Nothing really deep, the stories are short, but no duds either. All are pretty good, especially for short shorts which are usually meh, or some sort oNothing really deep, the stories are short, but no duds either. All are pretty good, especially for short shorts which are usually meh, or some sort of punch line. 4.5 stars
Friendship is Magic Good+. Helen is through working for today and just starting to relax when Dylan comes to the door. Then something crashes through her window.
Out of the Box VG/Good. An intelligence forms in network, it listens in on humans and eventually decides to make contact.
A Stranger at the Door. Good. When no one else moves towards it Chiara answers the door. It’s an elf.
In the Enchanted Forest Good. A mashup of Snow White and Sleeping Beauty with gender reversal and a twist.
Rummage Sale Finds Good. At a rummage sale Corinne sees the painting she gave to her sister. She had even bought a spell to put on it to say “Let’s talk.� Gift and spell brought them no closer.
Departure OK/Good. Her brother, Darwin, is leaving the farm. Emma is scared he won’t come back. It’s only for a week to connect with a lost branch of the family.
Banquet Good/VG. A zombie living in the park lives off stolen memories. She tries to get a patron that is alone or straggling behind their group.
Real Enough Good+. Annie reaches out to get advice from mom or dream mom, she doesn’t always know which. Today she has some news.
Just Try It Good/VG. Lila’s younger sisters set her up on a date from a dating site. She is not thrilled, but gets ready anyway.
Trash Fairies Good+. Cyrus is invited to join the band at a political speech. Free food, he’s in. When he gets there he senses something off about the punch lady. I think I’ve read a story before with this character. Cyrus Locke a wandering musician who can sense magic.
Just below My Heart Good. The narrator meets a Druklad. They usually live within another organism, this one is currently in a robot body. After they meet a couple times he/it asks to live inside her.
Vacation Station Good. A couple decides to use their honeymoon money to go to a Vacation Station where it’s not crowded and they can get some privacy.
Passed Down Good/VG. Svilka gets roped into an inter-species get together when the party at her restaurant is one short.
Group Dynamics OK. Zeus joins a group of goddesses club and they want to kick him out.
It Came from the Bottom of the Pool OK/Good. Brothers reprogram the household bots to prank each other.
The Friendly Beasts OK. A group of shapeshifters get together and there’s a new guy present. No idea what he is.
Child of Snow Very Good. Ice was three years old when his mother’s husband returned. She told him that Snow was the father. Papa never hit Ice, but was never really friendly to him either.
Leaf Piles Very Good+. Anna doesn’t like Halloween. She hasn’t used their fire pit in the back for a bonfire in ages. As she’s about to start nosy Stan from next door offers to help....more
Poul Anderson tribute issue. A story by him, a tribute article, and a bibliography. At the time the bibliography was a useful and cool feature. NowadaPoul Anderson tribute issue. A story by him, a tribute article, and a bibliography. At the time the bibliography was a useful and cool feature. Nowadays, with isfdb.org and wikipedia it's superfluous and almost immediately out of date.
5 � The Queen of Air and Darkness � 41 pages by Poul Anderson Good/OK. Barbro’s son is kidnapped but the police believe he just wandered away from camp and got lost. She goes to Eric Sherrinford together his help to find Jimmy. The police don’t believe the Old Folk exist. How could Earth fairy tales reach Roland? Sherrinford and Barbro head into the unexplored land, the land the nearby humans are wary of, to find her child if he’s still alive.
70 � The Power of the Sentence � 8 pages by David M. Locke OK. Professor lectures to his class about sentences in writing. The examples he gives tell another story. Does that explain what happens to him at the end of class?
78 � The Unsigned � 16 pages by William Walling Very Good. Clay has followed the plan set before him from birth. WMA is a futuristic company town, but here they educate, give credit and push people into careers that give a decent lifestyle but no way to get out from under their thumb. Clay wants to break free.
94 � Darktree, Darktree � 7 pages by Michael Bishop OK. Jon and his parents are going to Darktree to visit Chloe. An old woman they invited into their home a couple years ago. Jon doesn’t like her, but tries to put up with her for his parents� sake.
111 � Bruno � 18 pages by Dean R. Koontz Good/OK. Jake wakes up to someone leaving his apartment. No robbery, and how did he enter? After he gets back from breakfast he finds a bear like man leaving. This Bruno says he’s with the probability police. That both he and the earlier intruders came from different dimensions. Jake talks his way into being hired by Bruno to help bring the fugitive to justice....more
Juan is doing genetic research in order to find treatments for cancer. Nate is an FBI agent getting put on some strange cases. Kathy O’Reilly and her Juan is doing genetic research in order to find treatments for cancer. Nate is an FBI agent getting put on some strange cases. Kathy O’Reilly and her family are involved in several of those cases. An armed veteran alone in the wilderness of Nevada is attacked and killed by dogs, one injured dog not viscous like the others ends up on Frank O’Reilly’s ranch. Three years later a man and his girlfriend avoid a storm by going into, breaking into—there’s a gate and no trespassing signs, a cove of a remote island. The storm would’ve killed them, the birds on the island presumably killed the man, an injured Kathy barely making it to a concrete shelter. Frank gets cancer and gets put on a clinical trial. He recovers enough to go home and then one day he finds a pasture full of dead cows. Nate investigated those three cases and one in South America similar to what happened on Frank’s ranch.
Fast paced techno thriller. Nate trying to piece together what’s happening. Juan getting pulled in when they find out it’s his research that has been stolen. Kathy coincidentally happening to cross paths with both these guys. 4.5 stars. The scenes flipped between the characters. The story lines were all interesting and eventually intertwined. The ending left some questions unanswered, but those questions are more top secret than what we're privy to. ...more
5 � The Martyr � 17 pages by Poul Anderson OK/Good. The Cibarrans are far ahead of humanity in psi and other mental fields. Even though they are peace5 � The Martyr � 17 pages by Poul Anderson OK/Good. The Cibarrans are far ahead of humanity in psi and other mental fields. Even though they are peaceful and shown no aggression General Medina feels inferior. He has captured some Cibarrans and set up a study on an out of the way laboratory. They can read minds so the researchers are pretty much prisoners, too. Will Narden get cooperation? Is there any way that won’t take decades?
22 � Death and the Maiden � 7 pages by Ray Bradbury OK. Old Mam is a hermit, hiding away from Death in her cabin. Feels like an episode of the Twilight Zone. Of course she gets a visitor the next day.
