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Through a Window Darkly
Noll and Jayce Morgan are lanehunters—that is to say they are used to perilous spaceship chases through the erratic, wormhole-like space-time tears that plague their cosmos. They are decidedly not used to one of those gateways suddenly changing up its game and separating the twins with only a slight hope of ever finding each other.
Now Noll has to ally with a reclusive alien, a traumatized spy, and a bizarre agent duo in service of the crumbling galactic empire ruining everyone's day to save her brother's life. The clock is ticking, but when the universe turns out to be even stranger than Noll imagined, she's not sure her fear disguised as swaggering grit would pull her through once again.
Now Noll has to ally with a reclusive alien, a traumatized spy, and a bizarre agent duo in service of the crumbling galactic empire ruining everyone's day to save her brother's life. The clock is ticking, but when the universe turns out to be even stranger than Noll imagined, she's not sure her fear disguised as swaggering grit would pull her through once again.
- GenresScience FictionFiction
ebook
Published April 23, 2024
12 people want to read
About the author
Helyna L. Clove
3 books34 followersHelyna L. Clove (she/they) is a science-fiction/fantasy novelist, and a lover of all types of storytelling, hot comfort drinks, and a universe full of stars.
She was born in Hungary and raised in a small village a few miles off the shores of Lake Balaton. She was often described by her teachers as someone always having “her head in the clouds”, and she spent the first fifteen years of her life mostly consuming books from her parents’ home library, watching some great 90’s sci-fi shows, and working on her eclectic music taste. After several arduous years of obtaining her astrophysics degree, she currently lives in Wales with her small family of a wonderful boyfriend and Puddle, the tortoiseshell cat.
When not writing her stories, she can be found commandeering radio telescopes, reading, cooking, playing video games, or trying her hand at different art forms.
She was born in Hungary and raised in a small village a few miles off the shores of Lake Balaton. She was often described by her teachers as someone always having “her head in the clouds”, and she spent the first fifteen years of her life mostly consuming books from her parents’ home library, watching some great 90’s sci-fi shows, and working on her eclectic music taste. After several arduous years of obtaining her astrophysics degree, she currently lives in Wales with her small family of a wonderful boyfriend and Puddle, the tortoiseshell cat.
When not writing her stories, she can be found commandeering radio telescopes, reading, cooking, playing video games, or trying her hand at different art forms.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 16, 2025
Originally posted on my blog
This is an accompanying novella to Skylark in the Fog. The author herself has recommended that this is read after and, truly, it's more enjoyable that way — aside from the fact that this story takes place after the events of Skylark. Many of the worldbuilding elements are best appreciated with the background knowledge from the novel, including the lanes, the Window, and the Talalans. I mean, sure, you can still understand them, as much like in the novel they are presented in a relatively easy to digest way, but you probably won't be as excited about them.
That said, this was an enjoyable read. Like in Skylark, Helyna takes the time to get us better acquainted with the characters, while slowly building up the plot around them. And the implications of the revelations in this novella were very interesting! I know I said previously that Skylark was wrapped up well enough to not really need a sequel... but now I want one. This universe is full of possibilities and we've only scratched the surface!
This is an accompanying novella to Skylark in the Fog. The author herself has recommended that this is read after and, truly, it's more enjoyable that way — aside from the fact that this story takes place after the events of Skylark. Many of the worldbuilding elements are best appreciated with the background knowledge from the novel, including the lanes, the Window, and the Talalans. I mean, sure, you can still understand them, as much like in the novel they are presented in a relatively easy to digest way, but you probably won't be as excited about them.
That said, this was an enjoyable read. Like in Skylark, Helyna takes the time to get us better acquainted with the characters, while slowly building up the plot around them. And the implications of the revelations in this novella were very interesting! I know I said previously that Skylark was wrapped up well enough to not really need a sequel... but now I want one. This universe is full of possibilities and we've only scratched the surface!
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May 2, 2024This novella originates from a Choose Your Own Adventure game we played in one of my writer discords (in Hungarian, whoo!) in 2023. It seemed like the perfect excuse for me to return to the universe of my debut space opera, Skylark in the Fog. Most people there did not know the book back then, so this one features a whole new cast, with only some cameos from the main book for those who can appreciate it. :) I was quite satisfied with how it turned out back then, and it was such a cool experience!
I did rework a lot of it to make the CYOA roots disappear (I think you can still find them) for the final version, and to make it even more understandable for someone who has no idea about anything in Skylark. I think I managed, plus, in the meantime, I also fell in love with the new characters, and in the end, it turns out, the admittedly not-too-convoluted plot of the novella would (will?) actually play a somewhat big role in how things change for the Skylark-universe.
In any case, I hope both returning and new readers will enjoy the space-time madness! Thanks for reading!
I did rework a lot of it to make the CYOA roots disappear (I think you can still find them) for the final version, and to make it even more understandable for someone who has no idea about anything in Skylark. I think I managed, plus, in the meantime, I also fell in love with the new characters, and in the end, it turns out, the admittedly not-too-convoluted plot of the novella would (will?) actually play a somewhat big role in how things change for the Skylark-universe.
In any case, I hope both returning and new readers will enjoy the space-time madness! Thanks for reading!
December 26, 2024
Read on behalf of Team Behind the Musings for the SFINCS2 contest: 6/10
June 29, 2024
I loved this novella just as much as I loved Skylark!
It had a great cast of quirky characters (times two!), and a whole heap of suspense, mystery, action, lore, and feels packed into 8 chapters.
I loved learning a little more about the lanes and their dangerous, terrifying potential, as well as how the universe is learning to heal after the major Events™️ of Skylark. I don't know if the author is going to write any more books set in this universe, but if so, I'll definitely be there to read them!
In summary, I highly recommend this novella, it's mothership of a novel "Skylark in the Fog", as well as everything else written by Helyna L. Clove!
It had a great cast of quirky characters (times two!), and a whole heap of suspense, mystery, action, lore, and feels packed into 8 chapters.
I loved learning a little more about the lanes and their dangerous, terrifying potential, as well as how the universe is learning to heal after the major Events™️ of Skylark. I don't know if the author is going to write any more books set in this universe, but if so, I'll definitely be there to read them!
In summary, I highly recommend this novella, it's mothership of a novel "Skylark in the Fog", as well as everything else written by Helyna L. Clove!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews