REVIEW: “Small Prayers for the God of Sow Thistle Hill” by Kate Francia

Review of Kate Francia, “Small Prayers for the God of Sow Thistle Hill,” Flash Fiction Online 147 (December 2025): 26-28 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

The theme of this story felt eerily similar to that of Matt Dovey’s in the same issue, but instead of feeling repetitious, it felt like the two stories reinforced and supported each other. The lesson in both of them — told here in a sweet, sorrowful, almost wistful way — is one that often needs to be said over and over and over again before people will listen, so I’m pleased that FFO’s editors opted for including both of these.

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REVIEW: “Gifts From On High” by V. H. Chen

Review of V. H. Chen, “Gifts From On High,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 36-43 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

It’s amazing how effectively a series of text messages can convey the fraught relationship between a parent and a grandparent with respect to a child. It’s also amazing how effectively a series of text messages can convey, alternatingly: annoyance, overinvolvement, smugness, concern, humor, and panic. I laughed and laughed by the end of this delightful little sweet story.

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REVIEW: “The Tao of Thorsten Codbiter” by Kate Horsley

Review of Kate Horsley, “The Tao of Thorsten Codbiter,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 29-31 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

…plus the back has a cut-out coupon for ten free Vikings with the purchase of every genuine Ox-horn drinking vessel (p. 29).

I love it when within the first five sentences of a story, I already know I will love it.

As Tom tries to bring his mom around to the idea of sharing her house with Agmundr, Gorm, Frode, Thorstein, Bodil, and five other Vikings, I laughed and laughed and laughed. As the ten of them surround Tom with support as his mother faces her final dies, I wanted to cry along with them, while Horsley’s final line is exactly the right way to end this story. A delightful morsel of a masterpiece. More stories like this, please.

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REVIEW: “A Proper Mother, Unhexed” by Ashlee Lhamon

Review of Ashlee Lhamon, “A Proper Mother, Unhexed,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 16-19 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Oh my goodness, this was absolutely adorable. Also, when I first glanced at the title I read it as “A Proper Mother, Perplexed,” (and my smug response was “ah, I must be a proper mother, because I’m almost always perplexed”) — which turns out would also have been a suitable title for this story!

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REVIEW: “Ursula” by E. M. Linden

Review of E. M. Linden, “Ursula,” Flash Fiction Online 146 (November 2025): 7-10 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

This story is heavily, and sometimes heavy-handedly, metaphoric. It’s about parenting, and choices, and who gets to decide what is “best” when parents say they only want what’s best for their child. It’s mostly sad, but there is a breath left at the end which gives space for hope that good choices will be made this time, that a better “best” is found.

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REVIEW: “The Visitor” by Frances Koziar

Review of Frances Koziar, “The Visitor,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 337-361 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

Once I got past the rather info-dump-y first few pages, this story really drew me in. I’m a sucker for university scholars off doing research, no matter what arcane subject, and I enjoyed the easy naturalness that lay between Annaz, the scholar, and Kiava, the local who became his guide. For a comparatively long story, the pages slipped away quickly beneath my eyes, especially as I reached the excessively sweet and excessively satisfying resolution.

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REVIEW: “The Three Songs” by Gio Clairval

Review of Gio Clairval, “The Three Songs,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 223-239 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

“It’s always been this way” or this is simply “the natural order of things” (p. 223) are excuses that have always been given to “explain” the oppression of women. In this story, Clairval takes women’s silence and silencing and makes it the centerpiece. Stories like this show the power of fiction: Taking a phenomenon and reifying it into something tangible, that cannot be ignored, must be entangled with. The result is Mandarinella, a heroine every reader will joyfully fight for. What I loved most about this story was that when the women finally won their voices back, there were many men that welcomed this, and celebrated, and benefited. That’s the kind of reality we want to strive for, expertly portrayed in fiction.

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REVIEW: “The Penitent” by M.J. Klimmek

Review of M.J. Klimmek, “The Penitent,” Luna Station Quarterly 63 (September 2025): 293-321 — Purchase here. Reviewed by Sara L. Uckelman.

The nameless narrator has been in exile on her island for more than four years, punishment for having killed fellow members of her Order. With a Guardian patrolling the island and a mark on her forehead shutting her away from her magic and telling anyone she met — not that there’s anyone else on the island — that she’s a traitor, there is no escape. But there is penitence, and watching the way it manifests in this story was intriguing. I’m not quite sure I agree with all the decisions the penitent made, but I can see how they could make sense.

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