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Deep Magic June 2017
If you want to read gripping stories that don’t rely on sex, swearing, and graphic violence—you’ve come to the right place!
DEEP MAGIC is a bi-monthly electronic magazine that publishes clean short fiction in the fantasy and science fiction genres (epic, paranormal, steampunk, etc). Our issues are also filled with author interviews, art features, book reviews and tips for writers.
In this issue we feature "Metamorphistry" from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler. We also include a short story by NYT bestselling author Terry Brooks from his Shannara universe called "The Black Irix." We're also pleased to welcome the writing duo Tony Pi and Stephen Kotowych in their creative fantasy "The Waxing Disquiet". You'll also be thrilled with an alien invasion story told from the point of view of a canine - we loved "Bad Dog" by Patrice Sarath! And last but not least, you'll find a great story by Christen Anne Kelley on library magic called "Dreams of a Radiant Sentry".
In this issue you'll also get sneak preview of two new novels: "The Fifth Doll" by Charlie N Holmberg and "The Gold-Son" by Carrie Anne Noble. Both are Amazon bestselling authors. We've also interviewed literary agent Matt Bialer who represents Patrick Rothfuss and Tad Williams. And we feature two writing craft articles, one from the voice of The Passive Voice blog, attorney David Vandagriff, and the other about worldbuilding from author Sara Larson. As you can see, this issue is full of treats!
DEEP MAGIC is a bi-monthly electronic magazine that publishes clean short fiction in the fantasy and science fiction genres (epic, paranormal, steampunk, etc). Our issues are also filled with author interviews, art features, book reviews and tips for writers.
In this issue we feature "Metamorphistry" from Wall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler. We also include a short story by NYT bestselling author Terry Brooks from his Shannara universe called "The Black Irix." We're also pleased to welcome the writing duo Tony Pi and Stephen Kotowych in their creative fantasy "The Waxing Disquiet". You'll also be thrilled with an alien invasion story told from the point of view of a canine - we loved "Bad Dog" by Patrice Sarath! And last but not least, you'll find a great story by Christen Anne Kelley on library magic called "Dreams of a Radiant Sentry".
In this issue you'll also get sneak preview of two new novels: "The Fifth Doll" by Charlie N Holmberg and "The Gold-Son" by Carrie Anne Noble. Both are Amazon bestselling authors. We've also interviewed literary agent Matt Bialer who represents Patrick Rothfuss and Tad Williams. And we feature two writing craft articles, one from the voice of The Passive Voice blog, attorney David Vandagriff, and the other about worldbuilding from author Sara Larson. As you can see, this issue is full of treats!
- GenresFantasy
179 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 20, 2017
About the author
Jeff Wheeler
133 books5,283 followersWall Street Journal bestselling author Jeff Wheeler took an early retirement from his career at Intel in 2014 to write full-time. He is a husband, father of five, and a devout member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Jeff lives in the Rocky Mountains.
Learn about Jeff’s many worlds at www.jeff-wheeler.com, or participate in one of his online writing classes through Writer’s Block (www.writersblock.biz).
Learn about Jeff’s many worlds at www.jeff-wheeler.com, or participate in one of his online writing classes through Writer’s Block (www.writersblock.biz).
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
June 25, 2017
Another Four Star Issue, though differing (for me at least) in its strengths and weaknesses.
First, thematically, the stories were alien. Not in a "sci-fi little green men" sort of way, but rather that most of the stories had an inhuman flavor, whether animal or insect, which came thru more strongly in my view than that "virtus" another reviewer had mentioned. By an large, its to good effect, adding interest to otherwise short stories (as, of course, this anthology is a collection of).
"Bad Dog", of course, takes that theme furthest, a successful telling through the mind of a dog - familiar enough to be an enjoyable read, but alien enough to demonstrate real skill in the writer's art. I have difficulty categorizing the story as science fiction - it colored the scenery, yes, but didn't seem to be a substantial element of the story, which could as easily be recast into one of the Great Plagues of Medieval Europe with only minor changes. Still, a good read.
