Review by Zachary Forbes
September 13th, 2024
These posts are just our opinions of the books we read, and don't yet reflect the decision of our judging team or the progression of the book in the SFINCS competition.
Summary:
Nensola is a Storyteller in the fantasy world of Arwé. Her people are referred to as Lantíé, with antlers and wings. Her job is to weave stories that inspire hope in her people, especially before they set off for battle. But her sister isn't as much a believer in hope, at least not since they lost their mother. Her sister is one of the warrior Lantíé fighting against those who wish to destroy their way of life.
One day, a human named Kit washes ashore on the beaches of Arwé, and a fire sparks between him and Nensola. We flash back to see that Kit was the stepson of a pirate, having lost both his parents to the English, and his crew has come into possession of something they call the 'longitudinal device'. To keep his father from capture or death, Kit tries to run off with this device, and ends up lost at see with it, until he washes up in Arwé.
Unbeknownst to Kit, this Lantíé girl he's stumbled upon has long since lost her mother to pirates. A series of tragic events unfold, and Nensola must grapple with which emotion will control the stories she weaves: hate or hope.
The Good:
I found the prose in this novella to be quite lovely. It was very well edited, and I can't remember coming across a single typo or grammatical error. But beyond that, the words were strung together in a way that just felt nice to read. From the first few paragraphs I was already feeling so satisfied I just couldn't stop reading.
Character-wise, I found myself really enjoying the chapters about Kit. The second chapter, where we discover his origins, is probably my favorite of the whole novella. There are clear dynamics set between him and his stepfather, who in his own flawed way is very endearing. The conflict between them is set up nicely and it all plays out into how he ends up drifting off to sea and running into the other characters. Kit then finds some fulfillment to his tragic past in the world of Arwé. He 'sets his anchor' so to speak. And the story that unfolds for him going forward is nicely done.
Shortly after finishing this story, I found myself reflecting on the themes, and realized there was a message here I quite enjoyed. Kit comes from a split background, hovering between both Spanish and English cultures, and he harbors resentment for being stripped away from his parents. Yet he still cares for his stepfather--a pirate--because they as people have their own relationship beyond labels and identities. This is a lesson Nensola comes to learn as well. She has her own troubled past involving pirates, so it's no surprise how she reacts when Kit reveals himself to be associated with them.
But, as the title suggests, this story seeks to see hope claw back against hate. And it takes a firm stance that someone's family, past, or associations should not necessarily define your relationship with them. Just as Kit cared for his stepfather despite losing his real parents to the English, Nensola must decide if she too can care for a genuine person once associated with an identity she's come to despise. It is a timely discussion, and this story takes the position that we should see people as individuals, not strictly as identities. That I can get behind.
The Bad:
This story didn't really have much to dislike in regards to prose, grammar, voice, or anything of that nature. And I myself was a fan of the character work.
All this story has holding it back, I think, is some of the narrative work towards the end. There is one particular instance where a problem is introduced involving the evolution of Nensola's species, and then that problem is seemingly overcome in less than a chapter. If this problem was discussed prior, I must've missed it, as it wasn't of particular importance. I felt like something important could've been done to show Nensola struggling with it earlier on. Perhaps when she finds Kit adrift. That would've made overcoming it a little more powerful, in my opinion.
The rest, I think, can be chalked up to the story's nature as a novella. Some things happen rather quickly, and there isn't a lot of time for the final battle to play out. It all makes me interested in the author's full length novel, as I'm sure there's more time for such things to develop at a comfortable pace.
Overall:
A Ballad of Hate and Hope is a lovely read. I would recommend it solely for the prose, but I also really enjoyed Prime's character work.
Also, there is a part where the archers say "loose arrows" instead of "fire", and I really appreciate that.
Four out of five stars
Be sure to tune in to our Twitter/X @ZachForbesBro for new blog posts about the novellas we read for the SFINCS competition! And click through to our website if you want to see other projects my brother and I have been working on!
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