Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Firestones
AUTHOR: Kim Fielding
PUBLISHER: Tin Box Books
LENGTH: 35 pages
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2022
BLURB:
Born with a deformed foot and abandoned as a young child, Brand spent his youth in indentured servitude to a mediocre wizard. Now Brand is grown, but with no other prospects to support himself, he remains in his master’s employ, doing small chores and selling firestones on the bleak streets of Greynox. Until one bitterly cold day.
In this dark take on a classic fairy tale, Brand encounters the most sinister of magics. With his firestones gone, can he find his way to the light?
REVIEW:
I don’t want to say too much to spoil this story. This is a twist on the little match girl story. It is fairly dark, but actually contains a nice redemptive arc. The tale is loosely related to this author’s fabulous Greynox to the Sea series that I have also reviewed and highly recommended. This story is very atmospheric with some slight horror elements. It’s quite sad how Brand is treated, but he does have a strength that belies his situation. While I was appalled at all he goes through, at the end I felt some measure of comfort for him. Recommended particularly for fans of short stories.
RATING: 
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