The Magic Shop Books In Print, Audio Books.|
The Magic Shop buy bestselling books in print, audio books |
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| ♥♥♥♥♥ | 15 short stories |
| Most of the shops are the classic mysterious small business, notable exceptions being those in "Serpent of the Lakes" and "The Assassin's Dagger". Several stories are from the customers' viewpoint or prospective new employees, allowing the store to retain the traditional mysterious atmosphere for the reader, but at least a quarter concentrate on shop owners or current employees. Most involve "real magic", but some need only self-confidence.
Braunbeck, Gary A.: "The Hand Which Graces" The bartender at Gruber's has seen a lot. But tonight Sykes (the freelance stage magician whose patch includes the bar) went into a new local "magic shop" looking for new tricks for his act and came out with more than he bargained for. Edghill, India: "Winter Phoenix" When the Imperial Princesses visit a curious St Petersburg shop in 1916, the shopkeeper says fortunes are made, not told, and refuses to make any predictions. But Anastasia is sold a gilded walnut shell, that if broken can be whatever is needed, for just a moment. Can it save her from the fate facing her family? Edghill, Rosemary: "A Winter's Tale" is told by one witch to another (the narrator) while cleaning shop on a snowy night. Finding an elaborate box with disappointingly mundane contents, Lark remembers the weirdest item he ever encountered, working for another shop in California. Elrod, P.N.: "Tarnished Linings" Caitlin, temporarily filling in at the Cauldron, copes with an obnoxious kid propositioning her. When he combines this with shoplifting, two of the shop's patrons whip up a protection spell, but they put too much into it. But every cloud has a silver lining, right? Gilligan, ElizaBeth: "Off Key" Sarah has a moderately successful advertising career, but lacks self-confidence (the opposite of her twin, who has a social life but no benefits). Then on a lunchtime shopping trip to Marva's favourite shop, Sarah acquires a "key to success". Metaphorical, of course... Jocks, Von: "The Fairest" Zoe, a fantasy painter in her off-hours who's just gone full-time at her secretarial day job, notices that while she looks frumpy in all the mirrors at work, the mirrors at the Magic Shop (aromatherapy, feng shui, and meditation books) are another story. McCay, Bill: "The Curse of the Itch, or Finnegan Wakes" The magic shop was named "Eldritch", but after years of being run down, its sign reads "El Itch". Lang the narrator now believes in the uncanny (see VENGEANCE FANTASTIC), but his stubborn girlfriend Mags Finnegan insists on wearing the pendant she scavenged from the shop's discards... Nye, Jody Lynn: "For Whom the Bell Tolled" Charles, though struggling to keep up with operating expenses and low on worthwhile stock, buys a bell that supposedly summons whatever the ringer wants. This can be a problem, when so much good stock suddenly turns up that there's no storage space... Odom, Mel: The "Serpent of the Lakes" has joined forces with enemies of the Algonquin over water and hunting rights, and among the victims captured from Taregan's village is his betrothed. Seeking supernatural help to battle the Serpent, Taregan seeks the longhouse of the Three Sisters to petition them for a loan of their medicine. Resnick, Laura: Unsuccessful author experiments with buying magic tools at the local shop to break her writer's block, culminating with "The Magic Keyboard". The jokes are 'just how bad is she' and 'what classic book will she reproduce next without recognizing it'. Rusch, Kristine Kathryn: "The Assassin's Dagger" is an attempted return (with receipt) to a French magic shop bought out years ago by Abracadabra Inc (HQ Salem, Massachusetts). Talia, corporate troubleshooter, notices right away that the manager disregards company policy, even in "little" things. Such indifference to the store's image among non-magic folk, coupled with his hostility to Abracadabra for having purchased his family business, cuts no ice with Talia. Great touch that the magic shop is also a modern business. Sherman, Josepha: "Mightier Than the Sword" Struggling writer's computer crashes the night before deadline. Planning to write longhand, then hit Kinko's for the typing the next morning, the narrator dashes out to buy a pen, but the only place that's open is The Magick Shoppe. Too rushed and too much coincidence; might work better in longer form. Sinor, Bradley H.: Determined not to start drinking after his ex-girlfriend's departure, Jared walks into a little man's disagreement with a bookie's half-human thugs, and is asked to deliver a package to "Grails". Being paid in mint condition gold coins by a man with so much attitude makes Jared curious about this shop that gives people what they *need*, if not what they want. Cool story. Sizemore, Susan: "Every Little Thing She Does" Trevor makes an adequate living with his shop, and rescues damsels in distress when they need it. Amanda Brewster, though, seems capable of handling almost anything, even though she's asking for professional help in exorcising the old place she's just bought. (The hellfire in the oven, for instance, yields great pie crust.) West, Michelle: "Dime Store Rings" The narrator's Magic Shop wasn't one she worked in, and didn't sell potions or wands, but something better; she and her father in the hard times of her childhood could afford to buy Christmas presents for her mother there. |
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