Venus (plot & character): 10 Celeste (appeal to reviewer): 10 |