Other RDS Press titles I’ve reviewed
Synopsis:
Balanced on a thin wire between horror and steampunk, Van Essler’s debut novel Vial Thoughts is an acrobatic performance at the darkest of circuses. Lenora Leahill has recently inherited her father’s estate and is ready to take her place in the enlightened Age of Awareness where books can be instantly consumed as injections using an Aqua Peritia cuff. She has grand plans for securing her legacy, but navigating these new responsibilities alone is not easy, especially when it’s impossible to see clearly under the city’s ashfall.
When an old colleague of her father’s demands fulfillment of a promise Lenora knows nothing about, she discovers this new Age of Awareness is haunted by a dark history. Lenora must wade through the shadows of the past and gain her footing in the present if she has any hope of a future—unless death or madness finds her first.
Edition:
Paperback (many thanks to both Erin Al-Mehairi and Jennifer at RDS Press for the gifted copy!)
My Thoughts:
Honestly, going into Vial Thoughts I had my doubts. The whole steampunk thing is just really not my vibe. However, I’ve come to trust Erin’s word when she says she thinks I’ll like something. No matter how out of left field it has seemed to me at the time, she is yet to be wrong. Somehow she has really gotten her finger on the pulse of “things Angie will be into.” And so, I slapped my doubts aside and threw myself into Vial Thoughts. And honestly, I’m really glad that I did.
This story is incredibly entertaining. It is highly imaginative, and doesn’t go too heavy on the ooh look how very Victorian but also technologically into unnecessary gears and steamy/smoky contraptions.
I was so relieved. None of that here!
This is just a really well written story that happens to take place in a world that feels less oppressively steampunk to me than it does just Victorian sci-fi/fantasyland. I know there’s technically not much difference there, but…for me it feels like a distinction.
I love Lenora as a character – she is flawed, and she starts out a bit overzealous, but you really get to watch her grow and change throughout the story. The Age of Awareness is at the very least alive in her.
Overall, I feel like Van Essler’s writing is so strong, and her world/character building is so well done that she thoroughly drew me into the type of story that I wouldn’t usually go for. I don’t know how to better describe it. This is just a really solid, enjoyable story!
Rating:
I really enjoyed the central themes of classism, oppression and the need for empathy and compassion to create a better future. And I love that it was set in the type of world that usually sets my teeth to grinding, and not only did it totally work for me, but it gave me really distinctive Bioshock vibes.
Vial Thoughts Van Essler Raw Dog Screaming Press Published: May 11, 2023 ISBN: 9781947879546 Paperback, E-book 200 Pages