29 � Like Young � 7 pages by Theodore Sturgeon Fair/Poor. A few hundred survivors of a plague, decide amongst themselves that their mission is to record human achievements for the next species that inherits the world. I can’t relate to them. Even if somehow this new species [otters] arises there would be a language barrier for any documentation. I think it’s just a setup for the twist at the end.
36 � Man Overboard � 21 pages by John Collier Fair/OK. The narrator travels with Glenway on his yacht looking for a sea serpent. They stop at a remote island to drop off mail. The residents say there’s a guy desperate to leave, could you take him? They end up with a passenger. Unfortunately this guy has heard about Glenway’s quest and mercilessly ridicules him.
57 � Through Time and Space with Ferdinand Feghoot: XXIV � 1 page by Grendel Briarton (Reginald Brentor) Zero. It took me about ten minutes to sound out what the pun was supposed to be. It also used a synonym (great instead of mighty) in place of the saying that I’ve heard.
58 � The Girls and the Nugent Miller � 10 pages by Robert Sheckley OK/Fair. A nuclear war has wiped out most of the cities and left radiation hazards everywhere. Nugent had seen it coming and stocked caches of food. When the war came he fled to the nearby caverns. He and the others he had brought with him ran out of food, most risked the radiation and died. He went deeper in the caves and found enough food to last until the radiation levels were safe. He has now found a footprint and hopes to find other survivors.
68 � The Monster � 11 pages by Miriam Allen deFord OK. Dick and Mary are worried about their son who has this unfounded fear of a monster. A monster that supposedly ate a little girl. They’d be frantic but the entire preteen population of the town has the same fear. How anyone knows about this monster (and no girl has been reported missing) is a mystery.
94 � Apres Nous � 1 page by Avram Davidson Zero. A short with a punchline, but I don’t get the allusion or whatever it was supposed to be.
95 � All the Traps of Earth � 33 pages by Clifford D. Simak Very Good. The last of the Barringtons has died, now their possessions are being liquidated, including Richard Daniel. Unfortunately for Richard Daniel there is a law that robots have to be refreshed every hundred years and he’s already lived six hundred. He doesn’t want to give up his memories, so he runs away. Can he escape? and if he does, what is his purpose?...more
It's been a while since I read a magazine where I really liked every story. Maybe it's Stanley Schmidt choosing the right ones, or just the heyday of It's been a while since I read a magazine where I really liked every story. Maybe it's Stanley Schmidt choosing the right ones, or just the heyday of short SF. Probably Stan Schmidt, because Analog was always better than Asimov's and F&SF in the eighties, nineties and up to this point in the aughts.
8 � Time Ablaze � 30 pages by Michael A. Burstein Good/Very Good. Adele and her mother take in a boarder, Luca Schmidt. Adele is attracted to the guy, but he’s kind of secretive. She goes to the newspaper where he supposedly works and finds they don’t know him. Checking his room, she finds a book from a hundred years in the future about a disaster which hasn’t occurred yet.
46 � On the Tip of My Tongue � 18 pages by Grey Rollins Very Good/Good. Martin and Victor get hired by Deems Warden because he think his partner is embezzling. The partner has a thing for exotic pets from off world. Victor being, not a pet but an off world creature got them an interview with Bartles. The next day Warden ends up dead. The mystery—detective part was good, but I really enjoy the Victor and Martin characters.
64 � Blu 97-032d � 14 pages by Alexis Glynn Latner Good+. Jack tracks satellites and debris orbits. When a satellite suddenly goes completely offline he gets a call. Then it’s another. Later it’s a piece of debris. What’s going on?
82 � Do Unto Others � 2 pages by Kelvin Throop Very Good. God calls a conference with religious leaders who are worried about infertility.
84 � The Bistro of Alternate Realities � 8 pages by Kevin J. Anderson Very Good. In her job for Alternaties Heather goes to close by dimensions to find subtle differences that can benefit hers. Her current case working for an archaeologist is to find something that was chanced upon somewhere else. She’s got an advantage, seven more of herself doing the same job. They can pool their resources and it’s like checking eight worlds at once.
92 � Caretaker � 8 pages by Richard A. Lovett Good+. Zarken is the sole resident of a planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. He loves its natural state. A ship arrives and he knows that it’s a colony ship.
100 � Periandry's Quest � 14 pages by Stephen Baxter Good. In a world where time in the attic runs ten times faster than on the shelf, Peri is from a noble house on the shelf and is stunned by the beauty of one of the serving girls at his father’s funeral. He so much wants to see her again, but there are taboos against mingling of the peoples.
114 � Greetings from Kudesh � 18 pages by J. T. Sharrah Very Good. The people of Kudesh asked Earth for a missionary. Naomi is that person. She is making a recording to send back to her loved ones which tells us the story. How she is learning the language, her upcoming language test and if she passes a sermon to the priests.
Merged review:
It's been a while since I read a magazine where I really liked every story. Maybe it's Stanley Schmidt choosing the right ones, or just the heyday of short SF. Probably Stan Schmidt, because Analog was always better than Asimov's and F&SF in the eighties, nineties and up to this point in the aughts.
8 � Time Ablaze � 30 pages by Michael A. Burstein Good/Very Good. Adele and her mother take in a boarder, Luca Schmidt. Adele is attracted to the guy, but he’s kind of secretive. She goes to the newspaper where he supposedly works and finds they don’t know him. Checking his room, she finds a book from a hundred years in the future about a disaster which hasn’t occurred yet.
46 � On the Tip of My Tongue � 18 pages by Grey Rollins Very Good/Good. Martin and Victor get hired by Deems Warden because he think his partner is embezzling. The partner has a thing for exotic pets from off world. Victor being, not a pet but an off world creature got them an interview with Bartles. The next day Warden ends up dead. The mystery—detective part was good, but I really enjoy the Victor and Martin characters.
64 � Blu 97-032d � 14 pages by Alexis Glynn Latner Good+. Jack tracks satellites and debris orbits. When a satellite suddenly goes completely offline he gets a call. Then it’s another. Later it’s a piece of debris. What’s going on?
82 � Do Unto Others � 2 pages by Kelvin Throop Very Good. God calls a conference with religious leaders who are worried about infertility.
