In this episode you'll hear a short story from H.S.J. Williams filled with bromance and elves. King and Knight is narrated by Paeter Frandsen.

Important Links:

The Author: H.S.J. Williams' website

Kings of Aselvia by H.S.J. Williams

Illuminare by Bryn Shutt

The Narrator: Paeter Frandsen's website

Instructions on how to leave a review for the podcast

Find the full show notes on our website.

Karyne (00:00:07) - Hi fantasy readers. This is Karyne Norton, your fellow book binger, and you are listening to the Finding Fantasy Reads podcast where you can test out a new fantasy story every single week to find your next favorite author.

Today's story comes from the unique view of a gnome, but not just any gnome. One who recently returned from an adventurous quest and is trying to settle back into gnome life. It's written by Cathryn deVries, a Stuart and Hadow Short Story Prize winner and a recovering perfectionist. She's spent the last 15 years homeschooling her four children, two of whom are on the autism spectrum, and has co-written a romantic epic fantasy trilogy with her neurodiverse daughter. She loves speculative fiction as well as the classics and uses both to influence her own work.

Stick around to the end or check out today's show notes to see where you can find more from Cathryn. For now, please enjoy Lightning Hunter by Cathryn deVries.

Karyne (00:01:20) -  Lightning Hunter is read by Karyne Norton. Due to copyright, the full transcript of the story cannot be included here. Please go to eclectaperennial.com to get your free ebook copy of the short story.

Karyne (01:32:52) - I hope you enjoyed listening to Lightning Hunter by Cathryn deVries, narrated by Karyne Norton. If you want to read more by Cathryn, she's part of a mother-daughter writing duo and they have a romantic epic fantasy trilogy coming out in the near future. But in the meantime, you can snag a copy of Cathryn's short stories, Lightning Hunter and When a Slave Falls, by signing up for her newsletter at eclectaperennial.com. I'll also have direct links for both short stories in the show notes.

I have to admit, I was so excited when this story showed up in my applications. I know you're all aware of how much I love bittersweet stories, but I also love when characters are deeply affected by their circumstances. And it's not just that I want everyone to be sad. It's more that I want them to find joy while still having scars, just like Tana did in this story. The simplest example I can think of is comparing Harry Potter's final chapters to Hunger Games, and I won't spoil it if you haven't read the books, but when you read one, everything is wrapped up neatly and everyone seems fine. But when you read the other, amidst the goodness, there's a lingering pain, which feels so much more real to me now that I'm older and I see the way the hard things I've experienced in life still sit with me in a really healthy way. I could probably give you several more examples and go on and on about it, so I'll stop there, assuming you probably already either completely agree with me or completely disagree. And don't worry, I don't begrudge anyone who wants the perfect happily ever afters. Because in fact, we have a few of those stories coming up in the near future to keep the podcast well balanced.

If you haven't already signed up for the Finding Fantasy Reads newsletter, you'll find a link for that in the show notes as well. Each week you'll get an email letting you know what episode has been added, but I also include links to deals on audiobooks, new releases, and freebies from our featured authors, as well as anything else that I think might interest someone who enjoys fantasy audiobooks and short stories. I hope you're having a great start to the new year, and I'm excited for all the stories we have coming in 2025.

Thank you all for listening, and happy reading!