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amandanemer's review
4.0
What can I say about this book when all I can think is: “jesus fucking christ”? Here, the reality is naked. It’s so damn good, omfg.
The beginning was a little confused for me and the 4 stars is because of that.
The beginning was a little confused for me and the 4 stars is because of that.
scrow1022's review
4.0
Awesome revenge/restoration fantasy. Gloried in the setting, the characters, the language.
jskstarr's review against another edition
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
nuevecuervos's review
4.0
I read this as a direct follow from A Taste of Honey, and I am amused, which I'm certain is not a word that anyone half-sane would use in conjunction with this novella.
This novella is about a justifiably angry black woman, Nisha, from Brooklyn, her dysfunctional relationship, and what happens when the devil hands them cursed weapons and takes them for lieutenants in a world where 45 has indeed been elected and Jim Crow laws are back (so what? two years from now? :\ ) Here's a hint-- it doesn't go well for anyone. They see black protestors on TV, and Anhell says to her that he's about goddamn tired of seeing crying black women, and for once wouldn't it be sweet to see some crying white people?
I mean, yes, but no, of course not. We as somewhat civilized people think, dude, all white people in general don't need to die-- we need the white people doing the killing to stop abusing their authority. We as angry people of all colors get real fucking tired of seeing people of color suffer and be blamed for that suffering, as though white people were just standing to one side the whole time, blameless and sweetly confused.
This story then is not just revenge fantasy; it's a vivid, explicit rumination on what would happen if you take that angry person with not a lot to lose, hand them a magical weapon that makes them want to do murder without conscience, and then leave it to them to point it at the persons they think need killing. It does not indeed take a genius to decide where those weapons are going to be pointed. It should be self-evident for anyone who's paying attention.
That said, why am I amused? Because I just finished bitching about how A Taste of Honey reads like faux victorian anime boylove set in a really interesting fantasy setting, and I am having some real trouble figuring out how we get to The Lamentation of Their Women from there (or vice versa). I kind of love that.
This novella is about a justifiably angry black woman, Nisha, from Brooklyn, her dysfunctional relationship, and what happens when the devil hands them cursed weapons and takes them for lieutenants in a world where 45 has indeed been elected and Jim Crow laws are back (so what? two years from now? :\ ) Here's a hint-- it doesn't go well for anyone. They see black protestors on TV, and Anhell says to her that he's about goddamn tired of seeing crying black women, and for once wouldn't it be sweet to see some crying white people?
I mean, yes, but no, of course not. We as somewhat civilized people think, dude, all white people in general don't need to die-- we need the white people doing the killing to stop abusing their authority. We as angry people of all colors get real fucking tired of seeing people of color suffer and be blamed for that suffering, as though white people were just standing to one side the whole time, blameless and sweetly confused.
This story then is not just revenge fantasy; it's a vivid, explicit rumination on what would happen if you take that angry person with not a lot to lose, hand them a magical weapon that makes them want to do murder without conscience, and then leave it to them to point it at the persons they think need killing. It does not indeed take a genius to decide where those weapons are going to be pointed. It should be self-evident for anyone who's paying attention.
That said, why am I amused? Because I just finished bitching about how A Taste of Honey reads like faux victorian anime boylove set in a really interesting fantasy setting, and I am having some real trouble figuring out how we get to The Lamentation of Their Women from there (or vice versa). I kind of love that.
kaa's review
4.0
Well, damn. This is brutal and uncomfortable and excruciatingly political. Kai Ashante Wilson has such a way with words.
schomj's review
4.0
'Nisha is evil in a way that I kind of love. Also, a Herrenvolk reference in a horror story? Awesome.
Gory with very dark humor. Includes racial and homophobic slurs.
Gory with very dark humor. Includes racial and homophobic slurs.
taranana's review
2.0
I liked Wilson's story "The Devil in America" so when I saw this story I knew I must read it. So I did and I feel kind of conflicted about this one.
I appreciate the writing skills of Mr Wilson and I can see the story is crafted fine and it is interesting to read about this characters and about what is happening but I have some issues with this story that take the fun out of it for me.
I am not a fan of stories where the author throws politics at me. I simply don't like it most of the time (there are few exceptions) and I feel like the author screams his politics at me in this story. I think it is important to show the issues in society but I think I like it more when it is not that visible that the author wants to show me something(I had the same issue with the YA Fantasy novel "Rebel of the Sands).
This is really angry and yeah...
Fine craft but not really my taste
I appreciate the writing skills of Mr Wilson and I can see the story is crafted fine and it is interesting to read about this characters and about what is happening but I have some issues with this story that take the fun out of it for me.
I am not a fan of stories where the author throws politics at me. I simply don't like it most of the time (there are few exceptions) and I feel like the author screams his politics at me in this story. I think it is important to show the issues in society but I think I like it more when it is not that visible that the author wants to show me something(I had the same issue with the YA Fantasy novel "Rebel of the Sands).
This is really angry and yeah...
Fine craft but not really my taste
popestig's review
4.0
There's a lot of raw, uncomfortable anger here. And blood. Lots of blood as well.