Review: Chance and. . .of Fate by Nancy Springer

Some authors write both novels and short fiction. This can be helpful for readers wanting to try a new writer without devoting time to a longer novel. Short stories can give readers an idea as to the author's style and story telling, and whether they want to read novels by the author. Publishers help this by printing collections of an author's short fiction. One such collection is Chance and Other Gestures of the Hand of Fate by Nancy Springer. She is a long time Fantasy author that writes for adults and young adults. Her stories have memorable characters and strong themes.

The first story in the collection, "Chance," takes up the first half of the book and has two parts. Part one is the story of Chance. He is Warden for the local lord and patrols the vast Wirral forest, which has magical fairy creatures called the Denizens. People avoid and fear them. Chance is a good friend of the lord and loves the lord's sister whom he cannot hope to marry, being a commoner. Readers follow Chance through the story as he grows and changes through difficult struggles and dangerous bargains with the Denizens. Part two, "The Golden Face of Fate," is the story of Xanthea, daughter of Chance. She feels an outcast within her family. While growing up, her father has attacked the forest, cutting it back. Xanthea discovers her destiny one night at a masquerade festival. Ms. Springer provides readers with a powerful story of dealing with unknown fate through realistic characters.

In "Bright-eyes Black Pony," a young boy riding a large black warhorse arrives on the magical island of the wizard Wythan. Merric is the youngest prince of a royal family, fleeing the power struggles of his family. Wythan changes the warhorse into a pony because it is too big for the island. The story is one of relationships and friends. Ms. Springer creates a touching story with good characters.

Ithkar is a sacred place where a fair takes place near a sacred temple. Magic is forbidden at the fair. Kam wakes up in the middle of the night at the beginning of "The Prince Out of the Past." He is a summoned by a strange young man to heal a magnificent warhorse. His daring is rewarded by being thrown in jail for violating the forbidden magic laws. The author brings the story to a satisfying conclusion by bringing an interesting world to life with stirring descriptions.

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