Author: Zabé Ellor
Publisher: Rebellion
Genre: Sci-Fi
Recommended Age: 18+
Set in a planet-sized matriarchal city where magic and technology freely bleed together, a male courtesan’s quest for vengeance against his aristocrat father draws him into an ancient struggle between dragons, necromancers, and his home district’s violent history.
In the world-sized city of Jadzia, magic and ancient science merge into something dark and wondrous.
Koré’s life is consumed by power, politics, sex and vengeance, and as courtesan to the wealthy and powerful, he is privy to all manner of secrets. He knows meddling in politics is dangerous─still, he is willing to risk everything to stop his father from seizing the Imperial Throne of the War District. But Koré soon finds the corruption runs far deeper than just one man.
During a tryst in an ancient tomb─in the pursuit of political influence─Koré encounters a dying god, who imbues him with the powers of one of the city’s sacred dragons. Suddenly Koré finds himself a hunted man, threatened with becoming a pawn by whoever finds him first.
If the wrong person discovers his secret and lays claim to his powers they would plunge their world into war, unleash untold horrors and destroy the city─and the two people he has come to love.
Content Warnings: (Graphic, Depicted, Mentioned)
Graphic: Sexual Content, Rape, Sexual Assault
Depicted: Violence, Homophobia, Gendered Violence (on Men), Sexism, Gender Essentialism
Mentioned: Forced Marriage (Male to Female)
Tags:
Planet City, Dinosaur Transport, Magic and Science, Factional Disputes, Sex Worker Protagonist, Queer Protagonist, Bisexual Protagonist, Everyone Out For Themselves, Trash Dads, Political SFF, Elections, It Doesn’t Matter How Pretty Or Powerful You Are Your Just a…, Protagonist with Self Loathing, Dragon Shifter, Necromancy, MMF Romance Subplot, Polyamory
Review
~ Received as an ARC from NetGalley and Rebellion ~
Zabé Ellor’s first foray into Adult SFF is an overly ambitious novel of revenge that doesn’t quite hit the mark. Characters often flip-flop between motivations, and his world overstuffed with elements. Silk Fire is a confusing read that doesn’t live up to the author’s ambitions.
Initially, I found Silk Fire’s world and main character fascinating. Especially when analysing its political structure and feeling as it is more a commentary on sexism in our world. However, no matter how earnestly I tried to engage with the content, overstuffed worldbuilding, quick changes to scenes, and flip-flopping of character motivations dragged down the experience.
Ellor’s world of Jadzia is stuffed full of elements, prophesied dragons, dinosaur driven carts, an oppressive matriarchy, hover ships, city planets, necromancy, etc. The thing is that Ellor doesn’t often cohesively join these elements together nor introduce them in a way that makes it easier for readers to understand the world he has built. In the early chapters, I often noticed that a piece of information would be introduced in one chapter and then elaborated on in later chapters. However, that elaboration often made more sense with that first piece of information rather than where it had been placed in the narrative.
Scenes would also quickly switch between subjects and location, often with not much forewarning or transition between them. And, I found myself constantly having to reread passages to understand the flow of information.
There’s a lot of information packed into the novel's first quarter alone. And often felt like we were still being introduced to the world rather than progressing the plot forward.
As for our main cast Koré, Riapáná (Ria), and Faziz, Koré initially started as a strong character and then became weaker as the novel progressed. Koré is a complex character who wants revenge against his father, Vashthke, but often struggles with wanting acceptance from his father and society as a whole. As a courtesan, he plays the part he needs to be the version of himself society and his clients will accept. But often struggles with self-loathing and doubt because of his work and trauma. He feels like he can’t truly be himself with anyone. He is a deeply flawed individual that often lets revenge and his need to protect himself from harm cloud his judgement, which leads him to make mistakes. However, despite this solid core for the character Koré never quite reaches his potential for me, especially when interacting with his love interests.
Koré interactions with Ria are one of instant trust and attraction, and though Koré eventually betrays Ria for his revenge, they very quickly make up. Koré exhibits approval-seeking behaviour throughout the novel in relation to women, whether that be his mother, aunt, or clients. But, often, his interactions with Ria and Faziz felt stilted and forced. Faziz in particular.
Faziz, the self-proclaimed lord of the Slate-Pile, has his motivations for joining Koré’s cause and wanting revenge against the dxaza Zegakadze and his mentor Vashthke for their evictions and murders of the citizens of Slate-Pile. However, especially in the book's last third, Faziz’s allegiances switch on a dime multiple times. And Koré and Faziz’s attraction is often stated and not shown through their actions. Faziz will undermine Koré’s ambitions, and in the next scene, they will have made up without proper reconciliation. It made for a jarring read.
Jadzia’s matriarchal system also seems to be more making a commentary on sexism in our world rather than on a fictional matriarch. Much of how sexism works in the world is just a role reversal. Men are supposed to be chaste homemakers while women go out to work and wage war. And will there are shallow aspects to this, catcalling, men are only supposed to wear this kind of garment and do this kind of work. There are often moments that speak deeply about how not only condescending but dangerous sexism is.
This is especially noticeable in Vashthke and Zegakadze, Koré’s former lover. Men like them will scramble for what little power and dominance they can get in a society that belittles them for their sex in the most humane ways. But uphold that system through their wealth, power, and scheming, often to the point of physical and sexual abuse on those men they deem lower than them. And men like Koré have to game the system to get what he wants—treading a delicate balance between society’s proprieties and his wants which are deemed abhorrent.
Now switch the gender of the characters in the previous paragraph and tell me that isn’t a commentary on our society. Where powerful women, especially white women, do the same.
Ultimately I wish Silk Fire had lived up to the author’s ambitions. It’s a world that has potential. However, the muddled world-building and even characters ultimately let it down and make it a difficult book to recommend.