Beneath Ceaseless Skies #383, June 1, 2023
“Eleanora of the Bones” by Kat Howard
“Fruit of the Memory Tree” by J.A. Prentice
Reviewed by Kevin P Hallett
The 383rd issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies has two short stories.
“Eleanora of the Bones” by Kat Howard
In this short fantasy, Eleanora is a sister at the ossuary, where they keep the bones of the deceased whose souls haven’t moved on yet. It’s a quiet nightly service to these troubled souls still trapped in their bones. She passes slowly around the altars each evening, lighting a candle and telling the soul they are not forgotten. One day, her bones will be here until her soul moves on.
Then the One Father declares that no souls are in the bones, which are to be disinterred and buried so deep that no one can hear their souls. Eleanora is angry, but resisting too much could mean the Stewards of the Sun will burn you alive. Still, she decides not to go quietly into the night.
This was a quiet, character-driven story with an underlying message about tolerance and being pig-headed.
“Fruit of the Memory Tree” by J.A. Prentice
His friend Maura is always getting Daw into trouble in this short fantasy. At twelve, Maura is all of one year older than Daw. So he reluctantly tags along when she taunts him into climbing the Memory Tree to steal some fruit.
The villagers drink cider made from the tree’s fruit as part of the passage to adulthood. But Daw and Maura share the raw fruit, seeds, and all. Its impact is quick, forcing the two kids to remember the harsh lives of all those buried beneath the tree over the last several millennia. The invasive memories are too much. Seven years later, Daw runs away to escape the voices in his head. But when his mother is sickly, he must risk returning to the village with the Memory Tree.
This nicely crafted story was fun to read.
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.