Aurealis #74, September 2014Reviewed by Chuck Rothman
Aurealis is an Australian science fiction magazine that’s been publishing on and off since 1990. Issue #74 has two stories from Australian authors.
“Soul Partner” is a fantasy set in a world where magic has become part of everyday life. Jill Foster is a private occult investigator whose client is possessed by a demon – but who is perfectly content with the situation. The problem is her ex-boyfriend, who wants to rescue her, even though she doesn’t want to be rescued. Imogene Cassidy has created a light fantasy story that is entertaining and fun to read, with an appealing character who might be worthy of more stories.
Liefe Shallcross contributes “Music for an Ivory Violin,” an instrument given to Nicolaus by Signora Molinari, the wife of a potential patron. The violin is more than a violin, and its music is more than music, and is tied in with Signor Molinari’s past. It’s an interesting tale of a unique form of revenge that avoids some of the problems with revenge stories.
Chuck Rothman’s novels Staroamer’s Fate and Syron’s Fate were recently republished by Fantastic Books. His story, “Ulenge Prime,” will be appearing in an upcoming Analog.