Cedar Sanderson, author of the Pixie For Hire series, has put out a great collection of short stories, Warp Resonance.  These five stories deal with female characters, ranging from a young girl on a frontier planet to a woman who reminds me of a old-style Texas Ranger, who go through experiences that show you their strengths and fears.

Throughout these vignettes, her main characters are female and heart-breakingly human.  For example, in the first story, a young woman stands up to her abuser and leaves him.  Sanderson does an excellent job of making the reader see and feel her fear and anxiety as she finds a place in a strange, new world.  The author repeats this feat of connecting the characters with the reader in each of her stories, culminating in a tale of childlike trust and earnestness in wanting to help an alien in need.

The best part about collections like these is that the author introduces the reader to new universes that could be expanded into books and stories of their own, and I hope Mrs. Sanderson uses these stories as springboards into longer, deeper stories.  The characters and settings she creates in Warp Resonance grab you and leave you wishing for more.

If you’re looking for a good book to enjoy in front of a fire or on a warm afternoon, I suggest Warp Resonance.