Wednesday, November 23, 2016

What Child Is This?

Paul Cornell “The Lost Child of Lychford” (Tor.com, 2016)


This is the sequel to Cornell’s earlier novella The Witches of Lychford.  If you haven’t read that one, just stop & immediately go & read it.  It’s a great fantasy set in the English midlands, where three women discover an unlikely friendship in the supernatural defense of their village.

The Lost Child is set at Christmas, but despite the fact that I kept waiting for a big Christmas message, there really isn’t one.  And I have to admit I was a bit disappointed.  Cornell can find that fine line where the sweetness of the holiday comes as relief to the story before.

In this case the titular child is a ghost who starts following one of our protagonists.  Once again, the village of Lychford is under attack.  Can they defend it from.. Who are these people anyway?

Once again, this is a very enjoyable novella.  It felt like there wasn’t quite as much present as in the first one, but was still tasty!  I’m looking forward to the next!

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