Michelle Franklin's Tales from Frewyn never fail to entertain and The Reporter from Marridon is no exception. It's a short story/novella that packs in a lot of fun.I don't think I'll ever grow accustomed to how Rautu treats the Commander. I'm kind of a feminist so it is mildly irritating how he expects her to be at his service in all aspects, if you catch my drift. But I realize that it is part of his culture and his character so I will definitely not hold it against the story. Somehow I can't help but be reminded of Conan the Barbarian. Rautu conjures images of him when I'm reading. I realize Conan is not a giant, but the general mannerisms and attitude towards women (again, I know it's part of his culture, in both cases). I think what I love most about Rautu is his love of chocolate. I hear you, dude! And I'm totally in agreement with his dislike of white chocolate. I mean, white chocolate is okay, but in no way does it measure up to the real thing...good, old-fashioned medium to dark chocolate. (Okay, where's my Hershey's with Almonds?)What I really enjoyed in this story was the apparent tie to our present situation with the paparazzi. Michelle does a nice job of projecting a reporter who does not care about anything but getting the story (not saying that all reporters are like that). The manner in which he is finally dealt with is especially satisfying.Michelle has built a wonderful world with Frewyn and has created fun and interesting characters. I always enjoy reading her stories.