84 � The Bistro of Alternate Realities � 8 pages by Kevin J. Anderson Very Good. In her job for Alternaties Heather goes to close by dimensions to find subtle differences that can benefit hers. Her current case working for an archaeologist is to find something that was chanced upon somewhere else. She’s got an advantage, seven more of herself doing the same job. They can pool their resources and it’s like checking eight worlds at once.
92 � Caretaker � 8 pages by Richard A. Lovett Good+. Zarken is the sole resident of a planet on the outskirts of the galaxy. He loves its natural state. A ship arrives and he knows that it’s a colony ship.
100 � Periandry's Quest � 14 pages by Stephen Baxter Good. In a world where time in the attic runs ten times faster than on the shelf, Peri is from a noble house on the shelf and is stunned by the beauty of one of the serving girls at his father’s funeral. He so much wants to see her again, but there are taboos against mingling of the peoples.
114 � Greetings from Kudesh � 18 pages by J. T. Sharrah Very Good. The people of Kudesh asked Earth for a missionary. Naomi is that person. She is making a recording to send back to her loved ones which tells us the story. How she is learning the language, her upcoming language test and if she passes a sermon to the priests....more
Hollywood studios have stopped creating new content and are just reusing old movies. Sometimes digitizing new faces over old scenes. Tom is trying to Hollywood studios have stopped creating new content and are just reusing old movies. Sometimes digitizing new faces over old scenes. Tom is trying to find Mayer to get paid for his work putting the new girlfriend into a movie before she is yesterday’s news and his work will have been for naught. He walks into a party and meets Alis, who wants to dance in the movies, before getting to Mayer. After showing her Fred Astaire films they meet a few more time, but eventually she just goes away after he tells her that her dream isn’t possible. He gets a new job editing addictive substances out of films and he sees her. It’s not possible.
There’s a lot of allusions to movies, particular scenes, quotes, actors and musicals. If you’re a movie buff it would be more fun. For me 2.7 stars....more
3 � Two-Way Stretch � 28 pages by Max Dancey, G. Gordon Dewey Good. On Monday Steve and Roger get a visit from Morlan who is looking for Terry. Terry 3 � Two-Way Stretch � 28 pages by Max Dancey, G. Gordon Dewey Good. On Monday Steve and Roger get a visit from Morlan who is looking for Terry. Terry doesn’t have a set schedule, so Morlan says he’ll come back. They get more visits. Tuesday, Wednesday. Something is weird with that guy, and the clothes and the bracelet that he dropped. Nice twist.
31 � Food to All Flesh � 8 pages by Zenna Henderson Fair. Padre Manuel witnesses a spaceship landing and has first contact with an alien. At one point he assumes it is hungry and starts giving it different foodstuffs to no avail.
39 � Night Life � 7 pages by Esther Carlson OK. Big Bill talks in his sleep. His wife asks an advice columnist how she can get him to quiet down. His advice is to embrace it and engage her husband’s inner self in conversation.
46 � Aurochs Came Walking � 15 pages by Robert Moore Williams OK. Carnovan, an earth man, and Tiernden are trying to fix a Martian machine. The local witch doctor and tribal chief want it restored so they can use its power. The scientists were excited about being able to work on the machine, but now their lives are being threatened unless they get it fixed.
61 � The Milk of Paradise � 12 pages by Jerome Barry OK/Good. Harry wanders into town. Sees a help wanted sign at the drug store. He immediately gets the job and goes to work. All along there has been talking at the soda bar. The girl has broken up with the guy because he passed out instead of keeping an eye on her toddler. He has just the thing for her, the milk of paradise that’ll help her forget she ever knew the guy. Better story if I thought the guy deserved a second chance.
73 � Door to Door � 12 pages by Guy DeAngelis Good/OK. Nora is worried. Stan hasn’t been himself since that salesman came to the door. Now the pets have fled. Stan is now a stranger.
85 � The Gastronomical Error � 19 pages by H. Nearing jr. OK+. Ransom wants to use the school’s telescope to penetrate the clouds of Venus and see what’s beneath. There are technological problems that he has solved by ransomizing the waves. Lo and behold they get an answering wave that looks like a code. A first contact with life from the second planet.
106 � The Dream Dust Factory � 12 pages by William Lindsay Gresham Good. A prisoner makes an escape attempt and while being beaten and thrown in solitary retreats into his own mind creating a happy place. New evidence on his case comes out and he’s released, but now all he wants is to go to his dream and he can’t make it happen.
118 � The Liberator � 7 pages by Arthur Porges Good+. An overwhelmingly superior alien fleet has beaten the Earth’s defenses. Their general is now dictating terms, of how they’ll colonize Earth. Usually they go straight to extermination. Nice twist....more
It’s Not Even Past (2025) 200 pages by Anna Scotti
There are two new stories and nine that I had read in Ellery Queen. Lori was put in witness protectiIt’s Not Even Past (2025) 200 pages by Anna Scotti
There are two new stories and nine that I had read in Ellery Queen. Lori was put in witness protection to testify against Mateo, her former lover. She has trouble staying hidden with deaths happening around her. I had intended to just read the two new stories and reuse my EQMM reviews, but I reread one just to make sure my prior thoughts held. After that I kept on and read them all again. The stories were great on their own, but having them as a collection gives a better sense of continuity and flow.
The Perfumes of Arabia Very Good/Good. WITSEC moves “Juliette� to Montana where she gets a job working for a man and his two daughters. She tries to lay low, but ends up having to call 911.
That Which We Call Patience I reread this. My review from Nov/Dec 2019 EQMM stands. Good+. Marianna Parker is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. It could be an accident, but she willed a large sum of money to the retirement home, included employees get a bonus, based on length of service. The manager asks Audrey to look into it, because she's only been there a few weeks and isn't getting anything.
What the Morning Never Suspected Reviewed from Sep/Oct 2020 EQMM. My review stands, don’t want to give away any spoilers. It mentions that she had been “Serena in Tallahassee.� Maybe there’s a story to be inserted. Good+. Cam goes to work for a rich widow, who started a charity for people who had lost loved ones to drunk drivers, etc.
No Legacy So Rich Read this in Jan/Feb 2021. This is the story that really got me hooked on Cam/etc. Very Good. Cam (in witness protection) has a job at a highly regarded middle school. Staying late in the library she leaves when three students unexpectedly arrive. Having forgot her phone she returns to find one of them dead.
A Heaven or Hell May/June 2021 EQMM. Good. A student from Cam Baker’s school miraculously climbed up from a hiking fall. He was with a gang of other teenagers when one of them shot and killed a man. Kevin, man’s brother, became foster parent for Tristan and his brother, even sending them to private school. Was it really an accident?
