by Sarah Chorn
Days after the Boundary falls, six strangers converge in a one-horse town, all of them on the run. Some from the past, some avoiding the future.
When men from Shine Company arrive to reclaim their own, these desperate travelers have to decide if they stand with the law, or against it.
Men pull the trigger and blood spills.
Fate pulls the strings and everybody dances.
I’m fast turning into a fan of Sarah Chorn’s poetic and emotional fantasy. I loved being emotionally beaten around the head by Chorn’s wild west adventure of feels, Of Honey and Wildfires, which you can tell by my review. Thus I’m eager to get dragged across the wasteland of tears once more with the much awaited sequel, Glass Rhapsody, due out imminently! But to tide us over between releases, Chorn has gifted us with a sequel novella which not only connects the two books together but also gives us another glimpse into this bleak world through the eyes of everyday people now dealing with the consequences of our previous protagonist’s actions.
Oh, That Shotgun Sky is a short and bittersweet story told through three new perspectives; a group of desperate women escaping a brothel to find a better life, an outlaw grieving the loss of the most important man in the world, and a company man who’s life of serving the law chews him up and tosses him aside. All of these characters are dealing with fear, loss, and pain, and through fate, they come together to try to make the world just that little bit brighter.
What I’ll whine about:
The only downside to this beautiful book is that it doesn’t come in paperback, likely due to the short length. I’m hopeful one day that they’ll be an omnibus that will include it!
What I’ll gush about:
As you’d expect from the sequel to Of Honey and Wildfires, this tale is beautifully woven with poetic prose which doesn’t drown out the story, but enhances it. And as you’d expect, it’s bursting with heartfelt emotion. Maybe I’m pessimistic, but I went through this entire story expecting the worst on every page! And boy, was that a heavy feeling. By the end, I was tearing up, but I left this world feeling satisfied for now – until Glass Rhapsody comes along!
This is only a short novella, and at first I’d admit I was sceptical of reading a sequel of sorts which wasn’t based on the characters of the original. But honestly, I’d love to read more novellas of this style which introduces more of the world through fresh eyes. Each of these characters stood out as worlds of their own, with bleeding hearts and real hopes. Though I think my favourite was poor Ned, the company man who was plagued by hallucinations.
I’ve heard some of these characters will appear in Glass Rhapsody so I’m looking forward to meeting them again.
As with Of Honey and Wildfires, this story also features positive LGBT representation.
Final Words:
If you enjoyed Of Honey and Wildfires, then this is required reading. And if you haven’t experienced these books yet and want to feel your heartstrings being pulled on, then both come highly recommend. The sequel, Glass Rhapsody, is out soon.
