Kinning, the sequel to Nisi Shawl’s acclaimed debut novel Everfair, continues the stunning alternate history where barkcloth airships soar through the sky, varied peoples build a new society together, and colonies claim their freedom from imperialist tyrants.
The Great War is over. Everfair has found peace within its borders. But our heroes’ stories are far from done.
Tink and his sister Bee-Lung are traveling the world via aircanoe, spreading the spores of a mysterious empathy-generating fungus. Through these spores, they seek to build bonds between people and help spread revolutionary sentiments of socialism and equality—the very ideals that led to Everfair’s founding.
Meanwhile, Everfair’s Princess Mwadi and Prince Ilunga return home from a sojourn in Egypt to vie for their country’s rule following the abdication of their father King Mwenda. But their mother, Queen Josina, manipulates them both from behind the scenes, while also pitting Europe’s influenza-weakened political powers against one another as these countries fight to regain control of their rebellious colonies.
Will Everfair continue to serve as a symbol of hope, freedom, and equality to anticolonial movements around the world, or will it fall to forces inside and out?
Reviews with the most likes.
2 stars, Metaphorosis reviews
Summary
A human-infesting fungus that promotes empathy among those that incorporate it has been developed, and some are spreading it. A weaker Russian analogue also exists. Meanwhile, a brother and sister vie to take over their father's kingdom, with their mother plotting behind the scenes.
Review
Kinning starts any number of different times; the whole beginning of the book is a meta-discussion of which beginning would best suit the reader. I liked the concept quite a bit, but in practice ... I found the options murky and fairly dull. Unfortunately, the book didn't improve much for me.
I read the prequel, Everfair, some years back and didn't care for it. However, I had hopes that a more focused book would draw on Shawl's strengths as writer. Instead, after the false beginnings, the book is divided into two plot threads/groups of protagonists. One, the royals, was somewhat clear, but not particularly interesting. The other, the fungus distributors, I never found my footing in; I was never very clear on who those protagonists were, what they were doing, or why I should care.
This is a thoroughly developed alternate universe that does more than just rely on simple extrapolations. That's all to the good. Unfortunately, I also found the book both very unclear and (not unrelated) deadly dull. Even the inclusion of a fair amount of sex didn't spice it up, because I never cared about the people having the sex or why they were doing it.
Having hoped for a more focused and interesting book than Everfair, I found this sequel slightly more focused, just as hard to follow, and a lot less interesting. If you loved Everfair, give it a try. Otherwise, I can't recommend it.
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
Series
2 primary books4 released booksEverfair is a 5-book series with 2 primary works first released in 2016 with contributions by Nisi Shawl.
