Review: Magical
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 05 25, 2014
Natasja Hellenthal's short story is a magical and mystical paranormal short story that is neither magical nor mystical. We learn early on to look at it like a true story. This instruction sets the tone for the entire piece. Somewhere underneath it all is the small voice saying that it could be true. Told in first person we are introduced to the horrors of enslavement. Down trodden people with no hope of escape living day by day. Everyone in pain, everyone has given up. Tana longs for freedom.The story is well written, entertaining and easy to follow. It flows at a nice smooth pace. We are able to understand everything that is going on, rooting for our protagonist every step of the way. There are a lot of lessons to be learned along the way. One major lesson was when Tana questioned who the evil one really was. She wondered if the enslaved were evil and perhaps being punished for their wickedness or if the evil one was actually good carrying out some devine order. This was a moment that made me think that that question must have run through the minds of slaves.For a short story, Tana's character is well developed. We learn a lot about Tana, who she is, what she does, who her family is. There are things that has happened in her life that makes you think maybe she is being punished. We see her work and her relationship with her parents. As a historical fiction writer who studied the subject of slavery, I must say that this is a very good paranormal fantasy that touches on the subject in a very intellectual way. Ms. Hellenthal captured the essence of a great slave story and gives us important lessons as we go. I recommend this story highly.