Cirsova, Winter 2022 (Vol. 2, No 13) is brand new. 185 pages, $15.00 in cost.

“Sister Winter,” John Daker is a weird story of a man on his way home in the winter comes across a ethereal being asking for his aid. There are some sinister men looking for Sister Winter and Martin helps her. Great story.

“Lights,” Lou Norman: Driver keeps seeing wrecked and bullet ridden cars with a police car behind it on an isolated stretch of highway. The ending is sudden. It reminds me some of the old Manhunt type of story adapted for Alfred Hitchcock Presents.

“Pick Trick,” Troy Riser: Mafia enforcer is in the witness protection program in southern Indiana. It is Halloween and his main U.S. Marshall contact has disappeared. Tony is worried the mob has found out where he is. His past action catches up with him. Reminded me of Ray Bradbury in Weird Tales.

“Wishing Well,” Michael Wiesenberg: Country boy gets taken by city slicker in poker game. He gets even but his wad of cash and engagement ring are in the the corpse in a well. Another great macabre story.

“The Night Hawk,” Michael Gallagher: Man with psychic abilities is forced to work for a triad. His powers are failing and he is getting the predictions wrong. Did not like this one as much as the previous four stories.

“House Odds,” Ken Lizzi: Hey, I know this guy! Private detective Herman Weiss works in Reno. He is hired to investigate an Indian casino and runs into a supernatural Coyote being. This should appeal to Larry Correia fans.

“Moon Magic and the Art of of Fencing Doubtful Jewels,” Tais Teng: I have read Dutch writer Teng before in Swords & Sorceries. A story set in Clark Ashton Smith’s Zothique. A fence deals with supernatural jewels. Teng does not try to mimic Smith’s prose. Competent.

“The Gold of Palladias,” John Gradoville: Lost race story in South America just after the turn of the 19th-20^th Century. This reminded me of a lost race story from Thrilling Adventures.

“Take the Sword,” Michael Ray: Michael Moorcock’s influence is great in fantasy. The aftermath of a battle and a squire performs his duty to dispose of the body of his knight. A voice contacts him. Turns out it is a magic sword. There is a woman necromancer and a death god.

“Thunder in the North,” Jim Breyfogle: One of his Mongoose and Meerkat adventures. Mangos is on a mission to deliver a message to the rightful ruler of a city taken by an unscrupulous mercenary. But the ruler has been captured.

“Vran the Chaos Warped (Book 3),” D. M. Ritzlin: I covered the first installment a few months back of Vran’s quest of vengeance against the sorceror, Foad Misjak. They are in a world with sentient plant creatures that Foad Misjak has allied with.

“Orphan of the Shadowy Moons (Part 4),” Michael Tierney: The last part of this sword & planet novel wherein Strazis becomes “Worldlord” of the Teluchi Islands. He has to deal with Gaebel and his Black Assassins. This is freaky-deaky is spots.

This is a very strong issue of Cirsova. There is a nice mix of weird, urban fantasy, sword & sorcery, sword & planet. It has been great to watch Cirsova improve over the years since its start. Definitely one of the best of the small press magazines. Order from Lulu or Amazon.