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Stories

No Port in a Storm

No Port in a Storm by Cal Black

‘The Bayou wants its Butcher back’ Ghosts of Mildred Berry’s past stalk her dreams, dredging up memories she’d rather forget. Struggling with the return to city life and a surprise marriage, Millie finds her strongest ally is distracted, preparing for the Colfield Massacre trial. When the trial’s key witness goes missing, a bloody message makes it clear to Millie that the city of Marigot is done waiting for its vengeance against the man who betrayed it… and the elf who burnt it down. Enemies new and old lurk in the bayou, while all of Millie’s old allies are long dead. If she goes after the witness, she’ll be walking into a city of vipers. If she doesn’t, she’ll lose her closest friend. The Bayou wants its Butcher back, come hell or high water.


Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn

Shattered Spirits: The Fall of Ishcairn by Cal Black

SFINCS

Legends say a dead god is buried under the stone city of Ishcairn, protecting its inhabitants by dashing enemy fleets into the jagged coast of Craeburn. Adjunct professor Corrie Ecksley doesn’t believe any of that, but she knows from her work excavating nearby burial sites that the ancient Craeburn people believed it enough to name the city after their dead god, Ish. When the ripples of a great war finally reach Craeburn’s shores, a terrifying new weapon is unleashed on the city that not even Ish can deter. A bomb that tears souls from bodies, driving anyone who witnessed the blast insane. But it is not the living that Corrie fears. Displaced spirits are hungry for a body, and care not if it already plays host to a soul. No bullets can stop them, no walls are thick enough to keep them out. No help is coming. No one left but Corrie to stop the carnage, if she even can.


No Land For Heroes

No Land For Heroes by Cal Black

SPFBO8

Mildred Berry is down to her last four bullets… In a wild west where the only things more dangerous than outlaws are dragons, Deputy Berry is struggling to protect her town and keep her family fed. As a last resort, she robs a train for ammunition only to find that the cargo she needs so badly was owned by war hero Frederic Rousseau. The same Frederic Rousseau whom she served during the Amelior Civil War. The same Frederic Rousseau she’s been hiding from for the last five years. Millie knows a secret that could ruin Rousseau’s life, and he’ll stop at nothing to keep her from telling the truth. With her violent past bearing down on the life she’s built for herself, Millie has to decide how far she’ll be willing to go to keep her town safe.


Reviews

The Blood of Crows

The Blood of Crows by Alex C. Pierce

Worldbuilding: Aided the story
Plot: Mostly clear
Characters: Roles are clear
Storytelling: Balanced
Immersion: Didn’t want to put the book down
Emotional Response: Engaging
Thought Provoking: New ideas came up
Cover: Matches the story well
Content Warnings: violence, classism


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