A story of a book, trains, boats, barns, heroes, and loss, along with impossible things like talking sparrows... and magic!

The story takes place in the same setting as the Contagious Magic series of books, starting with A Sudden Outbreak of Magic (all three books are also available as ebooks and trade paperbacks).

"Coal Ash and Sparrows" gives you a taste of the history of magic in those books, along with some unforgettable, sometimes tragic characters.

This story was first published in Asimov's Science Fiction Magazine.