The Light of the Dawn: An Anthology of Antiquity

I was a bit too busy to finish Fairy Tales this week, so I thought it fitting to post my review thread of the second book in this anthology series! The fourth book, The Wideness of the World, is coming soon, so best get all of these on the site before then!

This was originally published as a "reaction thread" on Bluesky back in 2023. I read through each story and posted a reaction to each one in the form of a series of short posts. Now, I'm putting it in blog form, with a neat new expandable list. Enjoy!

Print: https://www.tfpublishing.com.au/store/in-the-light-of-the-dawn

Ebook: https://www.tfpublishing.com.au/store/in-the-light-of-the-dawn-ebook

The Price of Copper by Utunu

Well, this is a first. I haven’t read a story that brings complexity to an internet meme before, but here we are. This is a quick story about a copper merchant that reveals the history meme it's referencing at the end.

I had never heard of the meme before, however, so it was on to Wikipedia for me after reading it. With that context, the ending is three things all at once: heartwarming, funny, and tragic.

Heartwarming because the merchant receives validation he was a good person, funny because it turns out to be a meme reference, and tragic because despite being a good person the merchant is doomed to be remembered incorrectly and mocked forever. That is so cool and clever. Utunu does it again.

Exile from the Land of Giant Turtles by Gar "Sahoni" Atkins

This is a story that, as the authors note describe, is an origin story that is part of Tsalgi oral history. As I understand it, Tsalgi is a language spoken by the Cherokee nation. Please correct me if I'm wrong on any of this.

I first heard it on Voice of Dog, read by the author, and since the story is meant to be read out loud, that was indeed a better experience than reading it silently to myself. So, I highly recommend listening to that episode: https://thevoice.dog/episode/exile-from-the-land-of-giant-turtles-by-gar-sahoni-atkins

This is a story filled with tragedy and sorrow, but it’s also a story about hope growing out of the ashes of tragedy and perhaps even making a better world as a result. It’s a touching story that I’m sure is even more touching for people who are a part of Cherokee culture.

It’s always humbling and enlightening to hear stories like this one. They have an ancestral weight that makes them very relevant to the world.

As the Gods Demand by NightEyes DaySpring

Ancient Egypt really is a wellspring for good short stories. Especially where furries are concerned. Here is another example.

This story is about two priests of Anubis, also lovers, who have come up on and accidentally read the Scroll of Thoth. So, together they must return the scroll to a certain tomb to avoid Thoth’s wrath.

The story does ancient Egypt and it’s gods justice. Clearly it was researched. There’s plenty of legitimacy in the geography and knowledge of religious ritual, in particular.

Not to mention it’s thematically appropriate. Gods punishing mortals even though they’re doing everything in their power to appease said Gods is classic mythology. All that and the well-tempered prose makes for a great story.

The Vixen with the Crooked Muzzle by Casterway

Now here’s a story with an interesting voice. Right from the beginning I was chuckling because the narrator is insisting that surely I know about all of these mythological terms and historical happenings, and thus surely I will understand this tale.

Very cute. That voice stays throughout the tale, and it’s a simple but good one. The ending has a similar voice to the beginning, wondering what the moral of the story even is. To me, the moral is less important than the cycle being depicted, though.

Prosperity comes from good people, but when those people are gone the kingdom collapses. Then more great people arise, die, and the kingdom collapses once more. Repeat until the end of time. But it’s not a depressing tale. These things are stated in a moreso matter of fact way.

The prosperity, though brief, is still an accomplishment that brought happiness for a while. Perhaps not the intent of the tale, but it’s what I happened to hone in on.

Heka by Faolan

Another story set in ancient Egypt, though it’s a bit more contemporary in style. This one is about a zebra dancer named Tekem who goes to audition for a role as a dancer for the pharoh but a priest recognizes magical ability in him and takes him as an apprentice instead.

Again, a bit contemporary. The prose and dialogue are a bit rough around the edges as well. But I will say the story packs a lot in. There’s some good romance, mystery , world building, and character personality here.

I found the ending rather interesting as well, because it leaves an element of the mystery unaddressed. Reasons for leaving it unanswered are left up in the air, though one can think of many reasons the characters may not want to confront it.

I love it when stories leave little things like that unanswered and let the context speak for itself.

A Fortune in Ruins by FopFox

Ah, this was a fun one. Thieves are such great narrators. Always interesting to follow. Technically, this story follows a scavenger, but he sure comes off as a thief.

He and his new apprentice make their living scavenging from the ruins that the Sea People leave behind in their raids. The Sea People are an interesting and mysterious historical event, so it was good to see them pop up in a tale.

The real draw here is the main character, though. It’s fun seeing Mithon (the Shrewd) discover to his own surprise that taking on an apprentice has given him empathy and instilled him with pesky morals. Even though he’s essentially a grave robber, I can’t help but like him, and that’s a feat.

