PC423: The Gold Silkworm

[Talia]

PodCastle 423: The Gold Silkworm

by Tony Pi

read by S. Qiouyi Lu

First published in Fantasy Magazine.

A city of canals and bridges amidst natural beauty, Pingjiang had almost been destroyed thirty years ago when the Jin armies invaded from the North. However, as the Emperor chose the nearby city of Lin’an to be the new capital, it did not take long for the rich to flock to the city with their money and rebuild.

It was the perfect place for a gu-sorcerer to seek riches.

Rated PG-13



Tony Pi is a writer based in Toronto, Canada, whose works have been published widely and some have been nominated for the Aurora Award for Best English Short Fiction. The heroine of this story also makes an appearance in “The Sweetest Skill” at Beneath Ceaseless Skies, available in audio as well for those who’d like to hear more about Yan Xue. Find him on the web at tonypi.com and on Twitter @wistling.



S. Qiouyi Lu is a writer, artist, and translator who has also narrated for GlitterShip and Acacia Moon Productions. You can visit their site at s.qiouyi.lu, follow them on Twitter as @sqiouyilu, or support their Patreon at patreon.com/sqiouyilu.

Listen to this week’s PodCastle!

[Fenrix]

Great action, intrigue, tension, and pacing. Good stuff!

[bounceswoosh]

I liked the idea of warrior sharing headspace with a peaceful healer. To be honest, I got a bit mixed up with who was who and what was happening once we got to the cricket fighting event. I might have had an easier time following in print. Partly I'm sure this is just because the names are not sound combinations I hear regularly, so I probably don't absorb them as well as like "Joe" and "Mary." That's not the story's or author's fault, though.

[Devoted135]

I really liked this story! Quite a number of weeks later and I still remember it quite well, so that's always a good sign. I also struggled to keep track of character's names, but this was only a small hindrance for me.

The warrior hosting the healing spirit was cool, they really can be two sides of the same coin. I also loved how she was able to immediately tell that her old comrade was hosting a spirit, because she knew his voice and mannerisms so well. I definitely enjoyed this one more than the first one in this world.

[Unblinking]

Cool premise, of the healing spirit that you have to give control over to, and the plot about trying to save her friend from another spirit.