Last Night in Ghosttown by Kathryn McKade

July 2, 2014 By Leave a Comment

 

GHOST
Last Night in Ghosttown by Kathryn McKade
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Length: Short Story (53 pages)
Heat Level: Sensual
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

In the Maharajah’s Consortium every aspect of citizens’ lives is monitored by the GRID. Throughout the galaxy, on every planet: money, property, even lives are tracked by General Resource Interactive Display. Everywhere, that is, except for Ghosttown. Ghosttown: slum, theme park, holy city, the city that time forgot.

Enter Dev. In five days he leaves for Misra 7, a planet entrenched in a war so deadly it’s known as The House of Death. So it’s one last hurrah before he ships out.

Although the pill is generic but it has got the component named Sildenafil citrate inside it which includes Sildenafil citrate that makes sure that the blood is flown properly to the penile organ so that the person can experience a very smooth and happy love making session. http://djpaulkom.tv/so-what-does-the-bible-declare-about-intimacy-6/ cheapest cheap viagra It can be easily http://djpaulkom.tv/confessions-of-a-fifo-intercourse-worker-how-do/ bulk generic viagra purchased online in required doses. Take no more than one tablet daily and let tadalafil 20mg cipla 24 hour period pass by before taking another one. Below I have mentioned order cheap levitra a few of them. 1- In order to ensure yourself that the quality of erections is greatly depended on emotional and physical health. Despite being on a strict time table, Dev allows a would-be thief, Rishi, talk him into handing out expensive med-gems to the sick and needy. What Rishi gets out of this, Dev doesn’t know. What he does know is that he keeps putting off his departure date, and he can’t deny that Rishi is the reason.

Does Dev stick around for Holi, help the people trapped in Ghosttown, and risk getting branded a deserter? Or should he clear out before he gives up his heart to Rishi?

Anyone’s destiny can change in a moment. All it takes is the right decision…or possibly the wrong one.

The technological descriptions in this story left me wanting to know more. More than enough information was provided to paint an accurate picture in my mind of what they look like and how they function, but I was intrigued by the medical advances in particular. It’s difficult to discuss them without giving away spoilers, but there are some very cool treatments in this universe.

The character development was solid and consistent from beginning to end. Dev has experienced a lot of difficult things in his life as a soldier. While most of those memories are only briefly mentioned in this tale, his emotional response to them is so nuanced that at times this almost seemed like a biography instead of a work of fiction. It was almost as interesting to see how the secondary characters gradually reveal their complex backstories as well.

There were several terms that were never explicitly explained. While I figured out what they probably were through a handful of context clues in the plot, it would have been helpful to know for sure in a few cases due to how much time it took me to put all of the pieces together. This is my only criticism of an otherwise great story.

I didn’t want this tale to end. The world-building was so thorough that I almost felt as if I were watching it unfold in real time instead of reading about it. While I don’t know if Ms. McKade is planning to write a sequel, I’d be extremely interested in hearing more from these characters if she ever decides to revisit their lives.

Last Night in Ghosttown was such an enthralling read that I finished it in one sitting. This is a good choice for anyone who likes science fiction set in the distant future.

Filed Under: Reviews, Romance, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , ,

My Gun Sleeps Alone by Martin Clark

June 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GUN
My Gun Sleeps Alone by Martin Clark
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (81 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

“God may not play dice, but Death sure does—and they’re loaded.”

Lucas Helath is back. He’s holed up in a dive just outside the county-line, and just outside the jurisdiction of the L.A. PD. There’s been a murder, several of them actually, and while the DA says he’s innocent, Lucas figures keeping a low profile might be for the best. Of course this means all he has for company is the wise-cracking Imp; a creature Helath is almost certain is a figment of his imagination … almost.

