Under the dirty streets of Ismae’s greatest port city, an old nightmare waits for Sylandair and Aliara, one that is stealing Dockhaven’s children, one only they can end.When the pair escaped their owner and abuser years ago, they left him behind in a ball of blue flame, but as more children disappear near the city’s desalinization plant, their suspicions turn to the predator they believed dead. … believed dead. Accompanied by their less-than-reliable puka scout Schmalch, they delve into the forgotten depths of the patchwork city. Their search will lead to a twisting world of corruption and experimentation, uncover horrors greater than any they imagined, and summon memories they never wanted to exhume.
A dark science fantasy action adventure, Things They Buried is the first full-length novel of Ismae, a world where science sometimes appears as magic and history as myth, where monsters make themselves and heroes are wholly unintentional.
This novel contains adult themes and violence.
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Read for 2021 SPSFC
Overall Thoughts
I’ve been looking for a well-actualized secondary world story in this contest, and this one gave me what I was searching for. A quick note first, though, because I’d be remiss if I didn’t post a trigger warning. This story has a LOT of child abuse, sexual and physiological, and a fair bit of child death as well. BUT, if that doesn’t immediately push your “NO” button, I do want to add that it was all done, er, tastefully (if that can be done) and always the subject was treated as the vile act that is it. So basically, if you don’t mind people being justly punished for horrible things they did, then carry on!
There is a great depth of culture, species relations, and atmosphere in this story and I really want to read more in this world. This is billed as book 1, and from a quick search, looks like the second book came out in 2020, so I will likely look that one up after I finish with the contest. I can best describe this as The Lies of Locke Lamora crossed with Mos Eisley cantina. Though I was never completely sure on the extent of the setting—future, secondary, fantasy, or colony—there is a unique world expressed here and a fun romp of a story with plenty of monsters to fight and heroism to be done.
Plot
Most of the story centers around Syl and Aliara, who are on a mission of revenge against the person who owned and abused them as children, before they escaped to live their own lives. Considered an influential scientific mind, their abuser seems to still be around, though hiding for some reason, and continues experimenting on children (which is where a lot of the trigger warning comes from). Though the story does touch on some things in the larger world, most importantly what their captor’s original scientific objective is, this tale is largely centered on how Syl and Aliara come to terms with their pasts and make things right. There was one twist that came out later in the book I felt wasn’t telegraphed at all, which ties into the further story. I’m sure we’ll learn more, as it looks like later books will focus on the expanded world, and given the worldbuilding in this book, I’m eager to see what that entails.
Setting
The authors have created a rich world, less advanced in many cases than our own, but highly progressed in genetic engineering, where small animals can be turned into message senders and other helpers, and people can get new organs, limbs, and even new additions they weren’t born with. There are several sentient species in evidence, including small goblin like creatures, elvish or human-esque beings (including the main characters), a larger humanoid, and at least one other species, if not two or three. I had some small frustration in that it was never really clear if this world was insular, or had been visited by people from other worlds in the past, or if the species arose on their own, or if they were products of genetic engineering. That said, I’m content to learn more in future books. Swords and knives abound, but there are also guns ranging from pistols to rather technical rifles, making the setting an interesting timeless comparison to our own world. The city featured in the story is obviously old, and filled with all the beggars, thieves, and mad scientists of a swashbuckling tale.
Character
The emotional journey of the main characters travels a lot of ground, as the two come to terms with how they were abused in the past, and why. Side characters get their satisfying arcs, and everything develops as the mystery of the story unfolds. Various sexualities seem to be accepted in this society, and there is some good LGBTQIA representation both in the main characters and the side characters. I don’t think the depth of character advancement is as extreme as it could be, but given that this is less of a character story and more of a worldbuilding story, I think it suffices for the adventure tale that it is.
Score out of 10 (My personal score, not the final contest score)
Temporary score until more books in the contest are read: If you don’t mind (well revenged) child abuse, then this is a fun tale of adventure in an exotic, magical, steampunky world, filled with mad science. 8/10