It's not often that I read a story where I have two look up two of the five words in a story's title.  It is even less common for the words that I look up to be actually important, to really matter to the overall shape and narrative of the story.

Kat Howard's latest story, "Haruspicy and Other Amatory Divinations," published this month in Apex, is definitely an exception to this pattern.  In this story, she seamlessly weaves the words of prophecy and fortune-telling together with their meanings, drawing her readers in to the story of a narrator who just wants to be loved.

And no, I won't tell you what "haruspicy" or "amatory" mean.  You'll have to read the story yourself to find out.  You'll be glad you did.

By Jen Miller