Scan barcode
A review by stephenmeansme
Leviathan's Deep by Jayge Carr
4.0
This story reminded me a lot of THE BIRTHGRAVE, in that we follow the wild road of a powerful female protagonist, with much commentary on sexual politics. The observations were in some ways much more cutting in THE BIRTHGRAVE, but LEVIATHAN'S DEEP has the tighter story and no deus (or dea) ex machina.
One thing I wasn't sure about is why/how the Delyene women seem so irresistibly erotic to the human men - though that's very likely Carr's point, and the perspective discontinuity is intentionally sharp and artificially heightened - and how Kimassu of the Deylene was able (through a glass darkly) to grok some principles of "Terrene magics" but the star-faring Terrans were fucking up ET contact this badly.
Props for the ending, too - Kimassu is much changed by her adventure among Terrans, but not completely remade into something utterly un-Delyene.
One thing I wasn't sure about is why/how the Delyene women seem so irresistibly erotic to the human men - though that's very likely Carr's point, and the perspective discontinuity is intentionally sharp and artificially heightened - and how Kimassu of the Deylene was able (through a glass darkly) to grok some principles of "Terrene magics" but the star-faring Terrans were fucking up ET contact this badly.
Props for the ending, too - Kimassu is much changed by her adventure among Terrans, but not completely remade into something utterly un-Delyene.