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readmeup's review
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
asza's review
4.0
Halfway through this novella I realized it's the first book I've read about a poly relationship! new 2022 resolution unlocked, read more poly stuff
This story is set in London, in a world where magic exists and its practitioners are common enough but still seen as whimsical to the majority.
Layla is a wife and mom of 2, who works a somewhat regular job at a mortuary and tries to fit in with the rest of her pta community, keeping her poly life separate from her "home" life. Nat is the opposite, he's visibly queer, living in an apartment off royalties of an old holiday song, does simple spells, and has no permanent plan forward. The only thing in common between the two of them is their powerfully magical partner, Meraud, who has gone missing.
Following Meraud's metamours as they try to save their partner while also struggling through their feelings towards one another is fun and interesting. While they are bitter at times, they are mature about it (they are adults after all) and watching them figure each other out brings me holiday joy.
ps now I really want their mug that says Hulk Smash Patriarchy
This story is set in London, in a world where magic exists and its practitioners are common enough but still seen as whimsical to the majority.
Layla is a wife and mom of 2, who works a somewhat regular job at a mortuary and tries to fit in with the rest of her pta community, keeping her poly life separate from her "home" life. Nat is the opposite, he's visibly queer, living in an apartment off royalties of an old holiday song, does simple spells, and has no permanent plan forward. The only thing in common between the two of them is their powerfully magical partner, Meraud, who has gone missing.
Following Meraud's metamours as they try to save their partner while also struggling through their feelings towards one another is fun and interesting. While they are bitter at times, they are mature about it (they are adults after all) and watching them figure each other out brings me holiday joy.
ps now I really want their mug that says Hulk Smash Patriarchy
annab's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
beastcoastmac's review against another edition
4.0
oh damn...i genuinely would be more than happy to have more to read when it comes to these characters honestly
karenreader's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sadie_slater's review
5.0
I saw a lot of mentions of Katherine Fabian and Iona Datt Sharma's novella Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night on Twitter last month, and bought it because it sounded like a fun holiday read. I didn't actually get round to it until the very end of the holiday, but it proved to be just as much fun as a post-holiday read.
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night is a fantasy set in a London where magic is real, fairyland is just over there and magic users are just another minority group in a diverse society. In it, Layla (sensible pathologist with a wife and two children) and Nat (blue-haired non-binary composer) have to put aside their mutual dislike to follow a trail of clues to bring back their boyfriend Meraud, a brilliant magician who has disappeared after an overambitious spell wet wrong. It's charming and funny, pretty geeky, racially diverse and very queer; I really liked the magic system Fabian and Datt Sharma have invented, based on rules of three, found objects and associations, and I loved the way it tackled broader questions of love and belonging and family and queer existence. And in case this makes it sound a bit more serious than it is; it's fun and fluffy and a delightful quick read at a dismal time of year.
Sing for the Coming of the Longest Night is a fantasy set in a London where magic is real, fairyland is just over there and magic users are just another minority group in a diverse society. In it, Layla (sensible pathologist with a wife and two children) and Nat (blue-haired non-binary composer) have to put aside their mutual dislike to follow a trail of clues to bring back their boyfriend Meraud, a brilliant magician who has disappeared after an overambitious spell wet wrong. It's charming and funny, pretty geeky, racially diverse and very queer; I really liked the magic system Fabian and Datt Sharma have invented, based on rules of three, found objects and associations, and I loved the way it tackled broader questions of love and belonging and family and queer existence. And in case this makes it sound a bit more serious than it is; it's fun and fluffy and a delightful quick read at a dismal time of year.