Synopsis:
Murder is just, so long as it serves the crown
Hidden behind a mask and with a dagger in his sheath, Mute serves the crown with pride. A fair life, if not a monotonous one. But his next contract nicks too close, for murder within a brothel is always nasty business, especially the one which Mute frequents. The brothel his Dorothy works, his Dorothy who awaits Mute and only Mute. Surely none would dare touch her, for if they did, royalty or not, they would fall to Lord Mute, the Silent God’s chosen one. They would scream…
And not a sound would be heard.
Review:
*I read this novella as part the judging group The Secret Scribes for the Speculative Fiction Indie Novella Championship (SFINCS). This is a finalist. The following review is strictly my personal thoughts as each novella will be reviewed by multiple judges to be as objective as possible.*
The Whisper that Replaced God is an excellent novella from Timothy Wolff. While this story is a departure of his main fantasy series (both in written style and in tone), it’s clear that Mr. Wolff is a wordsmith through and through. And I mean that in the ‘the man knows how to turn a phrase like no other sort of way. I mean it, he gives wisdom in tiny doses all throughout the story.
‘How does one describe what beauty is to a potato?’
‘There are few things more tragic than a book in flawless condition.’
There’s some others in these 80 pages with far more depth, such as a mini-treatise on melancholy near the end. It’s just some great stuff! Plus there are some incredibly rolling eye, meta jokes that caused me to snicker (iykyk) aloud.
As for the plot, it’s a fast-paced story told via 1st person point of view by Lord Mute, a man in a mask with some…interesting ideas on life. Lord Mute is called Lord Mute because he has a magical power that was given to him by the Silent God, and I found this power refreshing. It’s simple in usage and strength, but the way Mr. Wolff describes it via Mute’s POV is pretty chilling while mildly humorous as well. I’d be very intrigued to see a full-length book with more of this power in use from characters with far more ambition that Lord Mute.
While this story is only approximately 80 pages long, a lot does happen, and I can say the way Mr. Wolff weaves this tale is quite ingenious, as he could have lingered far too long on banal scenes but chose to use Mute’s wit in description to speed things along. I quite liked that. I would also say this story isn’t treading any terribly new ground in the fantasy sphere, but it does make up for that in terms of character, mainly Mute. I should stress, Mute is a hilarious POV. His actions and behaviors aren’t necessarily funny (actually kinda reprehensible at times), but the way he thinks is pretty funny. I loved Mute, so much that I should say, if you don’t like Mute, you won’t like this story, but if you do, then you most likely will. Dorothy and a pair of kings, an uneducated ruffian, another ruffian, and an aunty are all great characters, but Mute is the star. The story is carried on Mute and Mute alone.
If you like how Timothy Wolff tells a story, then you will love The Whisper that Replaced God, and if you don’t, then I’m sorry for you… I thoroughly enjoyed this short novella, so check it out! The sequel, Part II: Silent Almighty, releases on Friday, March 21st.
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