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colossal 's review for:
Deep Roots
by Ruthanna Emrys
The first book in this series, [b:Winter Tide|29939089|Winter Tide (The Innsmouth Legacy, #1)|Ruthanna Emrys|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1463670456s/29939089.jpg|47306624], introduced a Lovecraftian mythos Earth with a found family where the monsters are just other sorts of people.
Aphra Marsh and her confluence are seeking other humans with connections to the Deep Ones so that they can repopulate Innsmouth before the whole town is swallowed up by developers. On coming to New York they have some success, but also become involved with the FBI again because of increasing activity from the Outer Ones, the meigo. The Outer Ones are in danger of stepping in to manipulate the politics of the Cold War, with potentially disastrous consequences.
These books are wonderful, particularly in their inclusiveness and commentary on moving on from the disasters of the past. They take these themes far beyond things that we struggle with now like race, gender and sexuality into species, reality and horrific elements. The author has a genius for demonstrating that even things like the Mi-go brain canisters actually have an upside while still preserving the visceral horror of the concept. Aphra's love for the Elders of her people never conceals that they're horrific looking fish/frog people with needle sharp teeth. Even ghouls get a sympathetic treatment here.
I will say that this book is very slow and features a lot of talking between large groups of people. This can feel a little clumsy, as when a character who hasn't been part of a conversation for several pages suddenly interrupts with a comment. You're left wondering at times who else is in the room other than the people dominating the conversation and the person who just interjected. The first book was a bit like this too, but this book increases the cast and exacerbates the problem. Still, they're interesting conversations, and the primary way that we see characterization, as there isn't really a lot of other action. To give an explicit example, the final conflict is resolved by.
One final note is that the book ends in a really interesting place. The series could end here and be quite reasonably wrapped up, but I'm really excited by what Innsmouth will look like a few years after this book ends.
Aphra Marsh and her confluence are seeking other humans with connections to the Deep Ones so that they can repopulate Innsmouth before the whole town is swallowed up by developers. On coming to New York they have some success, but also become involved with the FBI again because of increasing activity from the Outer Ones, the meigo. The Outer Ones are in danger of stepping in to manipulate the politics of the Cold War, with potentially disastrous consequences.
These books are wonderful, particularly in their inclusiveness and commentary on moving on from the disasters of the past. They take these themes far beyond things that we struggle with now like race, gender and sexuality into species, reality and horrific elements. The author has a genius for demonstrating that even things like the Mi-go brain canisters actually have an upside while still preserving the visceral horror of the concept. Aphra's love for the Elders of her people never conceals that they're horrific looking fish/frog people with needle sharp teeth. Even ghouls get a sympathetic treatment here.
I will say that this book is very slow and features a lot of talking between large groups of people. This can feel a little clumsy, as when a character who hasn't been part of a conversation for several pages suddenly interrupts with a comment. You're left wondering at times who else is in the room other than the people dominating the conversation and the person who just interjected. The first book was a bit like this too, but this book increases the cast and exacerbates the problem. Still, they're interesting conversations, and the primary way that we see characterization, as there isn't really a lot of other action. To give an explicit example, the final conflict is resolved by
Spoiler
basically a sit-in by one of the groups of the Outer OnesOne final note is that the book ends in a really interesting place. The series could end here and be quite reasonably wrapped up, but I'm really excited by what Innsmouth will look like a few years after this book ends.