Inez is a former space pilot of The Rule, a colonizing force in the galaxy that took her and her friends in before their homeworlds were burned to ashInez is a former space pilot of The Rule, a colonizing force in the galaxy that took her and her friends in before their homeworlds were burned to ash. After an accident, Inez is left for dead and spends a decade stewing in resentment and hate until she is dragged back by the Rule and forced to work for them - but she wants to destroy them instead.
Sui approaches this story from a perspective that isn't seen all too often. Yes, it is a revenge story and yes, it is about one person fighting against a larger fascist military rule, but she's no hero. She's a person barely holding it together. The story follows her as she deals with seeing her ex-girlfriend, ex-best friend (who is now sleeping with her ex-girlfriend), and the Third Sister, one of the ruling family of the Rule. Toxic relationships and bad decisions abound.
This is more of a character study in the end; while Inez is driven by revenge in a way that you may often see in grander space opera stories, there's nothing here to be said about faciscm, about colonialism, about revolution or society. It's just Inez's story as one person facing her own demons. That, I think is where this novella felt weak for me. The focus on the character work and the toxic relationships really took away from what I felt was a powerful story about a broken person facing her past and trying to burn it down because she has nothing left to give.
It's certainly an interesting story as a whole, though, and I liked this glimpse into the world. I wish it had done a little bit more to make the world feel more whole, but I did like how close it was to Inez as a character. ...more
This is a wonderfully engaging fantasy novella based on West African mythology. The world building is solid, our main character Ashâke is in turns symThis is a wonderfully engaging fantasy novella based on West African mythology. The world building is solid, our main character Ashâke is in turns sympathetic and stubborn, and the unfolding of the mystery of why the Orisha never spoke to Ashâke was great. Very excited for the follow up!...more
Now this is a fun dragon story that I can get behind.
This story follows Maddileh, a disgraced knight who decides that the only way to rehabilitate heNow this is a fun dragon story that I can get behind.
This story follows Maddileh, a disgraced knight who decides that the only way to rehabilitate her name and her image is to go into a dragon's lair to get a mythical sword called the Fireborne Blade. There's also a lot of magic here, as Maddie has a squire to assist her on the quest, and we also have a few flashbacks where she befriends a female mage.
The world building here is very solid. Interspersed throughout the novella are brief chapters that are essentially historical accounts of previous dragon slayings, showing how dangerous it is to do so, and discussing the myriad ways knights have died horribly. It builds up some great tension as we follow Maddie into the dragon's lair.
I won't say much else because there is a LOT more to the story beyond the synopsis that I found was a delight to discover as it unfolded. This was just FUN, and I'm so glad a sequel is already planned....more
This novella had NO BUSINESS being this fantastic. What the heck.
Wealthy family messiness, introducing Catalina as a main character and giving her so This novella had NO BUSINESS being this fantastic. What the heck.
Wealthy family messiness, introducing Catalina as a main character and giving her so much depth, viewing Nevada and Rogan from an outside perspective, bridezilla Nevada shenanigans, more adorable Baylor family dynamics, a certain character getting the ending they deserved...this was SO GOOD and fired on all cylinders.
I'm so excited to continue the series with Catalina now. She was so damn great as a POV character in this....more
While this is probably slots in as a third favorite after Mammoths and Riverlands, this was still a great entryI love Nghi Vo and I love this series.
While this is probably slots in as a third favorite after Mammoths and Riverlands, this was still a great entry and did not disappoint. In this novella, we follow Cleric Chih as they attend a wedding at a great estate where dark secrets hide in every corner. Nghi always has great character work, doing so much with so little; getting to know a new set of characters in each novella is a nice contrast to the familiarity of Chih and Almost Brilliant. ...more
The Butcher of the Forest is a lush, dark fantasy novella, reading more like a dark fairy tale than a full on horror story. A woman is forced into a dThe Butcher of the Forest is a lush, dark fantasy novella, reading more like a dark fairy tale than a full on horror story. A woman is forced into a dark, enchanted wood to find the children of a tyrant who wandered into it, and a vivid, confusing, dark, fever dream ensues.
I wish I could have enjoyed this much more, but I think stories that lean toward being told as fairy tales just aren't for me. I couldn't get a good grip on the story being told, nor figure out why I should care.
Premee Mohamad is certainly a fantastic writer with some great ideas - but this one didn't land for me. ...more
Look, I understand what Tchaikovsky was doing here, I understand the themes he was exploring. I understand the context of this entire novella. I underLook, I understand what Tchaikovsky was doing here, I understand the themes he was exploring. I understand the context of this entire novella. I understand.
But was MONKEY the word he had to pick for the Ogres to use as a pejorative for the "lesser" humans whom they use as a lower working/slave caste? Really? REALLY??
High discomfort aside, I found the forced distance between the reader and the main character hard to overcome. The reveal of why the second person voice was used made sense, but I didn't really like it. The narrative choice was interesting, but I think I would have liked this written from a different approach. There was just such a wide space between reader and character that I didn't really feel anything for the characters or their plight or the overall story....more
I grabbed pomegranates because it's shortlisted in the 2023 World Fantasy Awards for Best Novella, and I'm glad I did. While the story didn't quite hiI grabbed pomegranates because it's shortlisted in the 2023 World Fantasy Awards for Best Novella, and I'm glad I did. While the story didn't quite hit for me, it was still incredibly interesting and well written. Plus, it's a version of the Persephone myth that hasn't annoyed me.
It's hard to summarize this novella more than the official synopsis does, because doing anything more than that would give too much away. Essentially, massive climate change and the near end of the human race are a backdrop for the stories of Persephone, Demeter, and their fucked up Greek gods family. This novella plays around with interesting versions of the goddesses and their history, making for a pretty unique spin on the Greek gods. It's visceral in how it portrays female rage and how each character deals with it in their own way.
Priya Sharma is a very talented writer and that shines through. However, some of the choices made in the way the character narratives are told didn't quite work for me. I loved the interspersed Chorus sections, but I disliked how confusing it was jumping from Bear to Persephone (at times I couldn't tell who was narrating as we got back into it), and Demeter's storyline was alright.
There are some absolutely lovely, lyrical passages in this. The emotional heft and theming absolutely shines through despite my issues. I think this is worth a read, if sounds at all interesting. It may work for someone else much better than it did for me. ...more
Hmm I feel like this would have had more of an impact on me if I was better acquainted with the history of gothic horror and early speculative fictionHmm I feel like this would have had more of an impact on me if I was better acquainted with the history of gothic horror and early speculative fiction that other reviewers and cover blurbs mention.
As it is, Helpmeet is a very strange journey following a wife taking care of her husband as he wastes away from an unknown disease. The body horror in this is A+ top tier madness....more
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