Locus, February 2013

by Locus Publications

  This was obviously not the usual starcrossed love story, and as the followup Days of Blood and Starlight opens, it has become a starcrossed war story. Akiva searches the burned-out chimaera lands of Eretz, where he finds a thurible – a container used to store souls – in the caves of Karou’s people, with a paper affixed that says her name, he believes she is dead. Filled with sorrow and regret, Akiva travels back to his regiment and his half-brother and -sister. Jocular but dangerous Hazael and fierce and fearsome Liraz made their disapproval of Akiva’s chosen course clear in the previous novel, finally discovering what had changed him: his love for what appeared to be a human girl, but, of course, wasn’t. He fully expects they will kill him or shun him, and they are angry. As with everything in Taylor’s impeccably crafted world, the reality is far more complex than that. In getting to know Hazael and Liraz, we also come to know Akiva much more fully, and to understand the terrible hierarchy of the seraph, and how much blood stains their beautiful wings.

  Akiva is not the only one searching for Karou. Her human best friend Zuzana refuses to give up, watching for her return with her boyfriend Mik. Thoroughly and charmingly playful Zuzana and Mik finally get a lead when news networks report on a girl stealing teeth from the world’s museums. Karou is alive, of course, and holed up in an abandoned desert hideaway with… Thiago, the warrior prince who killed her when she was Madrigal, and what chimaera soldiers are left. She’s become the new Brimstone, though not at his skill level, resurrecting bodies for the small resistance movement going out on sorties against the seraph through a nearby portal. Thiago oozes a suspect kindness one moment and a bloodlust and calculation the next. We cannot help but fear for Karou’s life here, with no allies.

  And Karou is wracked with guilt over her role in destroying her people, filled with disgust for herself and her feelings for Akiva, and trying to make things right in the only way she sees. The destructive war of Eretz may have already created a situation where no happiness can be possible. But once these two, an angel and a devil, had a dream for a different world. As the war escalates, both Karou and Akiva will have to decide how much further they are willing to go and whether they have already passed the point of redemption.

  Here, Taylor explores every haunting echo of the first novel’s revelations. The supporting cast continues to shine, and Ziri, the last of Madrigal’s fellow Kirin, is a compelling addition. As we move toward the crisis point of the trilogy’s end, it is the depth of Karou and Akiva’s history that makes this installment even more powerful than the first. Taylor never misses an opportunity to wrest maximum emotion from events, sometimes by shifting the order in which they are revealed to us. The reader feels swallowed in the terrible choices of the past and the present, just as the characters are. And yet we are still left with hope, despite impossible odds. With gorgeous prose and a refusal to flinch from difficult consequences, Taylor is crafting a trilogy that seems destined to become a YA classic.

  –Gwenda Bond

  Return to In This Issue listing.

  MAGAZINES RECEIVED: DECEMBER

  Analog Science Fiction and Fact–Stanley Schmidt, ed. Vol. 132 No. 11, $4.99, November 2012, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novelettes by Gray Rinehart, Alastair Mayer & Brad R. Torgersen, Sarah K. Castle, and Daniel Hatch; short stories by Robert R. Chase, Richard A. Lovett, Parry Jensen, and Larry Niven; and a science article from Richard A. Lovett. Cover by Tomislav Tikulin.

  Analog Science Fiction and Fact–Stanley Schmidt, ed. Vol. 132 No. 12, $4.99, December 2012, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novella by Michael Alexander & K.C. Ball; novelettes by Shane Tourtellotte, and Paul Carlson; short stories by Stephen L. Burns, Ken Liu, Maya Kaathryn Bohnhoff, Richard A. Lovett, and Liz J. Andersen; and a science article from Jim Kling. Cover by diversepixel/Shutterstock.com

  Analog Science Fiction and Fact–Stanley Schmidt, ed. Vol. 133 No. 1 & 2, $7.99, January/February 2013, 10 times a year, 192pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novellas by Rajnar Vajra, and Edward M. Lerner; novelettes by Brad R. Torgersen, Robert Scherrer, Amy Thomson, and Kyle Kirkland; short stories by Jerry Oltion, John G. Hemry, H.G. Stratmann, Harry Turtledove, and Edward M. Lerner; a science article from Michael F. Flynn; and a special feature by Richard A. Lovett. Cover by David A. Hardy.

