February Reads, Part 1

Forgiveness, by Leah Cypress (Asimovs February) is a thoughtful and well-characterised YA story of relationship violence, and the impact on the mental state of the victim. It’s a smart, emotionally complicated story.

The Sound of Useless Wings by Cecil Castellucci (tor.com)  is a nice SF/fantasy story about a young alien, bullied by his bigger brothers and doomed to a life of drudgery, and his dreams of better things. A sweet story with an engaging alien species, well told.

Karma Among the Cloud Kings by Brian Trent (Analog March) is an interesting story about a future society of Jainists trying to reconcile their moral code with life on an alien planet. I found the climax a touch contrived, but nonetheless, found it an enjoyable story, with an engaging central premise.