The Red Mother
Novelette 12,023 words Recommended by 5 award/anthology sources
Auga, a wandering sorcerer, follows his brother’s fate-thread into the village of Ormsfjoll, where he expects to deliver good news and continue his travels. What he doesn’t anticipate is that to meet his brother he must first contend with the truth at the heart of the volcano that wreaks havoc on Ormsfjoll.
Quasar links out; the story lives on Tor.com, where the author gets the click.