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A review by poultrymunitions
Prosperity by Alexis Hall
5.0
sing hallelujah, julio—because otherwise your mouth's hangin' open for nothing.
the setting.
nineteenth century AU england.
a lawless prospecting town floating in the sky.
airships that run on magic—and the interdimensional sky-krakens who threaten them.
now, if that's not the most gloriously batshit thing i've ever heard of—
...why are you still sitting there with that face on? why haven't you bought it yet?
the characters.
a black, bisexual, teenaged card-sharp, fresh from the gutter and lookin' to score. [hot as fuck.]
a fallen missionary with everything to give—built like a boxer, with a heart of gold. [hot as fuck.]
a murderous crimelord, as vicious as he is beautiful, after one last payday before he dies. [hot as fuck.]
a lesbian, opium-addicted navigatrix who can hear the kraken stirring in their sleep. [hot as fuck.]
and
an androgynous skycaptain in piratical boots and fluttering petticoats, with eyes like twin portals to an infinity of stars.
[hot.] [as.] [fuck.]
doesn't that sound awesome?
c'mon, you know that sounds awesome.
gimme five.
do you see? do you see, now?
i am nearly deranged with the happy.
whores! and pirates! and yet more whores!
did i fucking tell you about the motherfucking krakens in the sky???
the story.
from the first line to the last, my ass was so riveted i could barely trouble to fap during any of the spectacular love scenes.
i read a late draft in march, and it was so good that i immediately pinged my editor to inform her in tones of both the vilest jealousy and the most overwhelming stupefaction:
"i've just read my favorite book of 2014."
i wasn't even kidding.
because even now, 200 some-odd books later and possessed of a knife-edged weariness for all things Shitty Writez, i am still in love with this amazing book.
i've just read it for the second time, y'see? and... i tried. i did. tried to take my time, to really appreciate all the lovingly inlaid nuance and cleverness; all the heartbreak and the magic; all the passion, and insight, and beauty, and romance—
—but no.
just like the first time, i got really, really into it.
inhaled that fucker all over again, like it was dick-flavored, crack-infused deliciousness in an awesome awesomesauce sauce.
people of earth: i tell you it's bloody wonderful.
crackling with energy and humor so sharp and sweet i cackled like a witch over a cauldron.
full of everything that makes everything fun—i told you about the krakens in the sky?—but also with the kind of inimitable joy and wonder you only find in the most truly special stories of all.
five. fucking. stars.
obviously.
i fell in love. i fell in love and my world can never go back to what it was.
and—because i am apparently beloved by god as well as alexis hall—it doesn't have to.
...bcuz there's more on the way.
more.
several more stories in this universe.
on the way.
to me.
(and also you. but whatever.)
and you can trust me on that—because i've already read them, too.
and just like 2014 before it...
the year 2015 is spoken for.
__________
now, i know some of you are lookin' at me right now all jelez and bitter and wondering how it is i got to read so much hotness soooooooo much sooner than you.
but you should chiiiiiiiill.
it's not as if i'm making a big deal about it.
i mean, i know it feels bad.
like a... fiery ball of crispy hate inside you, right? deep inside you?
as if i were strutting around the place like
hahahaha. but seriously, no, not at all.
y'see, the explanation is simple. i was a beta reader, for one.
but beyond that, me'n my boy alexis hall is tight. we go waaaay back. all the way to, like, february, at least.
i guess i'm just lucky like that, y'know?
it's really humbling.
the setting.
nineteenth century AU england.
a lawless prospecting town floating in the sky.
airships that run on magic—and the interdimensional sky-krakens who threaten them.
now, if that's not the most gloriously batshit thing i've ever heard of—
...why are you still sitting there with that face on? why haven't you bought it yet?
the characters.
a black, bisexual, teenaged card-sharp, fresh from the gutter and lookin' to score. [hot as fuck.]
a fallen missionary with everything to give—built like a boxer, with a heart of gold. [hot as fuck.]
a murderous crimelord, as vicious as he is beautiful, after one last payday before he dies. [hot as fuck.]
a lesbian, opium-addicted navigatrix who can hear the kraken stirring in their sleep. [hot as fuck.]
and
an androgynous skycaptain in piratical boots and fluttering petticoats, with eyes like twin portals to an infinity of stars.
[hot.] [as.] [fuck.]
doesn't that sound awesome?
c'mon, you know that sounds awesome.
gimme five.
do you see? do you see, now?
i am nearly deranged with the happy.
whores! and pirates! and yet more whores!
did i fucking tell you about the motherfucking krakens in the sky???
the story.
from the first line to the last, my ass was so riveted i could barely trouble to fap during any of the spectacular love scenes.
i read a late draft in march, and it was so good that i immediately pinged my editor to inform her in tones of both the vilest jealousy and the most overwhelming stupefaction:
"i've just read my favorite book of 2014."
i wasn't even kidding.
because even now, 200 some-odd books later and possessed of a knife-edged weariness for all things Shitty Writez, i am still in love with this amazing book.
i've just read it for the second time, y'see? and... i tried. i did. tried to take my time, to really appreciate all the lovingly inlaid nuance and cleverness; all the heartbreak and the magic; all the passion, and insight, and beauty, and romance—
—but no.
just like the first time, i got really, really into it.
inhaled that fucker all over again, like it was dick-flavored, crack-infused deliciousness in an awesome awesomesauce sauce.
people of earth: i tell you it's bloody wonderful.
crackling with energy and humor so sharp and sweet i cackled like a witch over a cauldron.
full of everything that makes everything fun—i told you about the krakens in the sky?—but also with the kind of inimitable joy and wonder you only find in the most truly special stories of all.
five. fucking. stars.
obviously.
i fell in love. i fell in love and my world can never go back to what it was.
and—because i am apparently beloved by god as well as alexis hall—it doesn't have to.
...bcuz there's more on the way.
more.
several more stories in this universe.
on the way.
to me.
(and also you. but whatever.)
and you can trust me on that—because i've already read them, too.
and just like 2014 before it...
the year 2015 is spoken for.
__________
but you should chiiiiiiiill.
it's not as if i'm making a big deal about it.
i mean, i know it feels bad.
like a... fiery ball of crispy hate inside you, right? deep inside you?
as if i were strutting around the place like
hahahaha. but seriously, no, not at all.
y'see, the explanation is simple. i was a beta reader, for one.
but beyond that, me'n my boy alexis hall is tight. we go waaaay back. all the way to, like, february, at least.
i guess i'm just lucky like that, y'know?
it's really humbling.