4.00 I'm starting to have a real love-hate relationship with novellas - especially Tor hardcovers with a protective cover like this one or the Murderbot series. Even when the books are very good - like this one - it feels quite like a scam to pay 20 € for your copy. I realise that almost half the problem is shipping and handling, but there really should be a better way of selling novellas than sticking the paltry 160 to 180 pages between even more expensive covers.

With that out of the way, be aware that while this is a lesbian Western story, it's also alternate history or at least alternate future, which is a plus for me, but your mileage may vary. It certainly adds to the alienation the reader feels and Sarah Gailey sure manages to paint a jarring picture that is neither quite The Handmaid's Tale nor A Canticle for Leibowitz, but shares some similarities with both titles. I really liked the way she paints the characters and the story is also quite a believable coming-of-age tale in a dystopia. However, the ending felt a little rushed and the characters felt like they didn't have quite enough space to manoeuvre in. The last quarter of the book, while not bad, does not quite hold up to the buid-up that comes beforehand. Still and interesting and engaging read if you don't mind the price per word.