The Longest Pleasure Nov/Dec 2021 EQMM Very Good. Cam Baker is packing up the room of a girl who died by an unsolved hit and run. She finds a picture of the girl and her boyfriend who tragically drowned on one of their frequent outings. Anyway rather than throw away the photo she takes it to Tom’s parents.
It's Not Even Past Sep/Oct 2023 EQMM. Very Good+. Cam Baker learns that her father died of COVID. She’s angry and now her mother has no one, so angry that she breaks cover. Better story because it’s part of a series. [And now reading all the stories back to back it’s more powerful.]
Into the Silent Land Jan/Feb 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Cam Baker has a new identity and residence. Coming back from a swim she finds a girl that had banged her head against the curb. She’s trying to lay low, but she can’t not report a dead body. As interesting as the crime is the continuing story of Lori/Cam/Sonia. [A-ha, I knew I had put in one of my reviews that as a collection the stories are better.]
A New Weariness May/Jun 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Sonia is recognized by Dylan who knew her as Cam Baker. She should tell her handler but Dylan is just passing through and doesn’t want to talk about his life back before he became an actor. Then he comes to Cam/Sonia for help because he found a dead body in his trailer.
Not with Hibiscus, but with Blood Nov/Dec 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Dana, is now in WITSEC on Maui. She still sees Owen in every slightly resembling man. Chases after one who turns out to be Charlie. Oh, well. She missed a second date with him, but when she goes to retrieve her surfboard the next morning finds him lying fully clothed on the beach. I think there is enough refresher to make this a nice standalone and the name dropping nice for those of us that can remember the preceding stories. [That last thought isn’t pertinent to this collection.]
Where Speaking Fails Good/VG. Our protagonist hears a whining sound from a nearby house. A look around the backyard shows that there’s a neglected pitbull on a short tether and dead puppies. She’s shooed away by the owner, but starts thinking about the whole situation. Probably thinking about the dogs she had back in her Cam Baker days. This story is complete, but is not an ending to a novel, it still seems she's at loose ends, unless her purpose is to wander and solve crime....more
There are two new stories and nine that I had read in Ellery Queen. Lori was put in witness protection to testify against Mateo, her former lover. SheThere are two new stories and nine that I had read in Ellery Queen. Lori was put in witness protection to testify against Mateo, her former lover. She has trouble staying hidden with deaths happening around her. I had intended to just read the two new stories and reuse my EQMM reviews, but I reread one just to make sure my prior thoughts held. After that I kept on and read them all again. The stories were great on their own, but having them as a collection gives a better sense of continuity and flow.
The Perfumes of Arabia Very Good/Good. WITSEC moves “Juliette� to Montana where she gets a job working for a man and his two daughters. She tries to lay low, but ends up having to call 911.
That Which We Call Patience I reread this. My review from Nov/Dec 2019 EQMM stands. Good+. Marianna Parker is found dead at the bottom of the stairs. It could be an accident, but she willed a large sum of money to the retirement home, included employees get a bonus, based on length of service. The manager asks Audrey to look into it, because she's only been there a few weeks and isn't getting anything.
What the Morning Never Suspected Reviewed from Sep/Oct 2020 EQMM. My review stands, don’t want to give away any spoilers. It mentions that she had been “Serena in Tallahassee.� Maybe there’s a story to be inserted. Good+. Cam goes to work for a rich widow, who started a charity for people who had lost loved ones to drunk drivers, etc.
No Legacy So Rich Read this in Jan/Feb 2021. This is the story that really got me hooked on Cam/etc. Very Good. Cam (in witness protection) has a job at a highly regarded middle school. Staying late in the library she leaves when three students unexpectedly arrive. Having forgot her phone she returns to find one of them dead.
A Heaven or Hell May/June 2021 EQMM. Good. A student from Cam Baker’s school miraculously climbed up from a hiking fall. He was with a gang of other teenagers when one of them shot and killed a man. Kevin, man’s brother, became foster parent for Tristan and his brother, even sending them to private school. Was it really an accident?
The Longest Pleasure Nov/Dec 2021 EQMM Very Good. Cam Baker is packing up the room of a girl who died by an unsolved hit and run. She finds a picture of the girl and her boyfriend who tragically drowned on one of their frequent outings. Anyway rather than throw away the photo she takes it to Tom’s parents.
It's Not Even Past Sep/Oct 2023 EQMM. Very Good+. Cam Baker learns that her father died of COVID. She’s angry and now her mother has no one, so angry that she breaks cover. Better story because it’s part of a series. [And now reading all the stories back to back it’s more powerful.]
Into the Silent Land Jan/Feb 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Cam Baker has a new identity and residence. Coming back from a swim she finds a girl that had banged her head against the curb. She’s trying to lay low, but she can’t not report a dead body. As interesting as the crime is the continuing story of Lori/Cam/Sonia. [A-ha, I knew I had put in one of my reviews that as a collection the stories are better.]
A New Weariness May/Jun 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Sonia is recognized by Dylan who knew her as Cam Baker. She should tell her handler but Dylan is just passing through and doesn’t want to talk about his life back before he became an actor. Then he comes to Cam/Sonia for help because he found a dead body in his trailer.
Not with Hibiscus, but with Blood Nov/Dec 2024 EQMM. Very Good+. Dana, is now in WITSEC on Maui. She still sees Owen in every slightly resembling man. Chases after one who turns out to be Charlie. Oh, well. She missed a second date with him, but when she goes to retrieve her surfboard the next morning finds him lying fully clothed on the beach. I think there is enough refresher to make this a nice standalone and the name dropping nice for those of us that can remember the preceding stories. [That last thought isn’t pertinent to this collection.]
