The Knife And The Serpent, by Tim Pratt
It's a nice story, made with a lot of imagination. However, I would probably place this book in the YA genre, mostly because of the very informal speech, with a lot of dialogue, slang and sound bites. I found that a bit off-putting, but that is a personal preference. I also found it a bit repetitive at times, especially when it came to questions about how things worked in the other worlds.
I would have liked to have known Tamsin a bit better before she became a "villain", because she starts out as a regular person (or so you think) and then starts making these very radical decisions which are a bit startling without some context. On the other hand, Glenn and Vivy had SO much backstory that it became a bit dull for me until things actually started happening. Perhaps it would have been more interesting to create some mystery and suspicious behaviour and then gradually build up to the big reveal?
The best stories often "show, don't tell", and this book is heavy on the telling. And most of the telling feels bland, superficial and quick.
However, it is a fun story. I also enjoyed the inclusion of kink positivity, pansexuality and gender noncomformity. Eddie was an absolute pleasure. I just wish things weren't always so easy for the main characters... Especially for Eddie and Vivy, with their superior tech and nonchalant behaviour.
Some things were a bit on the nose, but overall it was a fun read. Not really my cup of tea, writing wise, but I can't say I didn't enjoy it either. I just wish everything was fleshed out a bit better. This was a story with enough material for more books, if done right.
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