I thoroughly enjoyed this gripping read. The worldbuilding is very intriguing and quite different for fantasy. It's quite futuristic, with lots of inventions that mirror our modern world, but that have magical or "other" inflections that make it unique and very different. The society is also very interesting and adds a lot to the dark tones of this novella. The hints of magic in this particular story are very low key, but they add an interesting element to the worldbuilding and promise more interesting potentials for future books.
Although the violence is graphic, I find the author managed to walk the knife's edge of balance to present something believable without falling into the trap of being gratuitous. This novella perfectly exemplifies how violence breeds violence. It examines the potential for darkness that is harboured in each of us, and how evil can break the good and bring out more evil in others. It's also a very candid exploration of the darkness of revenge, how the desire for vengeance makes us into something like, or possibly even worse than those who wronged us.
It's an exceptional read, and could be used as a springboard for some very important discussions about the nature of evil and how to truly combat it. I particularly enjoy how the author doesn't have an abstract evil entity. All the books in set in this world look at the evil humans create through their own actions.
I definitely hope to see more of these characters in future books. I am most definitely invested in where things are going, and noticed some subtle connections to some of the author's other novels set in this same world.
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