Didn’t have a ton of energy to write full-fledged reviews for books this month, so here’s a quick roundup of some novellas I read alongside the Elemental Logic series.
Every Heart a Doorway (Wayward Children #1) by Seanan McGuire (Tor.com, 2016)
★★☆☆☆
Another one where I’m in agreement with the politics but the execution didn’t work for me. I’m especially here for the ace and trans representation, but, while I felt the trans character’s transness was revealed elegantly, the ace character going “I’m asexual; this is what that means” and providing a dictionary definition was exactly how I don’t like to see exposition done.
The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps (The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps #1) by Kai Ashante Wilson (Tor.com, 2015)
★★★★☆
For how plotless most of this novella is, I loved it! The vernacular surprised me in the beginning, but then I was in for the ride, and appreciated the tension between the narrative/dialogue voices. I also enjoyed the worldbuilding and vivid characters.
Annabel Scheme and the Adventure of the New Golden Gate (Annabel Scheme, #2) by Robin Sloan (via author’s website, 2020)
★★★★☆
Since I enjoyed the first Annabel Scheme novella more than either of the author’s novels, I was excited for this. Fun little romp, with some lines that are just *chef’s kiss* and an ending full of heart, though it kind of goes sideways in the middle.