PC159: Judgment of Swords and Souls

[Corcoran]

Was it the religion that was negative, or was it the corruption of the people in charge?  Use of poison was contrary to their faith, the battle was not supposed to blind or kill, is the religion so bad here?
[/quote]

If I look at it that way, you´re right, it was the use of poison that got me screaming, maybe sometimes I overreact when religion is involved.

[LaShawn]

I really loved the story, but yes, I also felt that this story was chapter one to a much larger story, one that I would be willing to get. And to be honest, I looooved the use of Scripture as a weapon. It brought home the cowardice in using the poisoned sword.

More please, Saladin!

[Rough Week]

I liked this story, it had a fun quality to it, and a very compelling reading/narration too.

The setting was cool, an interesting mix of Eastern and Western that I think is a signature of this author. It was a little light on backstory and what the context of the lodge was, but the descriptions of the environment and characters and their roles was very vivid and engaging, which is more important.

The action did seem to become a little formulaic, especially in the Judgement. I agree with others here that there's no surprises or twists: the good guys are strong and fight fair, the bad guys are sniveling backstabbers who cheat, conflict ensues. Not that this is always a bad thing in a story, but the intrigue is telegraphed pretty clearly early on.

But after the Judgement, the story heads in a new direction. I did not expect what Layla did in response, and where the story went after that. I don't know if I like her decisions or completely understand her motivations for them at the end of the story, since up till then we'd only seen her as a devout righteous girl pursuing her path. But I like that the story went in an unexpected direction. It adds more interest to have an imperfect ending like this, as opposed a more Disney-like resolution where the protagonist goes back to the drawing board, finds some allies, works hard, and eventually rights the wrongs and the bad guys get their comeuppance. It creates a more dynamic setting, and as others have noticed, opens the door to a larger world and a longer set of stories, as opposed to one nice tidy wrapped-up package.

So overall, a fun listen!

[Anarquistador]

Not bad. But of the three Saladin Ahmed stories I've heard on Podcastle so far, I think this is my least favorite. I just couldn't get into it. I thought the dialogue came across a bit stilted, like it was trying too hard to be all "fantasy grammar." And I do share a lot of people's feelings that the ending was just a massive bummer. Poor girl never really had a chance, I suppose, trying to make it in a man's world...

[Anfractuous]

Underwhelmed?  While I agree that Saladin's two previous PodCastle stories were more intricate and perhaps more interesting I thought the exploration of the Layla's character was deeper than we've seen in the past and more compelling.  In any event it's clear at Mr. Ahmed is going to be a force to be reckoned with in fantastic fiction.  It's exciting to hear (and read) an up-and-coming author's early works while they're being written.  I look forward to following along with his professional growth.  Thanks a lot PodCastle for finding and following him.

[eytanz]

The trope of "young prodigy unjustly treated" is one that I have a real personal aversion for. I think that when I was young myself, I used to really identify with those heros (not that I ever faced any gross injustice, but I found the prospect of one really compelling) - and then, after maybe the tenth time I read a story based on this premise, I started feeling that it's just a cheap trick. I'm older and wiser now, and I realize that this trope is no more or less cheap than many others - but still, because of my early reaction to it, I find it difficult to enjoy stories based around it.

So, I started listening to this a few weeks back, and I couldn't get past the first few minutes - I just can't bring myself to get to the tribunal. I've since tried continuing multiple times but I find I never want to. The world building feels compelling, and I'm probably being really unfair to the story, but I think I'm going to give this one a pass.

[Biscuit]

I thought there were some very clever subtexts in this story: only 3 women had ever become Dervishes; they were disgusted by and had a huge aversion to the colour red; they looked down on Layla for her emotions; her teacher told her she had to do "twice as much for half the recognition given a man". They must have had a REAL problem with menstruation.

Yes, it was a "self-fulfilling" prophecy. You tell a woman day in, day out "y u so mad?", she gonna get mad.

[Scattercat]

I KNEW it was a backstory for a character in a novel! 

/vindication

[eytanz]

I KNEW it was a backstory for a character in a novel! 

/vindication

I feel like there's a piece of information missing here. What novel?

[DKT]

I KNEW it was a backstory for a character in a novel! 

/vindication

I feel like there's a piece of information missing here. What novel?

I mentioned in the feedback segment for this story that Ahmed's got a new novel coming out called Throne of the Crescent Moon next year. It will feature this character (among others).

[eytanz]

Oh, I haven't heard that feedback session yet (am still a couple of episodes behind). Though I did check the Amazon description for Throne of the Crescent Moon and there's a list of a few characters there, and Layla is not included (unless she changed her name). Not that that means she's not in it, but she's apparently not a protagonist.

[DKT]

So...I decided to just go straight to the source and email Saladin Ahmed

He says Layla doesn't actually appear in the first book...but she'll be around in the second one. That said, it does take place in the same world and there's another Dervish in Throne of the Crescent Moon.

Hope that helps!

[Unblinking]

I liked the ending, at least my interpretation of it, which appeared to be different from most everyone else's.  To me Layla wasn't evil in the body of the story, and she didn't turn evil at the end.  She's not planning to be a brigand.  She's planning to be a vigilante.  She has devoted her life to God by training in the Lodge.  That portion of her life is now over, with her forceful ejection, and she is now disillusioned with the Lodge as a manifestation of God's will on Earth that it had previously appeared to be.  She has lost faith in the Lodge to be what it claims to be, but she has not lost faith in God.  According to the Lodge, she's now a heretic, but just because you're called a heretic doesn't mean you should give up your faith and make them correct.  To me, her faith is truly unshakeable, and she has chosen to fight on for God's causes in whatever way she can, no matter that she will damn herself further in the eyes of the world.  She believes God has given her a skill at swordplay and so she is going to use that sword to fight for God's justice.  And, really, isn't that an ultimate test of faith, whether or not you will continue on in your course no matter what anyone else thinks?

FWIW, I'm choosing to ignore the line about finding lots of red scarves, because that didn't make any sense to me, whether she was a brigand or vigilante.  Another red scarf would not have the same significance.  Bundles of red scarves even less so.

As for the story as a whole, I found the first half or so extremely slow, where they all had the same argument over and over again about the red scarf, and everyone kept saying the same arguments over and over again.  When it actually got to the judgment is where it got interesting for me.  Yes, the characters were perhaps black and white, but I don't really see that as a problem.  This is the story as told by Layla, and she sees it as black and white, hence justifying her choice to become a vigilante.

And I am curious how the judgment of souls would go when there was no treachery.  It was only resolved here through poison, but in ordinary circumstances, what is expected to happen?  Do the two men just sit there until one of them passes out from dehydration?

[justenjoying]

Again a religious zelottry that I have a general problem with. I loved the character and the way the story championed different interpretations on arcane scriptures. She is awsome and is truly a hero almost through out the story, but the aftermath is really what made me fall in love with this story. You have just fought for justice and lost everything for that cause, what do you do now? This story addressed that issue and ran with it. I loved this story.