I read this after reading The Waking Fire, even though it’s a prequel, and I think that’s the preferred order. This short story is the full account of what happened on the Sands years prior to the events that took place in The Waking Fire. It is in fact, the driving element for most of its sequel.

Coming in at only 27 pages, this was a very short short, but I still enjoyed it. It was most interesting to get the full account of what transpired, to fill in the gaps that are left open in The Waking Fire.

The writing was good, the pace frantic, and the world building, slim as it is, is interesting.