Beneath Ceaseless Skies #155, September 4, 2014

Reviewed by Michelle Ristuccia

In “No Sweeter Art” by Tony Pi, magician Ao possesses his candy sculptures on a mission to foil an assassin’s plot. Pi writes a compelling main character and packs a lot of intriguing Chinese-themed magic into the quick, tight plot. An entertaining piece with excellent pacing and detail.

“By Appointment to the Throne” by Alter S. Reiss is set in a world where ancestral spirits possess their descendants through the drug Spirit. When an immigrant butcher cuts up a body to hide a murder he didn’t commit, old religious and political rivalries come to a head at the humble restaurant where he works. While a lot happens in this story, the main character’s internal growth could use more emphasis.

Michelle Ristuccia enjoys slowing down time in the middle of the night to read and review speculative fiction, because sleeping offspring are the best inspiration and motivation. You can find out more about her other writing projects and geeky obsessions by visiting her blog.