Beneath Ceaseless Skies #171, April 16, 2015

Reviewed by Michelle Ristuccia

“The Fires of Mercy” by Spencer Ellsworth tells the story of an assassin who spares the life of a mother and child during the bloody over-throw of the king. After fleeing into the desert where starvation and dehydration threaten to take their lives, the assassin considers calling on supernatural beings of air and flame to bargain for their lives. Ellsworth portrays the human soul in a unique way that places mercy and hatred as parts of the whole.

In “Sinseerly A Friend & Yr. Obed’t” by Thomas M. Waldroon, Chambers finds himself face-to-face with a serpentine lake-monster alien while investigating the death of Stutley Northup’s hired man, Amos. The story covers much of Northup’s life, including scenes from his childhood. The scenes are a bit disjointed but intriguing, providing a study of Northup’s strange character over an undertone of horror.

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.