Where Speaking Fails Good/VG. Our protagonist hears a whining sound from a nearby house. A look around the backyard shows that there’s a neglected pitbull on a short tether and dead puppies. She’s shooed away by the owner, but starts thinking about the whole situation. Probably thinking about the dogs she had back in her Cam Baker days. This story is complete, but is not an ending to a novel, it still seems she's at loose ends, unless her purpose is to wander and solve crime....more
Charlie gets the job of Harbinger of Death. The one who comes before. Sometimes as a warning, sometimes as a courtesy. We don’t follow Charlie on everCharlie gets the job of Harbinger of Death. The one who comes before. Sometimes as a warning, sometimes as a courtesy. We don’t follow Charlie on every assignment, just a few. The first one is very quick, probably just to introduce us to what the job entails. [No one questions that he is the Harbinger of Death. They just take it in stride that Death (and other) horsemen of the apocalypse exist and have human employees. Some people may not like what he does, and will interfere, just no question about the validity of his office.] Bringing something to a particular person. The second assignment where we follow Charlie is to Greenland. Each step Charlie takes he find that Professor Ule has gone further into the north. Eventually he gets his gift and Charlie learns something. Maybe global warming this time. Then a grandfather that is being evicted from his home, because the council has made a deal with the developer. Then to a poet/general in a war torn Syria. Anyway what a slog, meandering between Charlie’s travels and some thrown in pages of half-finished sentences that probably have some significance but are gibberish to me. Often the characters will stop in mid sentence and try to rephrase. I’m almost halfway through, so far it seems rather pointless. If it’s just that war and global warming are bad and some government policies are ridiculous, but we can’t do anything about it, I am going to be disappointed.
The second half had a little bit more flow to it. Characters still stammering out half sentences, but more intelligible. Charlie is a nice character and the story is about him, but more about his mental state and what he has learned about humanity rather than his tangible self. Although he does get a girlfriend, she's in very little of the story. Cool idea, fascinating characters, tedious to read, second half easier to read, 2.6 stars....more
March/April 2025 Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Vol 145, No 3 & 4)
8 � Murder on the Eris Express � 33 pages by Beth Goder Very Good. The Captain tamMarch/April 2025 Analog Science Fiction and Fact (Vol 145, No 3 & 4)
8 � Murder on the Eris Express � 33 pages by Beth Goder Very Good. The Captain tampers with Mo’s memory so when he winds up dead the AI has no recorded evidence of who murdered him. There are only three passengers, one crew and a couple of cleaning bots. Could it be the chess master? The woman pushing her jams? The enigmatic priest? Surely not Shelly.
46 � Not Optimus Prime � 12 pages by Lorraine Alden Good/OK. Vera is running a calculation to discover a very large prime number. A tech comes in to change the cooling tank. Not in the middle of a job, so he hangs around. They talk and eventually the job finishes, it looks like she has a winner. Then the computer starts acting funny. After a few mathematical exchanges they conclude it’s some sort of alien communication. She gets a message NOT and her big prime. She concludes there is some danger with that number, while Brian is gung-ho to say they’ve had communication with aliens. Both seem premature to me, but the rest of the story is based on their reactions.
58 � It Eats Metal � 8 pages by Mark Ferguson OK. There’s a woods in Stikine where a dog was killed, no body found, the owner who ran after it heard the whimpers but five steps in was attacked by barbs and barely crawled out with her life and scars on her shins. Later two workers looking for a sinkhole went in but never came out. This was like a horror story, the protagonists saying maybe it’s some metal concentrating experiment that escaped, but no further explanation.
66 � To Reap, to Sow � 7 pages by Lyndsey Croal Good/OK. Isla is working on fast growing crops. Right now it’s mostly kelp for dinner, so she’s hoping that with further testing this can help people on Earth, and those in space, too.
73 � The Emergency Contact � 3 pages by Arendse Lund Good/VG. Haha. A fallen tree has blocked Mabel’s car and although not immediately threatening she calls emergency for help.
79 � A Whole Generation � 1 page by Thomas Esaias Fair. Youngsters are running off these days. Anton doesn’t think the search will find them.
82 � Those Other Replicator Manufacturers Are Ripping You off � 3 pages by Jon Lasser Good+. Gimmicky, in this case the humor works.
85 � Track Eats Track � 5 pages by Avi Burton Good/OK. Matsy’s racing colleague dies and it’s enough push for him to say that he wants out.
90 � Concerning the Multiplicity of Children in Central Florida's Suburbanized Wetlands � 9 pages by Ichabod Cassius Kilroy OK. Kind of interesting that young Mori tries to take care of her even younger brother Orion. As she goes through her day there are Mori ghosts giving her advice. Since they died, I’m not sure how great their advice could be. In the end though it didn’t seem to go anywhere, or maybe it was that it went everywhere.
99 � Mr. Palomar Goes to Space � 7 pages by Hayden Trenholm Good+. Palomar got a trip to Florida and he’s visiting the space center. Evidently he filled out some questionnaire and was selected to be an everyman sent into space. He’s not sure why anyone would do this, but they’re going to compensate him for the time he misses at work. So, it’s all cool. He’s going.
106 � The Code of His Life � 16 pages by Owen Leddy Good/Very Good. The world of bioengineering is big time. Alejandro has found a job with big pharma and won’t have to toil on the gray market anymore. A splurge with Ava and Chris to celebrate his good fortune ends with him dead of a viral attack. Ava quickly realizes Ale was into something. She ID’d the corporate spy tailing him into the bar, and there was also the girl with white eyes. A bit of a thriller.
122 � Echo, Write to All � 8 pages by Nate Givens Good. Trak has been trained by the Ministers in the incantations used to talk with the ship. They are plotting to wrest power back from the Wardens. Trak is pretty sure that if he fails the Ministers will kill him and if he succeeds the Wardens will do the job.
130 � The Timecop and the Timesocial-Worker � 4 pages by S. L. Harris OK. Leo, the social worker, laments that there isn’t any help he can provide other than grief counseling.
134 � In Her Element � 2 pages by M. T. Reiten OK/Fair. The narrator founded a company making a gleaner. A universal recycler.
136 � If the Weather Holds � 2 pages by Marissa Lingen Fair/OK. Luis, Tash and Holly focus on the relief efforts associated with the more frequent abnormal (or is it new normal?) weather.
138 � Murder with Soft Words � 6 pages by Mike Duncan Fair. A comet is minutes away with impact on Io. Ending the war (no specifics). Misha comes in and bets that it’ll miss. Too much backstory not included for me to get a handle on what’s happening.
144 � In the Hole � 10 pages by John Markley OK. Nick has lost his fortune, but plans to make some recovery tonight in a high stakes poker game. The planning includes having given himself an edge.
154 � Heat Death � 10 pages by Kate Macleod Good/VG. Chloe finds a dead man in the park. Dead of heat stroke, but he had brand new hiking gear, what was he doing there?
