About the Book:
Fate: Tales of History, Mystery and Magic
If you had a crystal ball to predict what lay ahead, would you be tempted to use it? Or would you leave the future to the turn of Fate?
Tales of Variety. Tales of History, Mystery and Magic – some comprising just one of these popular fiction genres, others, a mild mixture of all three.Perhaps you prefer historical fiction rather than a story about magic or fantasy? Maybe you enjoy exploring new themes or prefer sticking to the familiar? Historical fiction can often inform, imparting knowledge of the past, of its events and its people. Stories of mystery exercise the ‘little grey cells’ as Poirot would say, while fantasy and magic create new worlds and awed wonder.
Whatever result, this is where anthologies come into their own, and where short stories are often appreciated as enjoyable, entertaining, quick or easy reads shown through the eyes of a variety of extraordinary characters and situations. In this instance: an Anglo-Saxon woman facing the consequence of conquest, the pursuit of alchemy, the concern of a mother for her daughter, the shifting of time, the necessity of hidden identity, souls who will linger as ghosts, a warning from the supernatural, the necessity for (justifiable?) revenge. All mingled with the rekindling of romance through a mutual quest, and the preparations for a Cotswold village celebration. (Along with a good tip if illicitly snaffling cakes.
The binding theme? Destiny... Kismet... FATE!Published 2025 ✧ Alison Morton ✧ Taw River Press ✧ KU Loan
Review:
Alison Morton's "A Fateful Encounter," the fifth story in Fate: Tales of History, Mystery, and Magic, is a surprising but delightful departure from her usual fare. Best known for her Roma Nova series - set in a matriarchal remnant of the Roman Empire - Morton exchanges the familiar for something entirely new.
As a devotee of historical fiction, the concept of altering historical events exists at the very edge of my wheelhouse. Morton's confidence and creativity, however, sold me on the material almost immediately. The story steers clear of absurdity and fully embraces the playful potential of its concept. Her use of the literal Fates is a particular highlight, an imaginative yet restrained interpretation that is one of the strongest of the anthology in which it appears.
Morton's writing is clean and precise, with a pace that keeps her audience fully engaged. There's no indulgent exposition or convoluted plotting; instead, the story moves briskly, leaving room to charm and entertain. I read it twice for sheer enjoyment.
If the narrative has a flaw, it's the absence of an author's note. Given the piece is such a departure from Morton's previous work, I'd have welcomed a brief explanation of its origins and intent.
"A Fateful Encounter" is a sharp and imaginative; a delightful combination of historical and speculative fiction.
