“The Sparrow Tree” by Alma Alexander [3308 words]
The Padishah Emperor is a lover of life and nature, and wants his successor, the Young Emperor, to follow in his footsteps. The Young Emperor is obsessed with how things function, rather than appreciating the beauty of life as his father does. When the Young Emperor is elevated to Padishah, he begins fashioning mechanical replacements for various flora and fauna. In particular, his predecessor’s beloved Sparrow Tree is embedded with glistening jewels and populated with mechanical sparrows instead of real ones.
This story is written in “fairy tale” or “fable” mode and is related in broad strokes rather than concentrated actions and intimate moments. I was never really engaged with the Young Emperor’s personal journey, since the narrative seems to skip over whatever events or introspections occurred in his life that inform his change in perspective at the end. I think the author assumed the reader would see his transformation as self-evident and fill in the blanks. The use of the term Padishah suggests a Persian or Ottoman connection, but the detail has little bearing on the proceedings.
“Song, Skin, Sea” by Tamara Vardomskaya [6394 words]
Beneath Ceaseless Skies editor Scott H. Andrews likes to pair stories thematically in each issue, and “Song, Skin, Sea” is a selkie story, so it also has the comportment of a fairy tale. Unlike “The Sparrow Tree” though, it offers a more complete disclosure of the life of its protagonist. As a child, Margalita is stolen from the sea (and her mother) and taken to the court of Count Henrikov, who has her trained as an opera singer and eventually marries her (not that she had a choice in the matter). While touring the world, she takes her harpist Bellis as her lover and abandons her husband – and children – for good. The story is told in flashbacks while she and Bellis, much older and badly injured, are barely surviving on a rowboat at sea after a shipwreck.
Like a lot of modern day selkie stories, the author both subverts and fulfills the conventions of the genre. The character details are conveyed honestly and earnestly, distinguishing it from others of its kind I have read in recent years. This is mostly an enjoyable story, if unevenly paced.
Item 202 