Why You'll Love This
A 7,200-word heist with a dwarf who outsmarts everyone — including you — is a genuinely impressive trick to pull off.
- Great if you want: a sharp, self-contained fantasy story with clever misdirection
- The experience: brisk and fun — reads in a single sitting with a satisfying sting
- The writing: Sullivan's banter between Royce and Hadrian is easy and earned, never forced
- Skip if: short fiction rarely satisfies you — this is done before it truly opens up
About This Book
In the world of Riyria, no job is ever as straightforward as it seems—and retrieving a jester's hidden treasure is no exception. When Royce and Hadrian take on what looks like a simple recovery mission, they find themselves outmaneuvered at every turn by an opponent who wears foolishness as a mask. The stakes are personal and the danger is real, but Sullivan keeps the tone sharp and lively, balancing genuine tension with the kind of wit that makes you grin even as the walls close in. This is a story about who gets the last laugh—and whether surviving is the same thing as winning.
At just over 7,000 words, The Jester is proof that Sullivan can build a fully satisfying story in a fraction of the space his novels occupy. The pacing is exact, the banter between Royce and Hadrian crackles with the chemistry longtime readers expect, and the plot turns with the precision of a well-set trap. New readers get a clean entry point with no prior knowledge required, while fans get an intimate reminder of why these two work so well together. Short fiction done this well is rarer than it looks.
