Aurealis “I Need Help” by Ceinwen Langley
“CompanionClub” by Isla Croft
“Harmony in Ninths” by Lindsey Duncan
Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf
“I Need Help” by Ceinwen Langley features a woman living in an isolated farmhouse with her dying brother. A young girl shouts for help from outside. The woman suspects she is something other than a human being.
The astute reader will be able to predict the true nature of the child. The premise is familiar, but the way it plays out adds some originality.
“ComnpanionClub” by Isla Croft takes place at a time in the future when robots nearly indistingushable from human beings exist. The protagonist goes to a club where clients obtain sex partners who have their memories of past existences wiped out. Her intent is to free a former lover from this form of slavery.
The story features a plot twist that challenges the reader’s assumptions. The climax changes the work from realistic science fiction to something much more mystical and difficult to fully understand.
In “Harmony in Ninths” by Lindsey Duncan, a young woman breaks into the office of the director of an academy of music in order to find out why her sister, who has great musical talent, has been rejected. She discovers a magic harp that has the power to change reality. Although she is less adept with ordinary instruments than her sister, she is one of the few persons able to play the harp safely.
The story mostly deals with the relationship between the two women and how the one who can play the harp tries to help her more talented but less magical sister. As such, it is a reasonably effective character study, perhaps best suited for younger readers.
Victoria Silverwolf is working four extra days this week.