Weekly Reader: Greenspell: A Fantasy Anthology by Kathy Ann Trueman; A Brilliant Anthology of Lovely Fantasy Stories About Female Magic Users

Weekly Reader: Greenspell: A Fantasy Anthology by Kathy Ann Trueman; A Brilliant Anthology of Lovely Fantasy Stories About Female Magic Users

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: There is a new name in epic fantasy literature and that name is Kathy Ann Trueman. Last year, Trueman's book Stories of the Vale: Path of the Dragonfly was a strong character driven look at epic fantasy tropes such as feudal lords, magical creatures, spells, and adventurous quests. Another book, Greenspell is an anthology though not as epic in scope or plot is still rich in character and magical detail.


A common thread in all the stories is that the protagonists are all female and the majority are magic users of some kind. While there are some feminist moments in the stories that explore the solidarity and companionship of sisterhood and features female characters challenging many fantasy tropes by being active leaders, the stories aren't political so much as they are fantasy stories in which the lead characters happen to be female.

Magic is a huge presence in the stories in which characters use magic for different means some in defense and protection of others and some for greed or vengeance. There is no definite good vs. evil black vs. white magic set up. Instead some character's fates are sealed by the choices they make without any moral philosophy thrown at the Reader.


Greenspell is a very short anthology, only five stories but they are all good. The stories are:


“The Sow's Ear”- This story was also featured in Marian Zimmer Bradley's Swords and Sorcery anthology. If Rod Serling and George R.R. Martin ever collaborated on a fantasy driven episode of the Twilight Zone, this would be it. (Actually George R.R. Martin did write some episodes of the 1980’s Twilight Zone series so I'm not too far off.)
This story follows the theme of “Be Careful What You Wish For” to a clever conclusion. Janell, a sorceress is hired to aid a woman who was once young and beautiful and wants her original appearance back.
The plot turns on a few twists as Janell realizes too late that the woman is not what she appears and Janell is trapped inside a curse that is unique and continues the story's meaning of appearance concealing the true nature.

“Thief from Thief”-This sequel to “A Sow's Ear” has both drama and humor. Janell is still punished by the previous story's curse. Trueman devotes many paragraphs describing Janell's three year torment in an extremely small confinement well. Janell is driven to near insanity trying to find a way out of her imprisonment as well as the boredom of such a small area. While she never ages (because it's a magic curse), she is aware the world has changed around her and can't be a part of it.
Her enemy, also a carry over from the previous story, is good at psychological torture as well often giving Janell just enough of a glimpse of the outside world to let her know what she is missing and creating illusion spells so if a wayward knight or wanderer enters their lair, it mistakes Janell for a rock formation and goes on their way.
Humor is found as Janell finds a thief who could rescue her. She weaves a spell to end the illusion on her so he could see it. She uses various magic to get his attention just about doing anything but holding up a large neon sign that says “I'm down here, Idiot!”
Keeping her magical knowledge and cleverness in soliciting the thief's help, Janell manages to break free from her enemy and the curse.

“Friends in Spite”- I hate vampire books and stories. Anne Rice's Lester books are overrated. I found Dracula to be less a brooding tortured soul than a creepy perverted rapist. Don't get me started on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. In fact I will go out on a limb and say the only literary vampire that I can for sure say I like is C.D. Bitesky of Mel Gilden's Fifth Grade Monsters. The reason that I am saying this is I want the Reader to understand the full scope of my meaning when I say “Friends in Spite” is my favorite short story in this anthology despite or because the main character is a vampire sorceress.
Elianne, the aforementioned vampire/sorceress and her friend, Trevia, a swordswoman are in a village in which two people are attacked mysteriously. Elianne sees the lack of blood in the bodies and knows the killer was like her: another vampire.
There are some clichéd moments such as Elianne turning into a bat and having the urge to levitate (even vampires that cross genres have standards to uphold). But thankfully not many.
There are genuine moments of horror and graphic violence. The vampire killer not only kills it's victims and takes their blood but it mutilates them so people think it was murdered by a wild animal. To find the vampire, Elianne casts a spell that makes all vampires including herself lust and hunger for blood. These moments give the story genuine horror.
Elianne and Trevia's friendship is the true heart of this story as they are able to complete each other with Elianne's knowledge of magic and vampires combined with Trevia's swordplay and muscle. Through her friendship and trust in Trevia, Elianne reveals vital information on how to kill the vampire and is able to combat her spell cast blood lust for Trevia. While it is a story of strong fantasy and horror, it is the friendship between Elianne and Trevia that is the real core of “Friends in Spite.”

“Just Until Sun-Up”- Another friendship story between a magic user and non-magic user though this one favors humor rather than horror.
Neikei, a witch and Karra, a minstrel/juggler's horses and gear have been stolen by a group of thieves… and that's it. That's the plot. It focuses mostly on the theft and the duo trying to get their stuff back.
While not long on plot, the story features some byplay and one-liners as Neikei and Karra go after the thieves. (When Neikei reminds Karra that her spells are to protect her person not her possessions, Karra sarcastically remarks “Oh and if the thieves had tried to take you, that would be different.”) Karra's sardonic anxiety plays off Neikei's calm rationality rather well as the two act like a comedy team, the Female Fantasy Answers to Abbott and Costello or Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the Road To… movies. (Road to King's Landing.)
Though unlike the other comedy teams Neikei has some magical ways of defeating their antagonists whivh she shows Karra in a way that gets their horses back and dispenses justice in a hilarious and original manner.


“The Sun God's Reading”- Similar to “A Sow's Ear” this one also plays on “Be Careful What You Wish For” but in a less vindictive manner. This focuses on the idea of aspiring to reach a certain goal but once it is met evaluating whether one is able to achieve that greatness ever again.
Yula, Gunnie, and the Narrator attend a school in which the students develop their talents and

connections with the Gods. Brilliantly, the story makes no distinction between the various pantheons as Odin, the Norse God of Wisdom pals around with Apollo, Greco-Roman Sun God.
The three students are granted one wish at the end of the year.(“Nothing frivolous like world peace,” The Narrator tells us.) and only one will be granted. The Narrator wants a lute made of gold. Gunnie wants a ship to sail the seas and Yula wants to meet Apollo and to have him read one of her poems.
Despite the mystical setting, there is a contemporary theme to this story of goal setting and being ready to meet those goals and move on once they are met. The three students are very capable in their studies of music, maritime travel, and poetry but they are filled with self-doubt and worry about their studies and whether they are really good in their chosen fields.
Once the wish is granted, the students go through transitions which are true to life as well. Two continue with their studies even getting their wishes granted on their own. The other abandons them feeling that she will never be as good as she was then. Instead she settles into a different life with a husband, children, and a job which is tied to her earlier ambitions but isn't as fulfilling. These divergent paths the student take is similar to the many graduates who peak at young ages. Some continue down their paths to their brand of success. Others end up elsewhere that while not necessarily bad was not what they envisioned.

Greenspell is a great example of how fantasy authors can create magic, 

believable  characters, and built worlds in a few short pages just as well as they can through a novel or a series. Trueman excels at both: the long and the short of fantasy.