  Analog Science Fiction and Fact–Stanley Schmidt, ed. Vol. 133 No. 3, $4.99, March 2013, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novelettes by Bond Elam, Marissa Lingen, and Sean McMullen; short stories by Harry Turtledove, Andrew Barton, Barry Malzberg & Bill Pronzini, Bud Sparhawk, and Don D’Ammassa; and a science article from Kevin Walsh. Cover by Visuals Unlimited, Inc./Victor Habbick/Gettyimages.com

  Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine–Jacob Edwards, ed. Vol. 10 No. 3, #55, 2012, A$12.95, quarterly, 170pp, 14-1/2 x 21 cm. Australian SF and fantasy small-press magazine. This issue includes short fiction by Tom Holt, Stephen Gallagher, K.J. Parker, Agatha Christie, and others; poetry; an interview with Glen Duncan; and a ‘‘musical interlude’’ by Richard O’Brien. Cover by Inna Basman. Subscription: one-year A$48.00/Overseas A$68.00 to Andromeda Spaceways Publishing, c/o Simon Haynes, PO Box 127, Belmont WA 6984, Australia; electronic subscriptions A$12.00 for one year from: ; e-mail: .

  Asimov’s Science Fiction–Sheila Williams, ed. Vol. 36 Nos. 10 & 11, Whole Number 441 & 442, October/November 2012, $7.99, 10 times a year, 192pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novellas by Alan Smale and Jay Lake; novelettes by Gray Rinehart and Will Ludwigsen; short stories by Paul McAuley, Kit Reed, Vylar Kaftan, Eugene Mirabelli, Ekaterina Sedia, John Alfred Taylor, and Steven Utley; poetry, reviews, etc. Cover by Donato Giancola.

  Asimov’s Science Fiction–Sheila Williams, ed. Vol. 36 No. 12, Whole Number 443, December 2012, $7.99, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novella by Steven Popkes; novelette by Ken Liu; short stories by Chris Beckett, Mike Resnick, Sandra McDonald, and Robert Reed; poetry, reviews, etc. Cover by Laura Diehl.

  Asimov’s Science Fiction–Sheila Williams, ed. Vol. 37 No. 1, Whole Number 444, January 2013, $4.99, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novelettes by Alaya Dawn Johnson, Will McIntosh, Kit Reed, and Suzanne Palmer; short stories by James Van Pelt and Nancy Kress; poetry, reviews, etc. Cover by Michael Whelan.

  Asimov’s Science Fiction–Sheila Williams, ed. Vol. 37 No. 2, Whole Number 445, February 2013, $4.99, 10 times a year, 112pp, 15 x 22 cm. Novella by Vylar Kaftan; novelette by Matthew Hughes; short stories by David Erik Nelson, M. Bennardo, Robert Reed, and John Chu; poetry, reviews, etc. Cover by Mozzyb/shutterstock.com.

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 2 No. 1, January 2012, $4.00, quarterly, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This issue has an essay on disability by John Lukin and genre book reviews. Cover by Marilyn Liden Bode. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state residents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 2 No. 2, April 2012, $4.00, quarterly, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This issue focuses on poetry with essays on supernatural elements in Spanish poetry by Liz Henry, and Mark Rich on ‘‘Writing, Race, and Poetry’’; poetry by Mark Rich, Mechele Bannister, and Emily Jiang; reviews of poetry books with examples; and genre book reviews. Cover by Terri Windling. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state residents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 2 No. 3, July 2012, $4.00, quarterly, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This issue includes an appreciation for Adrienne Rich; an essay on the desire to have a child by Abby Koenig; and genre book reviews. Cover by Meredith Scheff. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state resid
ents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 2 Supplement, August 2012, $5.00 or free with subscription, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This special supplement spotlights Jonna Russ with various essays including a look at Russ and feminism by L. Timmel Duchamp; a consideration of Russ’s influence on SF by Farah Mendlesohn; an analysis of Russ’s What Are We Fighting For by Alexis Lothian; an examination by Brit Mandelo of the ‘‘Other’’ in Russ’s short fiction; and reviews of two Russ related books. Cover by Monte Rogers. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state residents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 2 No. 4, October 2012, $4.00, quarterly, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This issue includes autobiographic essays by Kiini Ibura Salaam and Mark Rich about their relation to their art; poetry; and genre book reviews. Cover by Kristine Campbell. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state residents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  The Cascadia Subduction Zone–L. Timmel Duchamp, et al. eds. Vol. 3 No. 1, January 2013, $4.00, quarterly, 24pp, 20 x 28 cm. Literary magazine with essays, poetry, and reviews. This issue includes Alan DeNiro’s look at critic Paul Kincaid’s argument about the state of the SF genre and DeNiro’s response; and a piece of short, short fiction by Nin Andrews; poetry; and genre book reviews. Cover by Pam Sanders. Subscription: $15.00 for four issues to Aqueduct Press, PO Box 95787, Seattle WA 98145-2787 (WA state residents add 9.5% sales tax); website: .

