Private Rites is an in-depth character study, wrapped in speculative climate fiction with a slow, simmering disquiet permeating throughout. In typical Armfield style, the prose is beautifully bleak and focuses more on interpersonal relationships than an action-filled plot. Private Rites feels like a much slower burn than Our Wives Under the Sea, but the pace mirrors the creep of a seemingly inevitable climate collapse that haunts the background of the novel. The portrayal of societal resignation in the face of unending rain parallels the emotions I think a lot of us felt during the pandemic, or maybe going into the next 4 years. It has elements of horror, but largely avoids fitting nicely into one genre. I’ll be thinking of this book a lot during the rainy season here in the PNW.