Mistress of the Art of Death, by Ariana Franklin

384 pages, hardcover. Rating: B+

This novel was slow to get going, but overall it's decent. I have to say that the romantic development is a little weak; you basically get some interaction, Adelia being suspicious, a confession, and BAM. They're in love. On the other hand, characters like King Henry II are delightful. Henry manages to save Adelia from the scourge, and the church people can't even protest. The climax is awesome, very suspenseful. I think that the ending could have worked either way; Franklin's method was unexpected but still a Happily Ever After so I'll take it. The decision to take the story that direction was risky, different, and original. I applaud her for it!

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Now that I'm caught up on books, I can post about life. I'm applying to Alpha! I don't know how hard it is to be accepted, and if I don't get at least half the cost covered by scholarship, I can't go because I'm also getting a new wooden clarinet soon (Eeek!) On top of that, I don't even have a suitable story submission written. Test of Faith is already long enough, but I just finished the first non-introduction scene. I should be able to wrap it up under 6k words, though. But the deadline is March 31st! After DSTPs, I'll only have a week, so I'm going to try and finish the first draft before testing ends, and then I can go begging for critiquers the final week. I've already secured Abby's promise, so that's one down! XD

So, anyone want to read and critique a 2-6k (currently unfinished) fantasy short story in like 2-3 days, the last week of March? It's a tight time commitment, but I'd be ever so grateful.