REVIEW: “The Legend of Emma Sondheim” by Priscilla Kint

Review of Priscilla Kint, “The Legend of Emma Sondheim”, Luna Station Quarterly 44 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Emma works in a timetraveling circus, the only life she’s ever known. No one ever leaves the building that houses the circus, because no one ever knows when the circus might decide to up and leave to another time, leaving them stranded where they are forever. But Emma is tired of being trapped, and willing to risk anything to escape.

I thought this was a novel take on the topic, and felt that Kint’s story captured the sinisterness of circuses exceptionally well.

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REVIEW: “The Dog and Pony Show” by Piper

Review of Piper, “The Dog and Pony Show”, Luna Station Quarterly 44 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

There were bits and parts of the story I really liked — the description “The reality-broken world was dangerous, with so many structures and safeguards failing, and so many people failed to manage themselves or cope or be kind in their new circumstances” felt very real in our post-Covid world — while other parts, especially towards the beginning, I found too disjointed and didactic for my tastes. It wasn’t until the very end of the story that the twist came that made this a distinctive circus story, rewarding the reader for their perseverance.

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REVIEW: “Silks” by Jennifer Lyn Parsons

Review of Jennifer Lyn Parsons, “Silks”, Luna Station Quarterly 44 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This was the third circus-themed story I’d read in this issue of LSQ, which prompted me to actually read the editorial — the entire issue is circus-themed, so maybe I should not have been so surprised to be reading so many circus stories!

I liked this one for its wlw storyline, but I felt it was rather lacking on actual story content.

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REVIEW: “The Mirror of Longing” by Wen-Yi Lee

Review of Wen-Yi Lee, “The Mirror of Longing”, Luna Station Quarterly 44 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Another circus-themed story in this issue of LSQ — I feel like I’ve been reading a lot of them lately! I enjoyed this one more than some but not as much as others; it seems that it’s hard to do something distinctive with the setting, and I’m not sure this story quite managed it.

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REVIEW: “Paths of Life and Death” by Emma Schmid

Review of Emma Schmid, “Paths of Life and Death”, Luna Station Quarterly 44 (2020): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Physical abuse.

This story took awhile to get going — a lot of imagery and description before anything actually happened — and there was a lot about the story that felt very stereotypical: the young, beautiful, cursed heroine, who is all alone in the world; the circus; the evil circus ring-leader. In the end, it was a bit too ponderous for me.

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REVIEW: “Late Arrivals” by Tracy Townsend

Review of Tracy Townsend, “Late Arrivals”, Luna Station Quarterly 25 (2016): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Content note: Death of a parent.

This was a quiet, reflective story of Mattie and her mother, a witch who loved to cook and who died of a stroke years before, a story of intertwined generations and living up to your mother’s expectations. There wasn’t much to it, just a series of scenes, but they hung together in a way that gave the story a nice weight. It’s not necessarily a story you’ll remember, but it is a story that feels worth the time it takes to read.

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REVIEW: “Mama Cuca” by H. Pueyo

Review of H. Pueyo, “Mama Cuca”, Luna Station Quarterly 25 (2016): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

I was absolutely delighted to come across another story by Pueyo, whose work I’ve enjoyed before. This one did not disappoint, soaked through with Brazilian mythology and cultural history. With a two out of two record for quality short stories, I’m now very interested to read more of Pueyo’s work!

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