intheinkpot's review against another edition
5.0
I had to sit on this for a few days.
To be honest, I'm not even going to pretend I understood a lot of what was going on or the sub-themes brought to light in this drinking jet-fuel lyrical novella.
We follow two, maybe three, POVs throughout, and it was weird and bizarre. There's Adira, whose hallucinatory style narrative had me gripped and pulled under within moments as she was going through matriarchal oppression and violence regarding the claim to her body. Then there's Bennet and the weapon's POV that all intersect into some cosmic end-all where trauma becomes a beatable force.
While lyrical, this novella didn't pull any punches with the body horror & speculative fiction conventions that while I sat on my bed trying to figure out what was happening and why things were coming out of things they shouldn't be, it never went into full darkness. It sat right on the edge, kicking its feet and smiling—and for that, I fell in absolute love.
This is definitely a must-read for seasoned horror lovers. This is not for those who are just branching into the genre due to the graphic nature of scenes and the narrative itself
To be honest, I'm not even going to pretend I understood a lot of what was going on or the sub-themes brought to light in this drinking jet-fuel lyrical novella.
We follow two, maybe three, POVs throughout, and it was weird and bizarre. There's Adira, whose hallucinatory style narrative had me gripped and pulled under within moments as she was going through matriarchal oppression and violence regarding the claim to her body. Then there's Bennet and the weapon's POV that all intersect into some cosmic end-all where trauma becomes a beatable force.
While lyrical, this novella didn't pull any punches with the body horror & speculative fiction conventions that while I sat on my bed trying to figure out what was happening and why things were coming out of things they shouldn't be, it never went into full darkness. It sat right on the edge, kicking its feet and smiling—and for that, I fell in absolute love.
This is definitely a must-read for seasoned horror lovers. This is not for those who are just branching into the genre due to the graphic nature of scenes and the narrative itself
booksanddopamine's review against another edition
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
If there was ever a book to embody a fever dream, this is it. The prose is poetic and the descriptions are elaborate. Nothing is clearly spelled out for the reader. I'm still not entirely sure I know exactly what happened. It was like catching the wisps of an abstract dream as it begins to fade and blur into another dream. I don't know. I'm giving it a 4 because it was beautiful in its own way. But I didn't love it.
caitsidhe's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
what the fuck?
whodey_spaceman's review against another edition
5.0
Cosmic / Body Horror. Lovecraft meets Robert Chambers
bernt's review against another edition
5.0
A hallucinatory journey across time and space where the flesh is just currency waiting to be hacked and butchered as payment for one's apotheosis. Take equal parts female autonomy, the horrors of childbirth, abuse through the lens of small town expectations, the concept of dreams are reality, government weapons, and every bodily fluid possible and put it in a blender. Blend to taste and serve in a tall glass. Wipe that arcane mixture off your lips and make peace with the fact that you may have missed several pieces of this puzzle. Proceed to cave your skull in. With any luck, you may be able to sleep again after Koch's evocative prose. If not, well moisturize your skin and get out the sharp implements because there's a bigger, better, you right behind all those pesky organs. We just got to cut them out.
eldritchfossil's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rackncheese's review against another edition
4.0
I don't think I'm smart enough for this book, but I have to admit, I really liked it anyway.
bookwyrm55's review against another edition
5.0
This novella is not a quick read. The opening sequence was so intense and visceral, covering deep emotion to intricate descriptions of things that will haunt me, that when I hit the second segment I had to stop, sit back, study the book and read the synopsis again to be certain it wasn't a short story collection and I'd somehow missed the conclusion of the first story. Robert Chambers fans are going to love this new addition to the lore of Carcosa. There is a teenaged girl experiencing dual worlds, one of mistreatment, torture, and disfigurement and the other in a place where she bonds with an angel. At least, she calls it an angel. There is a research scientist fighting to create a living weapon to prevent the world from sliding into darkness and the absolute control of the Yellow Queen and there is the weapon. Three points bonded.
Joanna Koch has a mastery of words that can be, at times, overwhelming. In this novella you can sometimes catch a breath during the periods when you are visiting the research facility, but then, those begin to slide as well.
This is a darkly poetic work that will challenge reader's imagations. It's a wonderful homage to classic horror while, at the same time, deepening the wounds and clawing it's own way forward. Not for light reading... but highly recommended.
Joanna Koch has a mastery of words that can be, at times, overwhelming. In this novella you can sometimes catch a breath during the periods when you are visiting the research facility, but then, those begin to slide as well.
This is a darkly poetic work that will challenge reader's imagations. It's a wonderful homage to classic horror while, at the same time, deepening the wounds and clawing it's own way forward. Not for light reading... but highly recommended.
metalcat18's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Warning this book is confusing!
The story is told in two viewpoints and plays off an old story called the Yellow Sign. Readers should be familiar with that story before reading this one.
These two characters intertwine and become entrenched in a cosmic horror saga. Lots of nasty body horror imagery and some feminist topics.
Overall the book is interesting but told so strangely that it took me out of it.
The story is told in two viewpoints and plays off an old story called the Yellow Sign. Readers should be familiar with that story before reading this one.
These two characters intertwine and become entrenched in a cosmic horror saga. Lots of nasty body horror imagery and some feminist topics.
Overall the book is interesting but told so strangely that it took me out of it.