I've read a lot of books with 'Lovecraftian vibes', books that posit themselves as 'Lovecraftian remixes', but they never quite catch the soul-sucking horror of The Statement of Randolph Carter. There is something horrible in the unknown, yes, but there's something further horrific in the fact that we are small players in a game where the rules are in a secret and unknowable language. The horror is precisely that, in the grand scale of the universe (for lack of a better term:) we are NPCs. Very few Lovecraftian updates seem to get this, but The Worm and His Kings really, really does. It's not trying to be uplifting, but if you find it uplifting (and you really might!) that's okay, because existence is a matter of perspective, time is casual, and the only constant is the burning of indifferent stars.
In general, I try to keep reviews short and …
I've read a lot of books with 'Lovecraftian vibes', books that posit themselves as 'Lovecraftian remixes', but they never quite catch the soul-sucking horror of The Statement of Randolph Carter. There is something horrible in the unknown, yes, but there's something further horrific in the fact that we are small players in a game where the rules are in a secret and unknowable language. The horror is precisely that, in the grand scale of the universe (for lack of a better term:) we are NPCs. Very few Lovecraftian updates seem to get this, but The Worm and His Kings really, really does. It's not trying to be uplifting, but if you find it uplifting (and you really might!) that's okay, because existence is a matter of perspective, time is casual, and the only constant is the burning of indifferent stars.
In general, I try to keep reviews short and not get too far into spoilers, but the deeper themes of this novella revolve around some revelations that are only revealed in the latter half of the story. There are no direct plot spoilers below, but I do discuss themes that will cause some reveals to be more telegraphed, and easily guessable, than if you're going in blind (like I did).
A cautionary tale on dating cis people, or a cautionary tale for cis people about how to not perceive trans people: it's both. This book is a resounding indictment of the idea that trans people are inherently so strong for being trans. It warns of the way in which cis people, in helping trans people, can often center themselves in their stories and in doing so harm trans people.
It is a story about trans people that is about more than basic representation; it actually engages in all the messy, painful, deeply important parts of being trans. Self-love and acceptance is not enough. The sharp and painful parts of you do not need to be exorcized in order for you to be valid. No one can validate you but you, and that's a hard, painful lesson to learn, a difficult journey to make, not a soft and cuddly tale full of hugs, kisses, and the beneficent approval of the right cis person.
Thematically, this book makes a trilogy with Gretchen Felker-Martin's Manhunt and Maya Deane's Wrath Goddess Sings, though I think this one is perhaps the most successful, possibly due to its brevity. This book is truly a 4.75 for me, losing that quarter star just because its ending is a little belabored, but that's fine. The Worm waits for us all.
I really, really wanted to like this book, because medieval fantasy with excellent worldbuilding, an interest in nuance, and female main characters, is incredibly thin on the ground. Regrettably, the writing was just too clunky for me to get into. I don't mean that in the sense of prose, but in the sense of how mood and character was conveyed. The writing would tell me what to feel, rather than having the characters react to it. Despite the book being of a reasonable length to get lots of scenes of characterization, I was instead informed post-hoc what the characters were like. Genuinely disappointing for such a promising premise, with such an interesting focus. I desperately want more books that deal with the (well researched!) intricacies of medieval law, set on the backdrop of a fantasy version of the Carolingian Renaissance, dealing with the politics of warring Germanic city states. Incredibly …
I really, really wanted to like this book, because medieval fantasy with excellent worldbuilding, an interest in nuance, and female main characters, is incredibly thin on the ground. Regrettably, the writing was just too clunky for me to get into. I don't mean that in the sense of prose, but in the sense of how mood and character was conveyed. The writing would tell me what to feel, rather than having the characters react to it. Despite the book being of a reasonable length to get lots of scenes of characterization, I was instead informed post-hoc what the characters were like. Genuinely disappointing for such a promising premise, with such an interesting focus. I desperately want more books that deal with the (well researched!) intricacies of medieval law, set on the backdrop of a fantasy version of the Carolingian Renaissance, dealing with the politics of warring Germanic city states. Incredibly promising! I may still read the sequel, just to find out if the writing has improved.
