by Curtis Ellett
I first encountered Old Knucklebone when PJ Atwater queried me about whether I would be interested in it for Swords & Sorcery Magazine as I had published several of his stories previously. My answer was no, the story is too long, but I would be happy to read it. I am very glad that I did. I was rewarded with a great read and I encouraged PJ to seek a home for it elsewhere. I am happy he did so successfully and I hope you will be as well after you read the book.
Old Knucklebone is a dark fantasy novella, long enough to stand on its own, but short enough to be read over the course of a day or two. The plot is relatively simple as befits a relatively short work. It is complex enough to accommodate an intriguing cast of characters, each with their own strengths, flaws, and motivations. At it’s heart, this is a ghost story, which becomes clear from the beginning of the tale. To say more would be risking spoilers.
The characters in the novella give it life, as is the case with all good stories. The central character in the story is Grimka, an aging hunter seeking the home his hard life has denied him. He hopes to find it in the house of the widow Mladena, who keeps the inn where he spends the winter. She lives there too, along with her young daughter Olynka. Both are surrogate family to the aging bachelors who board with them. Coming into the story just as supernatural events are becoming increasingly disturbing, Sir Kasmir offers assistance out of a combination of political duty and compassion. His squire Dieter has doubts about whether they should stay, but follows his master’s lead out of duty to him. All are well meaning, but they have conflicting motivations that shape the way the story ultimately resolves.
These characters exist in a fully realized world with its own politics, religious practices and beliefs, and social mores. There is a sense that the world is much larger than the story, but Atwater resists the temptation to give us more of his creation than we need for the story he is telling. Not only is the level of detail in the world building just right, but we get it naturally, with facts coming to us in the flow of the story. We learn them when they become important to the characters’ thoughts or actions, providing context and illuminating their motivations.
On the whole, I strongly recommend Old Knucklebone and encourage you to give it a read. It is published by World Castle Publishing and is available in e-book format from the publisher (https://www.worldcastlepublishing.com/p-j-atwater) and on Amazon.com. An AI narrated audio-book is available on Google Play (https://play.google.com/store/audiobooks/details?id=AQAAAEDSSSMJ4M&pli=1). The e-book is scheduled for release on July 23rd, 2024.
Note: This is the first time I have published a review I have written in S&SM. I may consider writing more reviews of books or stories in the future, but I am not certain whether I am willing to take requests. I am happy to publish reviews by outside reviewers however.
Best,
Curtis Ellett
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