Undercover

Tamsyn Muir has to be one of the most creative writers currently out there. Yes, she has a niche (fucked up undead lesbians), but where she takes that niche is truly wild. Every story is so different yet equally brilliant. Take this one - gansters, ghouls and showgirls in a steampunk dystopia.

As an author she has a tendency to throw you into a setting with little or no context and build the context through the story. I know some people may struggle with that but for me I find this style incredibly rewarding, each little reveal giving a tantalizing glimpse of the wider world. That small incremental reveal helps the final reveal have even more impact.

Muir's morbid imagination also thrives with this - her ghouls are properly ghoulish and macabre, uncomfortable to read about. It is almost enough to turn you vegetarian, with its descriptions of gorey meat consumption.

A truly excellent short novella

“There are means sons of bitches Starr, and then there are... monsters.” Tamsyn Muir writes like heartbreak. I went into this unknowing what it was about. But Muirs other novella book [b:Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower 54391767 Princess Floralinda and the Forty-Flight Tower Tamsyn Muir https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1594041962l/54391767.SX50.jpg 84877379] is an all time favorite of mine so regardless of what it's about, I will read anything she publishes. This was sassy and weird but I think Muir excels in this. Her prose beautiful and thought provoking but it adds to the story rather than subtract, both prose and plot molding together perfectly. Our characters while not new in concept; Bodyguard, Dancers, Business Owners, Detectives... The story and the world transformed it all into something exciting, and breathed life into it all. We have Amy Starr whose an undercover detective with a directive from her boss to work under “The Widower” to find the Ghoul that she has under her care and play Bodyguard. Ghouls are the catch all as described to us, the catch all for various sort of creatures/monsters that are in this world. And this world is sparse, hard to get your foot on it and that's largely due I'm sure to the length of this. At 60 pages, it's a it is what it is kind of a situation. But when you catch the glimpses of the environment and politics within this world it's mesmerizing. The Ghoul in question, Lucille is introduced quickly. Starr, and the Widower are watching Lucille enter the stage. Lucille has all the physical qualities of a ‘human' but we're told that parts of her body are “moth eaten” exposing flesh and muscle on various parts of her body. We watch Lucille dance and flit about on stage when a lizard is brought out. A lizard thats size is more proportionate to a small wolf, or alligator. Lucille attacks and kills this lizard with no sense of struggle, exposing fangs and claws as she devours her victim. A sudden mystery is started when Starr meets Lucille face to face afterwards, and Lucille calls her by her first name “Amy” The story progresses as Starr tries to understand and learn more about Lucille and what her involvement is with Widower, and why Widower wants Lucille protected in the first place. Beautifully and adeptly told, within these 60 pages we learn and uncover just how these three are interconnected to each other and what is at stake to themselves depending on the actions they take. I geeked out a bit with the ending. I had sneaking suspicions along the way and it was exactly the conclusion I wanted. I should not of expected anything less by Tamsyn but this was haunting, weird, and different.