Independent authors give away short stories, as teasers to intrigue readers, provide an enticing story that makes one want more. An Altercation on Rykkamon and Misguided Knight of the Onyx Order are both parts of larger series. The authors must give us something to hook us in: interesting and vivid characters or a blindingly fast and fun plot or a compelling back story or possibly a unique setting, as otherwise we readers yawn and move on, never purchasing another.
An Altercation on Rykkamon by Robert Scanlon is science fiction, featuring a brother sister duo who are on the fringe, possibly smugglers, who fight off a rival/enemy. This trope – a fringe/smuggler/PI/small trader operating in space – may be easy to sketch out but it must be very difficult to pull off as a solid story. I’ve read very few stories in this motif that are any good and it must be especially hard to do in a short story where the authors have little time to develop a back story or characters.
An Altercation on Rykkamon has a strong female lead that feels flat. The back story, why the duo is hunting clues to their father’s death, why and how they ended up with his weapon, isn’t compelling, and to top it off, we have too many cutesy words like commPanel and laserSword. Overall the story is just OK.
Misguided Knight of the Onyx Order by A. J. Flowers s fantasy with an unexplained world where the kings and queens apparently have magic and fight continually. The plot and characters are wooden and left me feeling disinclined to look into the back story.
2 Stars Misguided Knight of the Onyx Order
2-3 Stars for An Altercation on Rykkamon
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