Beneath Ceaseless Skies #378, March 23, 2023
“Blooms” by Grace Seybold
“The Void Door” by V.M. Ayala
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
The 378th issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies has two short stories.
“Blooms” by Grace Seybold
In this short fantasy, Revy struggles to restart her farm after the magic wars. Wizards saturated the ground with magic during their battles. It means that plants could run away or grow any vegetable or animal.
After a year of watching her livestock starve, and family members leave, Revy is close to giving up. All she needs is a sign, one sign of normalcy, and she will stay. But the magic can be fickle if you don’t accept and use what it gives.
This story’s pace was good, and the author created a sympathetic character.
“The Void Door” by V.M. Ayala
The daughter of a dead mage wants to bring back her father’s magic in this short fantasy. Luz always feels rejected by her mother’s side of the family and knows almost nothing of her father’s side. So, caught in no man’s land, she accidentally stumbles upon the Void Door, created to lock away the once ubiquitous magic.
But after using axes, explosives, and magic, the mysterious door remains closed to her. Research and family discussions don’t shed light on her problem; after all, they sealed the door for a reason. Then she decides on a different approach.
The story was interesting until the rambling end.
You can follow Kevin P Hallett’s writing on www.kevinphallett.com. There are links there to join his mailing list for a weekly newsletter on the recent release of his third novel, Journeyman Wizard.