Reviews

Her Silhouette, Drawn in Water by Vylar Kaftan

tehani's review

5.0

Clever writing, interesting concepts, a thoughtful, well-paced read!

butteredgarbage's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

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

1.5

vis_98's review

adventurous mysterious fast-paced

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

3.25

The blurb on the back of the book doesn't isnt much help discerning what this book is about but considering the main character starts out not knowing either that's probably a good thing. I won't spoil anything, but I think the premise is very interesting and not something I've seen before. I like the world and I even like the characters. However, where this book falls short is tied in its length. It reads a bit like a proof of concept more than a completed idea. Of what was published, there were parts I thought could have been fleshed out or described more. I am still somewhat confused about what certain parts and some questions weren't even acknowledged, let alone answered. There is a measure of 'just accept this' to the world building that I took hen reading because it was a novella but honestly should have been explained more. I think if these other parts had been addressed I would have liked the ending, but when paired with all the other issues I had with the book the ending felt a little flat.

veramint's review

dark mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

bluenicorn's review

3.0

I liked the concept here, but wanted "more." Maybe more length, maybe more development of the characters...? I loved the diversity, though.

emmacatereads's review

3.0

A great novella to kick-off pride month! The premise was brilliant: a pair of queer telepaths imprisoned in a dungeon of twisting caves on a far off-planet. However, all is not as it seems, and the "true" plot of this story reveals itself in ever-deepening layers. There are a surprising amount of twists packed into this tiny story, and while they added to the plot, I felt like I got whiplash moving from one revelation to the next. I feel unfair whenever one of my novella reviews comes down to "I want more" but this definitely felt like a story that could have benefited from room to breathe. Furthermore, while the writing style was decent, there were some fairly cringy lines that took me out of the narrative.

I enjoyed Bee as a protagonist, but was actually much more enthralled by Jasmine and her alluded-to past as a telepathic freedom fighter. I also thought their relationship was lovely, though sparsely captured (as necessitated by the plot). I have to hand it to Kaftan, it is extremely difficult to pack such rich backstory and world-building into such a slim package, but this did lead to periods of exposition and explanation that could have been better captured in flashback. The star of this book is its exploration of trauma and recovery, both physical and mental, and it was rewarding to see Bee come to terms with her past, her relationships, and herself.

esseastri's review

4.0

Wow, all right. The last few pages are an absolute punch to the gut and such a good twist. I could see the hints of it, could almost grasp the idea of it, but the confirmation of it was--whew. As always with novellas, I found myself craving more, especially of the worldbuilding this time around. There was a fascinating dystopia peeking through the plot of this one, and I wanted more of the details very badly. This was a raw little book, and it scraped my heart to shreds.

acanthae's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring fast-paced

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

4.5

Short and unexpectedly beautiful and romantic novella about recovering from trauma in the guise of science fiction. About an hour to read and 100% worth it.

theybedax's review

3.0

Confusing at times - the narrator has no memory of her past so it's to be expected. It's an interesting concept and worth a read but you'll probably forget about soon after reading it.

metaphorosis's review

3.0

3 stars, Metaphorosis Reviews

Summary:
A woman and one companion are trapped in an endless labyrinth that seems to have no exit. Or are they? When the woman escapes, leaving her companion behind, has she found freedom?

Review: I've been hearing the name Vylar Kaftan for years, it seems like, but never read of any of her work. So when I saw this novella available, I thought I'd pick it up. It's fine, if not particularly inspired.

It's generally well written, though the prose is choppy in places. However, there's not that much to the story that's new. The basic concept - a psychic prison - is very familiar, and Kaftan doesn't do much with it that's innovative. The middle of the piece is long, slow, and repetitive, and likely this would have been better off as a short story. Instead, however, it reads like an excerpt or introduction to a longer piece. The strongest aspect of the piece is its characters, but ever there, the narrator feels very self-involved, without too much interest in others - while constantly bemoaning her effect on others. The end is pretty muddled.

I can't say I'm sorry I read this; I'm glad to at last have a sense of Kaftan's skills. But there's nothing about this story that would make me search out another of Kaftan's books.

I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.