I think it's basically impossible for me to read books about the French Revolution in a biased, uncritical way, so please take the following with a grain of salt.
This is a troubled novel, and I think most of that trouble has to do with an essential friction between what it wants to be and what it has. I admit I'm not well-versed on the Scarlet Pimpernel, largely because its politics are reprehensible to me (pity the poor aristocrats!), but it's very much a product of its time. I can't be angry at it, it's historical. However, this book isn't historical. Written at a contemporary height of general awareness when it comes to capitalism and privilege, I blithely assumed this book's reinterpretation of the Scarlet Pimpernel would take that into account.
I was mistaken, which is the point where I put down the book.
Aside from my personal biases about …
I think it's basically impossible for me to read books about the French Revolution in a biased, uncritical way, so please take the following with a grain of salt.
This is a troubled novel, and I think most of that trouble has to do with an essential friction between what it wants to be and what it has. I admit I'm not well-versed on the Scarlet Pimpernel, largely because its politics are reprehensible to me (pity the poor aristocrats!), but it's very much a product of its time. I can't be angry at it, it's historical. However, this book isn't historical. Written at a contemporary height of general awareness when it comes to capitalism and privilege, I blithely assumed this book's reinterpretation of the Scarlet Pimpernel would take that into account.
I was mistaken, which is the point where I put down the book.
Aside from my personal biases about the politics of the French Revolution, the book's just not written or paced very well. Excessively YA in it's prose, it also constantly tries to reassure the reader that our heroine is in the moral right at a time that is highly morally grey. While some of the ways the main character tries to square this circle are interesting, they loose steam with each successive recommitment to upholding the status quo. Ultimately disappointing for me, I think it'd be enjoyable for people who don't have a giant chip on their shoulders with regards to this time period. But I can only write a review from my perspective.
I am constantly bemoaning the lack of literary SFF, any speculative fiction, horror especially, that tries to grapple with bigger questions than 'cool magic system' and 'but what if the hero was actually... a bad guy'. I only ask for a crumb, really, just tiny evidence of forethought.
Adam Roberts has provided me with a philosophical feast, replete with complex and nuanced ideas about the nature of human love, God, indifference, and how we approach the universe. The solution to the Fermi paradox was not the friends we made along the way; perhaps the answer is that we are the aliens, because we make painful, artificial divisions between each other, and so we will never truly be able to reach farther than our own front gardens.
No review will do this book justice. The esteem I feel for it, like our limited perception of the universe, is limitless.
“Ritengo sia possibile indicare una lista di caratteristiche tipiche di quello che vorrei chiamare l’‘Ur-Fascismo’, o il ‘fascismo eterno’. L’Ur-Fascismo …
In terms of genre, you will not read anything like this novel, but it's most accurate to call it an alternate history western and leave it at that. The major focus is on women's lives, and it uses the alternate history elements to tell a very modern story about women and AFAB people who have been marginalized by history. It has the rare hat trick of discussing very modern topics -- mental illness, queer topics, the role of women in society-- in a way that feels utterly true to the historical conventions it sets up. The characters don't know what the gender binary is, but the story is structured so no one is misgendered. The characters don't know what being bipolar is, but the story still treats these issues with care. The first person prose never obscures when it should illuminate; unlike many first person novels, it never takes the …
In terms of genre, you will not read anything like this novel, but it's most accurate to call it an alternate history western and leave it at that. The major focus is on women's lives, and it uses the alternate history elements to tell a very modern story about women and AFAB people who have been marginalized by history. It has the rare hat trick of discussing very modern topics -- mental illness, queer topics, the role of women in society-- in a way that feels utterly true to the historical conventions it sets up. The characters don't know what the gender binary is, but the story is structured so no one is misgendered. The characters don't know what being bipolar is, but the story still treats these issues with care. The first person prose never obscures when it should illuminate; unlike many first person novels, it never takes the easy way out. Overall, an excellent novel that I recommend to anyone who loves stories of women who get their hands dirty.