"The Waxing Disquiet" (Tony Pi and Stephen Kotowych) and "Dreams of a Radiant Sentry" (Christen Anne Kelley) were the stand out short stories for me this issue [sorry Jeff and Terry! I didn't expect that at all]. Both had very distinct voices, an unusual but compelling "flavor" that made them a joy to read, a head (or more) above a praise worthy fantasy, but more typical short story.
Pi and Kotowych combine apian imagery and a vaguely Mayan feel to create a truly unique world, compelling and fully formed, in just a few short pages. Its a truly remarkable feat. On the surface, "The Waxing Disquiet" is a love story, but with a thoughtful depth below the romance that steers it. A wonderfully woven tale, and one I truly enjoyed notwithstanding my dislike for love stories or more generally for tales by more than one author. Somehow the two have managed an almost seamless "voice".
"Dreams of a Radiant Sentry" lacks the inhuman flavors of the other stories, and is simply "sweet". You can't help but smile as the story unfolds. Though it does so in a classic and predictable way, it evoked in me an undeniable feeling of nostalgia. Imagery here was striking, helping make the fantasy setting part of story, not merely backdrop. A rarity to have retold a timeless story so well that the reader willing sets aside their foreknowledge and simply allows it to unfold at its own pace.
"The Black Irix" (Terry Brooks) is a story I simply brought unrealistic expectations to. Its classic Brooks, with his distinct style and voice, but its a "bridge story" connecting tales. Having grown up with Brooks' epic tales, with themes of self discovery, self acceptance and sacrifice woven throughout, this story simply didn't have the page count to tackle those themes, and makes no attempt to do so. Enjoyable, but not spectacular.
I did the same with Jeff Wheeler's "Metamorphistry". It wasn't bad, just not as strong (imo) as "Dreams..." or "...Disquiet".
The Articles are, honestly, not why I read Deep Magic, but I did find these more interesting than past Issues. No spoilers - go read them.
Which brings me to the excerpts -
"The Fifth Doll" (Charlie N. Holmberg) is outstanding, once again conjuring vibrant imagery with few words. Stylistically, it has more in common with the Paper Magician series than with Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet in perspective and pacing. I'll definitely be picking up the complete story on publication.
Carrie Ann Noble's "The Gold-Son" excerpt was interesting, but not *quite* my thing in fantasy. It is beautifully told, but sits in some middle ground between high fantasy and low I just couldn't get comfortable with in the chapters offered. I kept anticipating a reveal to confirm my suspicions that never came. Its a "to read" I would not otherwise have discovered, and a worthy inclusion in this Issue, but not a "must read" for me.
First, thematically, the stories were alien. Not in a "sci-fi little green men" sort of way, but rather that most of the stories had an inhuman flavor, whether animal or insect, which came thru more strongly in my view than that "virtus" another reviewer had mentioned. By an large, its to good effect, adding interest to otherwise short stories (as, of course, this anthology is a collection of).
"Bad Dog", of course, takes that theme furthest, a successful telling through the mind of a dog - familiar enough to be an enjoyable read, but alien enough to demonstrate real skill in the writer's art. I have difficulty categorizing the story as science fiction - it colored the scenery, yes, but didn't seem to be a substantial element of the story, which could as easily be recast into one of the Great Plagues of Medieval Europe with only minor changes. Still, a good read.
"The Waxing Disquiet" (Tony Pi and Stephen Kotowych) and "Dreams of a Radiant Sentry" (Christen Anne Kelley) were the stand out short stories for me this issue [sorry Jeff and Terry! I didn't expect that at all]. Both had very distinct voices, an unusual but compelling "flavor" that made them a joy to read, a head (or more) above a praise worthy fantasy, but more typical short story.
Pi and Kotowych combine apian imagery and a vaguely Mayan feel to create a truly unique world, compelling and fully formed, in just a few short pages. Its a truly remarkable feat. On the surface, "The Waxing Disquiet" is a love story, but with a thoughtful depth below the romance that steers it. A wonderfully woven tale, and one I truly enjoyed notwithstanding my dislike for love stories or more generally for tales by more than one author. Somehow the two have managed an almost seamless "voice".
