Review: A powerful short story that leaves me wanting more from this world.
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 7, 2014
Patina is a great short story that's a nice departure from JW Kent's usual fare, particularly the excellent 'Fergus' series. Patina tells the story of a culture that arises on an interplanetary generation ship hundreds of years after their orderly civilization collapses. This new, primitive culture is centered around myth and ritual and passes down stories of the ones who came before them. Patina follows a young boy going through his traditional coming of age ritual where he unlocks a secret that can change the course of his people.The story is highly reminiscent of Kindle Worlds stories set in Hugh Howey's Silo Saga. Perhaps knowing before reading that Mr. Kent considered publishing it as a Silo Saga story prompted me to look for comparisons, but some of them are too hard to ignore. While the structure of the ship lends itself to the comparison, it stands well as its own tale. The story does its job. It's a great read, a compelling world and leaves me wanting more.