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tinyjude's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
4.25
A very interesting set of stories. My favourites were definitely the Deepwater Bride, The Woman in the Hill and The Mysterious Study of Doctor Sex (MORE PALAMEDES AND CAMILLA CONTENT AHHHHH MY CHILDREN FROM THE SIXTH). Although all of them were thought-provoking. I really like Muir's protrayal of eldritch horror/cosmic horror, dead women resurrecting and complicated homoerotism between two weird girls.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicide, Cannibalism, Sexual violence, Body horror, and Rape
jurizprudence's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
4.0
as the title implies, this is a collection of short stories by tamsyn muir that appeared on several sff magazines and issues before, each one either a hit or a miss. i loved that the deepwater bride is emphasized, because honestly that novelet was a delight that kinda relieved my gideon and harrow withdrawal.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
the house that made the sixteen loops of time:
a magical house that throws bouts of ridiculous tantrums and its very patient, 42-year old owner. and also her best friend that she has feelings with. sweet and humorous. 3.5 stars.
the magician's apprentice:
what does it mean to be a master magic-wielder? eating away the childhood/adulthood of the girl you train in order to somewhat soothe your loneliness? or grooming her into the pleasures of cannibalism-based magic, because using magic has its toll on the physical body? both. intriguing and at times unsettling. 3.75 stars.
chew
juicy fruit and a revenant's revenge tale focused on crimes committed by soldiers post-ww2, particularly on women, told by a young boy. this was sad and i know it has a deeper meaning but i'm too tired to dive on that, and also this has some kind of cannibalism. again. 4.25 stars.
the deepwater bride
what if there's a lovecraftian horror, one that reboots the cthulhu myth, about girls with abandonment issues, complicated relationship with duty and desire, and are defined by their alienation and isolation from society. and also make it sapphic. sounds familiar? could honestly work as a griddlehark au, just switch up the names and it's perfect. weird, funny, beautiful. absolute favorite. 5 stars.
union
government-issued splice-wives meant to help farmers with farming and taking care of children, except they don't act normal and everything gets messy. has sci-fi aspects and body horror, and all the while confusing. 3 stars.
the woman in the hill
a cave that lures women, and the madness that comes with it. told through a letter the mc wrote to a friend. very hmmm. 4 stars.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Death, Rape, Violence, Body horror, Cannibalism, and Sexual violence
Minor: War
patri's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Very Muir-esque stories, I liked the themes in all of them, and the contrast between the dark subject matters and Muir's more informal tone. That said check content warnings.
The Deepwater Bride was my uncontested favorite, but The Magician's Apprentice is also good, they're probably the most similar ones, mainly because of that mix of dark themes and a lighter almost joke-y tone.
The Deepwater Bride was my uncontested favorite, but The Magician's Apprentice is also good, they're probably the most similar ones, mainly because of that mix of dark themes and a lighter almost joke-y tone.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, Rape, and Sexual violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcoholism and Vomit
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