James Oswald

Readers have had mixed feelings about the opening chapter too. A few have been put off the book altogether, whilst many have commented that the tone of the opening chapter is markedly different from the rest of the story. I still like it as a piece of writing, particularly the first sentence, but it would make more sense perhaps in a work of horror.
And so I have reverted to the original opening chapter ; the one I wrote when I started the short story, some time in late 2005. I don't think the book loses anything for the omission of those initial five hundred words, but if you want to judge for yourself, or see what all the fuss was about, they're printed below. Be warned though ; they are not for the squeamish.