Now this is what I consider to be a great story! I was afraid I was being too negative in recent posts on these forums, especially after I missed the deeper symbolism of "The Ant King: A California Fairy Tale". No fears! This time, I can relate my unabashed love of the PodCastle story...
"The Osteomancer's Son" felt like the love-child of Niel Gaiman and Jim Butcher: I really felt myself carried along with the flow into the dark sides of this magical world where the arcane was frequently disturbing and deeply personal. The color of the bones, the depth of the aromas, and the description of the feelings the osteomancer's endured with their magic were the pulse of the story. But if the adjectives were the pulse, the pacing was the heartbeat and the depth of the characters was the skeleton.
The relationships between the osteomancer's son, his father, his mother, his daughter, and the larger community of the occult were what drew me into this tale. I could identify with the character not because I crack bones for their spiritual power but because he had real emotional ties and bindings with these people. His emotions were real and that pulled me into the domain of osteomancy more than any spells or enchantments could have.
The story was straight-forward and gradual; with tiny elements unfolding piece by piece. I found myself worried about Miranda until the very end. Was she alive? Was she dead? What would happen to her? She was off-camera for 99% of the tale and, yet, I cared about her through the main character's actions.
If I were asked to find a flaw with this remarkable story, I think it would be that the final confrontation with the Heirarch resolved itself too quickly with more of a display of brute force than the subtlety I think the main character was capable of. Still, how else could you beat such a powerful enemy? I got the impression that the Heirarch was well-prepared to defend himself against just about anything. The only way past that is to strike suddenly and overwhelmingly in such a way as preparation is reduced to a negligable thing and sheer force can take the day.
In the end, this is my favorite PodCastle story, yet: even moreso than the enchanting story, "Run of the Fiery Horse".
The resolution was powerful and I'm definitely looking forward to the author's future work in this amazing universe. "The Osteomancer's Son" has truly captivated me!
Yours,
Sylvan (Dave)