(Modern Fantasy) Government-issued anti-werewolf pills don't work for Madeline, but the drugs from her dealer are hit-or-miss. (7,000 words; Time: 23m)
Rating: ★★★☆☆, Average
"Damnatio Ad Beastias," by Kristi DeMeester, appeared in Apex Magazine issue 89, published on October 4, 2016.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Pro: We respect Madeline's struggle to live a normal life despite her affliction. Her suffering from what she did to her husband and daughter is heartbreaking. Once we learned that lycanthropy was about stealing emotions and experiences, it only made sense that her dealer manufactured the pills out of his own experiences, which also explained why they came in different varieties all the time.
Her powerful desire to have her daughter back dovetails with the fact that Bennie made the pink pills, the most effective ones, by watching a mother abusing her little daughter. By killing that woman and taking her daughter, Madeline clearly imagines she'll solve both sides of her problem at once.
Con: Madeline isn't very likable. We feel sorry for her family, but not for her. We even feel sorry for Bennie by the end. And her stunt with the girl seems unlikely to work since it seemed to require that the girl suffer.
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Her powerful desire to have her daughter back dovetails with the fact that Bennie made the pink pills, the most effective ones, by watching a mother abusing her little daughter. By killing that woman and taking her daughter, Madeline clearly imagines she'll solve both sides of her problem at once.
Con: Madeline isn't very likable. We feel sorry for her family, but not for her. We even feel sorry for Bennie by the end. And her stunt with the girl seems unlikely to work since it seemed to require that the girl suffer.
Other Reviews: Search Web, Browse Review Sites
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