The Storyteller and Other Tales
by K. V. Johansen

    THE STORYTELLER AND OTHER TALES by K. V. Johansen
    Category:  Fantasy
    Age Recommendation:  Grades 9+
    Release Date:  9/19/08
    Publisher:  Sybertooth Inc.
    Reviewed by:  Rebecca Wells
    Rating:  4 Stars


    ‘Other’ is the theme of the day – other worlds, other species, other religions. In THE STORYTELLER AND OTHER
    TALES, K. V. Johansen presents four stories that range from uplifting to eerie with one guarantee: they will all haunt
    you long after the last page has been turned.

    In “The Storyteller,” Ulfleif, a warrior-princess who would rather not carry the sword she has inherited, is drawn to the
    mysterious storyteller Moth, who has an agenda of her own for seeking out Ulfleif’s home. He-Redeems, a slave in
    Bronze-Age Korthan, finds that his lovers have been tortured and executed for the crime of worshipping outlawed
    gods in “He-Redeems,” and in response to this horror, finds his own faith shaken. Merlin’s daughter rewrites a familiar
    tale in “The Inexorable Tide,” painting a picture of Arthur’s Britain steeped in adultery and unexpected treachery. “a. d.
    cmxci” gives voice to a group of common men of England who faced a barrage of sea-raiders in the historical tale of
    the Battle of Maldon.

    THE STORYTELLER AND OTHER TALES is a collection based around the idea of ‘other,’ and, as such, it
    succeeds admirably. While all of the stories contained in this book have a magical element to them, which makes this
    an excellent read, the reader is drawn towards thoughts of what exactly makes the ‘other’ different, and what place
    otherness has in society today. The best of books are ones that entertain and yet still manage to compel deep thought
    on the part of the reader, and this is certainly one of them. K. V. Johansen nudges the reader to consider different
    ways of looking at the world, at heroism and betrayal, and of tragedy.

    I enjoyed this collection very much, and I was disappointed to find that it was comprised of only four stories when I
    reached the end.