A review by jaelynx
A Botanical Daughter by Noah Medlock

dark emotional mysterious tense slow-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

This mycelial Frankenstein-esque cosy horror focuses on two Victorian gentlemen hiding away their relationship in a vast rural greenhouse. Gregor is a botanist specialising in exotic plants and is determined to prove the value of fungal life to the Royal Horticultural Society. His partner, Simon, works in the basement on his taxidermy. When Gregor obtains a rare fungus from Sumatra demonstrating a unique ability for symbiosis with his plants, and a hint at intelligence, the two men strike upon an idea to give the fungus a unique substrate; a recently deceased human.

Alongside the two gentlemen is Jennifer; a housekeeper they have to bring in to keep things in order due to their rather neglectful (or simply AuDHD) chaos. When she chances upon the plant-human hybrid, named Chloe, she begins to grow closer to her as Chloe’s ‘fathers’ begin to have doubts as to their ability to control their experiment’s more dangerous tendencies.

It’s surprisingly sweet around the relationships between Gregor and Simon, and Jennifer and Chloe, as the strains of their unconventional family rapidly overtake any one person’s perceptions. Certainly when it comes to the tension between a child becoming pot-bound and a parent’s desire to control to keep their child safe. Throw in various angles of revenge, violence and plant love and this is one of my favourites for this year I think.

Side note: does anyone else notice how mycelium is the go-to for a lot of horror these days? Certainly not complaining, of course, it's cool.