I enjoyed this novella, but I think Lee was so taken by her concept that she neglected character building in favor of general coolness. Narrator Ester narrowly escaped a manticore attack that took half her family; her life became laser-focused towards joining the king’s mews, where rukhers tame and fly the giant rocs that are the kingdom’s only defense against the manticores. The core of the book is the dynamic between Ester’s complete devotion to her roc, and the knowledge that the roc is utterly unmoved by her affection or loyalty. The story makes occasional halfhearted forays into politics and propaganda, but Ester’s unwavering dedication to manticore murder gives her character very little room to grow. Pleasant read with very cool giant bird details, but does not feel like a complete story.
Tag: length-novella
On the Merits of Unnaturalness, by Samantha Shannon
Companion work to Shannon’s Bone Season series, and likely incomprehensible (even boring) to those who haven’t read it. This is the full version of the pamphlet published by one of the characters in the series, in defiance of the authoritarian government, classifying and defining forbidden voyant (psychic) talents. Obviously does not stand alone well but would be a good reference point for anyone wanting to return to the Bone Season series after a long break (that would be me).
The Sunken Mall, by K.D. Edwards
I was in withdrawal after finishing book 2 in Edwards’ Tarot Sequence, so I was delighted to find this little novella that slots in between books 1 and 2 in the main storyline. Basically Brand, Rune, and Addam take the teenagers shopping in an abandoned mall that was magically preserved and also, of course, slightly haunted. The 1980s nostalgia is on point, the magic and danger levels are just right, and the characters’ snarky fondness for one another carries through. Very satisfying read.
Clary Sage, by Victoria Goddard
Prequel novella to Goddard’s Greenwing and Dart series, exploring the character of Hal, who is quite aware of his responsibilities as the next Imperial Duke and is very solemn about seeing them through. He pops into the series quite fully-formed so it’s interesting to see where he came from, and the sorts of decisions he had to make to get where he is in the main storyline.
The Tower at the Edge of the World, by Victoria Goddard
Prequel of sorts to The Hands of the Emperor, though it makes more sense if you read Hands first. This novella details Artorin’s time as the Marwn, the “spare” heir to the throne, and how he dealt with the mental and magical burden of that enforced loneliness. It’s an challenging viewpoint from which to write, since as the Marwn he is robbed of anything like a personal identity; however, it’s neat to watch as his essential mischief and curiosity manages to penetrate the smothering magic around him.
The Return of Fitzroy Angursell, by Victoria Goddard
This novella takes place between The Hands of the Emperor and At the Feet of the Sun, and I wish I’d read it before the latter, since it does a lot to establish the character of Artorin. He does experience a significant change at the end of the first book, and the contrast that it created in his character between the first and second books was quite jarring to me as a reader. This novella is written from his point of view and details his immediate experiences after the conclusion of the first book, and sets him on the path to becoming who he is in the second; he also meets up with a few of the Red Company. It honestly felt a bit unfinished, as there were more of the Red Company left to meet, and more stories of their meetings yet to tell; however, Artorin does make enough of a peace with his new self to make the ending acceptable. Certain chapters will make a ton more sense to anyone who’s also read Goddard’s Greenwing & Dart series.
The Warrior of the Third Veil, by Victoria Goddard
This novella, book 2 of the Sisters Avramapul, is about the return home of the warrior Pali Avramapul and her sister Sardeet, the widow of a god. It details with their unorthodox return to their roots and how they must define their new roles, having left under different circumstances and as very different people. Not actually a lot of action compared to the prequel, but plenty of soul-searching, character growth, and consequential decisions. I didn’t actually much like Pali from her appearances in the other books, and this account warmed me to her.
More than a Little Warped, by Annette Marie and Rob Jacobsen
Novella, #3.5 in the Warped sub-series of Annette Marie’s Guild Codex. This one covers what was going on in the magical police division during the climactic battle at the end of the Spellbound and Demonized sub-series. It’s a credit to Marie and Jacobsen that they keep things tense and interesting; from the other books, you know where Agents Kit and Lienna end up, but you don’t know how they get there. A lot of the plot of this novella depends on the reader knowing what’s going on from the Spellbound series, so definitely don’t read this if you’ve only read Warped sub-series alone. I really liked Kit’s interaction with Captain Blythe and Lienna here; you don’t often get to see Blythe in action and it was as just cool as one would have hoped. Lots of good zingers from Kit as usual, and most of the plot threads get wrapped up neatly, though of course there’s still unresolved stuff at the end.
Into the Riverlands, by Nghi Vo
Another installment in the continuing adventures of cleric Chih and their companion bird, Almost Brilliant; in this volume Chih wanders into the violent Riverlands seeking tales of the folk heroes (and villains) whose fights became legend. As usual with Chih, they find out that there is more to the story than is generally told. I loved the Riverlands characters introduced in this story, and how their interactions with Chih added depth to their stories.
Stories of the Raksura vol. 2, by Martha Wells
The two stories in this collection are “The Dead City” and “The Dark Earth Below.” The first is a prequel, which is an interesting adventure but doesn’t honestly add much to Moon’s character that we don’t already know about; we see yet again that he is slow to trust but quick to defend. The second deals with a threat to the neighbors of Indigo Cloud that coincides with Moon and Jade’s first clutch being born; the tension is kept high by Moon’s parenting issues and the real danger being presented by the attackers.