Reviews

Lullaby for a Lost World by Aliette de Bodard

gabrielavmarques's review against another edition

3.0

Well, this might have been interesting had it been more developed.
The short is interesting and the voice of the narrator intriguing. However, nothing at all is explained or enlightened to the reader.

bingus_boingus's review against another edition

2.0

The end sequence just kinda disappointed me

ghada_mohammed's review against another edition

4.0

A dead MC with questionable morality/sanity, a blood-sucking magical house, a cult of murdurers who call themselves survivors and a vengeance that went too far in 14 pages! When it comes to spectacular storytelling, Aliette de Bodard proves that length is irrelevant.

yiuve's review

dark medium-paced

3.0

butter_fly's review

dark mysterious sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

kookykoi's review against another edition

3.0

A good, quick read. Perhaps I would've liked this to be a little longer, if only to give me more detail into the backstory of the characters and the setting but as I write that, it occurs to me that the writer purposefully held back those details.

I might read this again in the future, if only to try and pick up what I might have missed the first time around.

coralswank's review

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? N/A
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Child death, Gore, Slavery, Murder, and Classism

Minor: Terminal illness, Torture, and Violence

bellatora's review against another edition

3.0

Precisely written and atmospheric, de Bodard explores whether the sacrifice of the few is worth the safety and prosperity of the many. This is an idea that has been delved into many, many times before (even Supernatural had a season 1 episode on this concept). The answer in fiction is always "no" which is interesting because societies have always been built on the answer being "yes" (from slavery to factory labor, whether we are in the immediate presence of the abuse, or whether, for instance, we will never see the child slaves harvesting the cocoa for the cheap chocolate we eat).

Although I appreciate the emotion and artistry that de Bodard brings to this story, it is very short and ultimately a bit unsatisfying - the reason why I historically avoided short stories is that they usually feel jarringly abrupt. An author can only pack so much character development and word building into less than 2 dozen pages, and de Bodard certainly does an admirable job putting a lot of both in while telling a brief but complete story. Still, it's like getting a single taste of a lovingly plated and deliciously prepared feast - most of the time, I want a full meal, not just a bite.

literallyspiderman's review against another edition

3.5

happy halloween woot woot

crunden's review against another edition

You do not rest. You cannot forgive. You are not safe—you never were.

This really reminded me of [b:The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|33632660|The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas|Ursula K. Le Guin|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1518291620l/33632660._SY75_.jpg|89324]. The overall tone is quite depressing, though the writing was good. It's really, really bleak though. :(