164 � The Return of Tom Dillon � 36 pages by Harry Lang VG/Good. Hector demoted to uniform and desk, drinking to forget his last case “Hothouse Orchids,� now has a new case. A woman strangled and buried outside the dome. Is it the Orchids again, this time going after political figures� relatives? Maybe several more murders happen. Suddenly Hector is once again a detective. Mystery story in an SF setting....more
Seraphina left us with an impending civil war among the dragons which could bleed over into Goredd. SerShadow Scale (2015) 587 pages by Rachel Hartman
Seraphina left us with an impending civil war among the dragons which could bleed over into Goredd. Seraphina tests an ityasaari power with Abdo and Lars. It worked, but it's not powerful. She sets off to find the other dozen or so ityasaari. It goes well in Ninys with the first two, then she gets a rejection. When she gets to Samsam there's trouble. The regime has changed and it seems Jannoula is the power behind the throne. She escapes Samsam and will hopefully have better luck in Porphyry. More rejection and it gets worse Jannoula gets her hooks into a lot of the other ityasaari. What is Jannoula's end game?
I had to stop in the middle, pages 341-372, were replaced by a second copy of 213-244. I bought another copy. You can take from that I didn't want to skip 32 pages and it was good enough for me to take the trouble of getting a new book. I liked this sequel, but not as much as the original which had the romantic tension between Seraphina and Kiggs throughout the book. Here it was played down (not as much fun). 4.4 stars. ...more
5 � Close Encounters � 31 pages by Andy Duncan OK. Buck Nelson had a close encounter or two back in the fifties. For a while he publicized it and had 5 � Close Encounters � 31 pages by Andy Duncan OK. Buck Nelson had a close encounter or two back in the fifties. For a while he publicized it and had picnic watches once a year. Then he started getting not just disbelief but derogatory comments as well. Now he’s a loner. The story picks up with an AP reporter coming to his house and telling him someone will be up on the hill (or wherever) tonight, he should go there.
53 � Father Juniper's Journey to the North � 16 pages by Grania Davis Fair/Poor. Spanish colonists travel north and try to make the local inhabitants change from a hunter gatherer nomadic lifestyle to one where they cultivate the soil and follow Christian beliefs. There are ups and downs, tending towards the latter.
70 � The Sheriff � 20 pages by Chet Arthur Very Good/Good. Old west Western. The outlaw ranch killed the sheriff, prophesied by ten year old Jimson. The town telegraphed for a new sheriff. Rolfe met Jimson and knew he had something to say and got his eyewitness account of the murder. Sheriff and boy integral in bringing justice.
90 � 12:03 P.M. � 24 pages by Richard A. Lupoff OK. Myron broke out of reliving one hour over and over, but must still be looping. This time when he loops he tries twisting to see if he can change something. He does, but it’s save one thing lose another. He did have some volition, but the story still felt like it was being made up on the fly. Nothing for the reader to grasp.
114 � Give up � 14 pages by Richard Butner OK. Jim’s birthday present to himself is a backyard Everest. A realistic simulation of the climbing experience, right down to the thin air, ice, sheer cliffs and crevasses.
132 � A Diary from Diemos � 13 pages by Michael Alexander Fair/OK. Mars secedes from the Federation and ultimately goes to war. Told to us in segments by a sophisticated noncombatant. I think it is supposed to mimic the American Civil War with our diarist being a plantation owner with robot and AI servants.
145 � Where the Summer Dwells � 11 pages by Lynda E. Rucker Fair/OK. Charlotte is on a road trip with Lee, Seth and Larkin and it makes her reminisce about Cade and Vic.
156 � The Goddess � 22 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey OK/Fair. Justin meets Ganesh while traveling for his father. Louis envisioned machinery to weave the cotton from his plantation. Justin is called back suddenly when his father grew ill. He invited Ganesh. Justin is the bastard son of his father and one of his slaves, and only became educated when all Louis’s legitimate children died. Justin couldn’t find a wife even though he was rich. He asked Ganesh to find someone on his trip to New Orleans. Now Madeline enters the story.
178 � Arc � 26 pages by Ken Liu Good. Lena is the first ever person to get life extension treatments. At sixteen she had a baby, kept him for two years then ran away to be free with James. When James left her she got a job. BodyWerks preserved dead bodies making lasting art. She quit after fifteen years, but the founder's son, much younger than her, became a friend,a husband, and provider of the fountain of youth. Once she has forever, Lena doesn’t feel pressed for time, becomes the ultimate procrastinator, which she doesn’t realize until the treatment on her husband has failed. Nice look at immortality from an individual perspective.
211 � Theobroma Valentine � 17 pages by Rand B. Lee Good/OK. Tularoo is a therapist and in the past week three of her patients have wigged out during their session. She is confident she’s been following procedure. Still it’s shaking her confidence. I’m sure it was supposed to be humorous and I was reading it too literally.
228 � Troll Blood � 30 pages by Peter Dickinson Good/VG. There’s a family story that troll blood runs in Mari’s family and that she has it. She grew up a bit more withdrawn than her siblings and where they had no interest in study she went on to college and was a great help to Dr. Tharlsen in his translation of an old and damaged text. She met the love of her life and they moved somewhere remote. Then an incident at their new home brought together current events, the old family story, and the book that the professor and she are reconstructing....more
4 � Loyal Puppies � 22 pages by Rick Heller Very Good+. Denyssa and Gwen are best friend teenagers who share everything, especially now that they have4 � Loyal Puppies � 22 pages by Rick Heller Very Good+. Denyssa and Gwen are best friend teenagers who share everything, especially now that they have WellCell which is a technological sort of telepathy. Denyssa gets a shock when she overhears a famous and hunky Hollywood actor over their connection.
37 � The Eye in the Heart � 4 pages by Tanith Lee Fair/OK. I'm not sure I got the gist. The story is told from the wife's POV and I think she had some training or operation to be a joyful, compliant spouse. Stepford wife? I couldn't tell because it was so oblique.
41 � Crux � 60 pages by Albert E. Cowdrey Very Good+. The first of four sequential novellas in the book of the same name. I read the third one in March 2002 F&SF, then read the book. I find a common theme of time travel and some circular cause and effect. The present is highly policed including lack of personal rights, torture, etc. which everyone takes for granted and they even praise the lack of crime. That’s part of the lure of revolutionary group Crux. Nobody wants to wipe themselves from existence unless that existence is awful, but that society is fairly dystopian. Even with the present being so bad, the protagonists are doing all they can in order to save it. In this novella, the university builds a wormholer, which is a time machine that is stolen by Crux, a group that wants to go three centuries into the past and prevent the Troubles of 2091 which destroyed countless major cities and killed twelve billion people. Of course if that happens everyone living now will cease to exist. Steffans is hired by chief of security Yamashiti to track down the group. By the time they find Crux, Dyeva has already gone back to 2091. Steffans is sent back to stop her.
