Knitted Souls

(1) Surveillance (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 4th January 2000
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 1
Tags: Short Story
(22K)

That was nice. A short somewhat introspective Jim piece. Perhaps the Jim here is a bit more mature and introspective than the "real" Jim, but hey, I liked it.

Another addendum: this story was nominated in the 2000 & 2001 Cascade Times awards in the Smarm category.

(2) A Rose By Any Other Name (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 5th January 2000 (1)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 1
Tags: Short Story
(15K)

That was cool. Friendship and senses. That was really nice without being nicey-nicey. In character for both, cute details.

Addendum: nominated for favourite humour story in the 2001 Cascade Times Awards.

(3) River's Edge (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 5th January 2000 (2)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 1
Tags: Novelette
(63K)

That was so cool - again! Very good point about someone else's need to protect not meaning that the protectee is weak or a wimp. That's an eternal verity - ten bonus points! Another gentle Jim thing - gentle but not really out of character, strangely enough. Not sappy. Maybe because much of it was nonverbal. Another five bonus points for the "David and Johnathan" bit.

(4) The Legacy (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th January 2000 (1)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 1
Tags: Novella
(126K)

This is the best followup to "Warriors" that I've read, partly because it actually ties up loose ends that everybody else has ignored. The other reason is that it catches the reality of grief - another thing that other ones I've read haven't done as well. Good character stuff, Blair's uncertainty, Jim's grief, Blair's grief - and all while trying to carry on their life as usual - this isn't just a sentiment feast.

(5) Promises In The Dark (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th January 2000 (2)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 1
Tags: Novelette
(72K)

This follows on almost immediately from Legacy. (contented sigh). Perhaps a little too sentimental, but nice.

(6) The Box (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th January 2000 (3)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 2
Tags: Short Story
(23K)

Just a little character piece for the festive season. Nice.

(7) Just the Fax... (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th January 2000 (5)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 2
Tags: Short Story
(32K)

Another holiday, another introspect, another misunderstanding, another affirmation. Enjoyable.

(8) Some Are Silver... The Others, Gold (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 9th January 2000 (1)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 2
Tags: Novella
(292K)

Nice, long, good. Okay, there's hurt, and there's comfort, character stuff, and, well, Naomi. Interesting point about Blair's itinerant childhood having the affect of making his usual friendships superficial, good point.

Addendum: this story won the 2000 Cascade Times Awards in the Long Story category.

(9) Double Room (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 9th January 2000 (2)
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 6
Tags: Short Story
(43K)

Bridge between Some Are Silver... The Others, Gold and No Center Line. Nightmares, hotel room, and different points of view.

Addendum: This one just makes me go "Ahhhh". A good followup to the angst of both Some Are Silver... and to Prisoner X as Jim and Blair try to comfort each other while hiding their own needs.

And I like how Daryl slept on, blissfully unaware of what everyone else was doing...

Another Addendum: nominated for favourite epilogue in the 2001 Cascade Times Awards.

(10) Feet on the Couch (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 8th April 2000
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 6
Tags: Novella
(157K)

Very Good. How Blair got invited into Jim's life. This one takes the slant that the Sentinel-Guide thing is instinctual - including a need for the Sentinel to protect the Guide. I loved the bits where Jim is arguing with himself about it; the head and the heart.

Addendum: this story won the 2000 Cascade Times Awards in the "best missing scene" category.

(14) No Center Line (Sentinel/Nash Bridges/Millennium)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 10th January 2000
Zine: Knitted Souls
Issue: 7
Tags: Novel
(576K)

Sequel to Some Are Silver... The Others, Gold and Double Room. Really really good, though very nasty in places, be warned. She makes other stories which feature a (psychic) connection between Jim and Blair look crude and clumsy by comparison. Good use of Frank Black, definitely. I've never seen Nash Bridges, but that wasn't a problem, there was enough backstory for me not to be lost. The only thing I didn't get was the meaning of the title, actually.

Addendum: this story won the 2000 Cascade Times Awards in the Crossover category. Also, the "Jim and Simon give Blair a bath" scene won the "best comfort scene" category.

(15) And Dream That I Am Home Again (Sentinel/Nash Bridges)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 30th July 2000 (2)
Tags: Novella
(292K)

I hung on every word as they dripped from the pen of the author, since I discovered this story existed (which was after the first three parts were written). Now I've got to the end, I say, "Huh? That's all?" I was hoping for an epilogue, really. Actually see them talk about what happened. Oh well. I enjoyed what I got. This story is the aftermath of No Center Line, and in a way, also an aftermath of "Sentinel Too". An intriguing theory, there.

Addendum: nominated for favourite angst story, 2001 Cascade Times Awards.

(16) Roasting By The Fire (Sentinel)

By LRH Balzer
Reviewed by Kathryn A on 6th January 2000 (4)
Tags: Short Story
(36K)

One year after The Box, another nice Christmas tale; peace and quiet, down and up.