(High Fantasy) Hester sells eggs that turn you into a reptile if you eat them. It's the only way out of the city, but they never work on Hester herself.
(4,900 words)
Rating: 3,
Unremarkable
The Night Bazaar for Women Becoming Reptiles, by Rachael K. Jones, appeared in the July 7, 2016 issue of Beneath Ceaseless Skies (Issue 203).
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: Hester gets her wish; she becomes an asp (we think) and makes good her escape.
I liked the curious world where the daytime and the nighttime are like different universes, with inhabitants having different jobs and different lovers. I suspect there's something deeply symbolic here, but I don't quite see it.
Con: There was no clue that Marick could use the eggs, nor any clue that eating a heart would work as well as an egg. This gives the ending a false feel.
One wonders when the people in this world ever find time to sleep. It mentions sleeping occasionally, but it's never clear how that fits into their system. It's hard to believe reptiles can make a long trip but humans cannot or that people can reach Oasis alive but somehow no one can retrace their steps and escape.
I liked the curious world where the daytime and the nighttime are like different universes, with inhabitants having different jobs and different lovers. I suspect there's something deeply symbolic here, but I don't quite see it.
Con: There was no clue that Marick could use the eggs, nor any clue that eating a heart would work as well as an egg. This gives the ending a false feel.
One wonders when the people in this world ever find time to sleep. It mentions sleeping occasionally, but it's never clear how that fits into their system. It's hard to believe reptiles can make a long trip but humans cannot or that people can reach Oasis alive but somehow no one can retrace their steps and escape.
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