REDWALL FANFICTION REVIEW: STOLEN SONG

One of the trickiest things about doing these fanfic reviews - particularly where shorter works are concerned - is delving deeply enough into the story to give the reader a feel for the piece without giving away so much that it almost becomes unnecessary to seek out the story itself. This is especially true for fanfics that contain surprises or twists which comprise the central theme. Sometimes it becomes impossible to discuss a story without revealing such details. This month's review showcases such a work, so be forewarned, this column will contain spoilers. Read no further if you don't want to know more about the story in question than the author probably wanted you to know going into it. Those of you who are unfamiliar with this month's featured story may wish to scroll quickly down to the bottom of this column and click on the provided link, then come back and read this review after you've read the story.

Last month, I looked at Retto's "Long Fall from the Heavens," which tackled the controversial subject of suicide. Snowspine's "Stolen Song" takes on another topic of some controversy, at least within the ROC: rape. That it does so with masterful subtlety and superb literary skill is what distinguishes it as an exceptional example of Redwall fanfiction. Like much of Snowspine's work, it is far more a character study focusing on the emotional repercussions of its events, dealing with the personal ramifications of these occurrences rather than a mere recounting of the incidents themselves.

The tale opens with a bedraggled squirrelmaid trudging her solitary way across a bleak autumn landscape. Every tortured step seems to require a supreme effort of will and concentration, a pitting of her raw determination against nature. Her dragging footpaw hits a protruding stone, sending her sprawling. Once down, pure exhaustion keeps her there, and she cannot help but slip into unwanted dreams of her past life ...

Through flashbacks, we learn that this squirrel, first identified as Shira Shadowdance, also answers to the name Shirili Lunshea - Shirili for "my song" and Lunshea for "moon fairy," names bestowed upon her by her loving parents. Shira grew up in a small northlands farming village, and considered her life wholly unexceptional ... which leaves her open and vulnerable to the roguish charms of Furis, a worldly squirrel from outside the village who's scorned as a thief by most of the local populace, but who enchants Shira with his carefree manner. Her father tries to warn her that this stranger can only bring her grief, but she's too starstruck by the novelty of his presence and attitude to heed the paternal warnings.

It turns out that Furis is indeed an expert thief, and steals more than just pies and trinkets. Furis plays upon Shira's naivete with all the right words and compliments. One night, after many wonderful nights alone together, he reveals a side to himself that she has neither seen nor suspected might lurk within him - that of a mercenary, selfish, uncaring loner who has anything but her well-being in mind. His dashing eloquence melts away to an almost verminish demeanor, as he reveals secrets that involve far more than just his feigned relationship with Shira. In spite of her martial training, she is too shocked by this transformation of the object of her infatuation to resist when the lecherous squirrelthief makes his move.

The experience leaves her shattered and hollow, a shell of her former self. Before, she was full of music - a magical soprano voice that perfectly complemented her mother's alto, and a lithe dancer's figure that allowed her to set the rhythms and melodies into poetic motion. Now, all music has left her, along with much of her will to live. She becomes a prisoner to the memory of that night, and all that was taken from her - her stolen song.

While both original poetry and songfics - stories that incorporate lines and verses from professional recording artists - are quite common in Redwall fanfiction, very seldom have I encountered works that blend original verse and prose, and never as skillfully as it is done here. Snowspine alternates the narrative with disembodied verses of a song that achingly captures and mirrors the various moods of the story, from the loving and innocent times with her mother and father before Furis entered her life, to the tormented lamentations of all that she has lost. This feature alone would make "Stolen Song" well worth reading, and does in fact add to the power the tale takes on with repeated readings.

Another remarkable aspect of "Stolen Song" is that the entire story includes only four characters, and three of those are seen exclusively in flashback. (Shira names several of the other villagers at one point - including a certain "Riala," who should be very familiar to those acquainted with Snowspine's epic "Vengeance Quest" - but these are mentioned only in passing, and cannot be considered true characters.) Shira's mother and father are presented as memory-phantoms from the past, but are no less richer in depth and realization for it. Sometimes glimpses can convey the essence of a character far more than labored narrative and protracted dialogue, and that is certainly the case here, as each is brought on stage just long enough to play its part and lend its own emotional resonance to the story. We see far more of Furis, both in his beguiling wanderer's persona that wins Shira's heart (he's somewhat reminiscent of Gonff in these scenes, right down to his jaunty beret) and in his almost feral villain's persona. Snowspine presents all four squirrels as fully-fleshed-out and well-rounded personalities, and they are as credible as any you will find in either Redwall fanfiction or the official novels.

From a purely technical standpoint, Snowspine is perhaps the best writer the ROC has. Her years of practice in various roleplaying clubs have given her prose a polish and succinctness that authors twice her age (*coughcough*) could benefit from studying, and also lent her an almost instinctive grasp of what works for a character and what doesn't. This trait is evident in her other works, and it is fully on display here as well. She studiously avoids passive voice, overuse of adverbs, and awkward phrasing, following the rules of grammar to the letter without allowing those rules to handcuff her creativity. This gives even her prose an almost poetic feel, as she gets across her points with an economy of words. Her descriptions are wonderful, incorporating the full sweep of simile, metaphor and personification that make her stories a delight to read once and even more rewarding to read repeatedly. I'd quote a few examples here, but for the fact that the entire story is essentially one continuous example. Some may find this style too flowery or "purple" for their taste, but when it's pulled off as well as Snowspine does it here, there is very little cause for complaint.

Don't be scared off by the unsavory central theme of "Stolen Song." It may be about a rape, but that is just its starting point; at its core it is, like all quality fiction, about the characters and their feelings, about their interactions with each other and how they react to events in their lives. Snowspine employs great tact in dealing with the key incident, so that all but the youngest and most sensitive readers should be able to handle it (and it will probably go "over their heads" anyway). This is one of those rare Redwall fanfics that explores more adult themes than the published novels while staying true to the literary voice and values of the official books. A minor triumph, and a perfect companion piece to Snowy's still-in-progress magnus opus "Vengeance Quest" ... which you will probably someday see reviewed in this space as well. Quality deserves its place in the sun, after all!

-Highwing