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In Our Own Worlds: Four LGBTQ+ Tor.com Novellas
by Margaret Killjoy
I'll add reviews to the books as I read them.
The Black Tides of Heaven: 3.5
I so wanted to love this more than I did. I liked it, ok, but I didn't love it. In fact, I checked out books one and two from the library and, though I enjoyed book one, I still returned book two unread. I liked the non-western fantasy setting. I liked the genderless children (even if the singular use of they clashed with the plural they on occasion since there were two main characters). The writing is lyrical and I liked that too. But when it comes right down to it, I'm not a fan of that sparse writing style common in Chinese writing. This book covers 30+ years in a novella. As a result, I never felt I really got to know the characters or was invested in the building rebellion. I'm claiming no lack of quality. I can sense that it's well-written. This just isn't a style I personally like very much.
A Taste of Honey: 5
First, 500 stars for that cover. It is amazing. I'd have read the book just for that. Yes, I really would.
Second, wow, I loved this writing style. Yes, it was problematic. At times it became overly florid and some of the dialogue is anachronistic, but mostly I loved it. I especially appreciated the difference in dialect between Aqib and Lucrio.
Third, the ending. For most of the book I was enjoying it, but I wasn't loving it. The ending pulled this from a four-star read to a five-star read for me. Several complaints I'd harbored for most of the book were resolved in one fell swoop.
Fourth, I love the way gender norms were convoluted. Yes, if I'm honest, I often find this a cheap plot device and in a way, it is here too, but I think it's done usually well and I really enjoyed it. There were several points in the book where I just had to set it aside and laugh. This is never a bad thing to have happen, in my opinion.
Fifth, setting the book in a culture that more closely resembles Islam than Christianity. It's fantasy, so it's neither really, but so often you can see the roots of the imaginings, and here it's a refreshing change to find something beyond the strictures of the Christian church.
My only real complaints are the occasional missing word that I didn't think was intentional, but rather editing mishaps, and that I didn't feel overly connected to the characters. You don't get to know Lucrio at all really and Aqib always felt a little detached; his life speeding by too fast to really grab ahold of. But overall, I really enjoyed this and will be searching out more of Wilson's writing. I know, for example, that he has some free reads on Tor.com.
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion:
Passing Strange:
The Black Tides of Heaven: 3.5
I so wanted to love this more than I did. I liked it, ok, but I didn't love it. In fact, I checked out books one and two from the library and, though I enjoyed book one, I still returned book two unread. I liked the non-western fantasy setting. I liked the genderless children (even if the singular use of they clashed with the plural they on occasion since there were two main characters). The writing is lyrical and I liked that too. But when it comes right down to it, I'm not a fan of that sparse writing style common in Chinese writing. This book covers 30+ years in a novella. As a result, I never felt I really got to know the characters or was invested in the building rebellion. I'm claiming no lack of quality. I can sense that it's well-written. This just isn't a style I personally like very much.
A Taste of Honey: 5
First, 500 stars for that cover. It is amazing. I'd have read the book just for that. Yes, I really would.
Second, wow, I loved this writing style. Yes, it was problematic. At times it became overly florid and some of the dialogue is anachronistic, but mostly I loved it. I especially appreciated the difference in dialect between Aqib and Lucrio.
Third, the ending. For most of the book I was enjoying it, but I wasn't loving it. The ending pulled this from a four-star read to a five-star read for me. Several complaints I'd harbored for most of the book were resolved in one fell swoop.
Fourth, I love the way gender norms were convoluted. Yes, if I'm honest, I often find this a cheap plot device and in a way, it is here too, but I think it's done usually well and I really enjoyed it. There were several points in the book where I just had to set it aside and laugh. This is never a bad thing to have happen, in my opinion.
Fifth, setting the book in a culture that more closely resembles Islam than Christianity. It's fantasy, so it's neither really, but so often you can see the roots of the imaginings, and here it's a refreshing change to find something beyond the strictures of the Christian church.
My only real complaints are the occasional missing word that I didn't think was intentional, but rather editing mishaps, and that I didn't feel overly connected to the characters. You don't get to know Lucrio at all really and Aqib always felt a little detached; his life speeding by too fast to really grab ahold of. But overall, I really enjoyed this and will be searching out more of Wilson's writing. I know, for example, that he has some free reads on Tor.com.
The Lamb Will Slaughter the Lion:
Passing Strange: