REVIEW: “Bound by Sorrow” By Maurice Broaddus

Review of Maurice Broaddus, “Bound by Sorrow”, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Issue 300 (March 26, 2020): read online. Reviewed by Richard Lohmeyer.

Thematically, this novella is about grief, death, and choices. It is also a story about the power of stories. Its main character, Dinga, and his wise-ass friend, Gerard, are on a quest to deliver Dinga’s dead sister to a city where gods reside, the Dreaming City. Along the way, their journey is interspersed by stories told by Dinga and others they encounter. These narratives give a story-within-a-story feel to the piece that help further illustrate Dinga’s life and mission while building a richly layered history and mythology. You may need to read the story twice to fully grasp all its nuances, but your time will be well spent. 

Published by

Richard Lohmeyer

Richard Lohmeyer has been a technical/marketing writer for longer than he cares to admit to. He hopes to someday publish short fiction, as well. His favorite SF/F magazines include Asimov's, Beneath Ceaseless Skies, Clarkesworld, Fantasy and Science Fiction, Lightspeed, and Tor. You can find him on Twitter @rkloh.

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