A review by esuchyta
Glorious Day by Skye Kilaen

=== I received an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review ===

Glorious Day is an enjoyable, nothing-to-lose single sitting kind of novella. Nevertheless, do not mistake it as breezy and content-free. It's all-too-current, in the face of police/government resistance to protest. I thought the author made a great choice to set it in a future-seeming world. Stories of this kind are more often found in a (Medievalish) fantasy setting, but the issues at the heart of the action have not been laid to rest in the past, and will plague future civilization without careful attention.

Likely you'll see this book with a romance tag. I used to be one of those people who looked down on that tag, (and I urge you not to be that guy), but now I try ignore useless genre reservations. Admittedly, I'm not a big fan of the overly sap-o-rific, and if that worries you, that's not a concern in this book. It's genuine and sweet, but also pragmatic and palatable.

Where this novella really shines is in its representation. The princess is blind, but not handicapped by it. A character has to adjust after losing several fingers. Nonbinary gender pronouns are found, not as if they are something otherly, but just matter of factly, as it should be out there in the real world, as normal as he/him and she/her. And I almost forgot to mention that the main love interest is F/F -- there's just a lot inclusivity.

I will say, this might have been even better as a full novel. In many places, the back story could be developed further, with the civil unrest, different members of the court/guard, etc. At the same time, I give the author credit for trying to do as much as she does in the space of novella, and not coming out with a complete mess. I was left wanting in a few places, but such is a novella.

In conclusion, this is a good title if you're looking for a short foray into Indie publishing, which once you know where to look, tends to be ahead of the curve compared to major publishers on disability and LGBTQIA+ issues.