A humble grocer with a fear of magic is tricked into taking part in a revolt against a brutal tyrant, his vicious diabolist, and a small army of guards. The rebels have no weapons, no training, and no military experience–and there are only two of them. Then it starts snowing.
Two stories
Two stories in one anthology? Well, yes. Why not? “My First Abomination” and “Tarts, Pie, Tea” both.
Tarts, Pie, Tea
What could possibly go wrong when an older woman decides to hunt a pesky groundhog in her tiny garden–with a bow and arrow (and a bottle of gin)?
The Deliverers
Byron Darwin Guapisaca singing the blues. Electric motorbike and a rain of dust. Dodging fallen pieces of the moon. Got to deliver or die.
The Mischief That is Past
Debin recently spent some time on Earth, still (reluctantly) collecting stories despite a suspended license. So why is our journalist now a fugitive, hiding in the dark interstices of the station?
My First Abomination
Her grandfather’s special book is ancient and warm to the touch. Trying to read it has driven everyone else in her family quietly mad. Now it’s young Verity’s turn. Why wouldn’t she be excited?
The Ephemeral Quality of Mersay
The old power core, a pilot with a story of poets and a brief season, a dark ship, dead thieves, and other threatening events.
The Transport of Bodies
An infectious cousin in transit, a flirtatious doctor, mission to an anomalous object in trans-Neptunian space, and a celebrity chef arrested for spouse murder.
Red Sword of the Celiac
A put-upon reviewer, the editor’s favorite obscure author, the posthumous capstone to a trilogy, an insatiable monster, and an orphaned cat.
The Dead Man’s Coffee
A space station diner, regulated journalism, photosynthesizing humans versus religious strictures, and an exploding jukebox.