Book Reviews

By Malka Ann Older
3/7/23
178 pages
$19.99
Tor Books

‘The Mimicking of Known Successes’

I make an effort each month to review books with wide appeal, stories most people could read and enjoy. That said, this one is a little niche, but I can’t help myself. I loved it! I’ve read it twice and feel compelled to share. 

It is a mix of steampunk and science fiction, a murder mystery, and the exploration of the divisions inherent in humanity all brilliantly woven in a neat package. When a man dies on a human colony set on Jupiter, a Sherlockian investigator is sent to discover why. Mossa isn’t thrilled with her new case at first, and she doesn’t think there’s much to it until her investigations take her to her old university and right into the orbit of her old girlfriend, Pleiti. 

The two dance around their feelings with all the awkwardness of reconnecting lovers while trying to uncover a conspiracy before more death intrudes on their dates. The mystery is intriguing, but the characters are even more magnetic, and the world-building is nearly perfect. 

I’m so glad novellas are “in” again in the publishing world. A stripped-down story with just the good parts is exactly what I need sometimes. I can’t wait for more adventures with these two characters. ♦ 

— Review by Julie Goodrich

By Alix Harrow
10/3/23
400 pages
$28.99
Tor Books

‘Starling House’

I have a penchant for folk tales and local myths. Appalachia is a wellspring of such tales, with its tangled knot of cultural influences. Legacies of indigenous peoples, African slaves and the European colonizers intertwine and make for some beautifully sad storytelling. I keenly remember sultry summers in the Smoky Mountains, listening to fabulous stories told in a lazy southern drawl. Alix Harrow channels that vibrant and contradictory world perfectly in her newest book, a rich story full of mystery and unexpected monsters.

Opal knows a lot about generational curses, even if she wouldn’t call it that. She’s a dreamer with nothing but nightmares to sustain her as she cares for her brother in a dying mining town in Kentucky. Poverty stains every aspect of her life until the enigmatic Starling House changes everything. A twisted version of Alice in Wonderland unfolds for Opal as her curiosity and desperation to find her brother a better life collides with a local legend rooted in horror, obligation and chains. 

Facing demons both personal and communal is a common theme in a Southern gothic tale. It’s a genre of paradox, drowsy and vibrant at the same time. When done well, the stories linger long after they’re finished, like a ghost. I think this one will haunt me for a while. ♦

— Review by Julie Goodrich