Stone Mad by Elizabeth Bear

So, there is some solid world-building in this. I liked the introduction of Spiritualism and illusionists. I also enjoyed the cryptid, though I definitely wasn’t expecting it. But honestly, Stone Mad felt like a jumble. Might have been the storyline, might have been the inclusion of so many characters in such a short book… not sure.

I also don’t think Priya felt like the Priya we met previously. Probably because she’s a lot more sure of herself and dealing with some crap from her father. I’m just not sure I liked what was there… especially toward the end. I’m going to slightly spoil a bit, but… it’s a small bit. Priya literally watched Karen go out for a walk, saw muddy clothing on the porch (or wherever Karen left it), and is angry about that in addition to the stuff she was angry about before? What? I thought that was kind of ridiculous. Karen came home and slept in the same bed as you, at least she made it home. Bleh.

Anyway… Stone Mad was alright, but just alright. 

Karen Memory by Elizabeth Bear

Karen Memory is an interesting enough book. I think I may have DNF’d it the last time I read it, because I did not at all remember the second half of the book. That’s where most of the action is.

I definitely feel like the descriptions in the book could have used some work. Before Karen strapped herself into the sewing machine, I had zero clue it was essentially a mech-suit. I still could not tell you how any of that worked… or what I was imagining because sewing machine and mech-suit do not square up in my head. Even Peter Bantle’s machine is a nothing-burger of vaguely steam-punk tubes and lighting in my head. A lot of the steam-punk elements very much rely on the reader to make up rather than actual descriptions of them.

The rest of the story was alright. I wasn’t expecting the turns it took, which I guess is realistic, because Karen definitely didn’t, either. I thought Karen and Priya’s romance was cute. Definitely satisfying and not a bury-your-gays trope. But, uh, yeah… fairly rollicking adventure.