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auroracloudFor once I'm remembering to write a bit of a book review for ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fffriday, partly helped by the fact that I did just finish this book today!
This is a short, stand-alone fantasy novel which I saw recommended as a queer retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. Broadly speaking that's true, but it's not just a straight retelling of any version I know, but takes the main themes and weaves a story entirely of its own, of a young woman forced to live in the palace of a female dragon, and finding herself drawn towards her. The culture draws much from Asian culture and mythology - I frankly don't know enough about Asian cultures to comment on it except that it would appear to specifically based on Vietnamese culture, which is the author's background as well. I love the presence of all these to me unusual and different cultural elements and the way they're carefully woven to the story and its mythology.
I don't have the right words to describe this book, but I loved it. Very much. I love Yên, the heroine, and Vu Côn, the female dragon, and all the other characters in the story. I love the development of the relationship between Yên and Vu Côn, the intricate descriptions of feelings and touches. The scenes are delicately sensual. I love the way the dragon has different forms, a more human-like form but yet not entirely human, and a fully dragon form, more like what we think of when we think of dragons, at least Eastern ones (and I should add that this is definitely a water dragon). I love the fact that the romantic and sensual scenes don't shy away from this non-humanness, and that it's a part of what Yên loves. This might be a bit too much for some readers, though.
The Beauty and the Beast themes that the story treats are the ones of seeing past appearances and learning to love people who are different, the acceptance of outcasts, the power of our choices in deciding who we are; rather than the "a good woman's love transforms a bad person" trope. I particularly love that they aren't only about Vu Côn the dragon; there are others whose otherness and possible danger Yên also needs to face, and who need to learn to choose who they want to be.
Also noting that the cultures in the book have gender roles beyond the binary; there are non-binary characters who are referred to with gender-neutral terms, and Yên figures out each person's gender from the words they use to refer to themselves, not from their appearance.
The novel is short, 129-160 pages depending on the edition, but it feels like it has everything it needs, though I would be happy to return to this world in another story. From what I've read of Aliette de Bodard, she excels at writing much in comparatively few words, and this is the finest I've read of her so far. A strong recommend for anyone who, from the description, thinks it might be their cup of tea.
Finally, since this book came out in 2018, it's eligible for the Hugos in the novel category, so if you're still looking for something to nominate, this isn't a long read. As for me, I'm definitely nominating it.
fffriday, partly helped by the fact that I did just finish this book today!This is a short, stand-alone fantasy novel which I saw recommended as a queer retelling of the Beauty and the Beast. Broadly speaking that's true, but it's not just a straight retelling of any version I know, but takes the main themes and weaves a story entirely of its own, of a young woman forced to live in the palace of a female dragon, and finding herself drawn towards her. The culture draws much from Asian culture and mythology - I frankly don't know enough about Asian cultures to comment on it except that it would appear to specifically based on Vietnamese culture, which is the author's background as well. I love the presence of all these to me unusual and different cultural elements and the way they're carefully woven to the story and its mythology.
I don't have the right words to describe this book, but I loved it. Very much. I love Yên, the heroine, and Vu Côn, the female dragon, and all the other characters in the story. I love the development of the relationship between Yên and Vu Côn, the intricate descriptions of feelings and touches. The scenes are delicately sensual. I love the way the dragon has different forms, a more human-like form but yet not entirely human, and a fully dragon form, more like what we think of when we think of dragons, at least Eastern ones (and I should add that this is definitely a water dragon). I love the fact that the romantic and sensual scenes don't shy away from this non-humanness, and that it's a part of what Yên loves. This might be a bit too much for some readers, though.
The Beauty and the Beast themes that the story treats are the ones of seeing past appearances and learning to love people who are different, the acceptance of outcasts, the power of our choices in deciding who we are; rather than the "a good woman's love transforms a bad person" trope. I particularly love that they aren't only about Vu Côn the dragon; there are others whose otherness and possible danger Yên also needs to face, and who need to learn to choose who they want to be.
Also noting that the cultures in the book have gender roles beyond the binary; there are non-binary characters who are referred to with gender-neutral terms, and Yên figures out each person's gender from the words they use to refer to themselves, not from their appearance.
The novel is short, 129-160 pages depending on the edition, but it feels like it has everything it needs, though I would be happy to return to this world in another story. From what I've read of Aliette de Bodard, she excels at writing much in comparatively few words, and this is the finest I've read of her so far. A strong recommend for anyone who, from the description, thinks it might be their cup of tea.
Finally, since this book came out in 2018, it's eligible for the Hugos in the novel category, so if you're still looking for something to nominate, this isn't a long read. As for me, I'm definitely nominating it.
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