TL;DR version: The hero has mandibles, an exoskeleton, a neck ruff and talons instead of fingers. And he’s adorable. Spoiler-free as possible!
I should stop being surprised by how much I love every book I have read by Ann Aguirre, despite the sheer range of genres they span. I picked this up the day it was released, because sone authors have earned the trust that I will enjoy what they write, whatever they choose to write. Even so, I was expecting a light and absurd sci-fi romance, and indeed I have read and enjoyed several books in that genre — alien mail-order brides (it’s always brides? I’d read mail-order partners in general), accidental abductions, etc. I love sci-fi, I love Romance, I love love love the two truly blended and not just “with x subplot” or “setting is exchanged for a spaceship, no other changes”. This is my catnip, little did I know it going in.
A lot of them have some really problematic (for me) elements like “we’re punishing you for breaking some rule we didn’t tell you or explain, but it’s okay because the only punishment anyone can come up with is spankings, and it’s ok because they’re sexy spankings” and a lot of other things that generally deny the (again, usually a woman) protagonist’s agency and infantilize her to some extent, paired with rawr “Alpha-hole” men, maybe with a nod to them being aliens by having purple skin. And gigantic cocks. I enjoy things, and think other people should enjoy what they like, but it’s also okay to look critically at elements that ultimately (for me) detract from my overall enjoyment and are problematic.
This is not that story.
This story — which I have both read and listened to — is an utter delight, a breath of fresh air and it constantly surprised and pleased me throughout the book. This is a glorious story of a truly alien cast of characters and technologies and the extreme fish-out-of-water vulnerability of the protagonist. But it’s SO MUCH MORE than that, too!
My biggest vibe reading these books was Ursula LeGuin and Octavia Butler, with it being science fiction at its core — taking a concept and then running with it as far possible, and building breathtaking worlds and cultures and characters based on it. In the non-audio version the author’s inspiration is included as a link and the article is amazing and the concept shines through as delightful. Cultural constructs like gender are examined through the lens of aliens, as well as reflected in their mirror. We get to see flashes of the nurturing males and fierce females (although it’s hardly exclusive to gender or indeed just those genders, there is also a genderless caste and a sentient plant warrior who uses neutral pronouns), where a penis does not represent masculinity, and compatibility is more important than species.
It’s a book where agency, consent, respect, honesty and loyalty are the expectation, not the exception. Beryl has as much agency as is possible given the circumstances, is treated as an equal and has full control of her course — even if her options are somewhat limited with the whole only-human-amongst-aliens thing. That’s not to say that EVERYONE treats her well or with respect — some things seem pretty universal like casual xenophobia — but between Beryl and Zylar (and Snaps!) it’s wonderful. There’s no insta-lust, no “this person has been selected as your perfect mate”, nothing but two people trying to make the best of rough situations… and finding something wonderful in the process.
I didn’t like Beryl at first, but then she’s portrayed as unlikable (she’s doing community service work for urinating in public while drunk). It very quickly becomes clear that she’s been living in what, for a lot of us, are fairly “normal” circumstances… and that normal is lacking in a lot of things. Her work is devalued by society. She lives in a tiny apartment she can barely afford but has no better options (and moving is expensive, y’all). Adopting Snaps, her small dog, is likely the best thing in her life, and that wasn’t all that long ago. Over the course of the book who she truly is shines through, and that person is a genuinely good and caring person, who doesn’t suffer fools, is willing to jump in headfirst without complaining, and who is ready to deal with what she CAN control and not borrow trouble by worrying about all the things she cannot. She’s irreverent, uses lots of idioms that don’t translate, but she’s also smart and canny and has a great deal of emotional intelligence. She’s also pan, which is very cool as it’s unusual to see that so well done in any kind of book, but the author gets it and translates it eithout ever having to explicitly say it.
Zylar is wonderful. To him, Beryl is terrifying, a fearsome looking primate who is unnervingly soft and grows their bones on the inside of their bodies. Yet he is unfailingly respectful and kind, ensuring she knows her options and does his best to help her navigate both a new planet and a new life. He never assumes he knows best despite being more familiar with… absolutely everything. He doesn’t make her completely reliant upon him although he could and indeed would have motivation to. He could easily have been overbearing or dismissive, or simply not be used to thinking about another person when he makes choices, but instead he is relentlessly considerate and respectful. Not obsequious or ingratiating, just truly thoughtful. He lacks a great deal of self-confidence and has been devalued often enough he almost completely believes it, but his inner core of stalwartness refuses to let him give up and stop trying. I really love that he is aware of his nature to overthink and be over-cautious and does truly believe they are positive traits — gifts, as he says — worth being passed on to the next generation and not terrible flaws.
Snaps is a dog. Snaps is easily the best character in the book, but he’s a dog, so he sets an awfully high bar. He’s a major source of comic relief and is there to do the duty of dogs to remind you that EVERYTHING IS EXCITING, but also there to be a dog in all the best ways — unconditionally loving (to people who will let him), unswerving trusting in the people he loves, and adapting to any new situation with enthusiasm and optimism. The book could have spun out dark and depressing in a lot of ways, and Snaps is the sunshine that keeps it at bay and the glue that keeps the characters cohesive and the plot continuing instead of becoming maudlin or self-pitying (even if it would have been totally understandable!).
I think this, of all things (and there are a lot of things!) is what has made this book an instant comfort read for me. She’s transplanted from today’s life and world and she THRIVES. Not because she’s the most-special most-likable person ever, or because people want to protect her, but because she’s given new options and a new role she chooses and embraces wholeheartedly. He is doing his best and trying hard in the face of overwhelming odds and past failures, and he blooms into his full potential and an equal partner in things. There is a lot of character growth in this book, and it’s organic and wonderful to behold.
While I would happily recommend this book to EVERYONE — and indeed have been — it’s definitely a great fit for fans of Rachel Bach’s “Fortune” series, obvs Grimspace fans although it is not Grimspace, aforementioned Ursula LeGuin and Octavia Butler, but also for fans of authors like Courtney Milan and Grace Burrowes, Brandon Sanderson, N.K. Jemison and John Scalzi, and I think especially Seanan McGuire/Mira Grant. There’s far less death and mayhem for the latter, but it’s totally up her alley.