Honestly, the novel excerpts were a miss for me this issue - the first I can recall where I didn't immediately go and "borrow" at least one of showcased books via Kindle Unlimited after finishing the issue. They will be a hit for some, likely many, avid Deep Magic readers, they just aren't my preferred genre and pacing.
On the other hand, the Author submitted short stories are, in my view, the best Deep Magic has had all year. "Weep no more for the Willow" being my personal favorite. Additionally, the Board members took on a challenge, writing scary stories which had to include a reader suggested non-scary element. These I enjoyed primarily for the insight into the writer's craft - most aren't spectacular on their own, but improve once you understand that the writers were commanded to create a scary story on a very short time frame incorporating an element over which they had no control.
Given the gimmick and the short time frame, these are remarkably good. "A Tale of Lazaranth Prison" has a single flaw, which would have been corrected in edit, given just a little more time. The "Space Toilet" is, by far, the most successful. Even w/o the gimmick, this one stands on its own and would have found paying publication on the merits. "Chupacabra" is a not too distant second. Trust me on this.
Finally, full disclosure time. I'm a First Reader for Deep Magic, wading thru the slush in an effort to pick out the truly best of the hundreds of author submissions they receive each month. Its an unpaid position, and my reviews are my own. I'm particularly proud of the short stories picked for inclusion this time, because I believe I had a hand in picking each of them for elevation to the Board's consideration for inclusion. Usually, I'm good for 2-3 stories out of 5, a normally enviable average - so batting 100% is both exceptional and a freak occurrence.