Strange Horizons, January 18, 2016

“How the God Auzh-Aravik Brought Order to the World Outside the World” by Arkady Martine

Reviewed by Kat Day

In this rather gruesome story, Arkady Martine tells the tale of the god Auzh-Aravik, whose skin has been stolen by her twin sister, Saam-Firuze. Her skin was inscribed with all the laws of heaven, and without it she finds herself bereft of most of her powers. What follows feels as though it’s intended to be a sort of parable, with a lesson to teach about how exterior appearance doesn’t affect ability, somewhat in the style of ancient mythological tales. But, certainly for me, it didn’t entirely come together. There are numerous descriptions of flayed skin and the bloody musculature underneath, and rather a lot of spitting, all of which just made me grimace. The two sisters face off, sort of, but their interactions feel confused and, sadly, somewhat bland. The ending didn’t entirely make sense. In short, the imagery is definitely bold, but it lacks a satisfying narrative.

Kat Day writes a successful, non-fiction science blog called The Chronicle Flask, which you can find at thechronicleflask.wordpress.com. She has a doctorate in chemistry and taught the subject for over ten years, but her first love was always science fiction and fantasy. She hopes to finish her novel one day, if she can get the kids to sleep. She lives in Oxfordshire, in England, and would like to apologize in advance for any stray letter u’s in her reviews.