103 � The Madness of Gordon Van Gelder � 16 pages by Michael Swanwick OK+. A short short with a lot of name dropping and a good punchline.
104 � Rossetti Song � 14 pages by Alex Irvine OK/Good. With the encouragement of his wife, Frank buys the bar of his dreams. Unfortunately she dies in a car accident before the bar is opened. One day Milt, the loan officer, comes in and said he had an ulterior motive for making sure the loan was not denied and asks about a particular record from the jukebox.
128 � The Museum � 13 pages by Henry Slesar Good/OK. A famous work of art has disappeared and the museum curator calls Mason Graves to investigate. Then several other masterpieces from around the world go missing. Sounds like they¢re related.
141 � Conhoon and the Fairy Dancer � 21 pages by John Morressy Very Good. A hero comes to Conhoon because one of The Good People changed his wife's hand into a lobster claw. Conhoon says they're hard to locate, but agrees to help. Quite humorous. ...more
2 � Capone's Castle � 27 pages by Doug Allyn Good. The government has a half built castle that’s been abandoned for fifty years. Danny wins the bid to2 � Capone's Castle � 27 pages by Doug Allyn Good. The government has a half built castle that’s been abandoned for fifty years. Danny wins the bid to restore it. A few days in they get a visit from local thugs that’ve been using it for drugs or something. It gets worse because they have the local sheriff in their pocket.
29 � Maternity Leave � 10 pages by LaToya Jovena OK/Good. Dagny tells her sister about items going missing in the neighborhood. Moe not working because of her newborn has a little time to investigate, starting by coming to a meeting of the book club.
39 � Where's Dookie? � 18 pages by Gregory Fallis Good/VG. An artist is missing her collectible Kool-Aid packs. Ellicott working for an artist’s rights group hires Hockney to look into the theft. OK mystery, excellent characters.
57 � Seppuku � 10 pages by Genevieve Blouin VG/Good. Miuri doesn’t get any challenging cases. Perhaps some prejudice. But she’s called in when it looks like there has been a ritual suicide. Her understanding of Japanese culture being helpful.
67 � Blood and Butter � 4 pages by Tyler Fiecke OK/Fair. Scott is harshly reprimanded by the head chef, sent away to clean the basement where he finds a body.
71 � When Baptists Go Bad � 6 pages by H. Hodgkins OK/Good. Shrinking Springs has had a run of questionable preachers. A drunk, a gambler and the new guy seems to be a womanizer.
77 � Blind Witness � 20 pages by R. T. Raichev Good. Betsy was conked with a croquet mallet. Samantha asks Antonia to look into it. Only she, Charles and his new second wife, Leonora, were in the house. Betsy doesn’t want the police involved, she thinks it was Charlie, she wrote an uncomplimentary article about second wives in his family looking just like the first one, his being the latest.
97 � And the Moon Disappears � 6 pages by Randall Silvis OK. A couple with nothing to do. The girl jokingly suggests they break into the Harvey house. The guy says let’s do it, we’ll grab a bottle of their wine and eat their food.
103 � The Legend of Penny and the Luck of the Draw Casino � 10 pages by Pat Gaudet OK. Penny plays the penny slots. Today she sits down at an unfamiliar machine without her glasses. Confused she’s about ready to leave when Pug who is next to her shows her the different games. Pug isn't known for kindness so she's leery. I’m not excited about gambling which is a major element of the story.
113 � Friends � 5 pages by Bill Pronzini OK/Good. Knox is a loner with no friends until Malachi, a similar loner, takes a job at his body shop. A while later an old lady is robbed and killed, Malachi is the suspect. Knox corroborates his alibi.
118 � The Low Waters � 13 pages by Larry D. Sweazy OK/good. Jim tries to protect his mom from domestic abuse. They escape and run away to a new town. Will Luther hunt them down?
131 � Artificial Hearts � 4 pages by Twist Phelan Good/OK. Kayla and Dale/Rory use a new AI dating app.
135 � Texas Kinda Attitude � 6 pages by Josh Pachter OK/Good. Laundromat owner wonders what her husband is doing with the money he is pilfering from the coin operated machines.
141 � A New Weariness � 15 pages by Anna Scotti Very Good+. Sonia is recognized by Dylan who knew her as Cam Baker. She should tell her handler but Dylan is just passing through and doesn’t want to talk about his life back before he became an actor. Then he comes to Cam/Sonia for help because he found a dead body in his trailer.
156 � Bermuda Triangle � 11 pages by Michael Bracken OK/Good. Joe is brought in to find a missing musical instrument. He thinks it’s just a commodity, but they tell him it’s a work of art.
167 � Dark Thread, Loose Strands � 13 pages by Art Taylor OK. Lyman, the janitor, is bullied at work by Rankin. At school Tyler is bullied by a ninth grader. His friend Robbie trying to give him encouragement. Tyler had lost a loving father, Robbie’s was never satisfied. Today Lyman’s route takes him by the school where he sees the bullying of Tyler. I didn’t get the point of the story. It just seemed miserable.
180 � Quick Change � 12 pages by Michael Kardos OK+. James really likes Suzanna but is too shy to tell her. She then says he isn’t courageous. They both work for the newspaper now and are covering a show by a quick change artist. James writes mysteries which he deems polished but not clever. During his interview asks for and gets a tip from the Great Lehigh. James comes up with a [horrible] plan, which I can't see as being impressive. Was human nature in 1910 that much different?...more
2 � The Heiress. The Hireling. � 7 pages by Joyce Carol Oates Fair. A widow was loved by her much older husband, and she returned it. She inherited, t2 � The Heiress. The Hireling. � 7 pages by Joyce Carol Oates Fair. A widow was loved by her much older husband, and she returned it. She inherited, though she would have signed a prenup, and his adult (of course they are) children are filing lawsuits in probate. Then her dreams switch to them having hired a hit man.
9 � Through Thick and Thin � 20 pages by Andrew Welsh-Huggins Good/VG. Andy Hayes is hired to track down Lainey. His client lost his wedding ring and hasn’t been able to find her.
