Merreth the Barbarian

"A very spicy story, rife with the scandalous dealings of a noblewoman, made more juicy when juxtaposed against the young priest's innocence and naivety. The description was excellently done. I was instantly transported to Merreth's war with the clans, and it was not a pretty sight. Merreth struck me as a woman of strength and courage, but also as someone who had lost her way. As she says at the end, she has come to enjoy her killing and this is certainly inexcusable. Merreth represents the typical rebellious rich young girl, but with a darker twist. The initial conversation was intellectually challenging to decipher, particularly the shift from "fox and rabbit" to "wolf and rabbit". When Merreth opened up about her adventures and exploits, it was accompanied with the relief one gets when he understands the story. Despite the complexity of the tale, it was very accessible to me, which is something many writers fail at. The young priest seems to be just as innocent as he seems on first impression, with his whole life devoted to the service of the Goddess. Merreth takes a liking to him because of his uncorrupted nature, which is perhaps surprising given that he works in a temple. Merreth's insinuations make it amply clear that the fictional temple is just as plagued with controversy and deceit as those in real life. For the young boy to have escaped that was heart-warming, not only for me, but for Merreth as well. The arrival of Priestess Wrenn signals the end of the comfortable interlude Merreth had. The technical skills were flawless. Good job!"