Beneath Ceaseless Skies #435, June 26, 2025

“The Feather Tree” by KJ Kabza

“A Crow on the Corpse Road” by Betsy Aoki

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

Two stories featuring fantasy premises associated with birds appear in this issue.

“The Feather Tree” by KJ Kabza takes place in a fantasy world where it is normal for certain trees to grow feathers. A devastating war has reduced what was once marshland full of life to a barren wasteland. However, a single tree bearing feathers survives there. In fact, it contains many more feathers, of a greater variety, than any other tree of its kind. An elderly man and his son examine the tree, despite the indifference of others, and make an extraordinary discovery.

The story can be read as an allegory for maintaining hope after tragedy, and how some people surrender to despair instead. The descriptions of the wasteland and the feathered tree are vivid and reveal a great appreciation for nature. The characters are appealing, with evident fondness between father and son.

The narrator of “A Crow on the Corpse Road” by Betsy Aoki is a Raven Queen, able to appear as a woman with wings or as a flock of birds. She witnesses a man take a bone comb from the head of his dead lover, herself a crow woman. He hopes to use it to give himself wings. Complicating matters is the arrival of the Crow Queen and one of her warriors, who vied for the affections of the dead crow woman, There is also the presence of the crow woman’s ghost. The situation threatens to explode into violence.

The plot requires a complex background containing multiple fantasy concepts. It is important for the reader to understand the tension between the crow people and the raven people, as well as how they both relate to ordinary humans. Also vital to full appreciation of the story is being aware of the exact manner in which the bone combs operate and how they relate to the existence of ghosts. To the author’s credit, this is made clear and logical, but it requires a fair amount of exposition.

None of the characters are particularly likable. The man appears to have really loved the crow woman, but seems more interested in obtaining wings. He is also something of a fool. The bird people are proud and disdainful. The ghost of the dead crow woman may be the most sympathetic, but even her motives are ambiguous. This may not be a problem for readers who can enjoy a story with a dark, cynical mood.

Victoria Silverwolf is working an extra day today.