  Mondo Cult–Jessie Lilley, ed., No. 3, 2012, $13.00, infrequently, 160pp, 21-1/2 x 28 cm. Mondo Cult celebrates all aspects of modern pop culture with short articles on a variety of genre subjects including Robert A. Heinlein, Ray Bradbury, A.E. van Vogt, Forrest J. Ackerman, H.P. Lovecraft, King Kong, Frankenstein, Dr. Who and many other topics. Cover by L.J. Dopp. Subscription: Unavailable, but individual issues may be purchased from Mondo Cult, 343 Soquel Ave., #138, Santa Cruz CA 95062.

  ONLINE MAGAZINES

  Abyss & Apex Magazine ()–Wendy S. Delmater, ed. Issue #45, 1st Quarter 2013, free online; quarterly. Online speculative fiction magazine. This issue inclues fiction by Crystal Koo, Jay Caselberg, Ruth Nestvold, Matthew Wuertz, Mjke Wood, and J.P. Boyd; poetry; and small press reviews. Subscription: $5.00/year includes access to archive.

  Apex Magazine ()–Lynne M. Thomas, ed. Issue #44, January 2013, free online or $2.99 e-book, monthly. Online SF/fantasy magazine publishing both new and reprinted fiction. This issue inclues fiction by Eugie Foster, Lettie Press, and Tansy Rayner Roberts; an essay by Sarah Kuhn; and an interview with Eugie Foster. New issues posted the first Tuesday of the month. Cover by David Ho. Subscription: $19.95/year from Apex or Weightless Books . Also available from Amazon.com at $1.99/month.

  Beneath Ceaseless Skies ()–Scott H. Andrews, ed. Issue #110, December 27, 2012, free online, bi-weekly. Online SF/fantasy magazine. This issue includes fiction by Therese Arkenberg and Alec Austin. Cover by Jonas De Ro. Subscription: $13.99/year from Weightless Books .

  Beneath Ceaseless Skies ()–Scott H. Andrews, ed. Issue #111, December 13, 2012, free online, bi-weekly. Online SF/fantasy magazine. This issue includes fiction by Noreen Doyle, Sue Burke, and a podcast of ‘‘Seeking the Great Raymundo’’ by Jamie Lackey. Cover by Jorge Jacinto. Subscription: $13.99/year from Weightless Books .

  Beneath Ceaseless Skies ()–Scott H. Andrews, ed. Issue #112, January 10 2013, free online, bi-weekly. Online SF/fantasy magazine. This issue includes fiction by Christian K. Martinez, Stephen Case, and a podcast of ‘‘The Scorn of the Peregrinator’’ by John E.O. Stevens. Cover by Jorge Jacinto. Subscription: $13.99/year from Weightless Books .

  Clarkesworld ()–Neil Clarke, ed. Issue #76, January 2012, free online or $2.99 e-book, monthly. Online SF/fantasy magazine. This issue inclues short fiction by Ian McDonald, Helena Bell, and Yoon Ha Lee; an interview with Jesse Bullington; non-fiction essays by Erin Hoffman, and E.C. Ambrose; a reader’s poll survey; and a podcast of Ian McDonald’s lead story ‘‘Driftings’’. Cover by Alex Ries. Subscription: $1.99/month Amazon.com, £1.99/month via Amazon.co.uk, or $19.95/year from Weightlessbooks .

  Eclipse Online ()–Jonathan Strahan, January 2013, free online. Eclipse Online posts original science fiction and fantasy stories twice a month. In December/January, Elipse Online presented work by Christopher Barzak, Lavie Tidhar, Genevieve Valentine, and F. Brett Cox; as well as an annotated bibliography of Tidhar’s Continuity series.