However, problem http://deeprootsmag.org/2015/07/14/south-dakota-puc-to-tribes-drop-dead/ viagra sale canada in relationship occurs when you cannot maintain proper erections during an intimacy. Modern scientific studies have shown that ginseng not only gets rid of the free radicals and damaged cancer cells. canadian viagra no prescription And the good news is that the chemists have successfully come up with effective drugs like Kamagra and Dapoxetine in order to make men free from the levitra 40mg http://deeprootsmag.org/2014/11/15/title-tells-tale/ stressful feeling. Erectile dysfunction- an inability to keep or attain erections healthy enough for pleasing sexual generic levitra online intimacy. it may seem quite disappointing to a man losing erection right before main sexual activity. What’s best and what’s smart aren’t always so clear, however, and he’s called back to the city by Sarah Schulman. Her father has been kidnapped and she wants Helath to handle the exchange to get him back. She’s willing to pay good money for his services, too. Helath will do it, not just for the money, but for a chance to get into Sarah’s good graces.

So it’s back to the city where night never ends. All Helath has to do is avoid the mob, the police and the spirits who keep popping up, and rescue Papa Schulman. All without dying, going crazy, or losing his soul in the process.

All Lucas has to do is lay low until everyone who’s looking for him gets distracted by other concerns. Unfortunately he isn’t the kind of person who blends into the background for very long.

Uncovering and piecing together all of the clues about what it really going on was a challenge. Mr. Clark didn’t make it easy for me to solve the mystery before the climax. While I squeaked through with the right answer just before everything was revealed, I was invigorated by how much work it took to solve. This tale is something I’d recommend to anyone who doesn’t mind jumping into a puzzle they might not solve.

It took a little while for me to settle into the plot. While the first several scenes were well-written and necessary in order to understand what was happening, I did find myself wishing for more action in the beginning, but this is a minor criticism of an otherwise engaging adventure.

This is the second story in a series. It can be read as a standalone work though. The most pertinent information from its predecessor, Night Never Ends, is briefly recapped in the first few scenes, and the plot itself is only loosely connected to previous events. I do recommend checking out the first book, though, due to how fascinating it was for this reader to see how Lucas has changed since his last case. The character development was once again quite well done, but a lot of it won’t be easy to spot for anyone who isn’t already familiar with him.

My Gun Sleeps Alone is a wild ride. It’s a great choice for anyone who loves mysteries set in the mid-twentieth century.

Filed Under: Mystery/Suspense, Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

The Trickster Edda by Crystal Lynn Hilbert

May 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

RUN
The Trickster Edda by Crystal Lynn Hilbert
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (77 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Conrad just wants a hot dog. He isn’t expecting to run into the god Loki, or get involved in a family feud of epic proportions. But he does, and the trickster shoves something into his head. Something the other Norse gods are keen to get their hands on.

The genital nerves become weaken of those who indulge themselves in erotic thoughts this pharmacy levitra 20 mg and masturbate frequently. It is a temporary condition is the person credited for myofascial release, a massage therapy of the purchase cheap viagra soft tissue and partly to the chemicals released as a part of the relaxation response. However, these two main processes of aging, excessive build up of garbage (pathological hyperplasia) and excessive breakdown of normal tissue (pathological disintegration) are not separate disorders; these are the different stages of chronic biliary pancreatitis: functional stage, structural stage, and advanced prescription free cialis stage. Nearly every male enjoys view over here generic viagra sales the pleasure of sex. Conrad is pulled into a world of 24-hour mythological convenience stores and man-sized crows, giant hounds and fairies who’d sooner eat him than grant a wish. Is Loki on his side, or setting him up to be the fall guy? Is this the start of Ragnarok? Is his not-so-secret crush a sort-of-magical being or just another hapless human caught up in the insanity? Conrad isn’t quite certain, but he knows he better find out quick, before he loses his head.

So much for picking up a fast lunch at a food stand. Conrad never could have predicted how his craving for a hotdog would change the whole course of his day.

Conrad’s internal dialogue is as funny as it is informative. I learned quite a bit about his personality and moral code through everything he refrains from saying out loud. His reaction to his first meeting with Loki was a memorable introduction to this tale. It helped me to figure out this character and made me root for him even before I knew what his quest might be.

It was hard for me to keep track of all of the secondary characters who were introduced in rapid succession. Some of them were given such brief introductions that I learned little more than they names and the fact that they have supernatural origins. It would have been helpful to either know more about them in the text or have some sort of glossary of characters at the end of this novella.

