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A review by cynicaltrilobite
Leech by Hiron Ennes
4.0
Plot twist, maybe the real leech was the rich people we killed along the way.
This is such a fun and interesting debut novel from Hiron Ennes. I really would love to read more of their work in the future and especially work pertaining to this amazing post-apocalyptic world they've crafted. I appreciate how they slowly reveal the history and lore of this strange but familiar world without info dumping on us. The long and short of it is that 1000 years ago, an awful awful war broke out, driving people into hiding. When they emerged, they had to contend with not only normal survival hurdles but mutated monstrosities, diseases, automatons, acid seas, and terrible storms. Along comes the Institute to keep humanity healthy as it rebuilds itself to a hopefully better future.
Our story picks up with a doctor of the institute, actually a microorganism parasite that controls its hosts in a hivemind, traveling to the far northern reaches to investigate the strange death of one of its host bodies that it cannot remember. Along the way, the Institute discovers something that puts its very existence and possibly the world at risk.
Spoilers Below Spoilers Below
I've seen quite a few very negative takes on this book, namely the choice to have our character regain her sense of self towards the last 1/3 of the book and her absolute hatred of the institute. This follows the themes of control and bodily invasion that have been laced throughout the novel. Even if it serves a greater purpose, even if you would be doomed otherwise, and even if someone knows better than you, no one or thing is owed your body. Be it pseudomycota causing its hosts to throw themselves at fires, the Institute offering free treatment only to completely wash away any sense of personality or self in its doctors, or Didier's toxic obsession with Emele. None of it is ok, and the fact that it seems so many people can't grasp that is disturbing to me.
I will say that the one major criticism that I can get behind is that there was a lot of this book that could have been trimmed or edited down. Specifically, the last several chapters really dragged when a perfect ending would have been Simone and Emele fleeing into the wilderness, the fires of the chateau roaring behind them. We did get to see a vendigeaux, so that was fun.
Decent book that can kind of drag a bit. The excellent world building and characters really elevate this one up for me.
This is such a fun and interesting debut novel from Hiron Ennes. I really would love to read more of their work in the future and especially work pertaining to this amazing post-apocalyptic world they've crafted. I appreciate how they slowly reveal the history and lore of this strange but familiar world without info dumping on us. The long and short of it is that 1000 years ago, an awful awful war broke out, driving people into hiding. When they emerged, they had to contend with not only normal survival hurdles but mutated monstrosities, diseases, automatons, acid seas, and terrible storms. Along comes the Institute to keep humanity healthy as it rebuilds itself to a hopefully better future.
Our story picks up with a doctor of the institute, actually a microorganism parasite that controls its hosts in a hivemind, traveling to the far northern reaches to investigate the strange death of one of its host bodies that it cannot remember. Along the way, the Institute discovers something that puts its very existence and possibly the world at risk.
Spoilers Below Spoilers Below
I've seen quite a few very negative takes on this book, namely the choice to have our character regain her sense of self towards the last 1/3 of the book and her absolute hatred of the institute. This follows the themes of control and bodily invasion that have been laced throughout the novel. Even if it serves a greater purpose, even if you would be doomed otherwise, and even if someone knows better than you, no one or thing is owed your body. Be it pseudomycota causing its hosts to throw themselves at fires, the Institute offering free treatment only to completely wash away any sense of personality or self in its doctors, or Didier's toxic obsession with Emele. None of it is ok, and the fact that it seems so many people can't grasp that is disturbing to me.
I will say that the one major criticism that I can get behind is that there was a lot of this book that could have been trimmed or edited down. Specifically, the last several chapters really dragged when a perfect ending would have been Simone and Emele fleeing into the wilderness, the fires of the chateau roaring behind them. We did get to see a vendigeaux, so that was fun.
Decent book that can kind of drag a bit. The excellent world building and characters really elevate this one up for me.