24 April 2013

Review: Fugue by MA Dunham


Life is falling into place for Lia—a great guy and a start to a new, happy life. Until she wakes up in a psychiatric ward, with a husband she doesn’t remember and a name, Karen, that she’s never heard in her life.

Karen can’t remember the last few months. Her husband assures her it’s part of her illness, but strange signs, and a pregnancy she couldn’t possibly have conceived, says otherwise.

She has two lives. Only one of them is real.



This is a great little story. It’s one of those you have to pay attention to, though; otherwise you’ll get a little more confused than the author intended.

And yes, the author does intend you to be slightly confused, at least in the beginning. That's part of the fun. 

Our main character lives two lives – free-spirit Lia and housewife Karen, whose doctor husband is incredibly controlling. It seems Lia/Karen has been experiencing fugue states, and Greg has been keeping close tabs on her. Dunham does a wonderful job of conveying Lia’s confusion throughout the piece and, though the story is a short, she keeps the tension high and the stakes higher.

I loved the addition of Ariel, a character who seems to have great stakes in Lia’s life and existence. She’s deliciously dark and somewhat self-serving, which makes her a great foil for Lia, who simply wants to understand why everyone keeps calling her Karen.

The story is the first in Dunham’s Entwined Chronicles and will leave you anxious for the next installment.

"Fugue" is available at:



1 comment:

M. Dunham said...

Thanks much for the review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it.