BCS #173 and #174 were reviewed last week by Locus online reviewer Lois Tilton, including one story lauded with her rare “Recommended” rating.

From BCS #173, she called“Out of the Rose Hills” by Marissa Lingen “A quirky story that plays off some fairytale tropes in the person of the shadow woman... Of course... everything the shadow says, is a lie...”

From BCS #174, she said of “The Warriors, The Mothers, The Drowned” by Kay Chronister, also forthcoming next issue as podcast BCS 152: “The story is a kind of mythic mashup, just as Ana’s heritage contains both Aztec and Catholic elements... Characters in fiction and myth often view themselves as exceptions to the rules, which is what this one is largely about.”

And she called “Two to Leave” by Yoon Ha Lee, also available as podcast BCS 151, “An original melding of several classic fantastic tropes, perhaps the strongest being the ferryman, a figure of ancient myth. But the heart of the story is the relationship that develops between the two deadly characters. Delightfully done. Recommended.“

Congratulations, all!