Beneath Ceaseless Skies #445, November 13, 2025

“The Crow’s Second Tale” by Marissa Lingen

“The Loaf in the Woods” by David Marino

Reviewed by Victoria Silverwolf

In “The Crow’s Second Tale” by Marissa Lingen, a young apprentice magician tells stories to crows, hoping to find the one that has only one tale. When she faces danger, the birds come to her aid.

I have supplied an overly simplified synopsis both to avoid giving away too much about the plot and because the linked themes of stories and magic are not always clear. Having only one story, as shown in the fate of the magician’s aunt, is clearly a tragedy, but it is not obvious why this should be true. The way the protagonist’s magic depends on the crows is also confusing. Despite these quibbles, the story makes for pleasant reading, with the feeling of a fairy tale featuring characters who are pure good or pure evil.

“The Loaf in the Woods” by David Marino features a merchant who takes a shortcut through a forest said to be cursed. He finds a freshly baked loaf of bread in the woods that follows him around. It turns out to be the work of ants, who in turn are under the control of the entities in the forest.

This synopsis makes the premise seem whimsical, and the story has that mood at first. It becomes more serious and sentimental as it continues. The informal narrative style and the likable main character make it appealing. Some readers may feel that the reason the protagonist is a loner brings a topic into the story that is out of place, and not directly relevant to the plot. The work is most notable for a unique kind of haunting.

Victoria Silverwolf took four cats to the vet the other day.