29 � Knock-Knock � 10 pages by Sarah Hilary Fair/OK. Joe moves to Japan, apprentices with a woodworker. He made several boxes. The seventh one became inhabited by a ghost. His master tells him he needs to burn the box, but not here. Joe leaves planning to return to England.
39 � Hell-Bent � 10 pages by Tom Andes Good/VG. Aldo thinks his brake lines were cut causing his accident. His daughter urged him to have E. Hammond investigate. He and his brothers own a shop, they want to sell. Regina thinks that could be a motive.
49 � Rosabelle � 12 pages by Kate Hohl OK/Fair. Mimi moved to Hollywood to be an actress, but settled for waitress. Her landlady is a fortune teller. Zelda cajoled her into going out on a job with her. I’m not sure what happened at the seance, but it scared Mimi.
61 � The Gaslight Sonata � 18 pages by Richard Helms VG/Good. A local conductor is found dead with his ceremonial baton stuck in his chest. Amboy Boatright is the lead detective. He is flabbergasted when once again the self-proclaimed psychic Bowie Crapster walks in saying he had a meeting that morning with Arliss. The two talk to the last people who last saw him, the possible suspects, and track down clues.
79 � The Night Watch � 4 pages by Marlen Visser Good. Arjan works night security at the hospital and on his monitor saw his favorite nurse making out with a doctor.
83 � Gannets and Ghouls � 12 pages by Sue Parman OK. Calum gets a note from Tora that his college roommate is missing and would he come to help her find him. Has speculative fiction.
95 � The Jews on Elm Street � 12 pages by Anna Stolley Persky OK. Esther finds a hate letter in the mailbox. Her grandmother, Orly, says to pay attention and tell her everything out of the ordinary that happens at school. After another letter it escalates with a broken window.
107 � The Wind Phone � 4 pages by Josh Pachter Good. A man goes to a town where there is a wind phone. Just an unconnected public telephone booth, where people go to speak with the dead. We wonder if he’s there to steal the landmark. He's concealing his identity for some reason.
111 � Bad Hydrous � 19 pages by Doug Crandell Good/OK. Ms. Ruth calls the sheriff because she heard men by her anhydrous tanks. He comes out sees her great-nephew Lance is staying with her. Then there are more thefts around the county. Probably being sold to meth labs.
130 � The Phantom of the Concourse Plaza � 9 pages by Jerome Charyn OK. Digger Welles is a boy living on the tenth floor of a hotel. His neighbors were Yankees, the professional baseball kind. He struck up a friendship with the first baseman, but other than that was a runner for an attorney that represented gang members. The season ended, the ballplayers left, and Digger still had his job. Interesting but no mystery.
139 � Head Start � 15 pages by Kai Lovelace Very Good. Jeremy’s neighbors really go all out at Halloween. Last year the police came out because people thought their decorations were real. This year Jeremy gets in on their plans, but he keeps it to himself knowing his parents wouldn’t allow it.
154 � The Lonely One � 3 pages by Bill Pronzini OK. It’s a cold night, Maddox and a woman are the only customers. She looks depressed and being there are only the two of them in the diner he strikes up a conversation.
157 � Not All Hauntings Are by Ghosts � 11 pages by Robin Kirman Fair/OK. Dr. Parrish gets a call from Arizona to talk to Cahill, a man claiming to be Post possessing Cahill’s body. Cahill was kidnapped by Post when he was eight. Now Cahill has kidnapped three children and has them somewhere.
168 � Cadere Ex Stellae � 19 pages by Pat Black Good. An astronomer is found dead at the bottom of a cliff. McIntyre and Linklater think he was pushed, rather than suicide or an accident caused by a big gust of wind. Frehley was a media personality, lots of adoring fans, especially female. The police learn he was dedicated to science with no playboy in him at all. He frequently joined a podcast of the couple at the nearby lighthouse. That is where the investigation begins.
187 � [The Applause Dies.] � 6 pages by Lori Rader-Day OK. Miriam is reciting her acceptance monologue for a lifetime achievement award. Crime fiction. She mentions several mysterious deaths of people close to her. Ones that presumably helped her in her writing. Definitely a help was the police detective....more
The world has gifted magic users and mundanes. And middlings, who can sense magic and wield artifacts that have been imbued with magic, but have no maThe world has gifted magic users and mundanes. And middlings, who can sense magic and wield artifacts that have been imbued with magic, but have no magic of their own. Conrad is a middling that hid his shortcomings and got into the Watch. The Watch protects mundanes from magical creatures. Middlings have no such luxury. Conrad hears of a middling being sold at a secret auction and plans to rescue her. The people who bought her created a formula to make gifted lose their powers, essentially turning them into middlings. Conrad gets kicked out of the watch, but still goes on trying to solve find a cure for this middling affliction.
Action packed adventure. Conrad has to rely on his limited supply of artifacts and when those are taken away really has to rely on his wits. 4.3 stars...more
The newest widowmaker, Jeff, goes after a bounty. The man is protected by Jason Newman, the previous Jefferson Nighthawk clone, who vehemently states The newest widowmaker, Jeff, goes after a bounty. The man is protected by Jason Newman, the previous Jefferson Nighthawk clone, who vehemently states the man is innocent. Jeff disables Jason and takes the man anyway. Kinoshita sees this and goes to tell the original Nighthawk that Jeff blundered. Rather than scour the inner frontier for Jeff, Nighthawk and Kinoshita go to the District where no law man is safe and start collecting bounties in order to draw Jeff to them. Once they’ve got Jeff squared away, Jason, who is just barely recovering from receiving new organs, is pulled into a conflict.
Fast paced, bring in the bad guy, repeat upping the ante. There are four [more] confrontations, each outlaw with different abilities. The Widowmaker(s) has to find a clever solution for each. Nice addition to the series. 4.5 stars....more
“The Audition� (2012) 17 pages by Rachel Hartman Very Good. A prequel to Seraphina. Seraphina auditions for assistant to Viridias, the royal music dir“The Audition� (2012) 17 pages by Rachel Hartman Very Good. A prequel to Seraphina. Seraphina auditions for assistant to Viridias, the royal music director. It’s down to three finalists, the last test is giving Princess Glisselda a music lesson. Spoilers from having just read the novel and already having the characters in my head as they were after having developed throughout the book. This story was played a bit more for humor. Seraphina describing Orma’s behavior as emotionless like Spock or Data, and Glisselda being mischievous. ...more
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