Mr. and Mrs. Robert Brian Thomas
Jul 10, 2026
Abstract
I spent some time pondering this story after I read it. My opinion is mixed and I wonder if partly I'm just not used to some newer writing styles. This story shifted from first person (the shopkeeper) and third, and by the end I had decided the intention was that we were always from the Shopkeeper's perspective viewing the dwarf Corin. Beyond that, this story was highly abstract and introspective. With minor details that could be explained by saying 'it's just magic or part of his mind' but irked me all the same... such as a river splitting into streams (rivers don't split, streams merge into rivers), and splitting a mountain in half for a road. But I think this was all intended to be representations of inner struggles more than anything. Overall the concept of this story and its writing was well done. It didn't quite land for me, but I would be interested in giving this author another try.