In Hot Water by Esselman

As always, Walter, I'm a fan. I love the way you end and begin with SOS -- the adorably charming otter -- but the story isn't all fluff and cuteness; there's danger and daring and adventure, and they never even leave the canal.

I find your descriptions vivid; your action and plot well-paced; and your tone delightful.

Good intro. An action packed story set in High Fantasy or possibly Sword and Sorcery genre.
Categorizing which genre a story falls under is difficult since most stories overlap.

Many interesting beings inhabit this story and they come alive! Good. SOS had a personality developed by just a few words and actions. Nice. The other characters developed into believable beings plus the dialogue worked. Throughout the story the characters were nurtured and that attention worked. Even at the end of the story, the author shows that Regent has long arms when he rescues SOS from the monster, a Cmamhueto.

I never read Sword and Sorcery or High Fantasy, but I did like this one because of how the characters came alive to me.

At the end when Regent reached into the monster with his long arms, a comment or two about a rank odor might have added to the scene. Techniques like adding an odor or a feeling of heat or cold help the reader get into the story.

Great Job!!