Props to Fopfox for that one. This is one of those stories that leaves me wishing there was more to read about the many adventures these two are sure to go on.

The Mouse from Mykonos by Huskyteer

Huskyteer’s work often has this lighthearted and charming feel to it, so I was looking forward to this one. It’s about an actor in Greek theater hoping to seduce a fellow actor.

The highlight here is how the story moves from prose to script and back again throughout. The script parts, of course, are for the sections of the play that is occurring in the story (mostly).

There are subtleties within the script—pauses and mistakes—pointing to character motivation and emotion in the prose sections. It’s very fun. What happens is a bit simple and predictable, but a simple and predictable plot is so charming when executed well, and I think this story is a great example.

The Satrap’s Mark by Thomas “Faux” Steele

Ah, a story from the Persian empire. Nice. And one featuring a lesbian couple that kicks ass, as well. This is a story about a leopard on the road to becoming an Immortal.

The warrior kind, not the literal kind. But on her way to her challenge to become one, she and her girlfriend/bodyguard take a shortcut, encountering a far more deadly challenge. The story’s rather action-packed in the middle. Lots of quips and teamwork from the two main characters that flowed well.

Altogether a fun and pretty straightforward story. Side note: I cannot help but point out the irony that a villain who is all about blood magic and blood gods tries to sacrifice the characters via…drowning. Ya know…a bloodless method of sacrifice…for the blood gods. xD

A Perfectly Normal Day by Kayodé Lycaon

Again, you can’t go wrong with a story about thieves. This one’s rather fun because it’s structured around vague omens that the main character receives in the beginning of the story.

As the story progresses, he encounters what the omens were referring to, following those omens religiously to get through his day. I liked how those omens acted as a sort of framework for the story and kept me wondering what the next one was referring to.

It was like checking off a list. A checklist that was satisfying to see completed. The heist here is written particularly well, because you get to see how capable the characters are after getting to know them in the story’s first half.

Admittedly the heist also felt more well written because it lacked some of the unnecessary details present in the rest of the story’s prose, but it's mostly the character thing. Anyway, another fun story of thieves with a twist. Gotta love it.

The Merchant and the Martyr by Casimir Laski

After reading multiple works from the same author you start to identify their strengths. I think Casimir Laski’s is in the prose, of course, but it’s also in the internal struggles of how characters.

This story is about a Roman merchant named Kato who is part of a conspiracy to essentially overthrow the government and blame Christians for it. Of course, guilt starts to weigh on his mind, and he goes through a moral, existential, and religious crisis trying to reconcile with what he’s doing.

It's very well done. It also perhaps shows why Christianity was able to sway so many people back then to its following. When the ruling religion is being tyrannical and stuff it’s bound to get overthrown by another.

Unfortunately, Christianity has taken that role in the States nowadays, eh? Certainly a historical cycle. So as you can see this story says a lot on  both the individual and societal levels, and I do love it when a story has something to say.

The Lament of the Batavii by J. S. Hawthorne

When my boyfriend asked me what story I was reading at the moment, I told him “its about a soldier inflicting herself with depression”. And yeah, that surprisingly sums it up pretty well. It's more allegorical, of course.

The guard of a royal who recently died of a curse takes that curse upon herself in penance. That curse turns out to be extreme self doubt, self loathing, and all manner of depressions personified by a menacing owl that follows her around whispering things in her ear.

I love seeing mental illness and coping mechanisms represented by fantastical, metaphorical means. This story nails that. The curse has her doing all the usual things depression makes one do: avoiding those trying to help, irrational thinking, numbness, etc.

But she also uses certain real life coping methods to fight back against the curse, and I thought the working in of those methods was the neatest part. All in all a very nice story making mental illness into something a little more personified.

Fire and Brimstone by J.F.R. Coates

I was wondering when Pompeii was gonna show up. Can’t have history without Pompeii, especially with all the Romans around. Joking aside, the story isn’t specifically about Pompeii, but it’s similar.

A Jackal named Felix goes through the events of a volcanic eruption where pumice falls from the sky and the town is doomed to be buried by pyroclastic flow. There’s some additional narrative in here though.

In this story, born Romans are wolves, so Felix is an outsider to them who’s treated poorly. Even the wolf he considers something of a friend shrugs him off as he begs him to flee the city.

On top of that, the town does slavery. So one can’t feel too bad about the place getting leveled, I suppose, and the story explores that idea a bit. Anyway, a nice disaster story with a dash of commentary in there for flavor.

...And the Sands of the Desert Wash Over the Words by Pascal Farful

Now here’s a story that’s up my alley, though it seemed like a pretty standard setup at first, it quickly took some very smart twists and turns.

The story is about a mouse who was denied their expected inheritance who finds a map to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon amongst his governor’s archives. He steals the map and sets out with his lover to find it.

I won’t spoil the smart twists that happen, but I will say that the story becomes one of those where the characters find a sort of supernatural sanctuary, and if you’ve read any of my reviews you know how much I love themes of sanctuary.

