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readingthroughinfinity's review
3.0
When the desert finally lets you go, naked and stumbling, your body humming with raw power and the song of dead things coiled under your tongue, you find Marisol waiting for you at the edge of the bluffs.
There's something about the desert that seems unknowable and enchanting, so in a novelette that uses the desert as its setting, I was expecting elements of magic and myths. I wasn't disappointed.
Following Ellis and Marisol, as they try to understand Ellis's powers and survive in the rundown town, the story uses poetry and lyricism to build vivid pictures of a sand kingdom that is both beautiful and brutal. This story is as dark as they come, involving necromancy, death and metamorphosis, yet it's also filled with hope.
The characters of Ellis, Marisol, Madam Lettie and William were detailed and well-developed, which is an admirable feat in a short story. I did, however, feel the plot was confusing at times and could have been written more lucidly without spoiling the mystery of Ellis's abilities. There were moments when scenes cut from one to the other quite jarringly, giving little away about what had transpired. While these transitions served to show Ellis's confusion, I think they could have been smoothed out to maintain fluidity.
Where Alyssa Wong excels is her narrative style. The writing is delectable; full of sibilance, crushing metaphors and wonderful descriptions, it gives us an unadulterated view into the word she has created. And what a world that is. Full of monsters and men trying to gain control over the desert, who will be controlled by no-one.
I'm not sure whether this novelette is own voices, as the characters' heritages are never mentioned, but it's certainly diverse. Ellis and Marisol are POC, and the only character who is explicitly stated to be white is William, described as 'fair-skinned' with 'blond hair'.
I will say that this is written in second person present tense, and I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, so if you don't like that narrative style then this might not be for you. But the prose and mystery are pretty enthralling and it's a very quick read, so if you're looking to read more short stories then I'd definitely give it a go.
The story can be found here: http://uncannymagazine.com/article/youll-surely-drown-stay/
There's something about the desert that seems unknowable and enchanting, so in a novelette that uses the desert as its setting, I was expecting elements of magic and myths. I wasn't disappointed.
Following Ellis and Marisol, as they try to understand Ellis's powers and survive in the rundown town, the story uses poetry and lyricism to build vivid pictures of a sand kingdom that is both beautiful and brutal. This story is as dark as they come, involving necromancy, death and metamorphosis, yet it's also filled with hope.
The characters of Ellis, Marisol, Madam Lettie and William were detailed and well-developed, which is an admirable feat in a short story. I did, however, feel the plot was confusing at times and could have been written more lucidly without spoiling the mystery of Ellis's abilities. There were moments when scenes cut from one to the other quite jarringly, giving little away about what had transpired. While these transitions served to show Ellis's confusion, I think they could have been smoothed out to maintain fluidity.
Where Alyssa Wong excels is her narrative style. The writing is delectable; full of sibilance, crushing metaphors and wonderful descriptions, it gives us an unadulterated view into the word she has created. And what a world that is. Full of monsters and men trying to gain control over the desert, who will be controlled by no-one.
I'm not sure whether this novelette is own voices, as the characters' heritages are never mentioned, but it's certainly diverse. Ellis and Marisol are POC, and the only character who is explicitly stated to be white is William, described as 'fair-skinned' with 'blond hair'.
I will say that this is written in second person present tense, and I know this isn't everyone's cup of tea, so if you don't like that narrative style then this might not be for you. But the prose and mystery are pretty enthralling and it's a very quick read, so if you're looking to read more short stories then I'd definitely give it a go.
The story can be found here: http://uncannymagazine.com/article/youll-surely-drown-stay/
arkron's review
4.0
It is a mining town in some Wild West desert, where Ellis lives in a brothel. He was orphaned three months ago in a catastrophic mining event. Now, he slowly learns about his necromantic powers. A love story mixed with phantastic elements, mother desert, a preacher.
Somehow, the setting remembered me of Jackalope Wives. It is a story about doomed love, loyality, finding a place to fit in.
Beautiful prose in second person, nice gothic desert setting, believable characters. I feared that the story would go for the Cthulhu dark side, but it clearly was a story on the lighter side, though it was tense. Not to forget the very satisfying ending.
Highly recommended!
Somehow, the setting remembered me of Jackalope Wives. It is a story about doomed love, loyality, finding a place to fit in.
Beautiful prose in second person, nice gothic desert setting, believable characters. I feared that the story would go for the Cthulhu dark side, but it clearly was a story on the lighter side, though it was tense. Not to forget the very satisfying ending.
