Review of Meryl Stenhouse, “Ropes of White Bone, Wings of Dark Magic”, Luna Station Quarterly 25 (2016): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This story had a lovely immersive quality that really drew me in. It was but one incident, one battle, in a longer war, but it had everything I needed to care for the characters and wish them the best.
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.
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!
Review of Christina “DZA” Marie, “The Second Battle”, Luna Station Quarterly 25 (2016): Read online. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.
This was a quiet, contemplative story of an old soldier, too old and arthritic to take part in the battle, forced to sit behind and wait to see if the others, including his granddaughter, would return. You can feel the soldier’s unhappiness at feeling useless, and the way he comes to terms with how it must have been for his family when he the one off fighting, in the first battle. Though very little actually happened in the story, I thought this was quite successful.
Review of Adriana C. Grigore, “Of Buckwheat and Garlic Braids”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publictions, 2020): 79-91 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
This delightful story was suffused through with Romanian cultural influences — I love it when fantasy stories opt for something other than “generic European”! Toma’s world is filled with strigoi and moroi, creatures that can be banished, or at least distracted by, garlic and buckwheat. Despite this, it’s a warm, cozy world filled with strong friendships and familial networks, making it a perfect capping off of a lovely anthology.
Review of Melissa DeHaan, “Hollow”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publications, 2020): 69-78 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
Ursa enters the lair of the long-dead Archmage Rassa, rumored to be guarded by a Hollow more advanced than the Hollows that usually guard other left-behind mage treasure troves, hoping to find the treasure that Rassa left behind. Whom she meets instead is Galatea, who is unlike anyone or anything she has ever met before — and who is there to find the Hollow guardian. Together, they join forces to find out just what, exactly, lies within.
In the way of all good satisfying adventure stories, both find what they are looking for, but not necessarily in the way the expect. Another good example of the type of story this anthology was aiming for.
Review of Dantzel Cherry, “Tomorrow’s Friend”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publictions, 2020): 65-68 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
For such a short story, there was a lot packed in here. I think probably many fellow women reading this story will have experienced being ostracized by other girls as a teenager, and share Sabrina’s disbelief in even the very idea of another girl, or woman, who would ever want to be her friend. It wasn’t until my late 30s that I discovered what it was like to be surrounded by women who were truly there to support and uplift each other; it made me glad that Sabrina, at least, got to learn this so much sooner!
Review of Maria Cook, “The Dragon Peddler”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publications, 2020): 55-64 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
Content note: drug addiction.
11 year old David has stolen his parents’ money and is off the find the dragon peddler, to finally buy a dragon of his own! Because the people who owned dragons, he saw, were always “the happiest people in the world” (p. 55). But the dragon peddler’s words are final: he needs to earn his dragon fair and square, not buy it with stolen money.
This was a great story, which made me cry (but in a good way!). Now I want a dragon that will sleep curled around my neck and blow smoke into my ear.
Review of Stephanie Barbé Hammer, “12 Attempts at Telling About the Flower Shop Man (New York, New York)”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publictions, 2020): 51-54 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
While I liked this story, I felt it lacked something to make it special, to set it apart from other stories that could have been written in its stead. In attempts 1-11, I got the impression the story was going a particular direction; but attempt 12 dashed those hopes and maybe I’m just unhappy because my expectations were disappointed.
Review of Aimee Ogden, “Salt Tears and Sweet Honey”, in Liane Tsui and Grace Seybold, eds., A Quiet Afternoon (Grace & Victory Publictions, 2020): 47-50 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman. (Read the review of the anthology.)
This story perfectly encapsulates the goal of the anthology: It is one quiet afternoon in the lives of Netria and Kellis, an old couple whose love has become familiar and comforting, and the family they have formed from children they’ve adopted. Every moment is calm and happy and warm. It’s not that their life is perfect or unblemished by worry or care; but rather that everyone knows death and illness are just as much a part of life as birth and health. It’s nice to be reminded that sometimes, everything happens in its proper order.
SFF Reviews