The story’s tone shifts over time from this very straightforward prose to something more mystical, and I absolutely loved that. Certainly a personal highlight of the anthology for me.

Eulalius! by Ziegenbock

Oh no, a cliffhanger!? In an anthology? Gosh darn it. Well, at least the fact I’m upset about it means I cared about the story. Haha. This one’s about a hare soldier (don’t call him a rabbit) who one day comes up on two Roman male wolves getting intimate.

The hare proceeds to have a bit of a gay awakening afterward, and that awakening proceeds in an interesting direction. It’s one of the first stories I’m having trouble talking about because I don’t want to spoil it.

Needless to say, it registered with my own gay self and I’m interested in seeing where it goes if there ends up being a continuation.

I am a bit confused as to why the story is titled after a guy who (according to google) was some sort of antipope, but perhaps there’s a gap in my history knowledge there. Please explain if you understand it more than me. xD

Tomes Entombed Within Me by Domus Vocis

Oh what an interesting concept! This story is about a scribe of the Library of Alexandria who must assist in picking up the pieces after the famous fire.

However, this scribe has a photographic memory, and so he can transcribe many of the library’s texts word for word. It's an interesting story about expectations driving a person to self-deteriorating obsession.

The main character nearly kills themselves trying to get all of these texts transcribed. That brings about an interesting moral question. Is it worth destroying oneself to bring back all that has been destroyed for all of humanity?

On top of this, the head librarian is treating him kindly, but only as long as he continues to overwork himself, which I’m sure will be relatable to many a reader. It shows the importance of not overworking yourself for your employer who only pretends to care, I guess. Hehe.

So this is a story with layers that you can look at from multiple perspectives. It really is hard to cram my thoughts about it into a single thread. I highly recommend giving it a read yourself, for that reason.

To Your Own Defenses by Televassi

The first time I read this, I had to do some work on Wikipedia to get the significance, but then I was really impressed by the weaving in of real historical events and places within the story. That seems to be one of Televassi’s strengths.

The tale itself is about two members of a long-suffering Celtic tribe traveling to find out if the Romans really have withdrawn from the British Isles. The dreary tone reflects the sorrow and struggle of these waning tribes as they discuss the pain of the past and a lack of optimism for the future.

The journey the two are sent on then feels like a journey to see if any hope yet remains. I won’t spoil it here, of course, except to say that the last three sentences gave me chills.

It’s a well-written tale with interesting characters woven among real places and historical events. It’s perhaps an effective origin to spark a broader cultural tale, as well.

Go to the Road and Ask Any Passing Traveler by Rob MacWolf

Rob Macwolf, your fellow traveler, writes about the travels of a traveler traveling with other travelers. Jokes aside, this story is about a merchant’s son traveling by caravan to sell incense in a promising city market.

The journey takes about two weeks, and along the way he thinks about the nature of his loneliness. Despite constantly traveling with many a companion, it is only back and forth upon one road, so every man he meets and loves eventually heads off on their own travels and leaves him behind.

He’s essentially stuck in a rut that he hasn’t been able to bring himself to leave. His thoughts about this, and of the lovers who he’s parted with are very touching.

Along the path there is also a bit of danger that gets in the caravan’s way, but I found that danger second to the reflections of the main character on their situation. I’m sure that comes down to personal relatability, but I think it’s still the most unique part of the story.

The idea of a traveler who’s barely traveling since they only go back and forth on a single route is very interesting. I enjoyed it.

The Traces of Thomas Antiochus Macrotis by Rose LaCroix

Ah, experimental fiction. It certainly stands out, as this story did. The story is told entirely through fragments.

The fragments include primary sources, like graffiti on ruin walls and scraps of ancient documents, and some excerpts from what appear to be academic journal articles, complete with citations. The excerpts provide context and the primary sources provide the story.

What a cool idea! The story itself is pretty bare bones. A soldier in the roman army reaches the 25 years of service needed to become a Roman citizen, then seemingly falls in love with a promiscuous woman.

But what else could you expect from scraps of parchment found in ancient rubbish piles and graffiti scribbled on communal latrine walls? To include more probably would have hurt suspension of disbelief. It’s a very creative short work that made for an interesting way to wrap up the anthology.

Final Thoughts

It's good to see this little series of historical anthologies is continuing strong. The stories being told are rather unique amongst furry literature because of their historic context.

With some exceptions, When the World Was Young didn't have to focus as much on written history, because it was...well...prehistoric. The guidelines weren't as rigid. Here the writers often had to weave their stories through rigidly-recorded histories.

That gives the second part of this anthology series a distinct feel from its predecessor, and I appreciate that distinction. It keeps the two anthologies from blurring together. I'm interested in seeing how the third anthology in the series deals with an even more rigid histories.

Altogether, another great anthology from the Furry Historical Fiction Society, which I continue to be happy is a thing that exists. :-)