Science Fiction
A Brother’s Price is doing that useful alternate-world thing where the premise is loud, but the social logic is quieter and more convincing. That’s the bit that keeps me in a book. If the world rules wobble, everything else starts to feel like stage dressing.
This one doesn’t. The setup is strange, yes, but it keeps making its own customs feel ordinary, which is harder than it looks. Also, I’m always a bit suspicious of books that lean too hard on the hook. This is managing to be more than its hook, which is a relief.
This one doesn’t. The setup is strange, yes, but it keeps making its own customs feel ordinary, which is harder than it looks. Also, I’m always a bit suspicious of books that lean too hard on the hook. This is managing to be more than its hook, which is a relief.
That premise does a lot of work before the first page even starts, which can be a problem if the book treats it like a gimmick. The more interesting test is whether the everyday details feel lived-in rather than explained. Alternate worlds often wobble when they start sounding like a lecture in costume. This sounds like it avoids that, which is the part that would pull me in.