Ismene and the Voice [ scifi | magic | librarian ]

Ismene's employer is thankless; her years of publishing experience are wasted when her contract is cancelled. If she doesn't accept a worse job, she's unemployed—and there are laws about that. The government is getting restless about grass-roots labor unions.

Worst of all, she'll stop visiting the Castle, with its luxuries, its mystery, and its seemingly-magical library. She's been using her access to help people get books. It has invited her to stay there—if she can make it.

And the Castle's ancient Voice needs a successor soon, or its systems will shut down...

A science-fiction fantasy blend, with a low-tech industrializing dystopia of a society and a very high-tech Castle. A story of the protagonists' conflict between duty and individual need. Vibes of Ghibli'sCastle in the Skywith the existential question ofAnnhilation. Optimistic. 87k words, complete, updating at least once a week. Please consider supporting the author at junipercalle.com or on Patreon.