Review: Interesting worldbuilding
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 07 18, 2014
This short novella is predominantly a study in contradictions.  The setup is relatively unique, focusing on two aliens, a Leveler and a Summoner, whose races once shared a long-time symbiotic relationship, but which has been entirely destroyed by generations of cultural contamination from an invading human society.  First, we are introduced to the war-like Leveler king, with his disdain for the invading Earthmen, as well as their co-opted Summoner lackeys.  Then we have the Summoner, a simple goat-herder, who is presented as a member of a less aggressive race, subservient to the domineering humans.  And then there's the twist:  both races are capable of a cyclical metamorphosis through three stages of anatomical development, each body-form being weaker and less emotionally aggressive than the last, but capable and driven towards breeding only in the third stage.***spoilers***  The setup is simple: the Leveler is in his third stage of maturation, traveling in secret to a sacred site to begin his breeding activities, which are considered to be of major strategic importance given the Levelers' depleted numbers in the wake of their unsuccessful opposition to the human invasion.  The Summoner is in his second stage of maturation, as yet incapable of breeding but still sexually functional, and physically stronger than the Leveler's third-stage form.  The Leveler is injured when his transport is destroyed, and the Summoner finds him and attempts to minister to his wounds, despite the Leveler's arrogance and demanding nature.  In order to reach an accommodation, they must overcome the barriers of the Leveler's emotional dominance and hostility, contrasted with the Summoner's physical dominance, sexually and culturally maimed by his association with humans.All in all, I found the progression of their relationship to be somewhat staccato, advancing by fits and starts, with a sudden leap forward in time before the final resolution.  The time jump is filled in by narrative summary, which I found unsatisfying.  In my opinion, the story would have been better served by having this period of time documented in the narrative, rather than just alluded to in passing, even if it extended the length of the story to a long novella or short novel.  As it was, the final chapter seemed forced and premature, but the intriguing world-building raises my rating from three stars to four.