Skip to the content.

“What I Saw Before the War” by Alaya Dawn Johnson

Main Index / Reviews Index / Fiction Reviews Index / 2025 Reviews Index

Story can be read on-line: https://reactormag.com/what-i-saw-before-the-war-alaya-dawn-johnson/

Rating: 3/5 Stars.

A woman starts to lose her sight and has to go to the city for a diagnosis. The country is preparing for war, and she worries her husband may be drafted into it, being used (and drained) as a source of energy by the mages employed by the army. In the city, she stays at her old family house and sees more war preparation. But she also sees shadows that seem to be telling her about a way she may be able to save her family from the war.

Story read from 2025/05/08 to 2025/05/08.