charliewarliee's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
The Language of Knives is a beautiful short story depicting the art of baking someone you love into a cake for the Gods. I really enjoyed this story and recommend it heavily!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
minooboh's review
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Cannibalism, and Death
malglories's review
3.0
a short story, on the short side, in which a father and daughter prepare their dead for fantasy death rites involving the turning of a corpse into a cake. interesting, with some gorgeous imagery. available here for free.
jasilunae's review
4.0
I just have to write a review for this as my rating can't be explained any other way.
This short story explains how humans in an alternative universe treat their dead or, to be more precise, how they prepare them, so the gods reward them an afterlife. (Descriptions of the ritual can be rather grafic and although this is a really short read it was kinda hard for me to continue for a bit at two or three points, but I'm also not really good with big open wounds or anything like that, so sensitive in this kind of area)
The writing style was refreshing, especially the second person POV, which I normally tend to avoid(although it's only rarely used anyway). After reading this story I think it would be interesting to have a set of stories about their past, simply because what was said kind of pulled me in and that in so few pages. I would really like to get to know these characters a little more.
It really doesn't take long to read this, so just give it a shot.
This short story explains how humans in an alternative universe treat their dead or, to be more precise, how they prepare them, so the gods reward them an afterlife. (Descriptions of the ritual can be rather grafic and although this is a really short read it was kinda hard for me to continue for a bit at two or three points, but I'm also not really good with big open wounds or anything like that, so sensitive in this kind of area)
The writing style was refreshing, especially the second person POV, which I normally tend to avoid(although it's only rarely used anyway). After reading this story I think it would be interesting to have a set of stories about their past, simply because what was said kind of pulled me in and that in so few pages. I would really like to get to know these characters a little more.
It really doesn't take long to read this, so just give it a shot.
warloujoyce's review
4.0
The purification bath makes it easy to pull him up and slide him onto the table, where the budding dawn seeping from the skylight above illuminates his transmogrification, his ascent. His skin has taken a rich pomegranate hue.
Summary: It’s about a daughter being taught by her parent to make a cake out of her favourite parent’s corpse as an offering to the gods for admission to an afterlife.
Warning: This is not for the gore-averse and those sensitive to detailed descriptions of flesh, limbs, and blood.
In concept, it is gruesome, but in execution, it is beautiful and poetic. Written in the second person POV, the author paints a vivid picture of the ‘cake-making’ procedure, touching on the emotional aspect that lies behind the process, especially when both the daughter and parent are personally attached to the lifeless body on the table.
I really liked it. If short stories were written like this, then can I have more please?
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
You rest your fingers, throbbing with pain from your manipulations. You have completed the last of your husband’s tale. You have written in the language of meat and bones and satisfied the gods’ hunger. You hope they will nod with approval as their tongues roll around the cooked flesh and swallow your sentences and your tether to life.
gingerbookaddict's review
3.0
Death.
A subject shrouded in fear of the unknown. Markov does an excellent job expressing the regret, memories and sadness that is often felt when saying goodbye to a loved one.
This could easily be a ritual observed in some far off land. Beautiful and gruesome.
A subject shrouded in fear of the unknown. Markov does an excellent job expressing the regret, memories and sadness that is often felt when saying goodbye to a loved one.
This could easily be a ritual observed in some far off land. Beautiful and gruesome.
jellyfish_7's review
4.0
I have been meaning to read this one for quite some time and luckily finally managed to do it. What can I say about this one?
I am not quite sure…
It was unsettling, but also tender. If I have to describe it in one sentence, I would say - certainly a different way to look at losing a loved one and grief. But different doesn’t mean bad. The story really pulled me in for that short while, when I was reading it.
I am not quite sure…
It was unsettling, but also tender. If I have to describe it in one sentence, I would say - certainly a different way to look at losing a loved one and grief. But different doesn’t mean bad. The story really pulled me in for that short while, when I was reading it.
amyotheramy's review
5.0
That's just ... wow ... read this. It's gory, but read this.
**Original review 7/22/15, updated 12/23/15**
Looking back, this bloody gem has stayed with me, stuck stubbornly in my mind, all year. I underrated this one for some reason when I first read it. Correcting that now. Five stars, easily. I don't want to review it or undress it in the slightest. (Not that it doesn't deserve it, but that it just might be best experienced with no prior explanation.) Really, just read it.
I wonder if there is a way to get this story onto the 2016 Hugo ballot?
**Original review 7/22/15, updated 12/23/15**
Looking back, this bloody gem has stayed with me, stuck stubbornly in my mind, all year. I underrated this one for some reason when I first read it. Correcting that now. Five stars, easily. I don't want to review it or undress it in the slightest. (Not that it doesn't deserve it, but that it just might be best experienced with no prior explanation.) Really, just read it.
I wonder if there is a way to get this story onto the 2016 Hugo ballot?