Crovax's Tale (A Rath and Storm Short Story)
Hello, all. Welcome back to the anthology mini-review series for Rath and Storm.
This part of the review will cover the 8th story in the anthology, “Crovax's Tale”. Please see the review series introduction if you’d like an overview of how this anthology is being handled. Otherwise, let’s fly.
STATS
Title: “Crovax’s Tale”
Anthology: Rath and Storm
Author(s): Kij Johnson
Genre: Epic Fantasy
First Printing: July 1998
Publisher: Wizards of the Coast LLC
SPOILER WARNING
Mild, unmarked spoilers for “Crovax’s Tale” will be provided throughout this review. Heavy spoilers will be confined to clearly labeled sections. I will keep the first paragraph of any given section spoiler-free.
Heavy, unmarked spoilers will be provided for the framing device of Rath and Storm as well as for all short stories that preceded this one within the anthology.
Throughout this review, I will also be providing heavy spoilers for events at other points within within MTG canon, including events that occur during the Artifacts Cycle. While I will be steering clear of details that would spoil the progression of this book specifically, there is a strong chance that you will figure out certain spoilers if you pay attention to these bits of lore. I’ll confine the heavy spoilers that are relevant to this book into clearly marked sections.
STORY (HEAVY SPOILERS)
This story details Crovax’s conflict with the angel Selenia across the events of Rath and Storm. However, until previous stories, the title character is not the POV. Instead, this story is told primarily the 1st Person POV of Orim, the Weatherlight’s healer. Most of the scenes are either her experiences with Crovax during the events of the anthology. During the end of story, for events where Orim was not present, the POV switches to 3rd Person, but we are explicitly told that this is how Orim thinks events occurred, based upon her understanding of Crovax and the other characters involved.
The story begins with Orim detailing the events of “Greven’s Tale” from Orim’s perspective. We see how Crovax has an emotional breakdown when he sees Selenia in the skies outside of the Weatherlight and realizes that the angel lead the Predator to the Weatherlight. The various events leading up to the point where the Weatherlight arrives at the Stronghold and Crovax departs with Gerrard, Starke, and Mirri are then told through a few scenes in which Crovax comes to Orim and spills out his heart about the angel. When events switch to 3rd Person POV, Orim relays how Crovax goes into a murderous rage when a shapeshifter within the Stronghold takes Selenia’s form. We then get a retelling of the final battle between Selenia and Crovax. This ends in Mirri being injured, Selenia being killed, and Crovax being cursed as Selenia’s magic flows into him.
The story ends with Orim summing up Crovax’s condition. It’s clear from her description of Crovax’s changed appearance that killing Selenia cursed Crovax with vampirism. Orim laments via internal monologue that she failed to saved Crovax from this path.
RATING: 7.5 / 10
“Crovax’s Tale” is the story that I feel is very much constrained by its length. Exploring the nuances of a character while also balancing a revenge plot (more on that in a moment) isn’t impossible to do in a small number of pages, yet it is more difficult.
This is why I think that making Orim the narrator was a fantastic idea. There’s a mechanical benefit to it: namely, Crovax venting to her allows his whole backstory and his feelings regarding Selenia to be exposited to the audience without breaking immersion. However, I feel there’s an even more important emotional component to it. We’re not just watching Crovax be consumed by darkness; we’re watching him slip away from someone who genuinely cares about his well-being. The story isn’t asking us to care because Crovax’s violent ends are inherently sympathetic. It’s asking us to care because Orim, who is a much more sympathetic and nurturing character, cares. His fall is tragic not because he deserves better but because Orim wanted better for him.
ANALYSIS
The Revenge Story
I think Crovax’s quest to kill Selenia makes sense. We’re told that Selenia (like most angels in MTG) is a construct of mana, with her specific purpose being to protect Crovax’s family. Crovax developed an obsessive love with her, and then when she abandoned his family, all of them were killed except for Crovax. It makes sense that this experience would twist a character into murderous vengeance. I also think that Johnson does a good job exploring this dynamic through Crovax’s breakdown, his venting to Orim, and the rage described when he killed the shapeshifer.
The Love Story
I don’t necessarily mean this one romantically (though with how the ending of the story is worded, that might actually have been the intent).
I would do anything to heal him, but I am powerless. A healer grows used to losses, even horrific and incomprehensible losses such as this one. But even a healer feels despair when it is one she loves.
Crovax loved the one he thought of as his guardian angel. But he did not realize that in the end, it was not Selenia who watched over him and longed for his happiness and fought for his life.
And I failed.
Whether this is platonic or romantic love, the result is the same. This ending frames the preceding story as one of contrasts: Crovax’s obsession with Selenia against Orim’s quiet care and support for Crovax.
I think it was successful in this regard. We see how Orim helps Crovax pull himself together and join the fight against Greven, and we see her patiently listen as he pours his heart out regarding Selenia. The contrast is clear. Crovax feels he is owed something from Selenia (either her love or her head), while Orim gives and gives.
AND NOW FOR THE FIGHT SCENE!
There are now only two stories left in the anthology. Thus far, Captain Sisay has still not been rescued, and the Weatherlight has a long way to go before it can escape Rath.
The next story, “The Weatherlight’s Tale” tries to play catch-up. It details how the Predator finds the Weatherlight moored against the Stronghold, and the frantic running battle the ensues as the crew tries to reposition the ship and extract Gerrard’s party. It’s a fine enough scene, but the sudden rush is palpable.
That’s what we’ll get into tomorrow. Thank you all for joining me today. Please remember to subscribe and share if you enjoyed what you read here. Take care, everyone, and have a good week.