A review by midgardener
A Long Day in Lychford by Paul Cornell

2.0

In comparison to the previous two installments, this one felt like an utter mess. The exploration of what the Borders are, how they manifest visually/physically, and what, exactly, Autumn's role is in it all felt slapped together with no regard to guiding the reader along. And while there are worthwhile efforts to bring in racial intricacies and the social effects of Brexit, the antagonistic old man who causes much of the conflict in that area never receives a proper comeuppance. More than once do people just let him rant his apparently horrifically racist words without repercussion. Sure, many such folks are clearly beyond educating, but that does NOT mean we should advocate simply letting their spout their hateful bile, as Cornell depicts here.

On another note that has nothing to do with the writing, I've been listening to this series as eaudiobooks. This entry switched narrators, and it was a choice for the worse. While the new narrator's voice is deeper by nature, the fact that everyone now sounds like an older woman probably could've been avoided. It made scenes of dialogue quite difficult to navigate. Hopefully the next entry will either receive another new narrator, or a return to the perfectly charming previous one.

I'll be reading the sequel and hoping for a simpler, more cohesive plot style, and not another social-justice-acid-trip gone wrong.