Flowers for the Sea, by Zin E. Rocklyn

[mrissa]

Review copy provided by the publisher.

This debut novella is listed as both epic and dark fantasy, and I would say it trends strongly toward the latter. Until we got to the ending, I was inclining toward calling it horror--there is a strong component of what I would describe as body horror here, subcategory pregnancy body horror. If that's a theme you struggle with, you may want to leave this one for another day (or even another reader), because pregnancy (and nursing) body horror is a substantial portion of what we're doing here.

This is a story of the outcast, and it is a story of the sea. I was wondering if there would be sharp twists, but no, it's more like the tide, it's inexorable like the tide. The razorfangs, the sea, the survivors and their treatment of each other including the ostracized other among them...the question of her humanity...it's all there, you know this song, it's a question of how vividly Rocklyn brings it to its conclusion, and the answer is, very vividly indeed.

Comments

[sovay]

I was wondering if there would be sharp twists, but no, it's more like the tide, it's inexorable like the tide.

I mean, I was going to pick up this book no matter what because I know the author and I heard her read an excerpt in the ancient days of 2019, but it's still good to be extra-sold on something.

[hawkwing_lb]

*makes note to read*