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nerdinthelibrary 's review for:
Odd Spirits
by S.T. Gibson
Review also posted to my blog.
content warnings: biphobia, misogyny
representation: bisexual main character, main character of colour, main interracial f/m relationship
On the surface, this is the perfect novella for me, but there were some little things that really made me not crazy about it.
This follows Moira and Rhys, a married witchy couple who are having issues with weird shit happening around their house that neither know the cause of. This causes a strain on their relationship and they end up using friends of Rhys to try to solve the mystery of what's going on, leading to further strain.
On paper, I should love this. I'm a sucker for a genre book/movie to turn out to be a family drama under the fantastical elements (see: Deadpool 2, A Quiet Place). But there were some choices in this that soured it for me in a way that made me not appreciate the marital drama elements as much.
But first I'll talk about some things I did like. Firstly, I really enjoyed the writing. It's simple and not overly wordy, but can get flowery when need be. I think the decision to have dual narratives, one in the present and one showing us Moira and Rhys getting to know each other, was a really good choice because it only furthered endeared us to their relationship.
I also really enjoyed both the characters, Rhys especially. The exploration of them, their relationship, and their magic was all really well done and I appreciated how the author used the flashbacks to flesh all of that out more, as well as doing some good, subtle worldbuilding.
The overall message of the novella was really nice, too. So often married couples in all types of media are shown to have super unhealthy relationships for the sake of drama, and I was happy to see something where the whole point was that the couple should be honest with one another and have open communication.
The pacing was great for the most part, but I thought it started to lag as we approached the climax of the book. And now we're into the negatives. For one, Moira and Rhys ended up being the only characters I liked. I get that we're not meant to like David in the sense of thinking that he's a good dude, but with a lowkey antagonistic character I at least want to enjoy them when they're around. And all the other characters just really fell flat.
One of my least favourites aspects of this book is a minor spoiler, so you've been warned.
Overall, it was a fun novella that I thought dragged at the end. I would still recommend for anyone looking for something good, quick and witchy.
content warnings: biphobia, misogyny
representation: bisexual main character, main character of colour, main interracial f/m relationship
“Magic is a technology [...] It’s neither good nor bad; just a neutral skill to be used by a competent practitioner. Who you glorify with that skill, who you hurt or help, is up to you. The way I see it God didn’t ban learning how to read or how to make bricks, so why this?”
On the surface, this is the perfect novella for me, but there were some little things that really made me not crazy about it.
This follows Moira and Rhys, a married witchy couple who are having issues with weird shit happening around their house that neither know the cause of. This causes a strain on their relationship and they end up using friends of Rhys to try to solve the mystery of what's going on, leading to further strain.
On paper, I should love this. I'm a sucker for a genre book/movie to turn out to be a family drama under the fantastical elements (see: Deadpool 2, A Quiet Place). But there were some choices in this that soured it for me in a way that made me not appreciate the marital drama elements as much.
But first I'll talk about some things I did like. Firstly, I really enjoyed the writing. It's simple and not overly wordy, but can get flowery when need be. I think the decision to have dual narratives, one in the present and one showing us Moira and Rhys getting to know each other, was a really good choice because it only furthered endeared us to their relationship.
I also really enjoyed both the characters, Rhys especially. The exploration of them, their relationship, and their magic was all really well done and I appreciated how the author used the flashbacks to flesh all of that out more, as well as doing some good, subtle worldbuilding.
The overall message of the novella was really nice, too. So often married couples in all types of media are shown to have super unhealthy relationships for the sake of drama, and I was happy to see something where the whole point was that the couple should be honest with one another and have open communication.
The pacing was great for the most part, but I thought it started to lag as we approached the climax of the book. And now we're into the negatives. For one, Moira and Rhys ended up being the only characters I liked. I get that we're not meant to like David in the sense of thinking that he's a good dude, but with a lowkey antagonistic character I at least want to enjoy them when they're around. And all the other characters just really fell flat.
One of my least favourites aspects of this book is a minor spoiler, so you've been warned.
Spoiler
I don't understand why it was necessary for Moira to end up being lowkey biphobic. It's a really annoying trend I'm starting to notice in recent media where men are shown to be bisexual only so that their (female) partners can freak out over whether they actually love them or not. It's stupid and biphobic, and the fact that Moira came off as being justified for her biphobia really grated on me.Overall, it was a fun novella that I thought dragged at the end. I would still recommend for anyone looking for something good, quick and witchy.