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Dawn Sperber is the author of Now, That's a Trick (Finishing Line Press, 2022), a magical realism chapbook of flash fiction based in New Mexico. Her lyrical stories and poems have appeared in Daily Science Fiction, PANK Magazine, Bourbon Penn, NANO Fiction, Hunger Mountain, Gargoyle, Zizzle Literary, Luna Station Quarterly, ONE ART, flashquake, Annalemma, The Doctor T.J. Eckleburg Review, Third Wednesday, Witches & Pagans, Rosebud, The Pedestal, and elsewhere. A writer, editor, and artist in Texas and New Mexico, Dawn is drawn to authenticity, healing, and pursuing the mojo that motors us through the challenges. Find her at dawnsperber.com.
Reviewed by Pikasho Deka for Readers' Favorite
Now, That's a Trick by Dawn Sperber is a short collection of eleven flash fiction stories. A young woman infatuated with a trickster of coins finally gets her hands on his luckiest token after the greatest trick of them all. After being hassled by a bald stranger at a Burger King, a young Dungeons and Dragons enthusiast unexpectedly begins to envy the man's life. A psalmody master revs churchgoers with a honeyed tongue and sweet voice until the jealous preacher reveals the contents of their verses. A group of friends hangs out in an old and abandoned cabin in the woods, only for the truth of their fate to be revealed one Halloween night. Finally, a woman tells how her lover asked her to marry him, reminiscing about the fleeting passage of time.
Laced with magical realism, mystery, and intrigue, Now, That's a Trick is an enthralling short story collection you don't want to miss. Dawn Sperber manages to evoke a myriad of feelings and emotions with the minimal usage of words, crafting compelling characters and plots that keep you glued to the pages. A wide range of human behavior is on display in these tales. Most of the stories also have a fantastical element that keeps you guessing what will happen next. Although I enjoyed every one of them, Our Master of Psalmody was hands-down my favorite of the bunch. This book is a must-read if you want flash fiction or short stories.
