I’m back, annoyed with everything, and politically and emotionally exhausted so let’s talk about a fun book today, fellow readers. An extraordinarily well-written fun book that happens to have won an Alex Award (for adult books that have special appeal to teen readers), but a fun book, nonetheless.
Eveen has no tail and is not a cat. She is, however, (un)dead and an assassin, with a nifty half mask, Weapons of Awesome, and quirky character-building hobbies to prove it. When a job goes weirdly, personally wrong, she finds herself facing the ire of all the other undead assassins in the city, and taking some pretty big risks to set things right.
This book is weird, wild, action-packed, and FUN, with the usual immersive worldbuilding Clark specializes in. This isn’t the type of fantasy you take super seriously or analyze the politics of (although, of course, the politics are there. They’re always there, in every book you read.) It is the type of fantasy you get your popcorn, your fighting boots, and your laughing dress* ready for when you read it.
Speaking of dress–the main characters here are Black Caribbean women and while that’s less rare than it used to be in fantasy, it is still rare that sistren get to have this much magical fun on a page. I enjoyed every minute of their banter and adventuring. And speaking of sistren–this book has the best sudden appearance of a Phenomenal Cosmic Power I’ve read in a looooong while. I hollered all the way through the last chapter because of it.
I’ll say no more. Just know that if your brain needs both a break and a good storytime, this fits the bill.
A mirror, a serial trade paperback, and a good contract to The Dead Cat Tail Assassins.
A huge thank you to the author himself for giving me the signed copy of the book in the picture at last year’s Readercon!
*What do you mean, you don’t have a laughing dress? Get with the program, folx. Laughing attire is the new blue jeans.
(Fellow readers, I needed a breather in between all the emails, phone calls, thinking, and talking I’ve been doing over the last week or so. Remember–you are already doing a good job. But that doesn’t mean you can stop doing it. Hang in there, read something good, and as always blah blah Bookshop, blah blah commission, blah blah click to support and get some good books. Appreciate you!)
Equal Opportunity Reader 