Reviews

The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion by Margaret Killjoy

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patrickmcguire's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

4.0

The setting to this supernatural horror novella is a lot of fun, offering a sort of queer punk commune made up of squatters and/or idealistic radical leftists who are noticeably less common in fiction than in real life. I also really enjoy how the story's themes reinforce that atmosphere, meditating on the abuse of power and potential for accountability and redress in a would-be utopian anarchist society. One of my favorite modes for engaging with fantasy as a genre is to read its external signs of magic as a reflection or expression of character, so the idea of an undead animal spirit guarding the lawless settlement and mindlessly executing anyone it deems a threat strikes me as an apt way to explore the tensions inherent in that kind of flat social hierarchy. The demonic presence merely embodies the underlying problem of how to protect a community without undue imposition on the freedoms of its members.

Or if you'd like, this is the tale of a drifter looking into her friend's suicide, who winds up uncovering some spooky business at his old stomping grounds and has to decide whether it's worth sticking around to help set things right. I'm not sure where the series will take this protagonist next, and as with many works of this length, I think this particular adventure might have been stronger as a full-fledged novel. But it's a neat ride with a diverse cast and an overall ethos that I've found quite appealing.

[Content warning for police violence, gore, panic attacks, and mention of rape and domestic abuse.]

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graciouswarriorprincess's review

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dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? N/A
Loveable characters? N/A
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.0

anzz26's review

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dark emotional funny mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

dialhforhgai's review

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4.0

“Always afraid, never a coward.”

eldritchreader's review

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4.0

Trigger warnings:
Spoiler
suicide, knife violence, animal death & mutation, death of a brother, death of a friend, rape discussed, animal attack, panic attack

This short novella packs a serious punch! Unapologetically inclusive, packed full of magic and free-thinking, Killjoy presents a story like no other that I have come across.

Note: Review copy (audiobook) received from Libro.FM. This does not impact opinions within this review.

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Happy reading! ❤

hellowormemoji's review

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adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

i really appreciate what she’s doing here. i think the concept is great and some of the characters are fun. it’s a good short book — reminds me of those long series of short books you’d read as a kid like magic treehouse or something.

that said: not consistently good prose. funny at times which was awesome and helped with character. at times felt preachy. also like if she cut every time she wanted to invert a sentence and repeat it…..this book would cut in half.

too literary/earnest/contemplative of a narrator for something like this. felt punk in world but not in style or tone.