"Dreams of a Radiant Sentry" lacks the inhuman flavors of the other stories, and is simply "sweet". You can't help but smile as the story unfolds. Though it does so in a classic and predictable way, it evoked in me an undeniable feeling of nostalgia. Imagery here was striking, helping make the fantasy setting part of story, not merely backdrop. A rarity to have retold a timeless story so well that the reader willing sets aside their foreknowledge and simply allows it to unfold at its own pace.
"The Black Irix" (Terry Brooks) is a story I simply brought unrealistic expectations to. Its classic Brooks, with his distinct style and voice, but its a "bridge story" connecting tales. Having grown up with Brooks' epic tales, with themes of self discovery, self acceptance and sacrifice woven throughout, this story simply didn't have the page count to tackle those themes, and makes no attempt to do so. Enjoyable, but not spectacular.
I did the same with Jeff Wheeler's "Metamorphistry". It wasn't bad, just not as strong (imo) as "Dreams..." or "...Disquiet".
The Articles are, honestly, not why I read Deep Magic, but I did find these more interesting than past Issues. No spoilers - go read them.
Which brings me to the excerpts -
"The Fifth Doll" (Charlie N. Holmberg) is outstanding, once again conjuring vibrant imagery with few words. Stylistically, it has more in common with the Paper Magician series than with Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet in perspective and pacing. I'll definitely be picking up the complete story on publication.
Carrie Ann Noble's "The Gold-Son" excerpt was interesting, but not *quite* my thing in fantasy. It is beautifully told, but sits in some middle ground between high fantasy and low I just couldn't get comfortable with in the chapters offered. I kept anticipating a reveal to confirm my suspicions that never came. Its a "to read" I would not otherwise have discovered, and a worthy inclusion in this Issue, but not a "must read" for me.
August 9, 2017
Not my favourite issue. The Caitlyn McFarland story saved it for me.
Perfect for me
Enjoyable, worked for me
"Lady of War" by Caitlyn McFarland - This read like the first few chapters of a book about the heir to the throne, an impending war and lots of old magic. But it had some good moments and interesting concepts.
Fine, but not my thing
"The Tariff" by Allen Shoff - Story with very little tension about an experienced pirate teaching a new recruit.
"Pirate Readers" by James van Pelt - Interesting idea about a future where reading is highly restricted, but I didn't buy into the premise. Why would reading extracts be considered more educationally valuable?
"Waracabra Tigers" by Gwendolyn Clare - A fairly straight-forward ritual for coming-of-age story.
"Wizards and Wizdom" by Ronald A. Ferguson - Very long story about a wizard's apprentice.
Not my cup of tea
Perfect for me
Enjoyable, worked for me
"Lady of War" by Caitlyn McFarland - This read like the first few chapters of a book about the heir to the throne, an impending war and lots of old magic. But it had some good moments and interesting concepts.
Fine, but not my thing
"The Tariff" by Allen Shoff - Story with very little tension about an experienced pirate teaching a new recruit.
"Pirate Readers" by James van Pelt - Interesting idea about a future where reading is highly restricted, but I didn't buy into the premise. Why would reading extracts be considered more educationally valuable?
"Waracabra Tigers" by Gwendolyn Clare - A fairly straight-forward ritual for coming-of-age story.
"Wizards and Wizdom" by Ronald A. Ferguson - Very long story about a wizard's apprentice.
Not my cup of tea
July 13, 2017
It is Ok for a Mag. If I would have seen that prior to getting it I would not have gotten it. It was a good read though, just not my cup of tea.
April 5, 2021
Such fun we having
I enjoy every edition I’ve seen, always interesting, always clean, never dull. The doll story scared me. I’m just trying to work out the where and when.
I enjoy every edition I’ve seen, always interesting, always clean, never dull. The doll story scared me. I’m just trying to work out the where and when.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews