holy shit, was this good. 
 this is an author whose novels i have been meaning to read for a while now, on the basis of all the glowing reviews here on the gr and on those gorgeous covers, 
 but i just haven't gotten around to them yet, and now don't i feel foolish... 
 because this is fantastic. i was apprehensive about reading this, having been burned by that elizabeth hand one that scoffs at you for not having read the larger work it is referencing, but i was assured by karly that these can stand alone quite nicely, even though they are "of that world." 
 this one starts out like a fable - a little br'er rabbit folktale that gets slowly consumed by a dark fairytale cloud. eventually it passes over, you pass through, and the story concludes with a snappy little moral a la your traditional fable. but you have had to pass through such a horrible, transformative darkness to get there, it leaves a lasting mark. it is a wearying journey. 
 and it is beyond wow. 
 if you are going to read just ONE of these free tor shorts, or if you want to join this bandwagon of reading MANY of them, and are looking for an entrance point, this is the one. 
 "you're welcome," i say in anticipation. 
 read it for yourself here: 
 http://www.tor.com/stories/2013/06/th...