What Purpose a Heart by Rachael Acks
Scigentasy
http://www.scigentasy.com/what-purpose-a-heart/
Author Website: http://www.rachaelacks.com
Sergeant Maly is a deck rat aboard an interstellar ship, crewed by rotten, yet respectable misfits. When a thin, mysterious Mahadi comes aboard with even more mysterious carry-ons, Maly’s life gets a lot more complicated. Does the stranger somehow sense Maly’s deepest secrets?
In her worst nightmares she saw Imir Collective Hunters as warped holes in space, something no one else in the crew knew to fear as more than ghosts. In this quadrant, the Imir Collective was as much a fortress of whispered fish stories as the Mahadi, blood and guts and horror instead of mystical fairy tales. Only Malys knew how much of the blood was true.
She knew because that blood was in her veins, deceptively red and hot. But the Imiri never came this far out. She kept that as an article of faith, the reason she still lived.
A strong theme of disquiet runs through this story–an unease with strangers, friends, and self alike. It translates well to the reader, and it makes the characters come to life. I dread as Maly does, feeling the weight of the decisions she must make and respect what she has denied herself for fear of her truths. This story is an engaging read, and packs a good punch for its length. Give it a read.