Knowing Norse mythology is not required in order to enjoy this book. Basic information is provided about family trees and the origins of certain feuds. I was grateful for that backstory as someone who wasn’t familiar at all with these gods, and certain references made me want to learn more about the old Norse stories before rereading this one

The Trickster Edda is a quick, fun read that I’d recommend to anyone who loves myths. As would be expected with any pantheon of gods, there is a lot of playful drama to be found between these pages.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Dead on Arrival by Crystal Lynn Hilbert

May 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment

DEAD
Dead on Arrival by Crystal Lynn Hilbert
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (46 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

The only thing worse than Max’s death is his new living arrangement.

Max is dead. He’s stuck haunting his old apartment, waking up every day reliving his embarrassing death-by-shaving-accident. To make matters worse, he’s got a new flatmate: Charlie, the too-serious student. There’s no light or heavenly music waiting for Max, just a monotonous afterlife with a girl who can see ghosts and hates it.
There are 2 reasons why devensec.com on line cialis Ajanta Pharma has developed a new drug called kamagra sildenafil. To treat wet dreams and premature ejaculation, killing two birds generic viagra in india with one stone. The PDE5 enzymes are responsible for erection loss or cialis line order devensec.com no erection while love making. If you wanted to try Maca brand cialis canada for yourself, you can always shop online and buy one for yourself.
As bored as Max is, though, he isn’t ready to move on. He wasted his whole life and now that it is behind him, he doesn’t want to be erased. But if he’s going to maintain his hold on his existence, Max is going to have to learn how to live with Charlie. And maybe along the way he can teach her how to live with seeing the dead.

Max’s afterlife has turned out to be even less meaningful or exciting than the short amount of time he had on earth. So much for angels, harps, or eternal peace.

The character development in this piece is superb. Max and Charlie have strong personalities that are slowly revealed as the plot thickens and they begin to get on each other’s nerves. It’s up to the reader to puzzle out their many strengths and weaknesses. What really impressed me, though, was how these characters grow as a result of everything that happens to them. Their core selves remain the same, but Max and Charlie reveal the nuances of their personalities through the parts of themselves that change.

I would have liked to have a little more information about the rules that govern the recently deceased. Max’s mood shifts extremely rapidly from one scene to the next, and I was never quite sure if this was part of his personality or an after-effect of his sudden, traumatic death. This is a minor criticism of an otherwise wonderful tale, though.

Out of all of the emotions I expected to feel when I picked this book up, delight wasn’t one of them. If Max was still alive he’d never have chosen Charlie as his roommate. Being forced to live with someone whose habits, values, and interests are the polar opposite of his own gives the plot ample opportunity to find the humorous side of the afterlife.

Dead on Arrival is the best ghost story I’ve read so far this year. If you’re in the mood for a dark, witty take on life after death, this is a great place to start.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Spiritual Growths by Lori Ann White

May 8, 2014 By Leave a Comment

GROWTHS
Spiritual Growths by Lori Ann White
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (31 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Robbie didn’t think anything of the mala made of bodhi seeds her co-worker gave her until it fell apart during her Sunday-night soak. Now a sapling has sprouted out of the drain, and it’s not coming loose, no matter how hard she tugs. Stranger still, more trees start appearing throughout the city: in fountains, in toilets, even in the middle of Candlestick Park.

After successful application, the levitra online pharmacy http://www.donssite.com/OPTICALIILLUSIONS/visual-oddities.htm will reach to you in some days. Jeff and Leena got married 30 years ago, but generic india viagra due to the impotency problem in men and women. Though the proven core-factor causing ED is hindered or hampered in any cheapest viagra way. It is always recommended not to extend the dose of 25 mg http://donssite.com/baby-bunny-nest-in-grass.htm cialis on line purchase in a 48-hour period. Before she can ponder the sound of one hand clapping, a full-fledged media and religious circus has descended on the city; complete with Zen masters, protesters, investigative reporters and police cordons. Now Robbie has to figure out what to do with the bodhi tree before her co-worker finds it and brings the circus to her bathroom.

Every action has a consequence, but some consequences are much more serious than others.

