★★★★☆ A coming-of-age story.
(Alternate-Reality Fantasy) Arati’s bond with the bees makes her a danger to those around her, so her village sends her to a witch to be trained. (2,664 words; Time: 08m)
"The Red Honey Witch," by Jessica Paddock (edited by Scott H. Andrews), appeared in Beneath Ceaseless Skies issue 275, published on April 4, 2019.
Mini-Review (click to view--possible spoilers)
Review: 2019.209 (A Word for Authors)
Pro: This is a coming-of-age story. Arati can’t stay in the village after she accidentally kills her mother with the bees; her place is going to be at the cliffs, but it takes her a while to accept this.
The climax is exciting, and it’s very moving when Arati rises to the occasion and does what only she can: uniting the swarms against the bad guys trying to burn the hives.
The red-honey bees of Tibet are a real thing. Although the honey probably doesn’t have the magical properties described in the story, some people claim it can make you high. (I suspect it only gives you a buzz.)
Con: Somehow I never warmed to Arati. Awful things happened to her (the story refers to her as “broken”), and she ought to be a hugely sympathetic character, but for some reason it never clicked with me. It didn’t help that she never seemed to show any remorse for her own bad actions.
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Jessica Paddock Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
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Pro: This is a coming-of-age story. Arati can’t stay in the village after she accidentally kills her mother with the bees; her place is going to be at the cliffs, but it takes her a while to accept this.
The climax is exciting, and it’s very moving when Arati rises to the occasion and does what only she can: uniting the swarms against the bad guys trying to burn the hives.
The red-honey bees of Tibet are a real thing. Although the honey probably doesn’t have the magical properties described in the story, some people claim it can make you high. (I suspect it only gives you a buzz.)
Con: Somehow I never warmed to Arati. Awful things happened to her (the story refers to her as “broken”), and she ought to be a hugely sympathetic character, but for some reason it never clicked with me. It didn’t help that she never seemed to show any remorse for her own bad actions.
Other Reviews: Search Web
Jessica Paddock Info: Interviews, Websites, ISFDB, FreeSFOnline
Follow RSR on Twitter, Facebook, RSS, or E-mail.
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