My life in books

There is so much that is right about what Kayla Bashe is trying to do in her fantasy novella My Lady King that I wish I could give the book a better recommendation.

The good stuff: strong female heroes, prominent presence of people of colour, a society that is totally accepting of genderqueer folk (the novella refers to them as nonbinaries) and of sexual and loving relationships between people of all genders. The world Bashe creates is nothing if not wildly and wonderfully inclusive, and that is something good to see - a beginning novelist who starts out writing projects that embody the diversity we desperately need in the speculative fiction genre.

But though I have much admiration for Bashe's intentions, this novella lacks in the execution. The writing is at times awkward, even clumsy. The characters are inconsistently drawn. I never felt that either of the protagonists developed a consistent voice, and the antagonist was overblown and lacked true motivation - she seemed to exist solely to be evil.

These flaws noted, I will say that it was by no means unreadable. I enjoyed the story, and I believe the author has the ability to improve her writing - perhaps with the help of some beta readers capable of making honest and detailed critiques, and a good editor.