A cleverly constructed story that successfully eludes the trap of repetition. I did enjoy the story but the second person POV parts I found uncomfortable, perhaps due to unfamiliarity. It served a purpose but it's not something I tend to like. ( )

Alix uses her poetical word to weave a tale of dark heartbreak fit for novels of exploration.

A dream of becoming a greatness so impactful they will know the name of such a person for generation isn't always as marvelous as it seems but can anyone get redemption if they ask for it?

This story plays with second and first person masterfully. By the halfway point I felt as if I'd already read the first book of an epic fantasy trilogy because of how much care is given to each word. Each sentence builds a tale of a hero destined for saint hood. Emotion paints every paragraph as if the author is stabbing the reader again and again with the characters pain. Love so deep it hurts.

You'll adore this story if you enjoy emotionally charged books with deeper food for thought hidden in plain sight. A reader of [a:Alix E. Harrow|9823112|Alix E. Harrow|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1605188394p2/9823112.jpg], [a:Tamsyn Muir|6876324|Tamsyn Muir|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1543423040p2/6876324.jpg], and [a:Erin Morgenstern|4370565|Erin Morgenstern|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1552589582p2/4370565.jpg] will fall in love with this short. (If you want more of this poetic fantasy also check out indie author [a:Sarah Chorn|6567924|Sarah Chorn|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1351615978p2/6567924.jpg].) ( )

Fall 2022 (Nov):
~ From the Amazon Original Stories Collection Into Shadow

Oh, gosh. It took me two rounds into the seven figure it all out, but I love it so, so, so, so much. I love how much changes and how much grows. Between the Devil, The Prince, The Squire, and The Advisor. There's so much here that's absolutely up my alley. ( )

The Six Deaths of the Saint by @alix.e.harrow (part of @amazon’s Into Shadow #shortstory collection) is a bittersweet tale of lost love. Given the story’s length, I can’t talk about much without spoiling it, but I can say that the emotional depth that Harrow is able to pour into ~30 pages is remarkable. Also, the bouncing between 1st & 2nd person POV is a clever choice, especially once the reveal is made at the end of the story. Between this and her Fractured Fables duology, Harrow is quickly becoming a favorite author.

#bookreview #bookstagram #books #amazonkindle #alixeharrow #fantasy #darkfantasy #bookblogger #bookblog #frommybookshelf #frommybookshelfblog #bookreviewer #instabook #blogger #bookinfluencer #reading #bookworm ( )

Joan of Arc meets Edge of Tomorrow
Review of the Amazon Original Kindle eBook (November 15, 2022) released simultaneously with the Audible Original audiobook (November 15, 2022)

I got quite excited by the title of this one, thinking that it might be some sort of futuristic fantasy version of the Leslie Charteris character The Saint. That was not to be however.

Instead we have a Joan of Arc inspired character (servant girl sees visions of saints and is inspired to conquer opposing armies and crown the king of France) as the lead. The fantasy element is that the character can die and re-spawn (i.e. as in the Japanese graphic novel All You Need Is Kill (2004) and its Tom Cruise/Emily Blunt film adaptation Edge of Tomorrow (2014)) and live again and continue an ever increasing campaign of further conquests for their monarch until an awakening and realization sets in.

It did at least avoid an Unsatisfactory Ending Alert ™ unlike the first 2 of the Into Shadow collection. Another quirky steal is making it "Six Deaths", perhaps in order to avoid confusion with The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle or The Seven or Eight Deaths of Stella Fortuna?

The Six Deaths of the Saint is the third of seven Amazon Original Kindle eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on November 15, 2022 as part of the Into Shadow Collection of short stories where "Some truths are carefully concealed; others merely forgotten. In this spellbinding collection, seven acclaimed fantasy authors create characters who venture into the depths where others fear to tread. But when forbidden knowledge is the ultimate power, how far can they go before the darkness consumes them?"

Trivia and Links
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region). ( )