"Breaking Ties" by Sheri Fresonke Harper
"The Tressatops Egg" by Kristal M. Johnson
“Breaking Ties” by Sheri Fresonke Harper is a violent story of Bert and his sister, Fawn. They are running away from an evil overlord, destitution, and a terrifying disease when they meet up with Joe. He offers them food, shelter, and something Bert had not expected—kindness.
Harper’s style is geared towards apocalyptic worlds. Written in first person, the first things to strike you will be its gritty honesty and bald-faced realism.
“The Tressatops Egg” by Kristal M. Johnson delves into the world of two brothers—creatures in direct competition for the control of their planet kingdom. The mining operations that are the center to their wealth has unearthed unusual tremors and an egg that the brothers don’t quite know what to make of. The story takes a detour towards the end, and the characters become familiar, the tale not so far from home.
Johnson’s prose is a slight shade of purple but exhilarating to read. Though there is not really a “good guy” in the story till the end, I found myself caught up in the brothers and their battle for control.