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3.77 AVERAGE
3.77 AVERAGE
Strange, bloody, dare I say...visceral story of a motley assortment of messed up people who band together after trying to kill each other in a disturbingly bloody world. The characters are fascinatingly awful and relatably human, the worldbuilding is intriguing and the plot pulled me through the book even when I was cringing at what was going to happen next. Multiple trans characters were very welcome to see as well
I came for a quick read with some lovecraftianish body horror, and lovecraftianish body horror I did receive! However, the trans representation, world building (the story manages to be both self contained while introducing us to what seems to be a sprawling and complex world) and entirely-too-likable-for-the horrible-things-they-do characters bumped this up to four stars for me. Definitely check it out if descriptions of characters wading through a river of corpse slurry in their bare feet doesn't gross you out too much!
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
My second time reading through the full thing. I wasn’t as sucked into the plot or as intrigued by what was going to happen as the first time, but I still found myself engaged by the characters and themes.
This is just such a unique mix of dark epic fantasy with body horror elements and dark, but real, themes. My biggest complaint is that it isn’t longer and that we weren’t given more world building. I would love a book about how all the gods died for instance.
Anyways if you are intrigued by following a female Deadpool-esque character, the drug addicts that harvested her organs, and a magically animated puppet trying to kill his creator in a world where the gods have died and the magic is chaotic, then this is the book for you.
This is just such a unique mix of dark epic fantasy with body horror elements and dark, but real, themes. My biggest complaint is that it isn’t longer and that we weren’t given more world building. I would love a book about how all the gods died for instance.
Anyways if you are intrigued by following a female Deadpool-esque character, the drug addicts that harvested her organs, and a magically animated puppet trying to kill his creator in a world where the gods have died and the magic is chaotic, then this is the book for you.
Body horror gets in the way of my emotional connection to stories, I guess? The writing was so lush and good, though, that I'm sad I didn't like it more.
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Viscera is the sleeper-hit of 2016. Speculative fiction at its core, Squailia puts her characters through the wringer just to see how they come out on the other side. Tackling themes such as the trans experience, addiction, and depression against the backdrop of a gory, deeply imaginative and immersive world where routine eviscerations and other bodily horrors are just a Tuesday, Viscera guides the reader through the human experience - the good, the bad, and the ugly. We're introduced to a cast of characters on quests for revenge and identity, family and release. Viscera is character-driven, profoundly human, and literally hilarious. 5/5.
Also? Trans main characters written by trans authors? Yes, please.
Also? Trans main characters written by trans authors? Yes, please.