Very nice story, but very short. Wanted more. :) ( )

This short story is sweet but offers a lot of depth. It's about loving people for who they are, and along those lines, it contains some major twists. It didn't take long to read and it left me with a smile on my face. ( )

Whatever Else is a short story featuring a woman who discovers her husband has been keeping secrets, only to discover that the truth is far beyond her wildest dreams. Maia married her husband five years ago as part of a treaty between neighboring groups. Luckily for her, the marriage is happy and she has two young daughters and a happy life in her new home. But when her brother shows up one day claiming her husband is an imposter and says he knows this because he murdered the "real" Arras a few days before the marriage, Maia doesn't know what to think. And then her father-in-law starts trying to break up her marriage and all of a sudden her brothers are trying to break the treaty it sealed. Just what is going on? Will this chaos bring anything but war and suffering? And will Maia stay with her husband, real Arras or not? You have to read to the end to find out.

A very nice story overall, and a successful use of first-person narrative. It's set in a kind of medieval-feeling other world, but the stage is small enough that the author is able to engineer a proper worldbuild within the constraints of the short story format. Maia herself is a compelling narrator, and her gift of being able to watch others from afar using what she describes as her "spirit-self" helps to drive the plot along without seeming contrived. Arras is any woman's dream husband (and of course there are reasons for that), and like the narrator you can just feel the secrets inside of him trying to get out while he tries to keep them in for as long as possible. A tale of love that knows no boundaries and the perils of political marriages. Highly recommended for those who enjoy interesting fantasy short stories and well-written first-person narrators. ( )