Beneath Ceaseless Skies #128, August 22, 2013

Reviewed by Michelle Ristuccia

“Ill-Met at Midnight” by David Tallerman follows an assassin as he murders a woman and then investigates his assignment on the spot. The plot is a disappointingly well-worn trope that fails to justify the hurry-up-and-stop action. The reader is left marveling at the convenience of a certain pivotal character’s appearance, but not, unfortunately, at the predictable conclusion.

“The Clay Farima” by Henry Szabranski tells the story of a golem, Farima, torn between obeying the rules set before her at her creation and finding the creator who abandoned her. When Farima learns a well-kept secret regarding the Source of magic, she seizes the opportunity to defy her “father,” traversing dangerous territory to determine, once and for all, her “mother’s” fate. From Farima’s direct and vivid introduction to the dramatic choice she faces at the end, Szabranski provides an engaging tale full of enjoyable complexities ranging from the magical to the familial.

Michelle Ristuccia enjoys slowing down time in the middle of the night to read and review speculative fiction, because sleeping offspring are the best inspiration and motivation. You can find out more about her other writing projects and geeky obsessions by visiting her blog.