[On May 10, 2021 Strange Horizons officially expressed its political support for Palestinian solidarity. The views of Tangent Online reviewers are not necessarily those of Strange Horizons. Fiction critiqued at Tangent Online is, as much as is humanly possible, without prejudice and based solely on artistic merit.]

Strange Horizons, December 13, 2021

“An Array of Worlds as a Rose Unfurling in Time” by Shreya Ila Anasuya

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
The title of “An Array of Worlds as a Rose Unfurling in Time” by Shreya Ila Anasuya gives one a good idea of its style. This story is poetic and dream-like, full of beautiful writing. Western readers who are not familiar with the cultures of Pakistan and India will also find an exotic flavor to it, with many words that will send them to a dictionary of foreign terms.

The plot is a variation on the theme of star-crossed lovers. The narrator and her lover are of different religions. A fortuneteller promises the narrator that she will find doorways to other worlds, where the pair can be together safely.

On the bones of a simple Romeo and Juliet story the author creates flesh made up of multiple segments that jump back and forth in time. This structure requires careful reading. Some parts of it may confuse readers. Music plays an important role in the work, and it might be better appreciated as a love song than as a traditional narrative.

Victoria Silverwolf has been married for thirty-six years today.