The only freely-available Hugo novella I have been able to find is Arlan Andrews'
Flow. I just finished reading it, and am frankly underwhelmed.
The plot, such as it is, consists of Rist, a native of the northern Tharn's Lands, who is riding an iceberg down a river to sell same in The Warm Lands (capitalization in original). We spend pages and pages watching Rift wander about aimlessly while the author drops hints (occasional) that the faux-medieval setting is post-apocalyptic. We eventually get to some conflict, in that Rist decides to steal some artificial spiderweb wire (left over from the Goode Olde Dayes) and then goes on the run. There's a bit of Rist On The Run, then the story ends on a literal cliff-hanger - Rist descending a cliff into he knows not what.
I'm frankly surprised that this story was published at all. I also don't see what the Puppies see in this story. There's a shocking lack of action, and it takes a damn long amount of time before
anything happens.
John C. Wright tends to leave me cold, so unless Tom Kratman's got something under the hood, it's looking like a short ballot for novellas.
