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elizafiedler's review against another edition
5.0
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE. Thank you for introducing me to a new author to follow <3
chan_fry's review
3.0
This was the second issue of Fiyah I’ve tried, and the results were the same: I enjoyed the four short stories, each taking me to someplace new — or someplace old but with a new (to me) viewpoint. My favorite story was Uniform, by Errick Nunnally. (I have published a longer review on my website.)
(Note: In case Goodreads moves this review, which has happened to me in the past, I wrote it about Issue #14 of Fiyah (literary magazine of Black speculative fiction).)
ksbrennan's review
5.0
A great issue, I enjoyed all four short stories, and both poems. In particular, the first story 'Guardian of the Gods' by Tobi Ogundiran, was a really interesting look at the role storytelling plays in faith. Ogundiran built up a really interesting mythology in a short amount of space. I also really liked 'Your Rover is Here' by LP Kindred, which introduced a really dynamic magic system and felt like the beginning of a larger story I would love to read.
astropova's review
challenging
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Awesome stuff, my favorite was "Uniform" by Errick Nunnally. I also loved "Your Rover is Here" by LP Kindred and I hope to see more from him in the same universe.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Hate crime, Racism, and Violence
krixbee's review
4.0
Favorite Fiyah issue I’ve read so far.
4-5 star ratings:
**Guardian of the Gods: 5 stars (!!!) reminds me of Raven Tower. Can not wait to read more from Tobi Ogundiran.
** Uniform: 4.5 stars ::sobs::
** Your Rover is Here: 4 stars. If this truly is LP Kindred’s first pubbed short we’re in for a treat. Didn’t know how here I was for Black Harry Dresden driving an Uber. If you’re reading this, Kindred: I am so here for it. I could’ve read 400 pages.
4-5 star ratings:
**Guardian of the Gods: 5 stars (!!!) reminds me of Raven Tower. Can not wait to read more from Tobi Ogundiran.
** Uniform: 4.5 stars ::sobs::
** Your Rover is Here: 4 stars. If this truly is LP Kindred’s first pubbed short we’re in for a treat. Didn’t know how here I was for Black Harry Dresden driving an Uber. If you’re reading this, Kindred: I am so here for it. I could’ve read 400 pages.
joannerixon's review
5.0
This is a great magazine! Light, fresh, interesting, with a strong variety of stories.
GUARDIAN OF THE GODS // TOBI OGUNDIRAN - 5765 WORDS: A young acolyte is confronted with new information about the life cycles of the gods. I was hesitant about this one until about halfway through and then I really liked it. A great meditation on faith and a powerful reclamation of cosmic power.
UNIFORM // ERRICK NUNNALLY - 5549 WORDS: A mechanized veteran faces crisis in peace. I struggled with this story and was shocked to find out when reading the author bio that the author is himself a veteran. There's a certain amount of 'fighting for your freedoms' rhetoric that I expect to come from folks who haven't seen the American military machine from the inside. But maybe that's necessary, these days, to connect the myths known by the civilian reader with the disappointing reality of life as a vet. Which this story does do.
A TERMINAL KIND OF LOVE // VERONICA HENRY - 3041 WORDS: A woman, a dirtbag husband, a tech startup, and a sentient computer virus. My main takeaway from this story is that meme about how the bar for men is so low it's actually buried underground. Where they should be.
YOUR ROVER IS HERE // LP KINDRED - 3415 WORDS: Uber, but make it magic. I loved this story! Gripping and vivid, I also found its world sophisticated and complex, with hints at a much larger arc for the main character. I would love to read more from Kindred!
The poetry is also quite good. My one gripe with the magazine, and this is in the ebook version, is that the poetry is hidden away in the back rather than interspersed between prose pieces. Myself, I would have put the first poem between stories 1 and 2, and the second poem between stories 3 and 4. Especially because "Autolysis..." complements "A Terminal Kind of Love" very nicely, while Dismukes' poem fits nicely with some of the transformative themes in "Guardian of the Gods."
GUARDIAN OF THE GODS // TOBI OGUNDIRAN - 5765 WORDS: A young acolyte is confronted with new information about the life cycles of the gods. I was hesitant about this one until about halfway through and then I really liked it. A great meditation on faith and a powerful reclamation of cosmic power.
UNIFORM // ERRICK NUNNALLY - 5549 WORDS: A mechanized veteran faces crisis in peace. I struggled with this story and was shocked to find out when reading the author bio that the author is himself a veteran. There's a certain amount of 'fighting for your freedoms' rhetoric that I expect to come from folks who haven't seen the American military machine from the inside. But maybe that's necessary, these days, to connect the myths known by the civilian reader with the disappointing reality of life as a vet. Which this story does do.
A TERMINAL KIND OF LOVE // VERONICA HENRY - 3041 WORDS: A woman, a dirtbag husband, a tech startup, and a sentient computer virus. My main takeaway from this story is that meme about how the bar for men is so low it's actually buried underground. Where they should be.
YOUR ROVER IS HERE // LP KINDRED - 3415 WORDS: Uber, but make it magic. I loved this story! Gripping and vivid, I also found its world sophisticated and complex, with hints at a much larger arc for the main character. I would love to read more from Kindred!
The poetry is also quite good. My one gripe with the magazine, and this is in the ebook version, is that the poetry is hidden away in the back rather than interspersed between prose pieces. Myself, I would have put the first poem between stories 1 and 2, and the second poem between stories 3 and 4. Especially because "Autolysis..." complements "A Terminal Kind of Love" very nicely, while Dismukes' poem fits nicely with some of the transformative themes in "Guardian of the Gods."
mikewhiteman's review
4.0
Guardian Of The Gods - Tobi Ogundiran ****
Uniform - Errick Nunnally ***
A Terminal Kind Of Love - Veronica Henry ***
Your Rover Is Here - LP Kindred ***
Uniform - Errick Nunnally ***
A Terminal Kind Of Love - Veronica Henry ***
Your Rover Is Here - LP Kindred ***
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