Review: Arabian-themed Romantasy
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 28, 2012
"Swords and Scimitars" is a romance influenced fantasy short story by author Cate Rowan.  It's the prequel to "Kismet's Kiss" which is the first book in the "Alaia Chronicles."  The tale follows the beginnings of two immortal twin brothers and the tragedy that befalls them.  Elder brother Kismet is a brash and headstrong warrior.  His slightly younger brother Taso strives to be a knowledgeable scholar.  When the two happen upon a powerful and cursed magic blade, Kismet accidently inflicts a dire wound on Taso, draining his very life essence.  In an effort to escape his shame, Kismet exiles himself to the land of mortal men where he hopes to right his wrongs.  Here are my thoughts on Swords and Scimitars;Pros+ Quick and easy read.+ Accomplished writing style.+ Author does a nice job at conveying the troubles immortals must face when living amongst and loving mortals.Cons- A few of the metaphorical descriptions felt a tad over exaggerated and could be confusing.  Examples include "jabbing an ice spear through the gut" or "answer knifed him through the gut."  In a fantasy setting where knives and spears are prevalent I found myself doing a double take when reading these passages to verify what was actually happening.- Title is a bit redundant as a scimitar is a sword."Swords and Scimitars" was a well written fantasy short with a dash or romance thrown in.  I will admit that I'm slightly embarrassed for reading this (I have a weak spot for Arabian fantasy) as I didn't realize it was geared more towards the romantasy reader.  That being said, I can certainly understand the appeal to the other reviewers here.  Kismet's tale of grief and redemption was intriguing and well thought out giving readers an in-depth look at the various hardships of immortality.