"Powderkeg" by Alara Rogers
Reviewed by Dannell Lites


Folks, this one gave me the jim-jams and woke me up in the middle of the
night.

Describing the story is easy.  Reading it is not.

The story is Alara Rogers response to the POWER SWITCH CHALLENGE.  What
she explores here (on the surface) is the What If? question "What If
Magda Had Her Husbands Powers And Not He?"  The answer Alara gives us is
short, succinct and packs a punch like Galactus.

The trouble, you see, is that neither of them, Eric nor Magda has really
changed.  Eric Magnus Lehnsherr is still the dominating angry man who
became Magneto.  He's forceful and hungry for knowledge and even though
Magda loves him very much she doesn't entirely understand him.  Magda is
still the devoted wife and mother very much in her husband's mental and
physical shadow.  But ... things are changing.  Anger is infectious you
see.

There are some really nice touches here:):)  Anya is still alive (Magda
saved her - yeah!) and the Lensherr's have gone to Paris in pursuit of
Magnus' thirst for knowledge.  This makes perfect sense to moi.  Magnus
and Magda could not remain  in Vannitza and Paris is the logical place
for them to go if Magnus wishes to continue his education.  The pacing
here is remarkable.  That's one of  the story's best features.  From the
beginning it sucks you up like a vacuum cleaner, swirls you round and
round and spits you out the other end.  But the best thing about it is
it's precise, deft characterization.  With clean, accomplished strokes
Alara has painted us a clear picture of Erik's anger and Magda's
frustration.  Erik uses his words like scalpels and Magda bleeds.  She
is genuinely horrified at what she did and she never, never going to do
that again ... Wisely Alara resist the urge to *tell* us that Magnus is
too blinded by pride and love to see the truth.  She shows us instead.

An altogether chilling little story.  I highly recommend it:):)



Dannell