  Lightspeed Magazine ()–John Joseph Adams, ed. Issue #32, January 2013; free online or $3.99 e-book, monthly. Online SF/fantasy magazine publishing both new and reprinted fiction. This issue includes SF by Matthew Kressel, Daniel Abraham, Cherie Priest, Jonathan Olfert, and Theodora Goss; fantasy by A.C. Wise, Jeffrey Ford, and Kristine Kathryn Rusch; interviews with Cory Doctorow and Daniel Handler (aka Lemony Snicket); and an artist showcase featuring the work of Alexandra Knickel. The e-book edition is available on the first of the month with with an exclusive novella not available on the the website. January’s exculsive content includes Judith Berman’s ‘‘The Fear Gun’’; an interview with Berman; and an excerpt from Steven Gould’s novel Impulse. On the website, each month’s contents are posted throughout the month with new features published on the first four Tuesdays. Cover by Alexandra Knickel. Subscription: $2.99/month via Amazon.com or $35.88/year from Weightlessbooks .

  The New York Review of Science Fiction ()–David Hartwell, et al., eds., Vol. 25 No. 4, Whole No. 292, December 2012, $5.00 cover price ($10.00 + shipping for two copies sold bimonthly bundled from Lulu.com) or $2.99 monthly from Weightlessbooks . Review and criticism magazine, with essay-length and short reviews, etc. This issue includes Victor Grech’s look at the changing depictions of Santa Claus as seen on the covers of SF magazines and comic books; Michael Andre-Driussi argument for a pro-Soviet reading of the Strugatskys’ Roadside Picnic; Grady Hendrix’s examination of christianity in Madeline L’Engle’s Time Quartet; Douglas A. Anderson discusses Joanna Russ’s adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Hobbit as a stage play; and Aaron Grunfeld reviews a performance of Spaceman by Leegrid Stevens, performed by Erin Treadway. Subscription: $30.00/year from Weightlessbooks .

  Nightmare Magazine ()–John Joseph Adams, ed. Issue #4, January 2013; free online or $2.99 e-book, monthly. Online horror/dark fantasy magazine publishing both original and reprinted fiction. This issue includes stories by Matt Williamson, Lisa Tuttle, Tamsyn Muir, and Lucius Shepard; an interview with Ellen Datlow; an artist showcase featuring Chelsea Knight; and an essay by John Langan. The e-book edition is available on the first of the month. On the website, each month’s contents are posted throughout the month with new features published on the first four Wednesdays. Cover by Chelsea Knight. Subscription: $2.08/monthly from Nightmare or $24.99/year from Weightless Books .

  Strange Horizons ()–Naill Harrison, ed., posts weekly, December 2012/January 2013; free online. Speculative fiction magazine with original fiction, poetry, articles, podcasts, and reviews. New issues are posted every Monday. For December 2012 and January 2013, posted fiction includes works by Alter S. Reiss, Amal El-Mohtar, and Damien Walters Grintalis; fiction with accompanying podcasts of works by Sofia Samatar, Carmen Maria Machado, and Damien Walters
Grintalis; and articles by Mark Plummer, Thomas M. Ingram, Genevieve Valentine, John Clute, Rochita Loenen-Ruiz, and Eleanor Arnason.

  Subterranean ()–William Schafer, ed., quarterly, Winter 2013, free online. Dark fiction magazine. This issue includes fiction by Conrad Willilams, Steven R. Boyett, and Walter Jon Williams. Cover by J.K. Potter.

  Tor.com ()–Patrick Nielsen Hayden, Irene Gallo, Fitz Foy, Tom Doherty, Liz Gorinsky, et al., eds.; December 2012-January 2013; free online. Macmillian publishing house site specializing in genre fiction. Each month Tor.com publishes free fiction and articles including original works, reprints, novel excerpts, and comics; re-reads/re-watches of novels and television shows; an artist gallery; original reviews; articles and commentary; as well as providing a forum for the genre community. New material is posted throughout the month. December/January fiction posts include novel excerpts by Felix Gilman, Howard Andrew Jones, L.E. Modesitt, Jr., Marie Brennan, Brandon Sanderson, Kristen Simmons, John Edgar Browning, Evie Manieri, Kevin J. Anderson & Brian Herbert, Leigh Evans, Orson Scott Card, Deborah Coates, and Paula Brackston; and short fiction by Brit Mandelo, Kathryn Cramer, Charlie Jane Anders, Paul Cornell, and Daniel Abraham.