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A review by mediaevalmuse
Everfair by Nisi Shawl
4.0
I started reading this book around the end of the semester, so with all the work I had to do, it took me much longer to read than normal. As a result, some of my reactions might not be as coherent - take that as you will. Overall, though, I think I liked the second part of this book better than the first (more on why later), and I think the premise of the novel was intriguing. There were some bars to me completely connecting with the characters, but other than that, I think diving into the world of Everfair was extremely enlightening.
Things I Liked
1. Characters: I very much appreciated that there was such a wide range of characters. Some were white settlers, some African royalty, some Chinese migrants. Race aside, there was also great variety in the types of people in the novel: engineers, spies, diplomats, etc. It made for a more fully realized society.
2. Worldbuilding: I loved that Shawl created a steampunk world as a response to the atrocities of history. Everfair is given airships (called “aircanoes” in this book) and refugees from Leopold’s tyranny are given prosthetic limbs that are purely fantastical. There’s a kind of magic to Everfair that doesn’t erase the violence of history, but doesn’t quite wallow in it either.
3. LGB+ Content: I was delighted to find that several of the characters in this novel are lesbians or bisexual women, and the relationships and romances between them are complicated without being rendered tragic for “historical accuracy.”
4. Prose: Shawl’s prose style flows very well and gives readers a vivid picture of the world of the novel. It’s straightforward without being too blunt, and lyrical without being overly syrupy.
5. Part Two: I very much enjoyed part two of this book more than part one because part one felt like the making of a utopia whereas part two pointed out all the problems of that utopia. Everfair is created by people who “buy” land from Leopold and start their own country - but that in itself is a kind of colonization, since it seeks to impose a new civilization over the one already there. I liked that characters like King Mwenda brought this up and challenged presumptions - especially white ones - that what they were doing was entirely beneficial.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Lack of Connection to Characters: Because there aren’t very strong character arcs (with the exception of maybe Lisette and Fwendi?), I didn’t feel very invested in the characters. There are so many characters and so many voices that reader investment can decline because there’s no sense of being attached to them or their progress.
2. Episodic Storytelling: This novel, though linear, feels more episodic than anything. Chapters are short and change perspective and time frame so much that it’s hard to get a sense of what the narrative is or why a particular episode is significant.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in alternate histories,
history of colonization in Africa, Congolese history, steampunk, turn of the century settings, Victorian era, early 20th century, and World War I.
Things I Liked
1. Characters: I very much appreciated that there was such a wide range of characters. Some were white settlers, some African royalty, some Chinese migrants. Race aside, there was also great variety in the types of people in the novel: engineers, spies, diplomats, etc. It made for a more fully realized society.
2. Worldbuilding: I loved that Shawl created a steampunk world as a response to the atrocities of history. Everfair is given airships (called “aircanoes” in this book) and refugees from Leopold’s tyranny are given prosthetic limbs that are purely fantastical. There’s a kind of magic to Everfair that doesn’t erase the violence of history, but doesn’t quite wallow in it either.
3. LGB+ Content: I was delighted to find that several of the characters in this novel are lesbians or bisexual women, and the relationships and romances between them are complicated without being rendered tragic for “historical accuracy.”
4. Prose: Shawl’s prose style flows very well and gives readers a vivid picture of the world of the novel. It’s straightforward without being too blunt, and lyrical without being overly syrupy.
5. Part Two: I very much enjoyed part two of this book more than part one because part one felt like the making of a utopia whereas part two pointed out all the problems of that utopia. Everfair is created by people who “buy” land from Leopold and start their own country - but that in itself is a kind of colonization, since it seeks to impose a new civilization over the one already there. I liked that characters like King Mwenda brought this up and challenged presumptions - especially white ones - that what they were doing was entirely beneficial.
Things I Didn’t Like
1. Lack of Connection to Characters: Because there aren’t very strong character arcs (with the exception of maybe Lisette and Fwendi?), I didn’t feel very invested in the characters. There are so many characters and so many voices that reader investment can decline because there’s no sense of being attached to them or their progress.
2. Episodic Storytelling: This novel, though linear, feels more episodic than anything. Chapters are short and change perspective and time frame so much that it’s hard to get a sense of what the narrative is or why a particular episode is significant.
Recommendations: I would recommend this book if you’re interested in alternate histories,
history of colonization in Africa, Congolese history, steampunk, turn of the century settings, Victorian era, early 20th century, and World War I.