I received a free copy of this book, and I read it as part of the judging effort for the SFINCS3 novella competition. I’m part of Team TBR, but these thoughts are my own and do not reflect the final rating of the team.
Parasitic Omens
By Jessica A. McMinn
First of all, I need to say that few things ruin my enjoyment of a book as much as reading it on a deadline. Something in my mind rebels, and the enjoyable experience of reading a book becomes a task I must perform. Unfortunately, this is the case with Parasitic Omens. I read the book as part of the judging effort for the SFINCS novella competition, and the deadline was looming over me as I read. I’m well aware that this is entirely my own fault, and I’m trying my best not to let it influence my impression of the book.
That said, it’s worth bearing in mind when considering this review.
Anyway, enough about me. Let’s get on with it, shall we?
Parasitic Omens is the kind of grimdark fantasy that features a bar named The Dripping Bucket, which is kind of a nod to the indie fantasy grimdark community. There’s probably a lot to be said for that, but in this case, I like it. It makes me feel welcome in the story, and it brings me in a little deeper.
The presence of a dripping bucket isn’t enough to lift the story on its own though, but fortunately, it doesn’t need to be. Both the writing and the world building are top notch, and Parasitic Omens is a solid, easy read. I don’t stumble on awkward phrases or inconsistencies in the setting.
What we have here is a well-written, grimdark fantasy adventure/mystery, and in that regard there really isn’t much to complain about. There’s a gruesome death, a sullen investigator, a cranky mentor, and a mysterious black cat – all the good things you’d want in a book like this.
What I would have wanted more of is character. Neither the world, nor any of the characters featured in the story really clicked with me. They keep the story moving, so they get the job done, but I didn’t connect with any of them in a meaningful way.
What I’ll whine about
Characters. Something happened in the early stages of the story that made me lose respect (not as a person, but the way he’s written) for Law, the main character of the story. He seems competent enough, if perhaps a little bit too principled for a grimdark character, and he seems like he’s got plenty of experience investigating the supernatural. When Birar, his mentor/handler, tells Law she has no information about a case and that it should be handled by the local city guard, it read to me like “this is out-of-our-league dangerous, and you should leave it alone or you’ll die.” That made sense to me, and it was in line with what I expected from the story. However, it soon turned out that Law interpreted this as, “Briar failed to uncover the truth herself and now she wants to cover it up because she’s embarrassed.”
It’s a small thing, but it struck me as out of character for both Law and Briar, and a bit of doubt slithered into to the story. The kind of doubt that isn’t a dealbreaker, but that erodes the immersion just enough to keep reminding me that I’m reading a story, not sharing the main character’s experiences.
What I’ll gush about
Outside of my complaints about character, the story is well written and tightly plotted. There’s a strong sense of place in every scene, and if I hadn’t put myself in the position where I had to read this on a deadline, I believe I would been able to fully lose myself in the world the story paints.
In particular, the details revealed about the mystery Law is investigation are fascinating in their gruesomeness. It’d be interesting to follow up on the origin of this case and see what else comes of it.
Final Words
Parasitic Omens is a solid, bite-size, murder mystery in a grimdark fantasy setting.