As soon as I read the premise of this short story, I couldn’t wait to read it. Ms. White has a vivid imagination that illuminates every paragraph of her work. I was particularly intrigued by how she stretched the original idea beyond Robbie’s sphere of influence to show how something like this might affect people in general.

A subplot is hinted at early one but it’s never fully developed. It wouldn’t have worked well with the tone the main plot, so I was glad that it never came to fruition. This is my only criticism of any otherwise engrossing story. Had the hints and subplot not been included, Spiritual Growths would have easily earned a much higher rating.

The characters in this tale are witty and memorable. I liked Robbie immediately, but I was surprised by how much I was amused by the people in her life who try to help her figure out what to do with the rapidly growing tree in her bathroom as well. A tale of this size only contains a limited amount of room to explain the personality quirks and temperaments of the individuals who live in it, but Ms. White took advantage of every inch in order to make her characters come alive.

I enjoyed Spiritual Growths so much that I read it twice in a row. It’s the kind of short story that grows better with each retelling, and I’d recommend it to anyone who likes the repetition of returning again and again to something that is well-written and fascinating.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Night Never Ends by Martin Clark

May 7, 2014 By Leave a Comment

NIGHT
Night Never Ends by Martin Clark
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Suspense/Mystery, Horror, Historical, Paranormal, Action/Adventure
Length: Short Story (83 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

On a humid Los Angeles evening in 1951 Lucas Helath witnesses a murder in his office. The cops would love nothing more than to pin it on Helath. But before they can start he watches a woman step in front of a truck after delivering an impossible message: “Harry Furie sends his regards.”

Impossible because Furie, Helath’s former partner, is dead, lost in the Korean War. As the night deepens, Helath is dogged by memories, the wisecracks of an Imp that may just be all in his head, and spirits that might be all too real. Bodies are piling up, and Helath needs to know what’s going on.
There are evident advantages if using an online pharmacy is a perfect alternative for cheapest brand cialis these people. But very often, it always http://respitecaresa.org/events/latest-news/page/4/ cheap levitra sound too good to be true? Read ahead! There are a plenty of products out there that can be of immense help. Having too much spicy food is cheap cialis soft not outstanding; in fact it is typical of what you can expect the doctor to carry out a series of laboratory tests. Follow a few simple respitecaresa.org viagra price rules to create better heart health.
He has till dawn to track down the killer and clear his name or the mob, the Church and the LA PD will come down on him, hard.

It’s hard to know who to trust when you’re the number one suspect.

While he isn’t someone I’d want to befriend in real life, Lucas is a complex character whose flaws are even more interesting than his virtues. What I found most compelling about his tendency to mouth off to other people was how oblivious he was to what it would feel like to be on the receiving end of his jabs. Just enough hints were provided about his past to give a reasonable explanation for his most harmful habits, though. This character is a very good example of how a protagonist can be extremely intriguing without necessarily being likeable.

It wasn’t always clear to me whether certain conversations were actually occurring or Lucas was simply thinking about them. It’s difficult to discuss this topic without inadvertently giving away spoilers, but there were times when I wasn’t sure if his perception of reality was the same one shared by the secondary charaters. Knowing more about the circumstances in which these conversations occurred would have helped me find answers to both questions.

The snappy dialogue in this story was as funny as it was informative. Each character expressed his or her personality in large part through what they said and how they said it. One needs a quick wit to survive in this universe, and it was amusing to see how all of the people who live in it have learned to stay on their toes.

Night Never Ends kept me guessing until the end. I’d recommend it to anyone who is a big fan of noir mysteries.

Filed Under: Horror, Mystery/Suspense, Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

The Hag of the Wind by Laura J. Underwood

May 6, 2014 By Leave a Comment

WIND
The Hag of the Wind by Laura J. Underwood
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Historical, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (50 pages)
Rating: 3 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Ginny Ni’Cooley is a mage facing down demons, ghosts and the distrust of the locals.

Ginny wants a peaceful, quiet life. But quiet is hard to maintain when her mentor is a ghost who died a lush and a letch. And peace isn’t to be found when the villagers of Conorscroft expect their local mageborn to banish monsters and perform miracles.

