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ejfisch's review
5.0
I first read this novella in the recent [b:Crime and Punishment|28112067|Crime and Punishment A Speculative Fiction Anthology|Lucas Bale|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1449431819s/28112067.jpg|48120442] speculative fiction anthology, and it was one of my favorite entries. At the time, I had only read the first Beyond the Wall book, and this story actually prompted me to continue the series.
I'm kind of a sucker for bounty hunter-type characters. Lahm was badass and intelligent and resourceful, but events in the story are such that his humanity is very apparent. I always applaud authors who can pack that much character development into such a short story because it's something I've always struggled with as a writer.
The setup was really interesting too. Lahm has been set "free" for the sole purpose of tracking down and capturing or killing other people deemed criminals by the Magistratus, and his very "freedom" hinges on his ability to continue doing so without failing. But this means he's not really free, and he never has been. He's still a prisoner, just in an unconventional way, and after the events of the story, he decides he wants to truly be free, no matter the cost.
As the description says, this story can be best appreciated if you've already read the Beyond the Wall series, but it's also a great standalone story and could almost serve as an introduction to familiarize readers with this universe.
I'm kind of a sucker for bounty hunter-type characters. Lahm was badass and intelligent and resourceful, but events in the story are such that his humanity is very apparent. I always applaud authors who can pack that much character development into such a short story because it's something I've always struggled with as a writer.
The setup was really interesting too. Lahm has been set "free" for the sole purpose of tracking down and capturing or killing other people deemed criminals by the Magistratus, and his very "freedom" hinges on his ability to continue doing so without failing. But this means he's not really free, and he never has been. He's still a prisoner, just in an unconventional way, and after the events of the story, he decides he wants to truly be free, no matter the cost.
As the description says, this story can be best appreciated if you've already read the Beyond the Wall series, but it's also a great standalone story and could almost serve as an introduction to familiarize readers with this universe.
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