This short story is very different from anything else in the Chronicles of St. Mary's series specifically for what is says on the tin: The narrator of this story is security officer Markham rather than historian Max. Now, this isn't the first time this has happened (see "The Very First Damned Thing", narrated by none … Continue reading Review: “My Name is Markham” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story” by Jodi Taylor
Review: “The Great St. Mary’s Day Out” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
While I have to wonder at the logic of involving time travel in a holiday for this lot of miscreants, considering all the things that go wrong normally, I have to admit that the story wouldn't really work, otherwise. (Though I do have faith that they'd get up to the same sort of trouble during … Continue reading Review: “The Great St. Mary’s Day Out” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: “The Very First Damned Thing” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
It was very, very cool to not only get a glimpse of the origins St. Mary's but also a peek into Dr. Bairstow's head. At this point in the series, seeing his relationships with the people that he intentionally sought to staff St. Mary's was more interesting than the jump to Waterloo (despite the delightful … Continue reading Review: “The Very First Damned Thing” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: “Christmas Present” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
How do you balance the heavy subject matter of lovers lost in time, potential suicide, and imminent attack by Boudicca's army? Add a giant pig, of course. This Chronicles of St. Mary's short story plugs a hole in the narrative that is touched upon in the main books, featuring our heroes (Max, Peterson, and Markham, … Continue reading Review: “Christmas Present” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: “Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
Taylor hooked me immediately with the problem that needed to be solved in this adventure. The rising sense of horror at what happened felt very visceral, and what's even better is that the threads that came about to create this situation were beautifully laid in previous installments of this series. The time travel adventure itself … Continue reading Review: “Ships and Stings and Wedding Rings” (A Chronicles of St. Mary’s Short Story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: “The Magician” (A Fool’s Journey #1) by Mark Pannebecker
Disclaimer: I received an electronic version of this short story in exchange for an honest review. It’s hard to get invested in a story that opens with too many characters who are hard to differentiate and even harder to identify with. Though the basic world-building is accomplished with well-written descriptions, no major conflict is introduced … Continue reading Review: “The Magician” (A Fool’s Journey #1) by Mark Pannebecker
Review: “Roman Holiday” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
One of the best things about these extra short stories that fit into the overall Chronicles of St. Mary's world is that you can enjoy them without worrying about where they fit into the larger context of the story. They're a short peek into the many, many other time travel trips that the historians have … Continue reading Review: “Roman Holiday” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s short story) by Jodi Taylor
Review: “28 Teeth Later” (a PRISON DAD short) by Cristin Kist & Jeffrey Gritman
Disclaimer: I am friends with the authors of this short story. However, I purchased the ebook version for full price. I have not yet had a chance to read either of the Prison Dad collections that I own, but this short story was a delightful introduction to the world. I was promised ridiculousness, speculative fiction references, … Continue reading Review: “28 Teeth Later” (a PRISON DAD short) by Cristin Kist & Jeffrey Gritman
Review: “When A Child is Born” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #2.5) by Jodi Taylor
This short story set in the Chronicles of St. Mary's universe is a great way for a new reader to dip their toe into the series without committing to a full novel. It highlights my favorite trio of time travelers (Max, Peterson, and Markham -- with bonus Maj. Guthrie) on a relatively simple mission that … Continue reading Review: “When A Child is Born” (Chronicles of St. Mary’s #2.5) by Jodi Taylor
Free Short Story: “The Cannibalism Hypothesis”
Sorry I've been AWOL for the past few days. I crashed pretty hard after the excitement of the Steel Magic launch and needed some time to recharge. (And by recharge I mean build a new Lego set.) But I'm back with some great news! One of my favorite beta readers/critique partners had a short story published … Continue reading Free Short Story: “The Cannibalism Hypothesis”
Review: “The Visitor” by J.L. Pattison
Some short stories take a lot of information and parse it down into a quick, streamlined adventure. Some take a lot of information and pack it in to the point of leaving the reader to wonder why the author didn't just go ahead and write a novel. Unfortunately, J.L. Pattison's "The Visitor" was the latter … Continue reading Review: “The Visitor” by J.L. Pattison
Review: “Method Writing” by K.W. Taylor
Disclaimer: This author and I share a publisher, and I consider her a good friend. However, I purchased this short story for full price. "Method Writing" is one of those short stories that covers characters and events that deserve to be a novel. However, it is the rare sort of writer who knows that sometimes … Continue reading Review: “Method Writing” by K.W. Taylor