Highly recommended!
thiefofcamorr's review
5.0
The best one of the lot - two orphans keep each other steady even as their lives start to pull them apart as they grow older. Marisol works in a brothel, and Ellis, our protagonist is a necromancer who's pulled into the desert each night to seek the dead. It's a piece that's beautifully written, elegantly handled, utterly engaging, and Wong needs a book deal this instant. Southern Gothic music is my favourite at the moment, and this short story is music in written form.
trish204's review
4.0
4.5 stars
Another short(er) story by one of the best young writers I've seen thus far. Seriously, the atmosphere Alyssa Wong is acapable of conjuring up is bloody fantastic!
This story is about magic, the deadly kind. It's about old, raw power as witnessed in nature. It's about a forsaken town and what happened / is still happening to certain people there. It's about inner and outer demons (being rotten literally as well as figuratively) and revenge.
To say that the place where all this happens is haunting would be like comparing most books to their movie adaptations. As another author once put it: it's like comparing a magic carpet to a paper napkin. Alyssa Wong can write scary things in a fearless way; she can conjure whole worlds in a single sentence; she can make a straightforward story mystifying and complex. And she did all of that with this story too.
Seriously, this is a feast for the eyes and mind and I loved every hot bit of it.
Another short(er) story by one of the best young writers I've seen thus far. Seriously, the atmosphere Alyssa Wong is acapable of conjuring up is bloody fantastic!
This story is about magic, the deadly kind. It's about old, raw power as witnessed in nature. It's about a forsaken town and what happened / is still happening to certain people there. It's about inner and outer demons (being rotten literally as well as figuratively) and revenge.
To say that the place where all this happens is haunting would be like comparing most books to their movie adaptations. As another author once put it: it's like comparing a magic carpet to a paper napkin. Alyssa Wong can write scary things in a fearless way; she can conjure whole worlds in a single sentence; she can make a straightforward story mystifying and complex. And she did all of that with this story too.
Seriously, this is a feast for the eyes and mind and I loved every hot bit of it.
macthekat's review
This is such a Seanan story! As so often in Seanan's short fiction this is a sad story almost from the get go and it is a story, that foreshadows the sadness and lets you come to grips with it.
loop's review
5.0
*Review solely for You’ll Surely Drown Here If You Stay by Alyssa Wong.
What a beautifully written short story. I don't often read short fiction, or 2nd person narratives for that matter, but this had me completely enthralled from the first sentence: "When the desert finally lets you go, naked and stumbling, your body humming with raw power and the song of dead things coiled under your tongue, you find Marisol waiting for you at the edge of the bluffs."
The is something magical about a second person narrative, and it is used to incredible effect in this story, making you feel just as the main character feels, which is often something not well defined, and hard to completely pin-down even at the end of the story. It's like you, the reader, is trying to figure out what the hell is up with this odd power the main character has and how everything ties together.
In the end, we get a surreal adventure that serves as an allegory for loss and grief that is hard to put down. I would highly recommend this even if just for the novelty of the 2nd person narration, but you'll end up staying for Alyssa Wong's beautiful and enchanting writing style.
What a beautifully written short story. I don't often read short fiction, or 2nd person narratives for that matter, but this had me completely enthralled from the first sentence: "When the desert finally lets you go, naked and stumbling, your body humming with raw power and the song of dead things coiled under your tongue, you find Marisol waiting for you at the edge of the bluffs."
The is something magical about a second person narrative, and it is used to incredible effect in this story, making you feel just as the main character feels, which is often something not well defined, and hard to completely pin-down even at the end of the story. It's like you, the reader, is trying to figure out what the hell is up with this odd power the main character has and how everything ties together.
In the end, we get a surreal adventure that serves as an allegory for loss and grief that is hard to put down. I would highly recommend this even if just for the novelty of the 2nd person narration, but you'll end up staying for Alyssa Wong's beautiful and enchanting writing style.
sarrie's review
5.0
Alyssa Wong never does me wrong. This may have been my favorite of her works yet. Wow.
bloodinthesigil's review
5.0
I am really just now delving into Alyssa Wong's short fiction and I have to say. It is some of the most beautiful short form that I have ever read! I really appreciate her use of language in this piece, the way she gives the dead life (ha! get it?) through her words. There is magic here, ancient and beautiful but also a curse in it's own way. No amount of power comes without a price here and I really love that she makes that very clear. No matter how strong that her characters get, they never stray outside of what makes them human to me, and that makes them so easy to get attached to. I can't wait to dive deeper into her catalog, hopefully soon they will give us an anthology/collection of her work!