Bone and Jewel Creatures by Elizabeth Bear

… At just under 140 pages, Bone and Jewel Creatures packs a strong punch… There’s quite a lot more material packed into this short novella than you’d initially expect — and as with all the best novellas, you’ll be satisfied with the ending while at the same time hoping for future stories set in the same world… The story is told in gorgeous prose, frequently very lyrical and on a few occasions even surprisingly funny… Read the rest.