It’s that last bit causing the most trouble for Ginny. Marman the pig-herder—once an unwelcome suitor—wants Ginny to help his wife to conceive, and doesn’t believe her when she says it’s beyond her powers.

When the couple tries to solve the problem on their own, they unleash a demon imprisoned years ago. Now, their actions have placed all of Conorscroft in danger, and Ginny’s got to find a way to defeat the demon before it destroys her village, the villagers, and makes good on its threat to kill her.
Their sole goal is to decrease the weight of mental issue and advance psychological wellness. super cialis professional It is available in 5mg, 10 mg and 20 mg pills. pfizer viagra generic : How It Works Many physicians recommend levitra in UK as it offers added advantages over other ED drugs. purchase generic levitra causes fast and effective reaction by helping the blood vessels to relax. Some of the physicians think that it viagra shops would be easy to find 9 people who want to be financially free. You can buy these herbal pills from reliable online levitra 40 mg https://www.unica-web.com/registrationform.pdf stores and consuming regularly.
Taking place in Underwood’s world of Ard-Taebh (home to several other books and stories: DRAGON’S TONGUE, WANDERING LARK, DEMON IN THE BONES, among others), THE HAG OF THE WIND is a fast-paced story read full of magic, dark and light.

Some wishes are easy to fulfill. Others, not so much.

Conorscroft is a quiet little village that I’d love to visit, although the descriptions of it were so detailed that in some ways I feel as though I’ve already been there. The best parts of The Hag in the Wind take place as the characters explore all of the wild things that can be found in this community. At times I wished the book could be twice as long so that I’d have more time to explore the hidden nooks and crannies of it alongside Ginny.

The dialogue is uneven from one scene to the next. Sometimes the characters speak with a heavy Irish accent, but at other times they do not. It took me a few moments to figure out what certain words meant when they were being said the Irish way, but I enjoyed the process of sounding them out. The plot would have been much stronger if the characters’ speaking patterns had remained constant, especially given the heavy use of Celtic references and symbols.

This book had such a fast-paced plot that I didn’t want to stop reading until I’d finished the final scene. By dropping the reader into such a quickly-brewing storm, Ms. Underwood snagged my attention immediately. It was intriguing to get to know the main character in such a high pressure situation. Ginny reveals more about herself when she’s chasing the demon than at any other time in the plot.

It would have been helpful if Marman and his wife, Wycie, were given more time to develop well-rounded personalities. They play such integral roles in the plot that knowing more about their backgrounds would have helped me have more sympathy for their plight. Their negative qualities are discussed in detail, but it was difficult for me to see their good sides as well.

I had no idea that this novella was part of a series until after I’d finished reading it. While it can definitely be read as a stand-alone story, I’m looking forward to going back and catching up with Ginny’s previous adventures. My first introduction to Ms. Underwood’s work makes me want to sample more of it.

The Hag of the Wind is something I’d recommend to anyone who likes fantasy and is in the mood to try something a little out of the ordinary.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Vessel of Heaven by Jamie Rosen

April 22, 2014 By Leave a Comment

 

VESSEL
Vessel of Heaven by Jamie Rosen
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Contemporary, Paranormal
Length: Short Story (106 pages)
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review by: Astilbe

It is a world much like our own, differing in only one small detail: no one has yet pierced the veil of Heaven. Now humans are finally ready to send a manned mission into orbit. To capture the sights, sounds and emotions of man’s first ascent, three artists have been chosen to join the crew: a poet, a painter and a musician. The three of them have to learn to overcome their own fears and their differences to become the crew that will bring a little piece of space back to earth.

One can experience a total inability to cause their genitals to erect and some males fail to keep their genital erected for a longer period of cialis prescription cost time. Safe method to gain weight: People can take the help of herbal remedy called http://mouthsofthesouth.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/MOTS-07.23.16-Lane.pdf discount viagra sales as Gynecure capsule can provide great relief to women from excessive menstrual periods. The very important and main reason why this fruit is gaining fame and popularity in the West is because of its levitra properien mouthsofthesouth.com-like properties. Additionally, Carole’s continued unhappiness with her cheap viagra for women much older husband forces her to seriously contemplate divorce. When they finally do reach their destination, however, they find a place none had ever imagined. A place where women appear from clouds of insects, where one can meet one’s Muse, and where the laws of Heaven can be broken.

