Fast Forward: Contemporary Science Fiction

At the World Fantasy Convention this November, I got the chance to hear Katharine Eliska Kimbriel read from her work in-progress, an new Alfreda Golden-tongue book. It was a wonderful story and once back home, I searched for the two earlier works, Night Calls (1996 ISBN: 0061054119) and Kindred Rites (1997 ISBN:0061057967), both out-of-print but available used for a very reasonable price.

Night Calls arrived first and I was surprised because I remember seeing this book in the stores and not being interested due to the cover art and back description. A book of “dark magic” involving werewolves smacked of horror to me, not my genre of choice. Inspired by the sample of Kimbriel’s reading, I dove right in and was rewarded with a book of werewolves and vampires, but more of the education of Alfreda Sorensson, a young girl who showing powers in the Wise Arts. All this seems standard fantasy fare, but Kimbriel sets the story during the early nineteenth century in the Northwest Territory of the United States, which highlights the folkways of that era. The dealings with vampires and such is exciting, but I was more enthralled by the descriptions of how people lived day-to-day in a world very different from ours. Kimbriel includes a great deal of herbology, an important component of the Wise Arts, as well as Alfreda’s training in tracking and trapping. How to survive a night alone in the woods, the constant tasks of spinning and weaving, and the details of a family meal all bring balance to the story. Alfreda also learns the cost of dark magic, especially when it touches those in her community and family.
All are not happy about Alfreda’s gift, especially her mother would wished a more normal life for her daughter without the dangers of being a practitioner. But once discovered, there is no way to ignore the gift so when she proves her abilities, Alfreda leaves home to learn from her Aunt Marta. Not only does Alfreda learn about ritual magic, but also that a practitioner goes where she is called, even if it is miles from home. Through all her adventures, I was especially please that Kimbriel showed the importance of family and community, which in many ways is a stronger force than any gift of Alfreda’s.

A book of magic, Night Calls is also a work on frontier life and on how relationships are the center of any person. I urge you to seek out a copy today.