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pigolaus's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
melialy1's review
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
adamgeorgandis's review against another edition
4.0
I recently read all of the novels nominated for this year's Nebula and Hugo Awards. Now, I have turned my attention to the Nebula- and Hugo-nominated novellas. I began with Catherine E Tobler's The Necessity of Stars, then continued with Premee Mohamed's And What Can We Offer You Tonight. Zin E Rocklyn's Flowers for the Sea is my third Nebula nominee.
No word better captures this remarkable novella than the word "visceral." The sheer physicality of Rocklyn's prose is breathtaking - and often terrifying. The work begins with several chapters given to a most unusual birth. Rocklyn's protagonist, Iraxi, is an outcast among outcasts, a woman shunned by the other inhabitants of a failing ark. She is also pregnant - one suspects with the child of a shipmate. We learn very little about the larger world: landmasses seem to have sunk, and terrible predatory birds seize anyone who braves the open deck after dark. The ark has been at sea for several years, and its crew is facing a number of imminent crises.
After Iraxi gives birth, the novella takes a number of unexpected turns. In the end, as is so often the case with compelling short fiction, I struggled to find absolute clarity in the story's final pages. I wanted to know more about Iraxi, about her child, and about their place in a quickly changing world. But Flowers for the Sea is not that kind of tale: where transparency is wanting, a sense of urgency is there to fill the void.
A powerful read.
No word better captures this remarkable novella than the word "visceral." The sheer physicality of Rocklyn's prose is breathtaking - and often terrifying. The work begins with several chapters given to a most unusual birth. Rocklyn's protagonist, Iraxi, is an outcast among outcasts, a woman shunned by the other inhabitants of a failing ark. She is also pregnant - one suspects with the child of a shipmate. We learn very little about the larger world: landmasses seem to have sunk, and terrible predatory birds seize anyone who braves the open deck after dark. The ark has been at sea for several years, and its crew is facing a number of imminent crises.
After Iraxi gives birth, the novella takes a number of unexpected turns. In the end, as is so often the case with compelling short fiction, I struggled to find absolute clarity in the story's final pages. I wanted to know more about Iraxi, about her child, and about their place in a quickly changing world. But Flowers for the Sea is not that kind of tale: where transparency is wanting, a sense of urgency is there to fill the void.
A powerful read.
aroseinabook1991's review
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
infinite_finite's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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
4.25
lawrenrc's review
challenging
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
magzthawriter's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
rcielocruz's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
5.0
beckyjmcc's review against another edition
5.0
Fierce
and angry and wild.
This is written beautifully. It captured me right from the start, the words washing over me like the sea.
and angry and wild.
This is written beautifully. It captured me right from the start, the words washing over me like the sea.