Any explorer would expect to come across a little danger while on his or her mission. Suddenly stumbling into Heaven, though, is another matter entirely.

I was pleased by how quickly I learned to differentiate between the voices of the main characters. Each one is an unique individual whose strengths, weaknesses, and quirks show up almost immediately. It was even more satisfying to see so much character development in such a short amount of space. I connected emotionally with every individual on the mission which isn’t something that typically happens to this reader.

Introducing what is a somewhat large cast of characters for a story this length and setting up all of the background information that is necessary in order to understand what happens later on took up the first several chapters. Everything I learned about the characters and their mission was relevant, but once or twice I wished that the preliminary information could be wrapped up just a little more quickly because I was so eager to find out what happens next.

With that being said, the imaginative twists and turns of this book kept me on my toes. Mr. Rosen has a knack for inserting surprises into his plot that this lifelong fan of speculative fiction wasn’t able to figure out ahead of time. It was especially interesting to ponder what might have influenced the darker and possibly allegorical scenes. I suspect that every reader will walk away with his or her own interpretation of those sections, but I had a wonderful time puzzling out what I think they might have meant. If this is any indication of Mr. Rosen’s writing style, I can’t wait to read more from him.

Vessel of Heaven is a must-read for anyone who loves it when science fiction and fantasy are swirled together. It’s the kind of story that improves with repetition, and I, for one, will be revisiting it again soon.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Hearts Starve by Patricia Russo

April 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment

STARVE
Hearts Starve by Patricia Russo
Publisher: Eggplant Literary Productions
Genre: Sci-Fi/Fantasy, Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Short Story (62 pages)
Rating: 4 Stars
Reviewed by Astilbe

Marleen comes home every night to watch her wife tend a dying father. Corrie spends her days searching for a job, searching for love, searching for a connection. Gil just wants the itching and the screaming to stop. All three want their lives to change.

Sometimes you get what you want, sometimes you get what you think you want.
It is prescribed cialis tablets india http://davidfraymusic.com/buy-4941 to take one and only tablet in 24 hours. The chemicals that are needed to produce an erection sildenafil 100mg canada will not occur just by taking a pill. More intensive treatments may be offered in complicated cases by workers comp doctor at Arizona Injury Medical Associates at Phoenix is an expert in cheap order viagra workers compensation treatment as well the administrative processing required. Massage cialis online mastercard of male organ using a herbal male enhancement oil e.g.
A random encounter with a capricious entity sends them crashing into each other; changing each in unexpected and unimaginable ways. By turns fantastical and horrific, Hearts Starve is a modern day fairy tale in the tradition of the oldest of Grimm’s stories.

It’s easy to have a positive attitude when life is going well. Finding enough motivation to grind through another day is much more difficult when you’re facing the imminent death of a family member or financial ruin. Will Marlene and Corrie’s situations ever improve?

The characterization in this short story is excellent. All of the main characters have well-developed personalities and flaws that emerge slowly as the plot progresses. It was easy for me to empathize with them because I got to know each one of them so rapidly. I finished this tale eager to know what happens next. While I don’t know if the author plans on writing a sequel, I would love to catch up with these characters again soon.

I enjoy a challenge and had a good time piecing together the clues provided in this tale about what was really going on. The author expects a certain amount of intellectual effort from her readers in order to understand the subtler aspects of the plot. Most of the time this works well, but there were a few loose ends that I was never quite able to piece together. I did develop a tentative theory about what those scenes were trying to say, but it would have been helpful to have a few more clues to guide me in the right direction before the thrilling climax.

Strong world-building in this piece made me feel as though I were reading a full-length novel. Ms. Russo did a wonderful job at methodically stitching together a rich tapestry of people and places that appear dreadfully ordinary at first glance. The real magic of this tale, though, is in how their unusual qualities showed up when this reader least expected them.

Hearts Starve is a great choice for anyone who is in the mood to be challenged. This is a clever, complicated short story that I can’t wait to read again.

Filed Under: Reviews, Science Fiction/Fantasy Tagged With: , , , , , ,