A review by literaturesciencealliance
The Sword in the Street by C.M. Caplan

adventurous reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This story has characters I have met before and I am so glad they exist. This is a story in a familiar fantasy setting where we have an unfair economic system where all forms of justice are handled with sword duels. One of our main characters is in poverty and works for a rich house in these duels and is struggling to better the circumstance for him and his boyfriend. His boyfriend is a neurodivergent student whose parents are rich but don't support him. The crux of the story is watching them survive and deal with the complexities that exist in relationships as they develop through time. There is some magic but its relatively soft magic and the strengths of this story are in the character relationships and decisions made in tough situations. I am very excited to read future works by this author and blew through this short standalone fantasy that I would recommend to character focused readers who don't need high magic or plots to provide the driving force or intrigue to their narratives.