A beautiful spooky queer gothic tale. I loved every word. My only qualm is that it was so short because it was a novella :(

Lina Rather's novella, A SEASON OF MONSTROUS CONCEPTIONS, is a story of an epidemic (more on this word in a moment) of fae/uncanny-affected births in late 1600s London. It interrogates themes of gender roles, the nature of what it is like to born different in some way, and about the interplay between forces that are revolutionary and poorly understood dueling for supremacy in a world desperate to apply some manner of order to events that appear chaotic and uncontrollable.

Our protagonist, Sarah, is a young widowed apprentice midwife whose husband drowned under mysterious circumstances. Furthermore, she has a connection to these uncanny births--she was born with a tail... a tail that was amputated. Therefore, we see this world through the eyes of someone who can pass as an unaffected human, and who sees those born affected not as monsters but as something else.

Sarah, by strange twists of fate, finds herself working with a pregnant gentlelady with a husband who is a man of means and of reason and science (such as it was at the time). And her connection to this pregnancy as well as her own uncanny nature places her squarely at the heart of a struggle between science and reason and an embrace of the primal weird of the uncanny.

The book is a compelling read, and pulls the reader forward, layering in a deepening mystery at the heart of why these births are happening with every chapter, and more importantly, tying every development to the conflict at Sarah's heart (navigating her place in a world designed to exclude people like her (people like her in many more ways than one)). And it leads us to an epic climax where the fate of the world lay in the balance.

If anything, it is the efficiency with which the story is told that may be my only "criticism." We move from discovering the conflict, to discerning what it is that makes Sarah Sarah, to turning the page and finding ourselves in the climax so quickly, I found myself wanting more time spent meandering these paths, ruminating on not only what those paths meant for the world of A SEASON FOR MONSTROUS CONCEPTIONS and its characters, but more importantly what they mean for the real world, and the way I see that world.

Because (and here's where we pay off that very first parenthetical) how does one reckon with the central conceit at the heart of this story? As a baseline, it's clear that to the people of London in this book, they do not want uncanny children. In their eyes, these uncanny children are defective--if they even survive. They're cast out. They're... other. One need not be terribly introspective to see the metaphor applied to our society. How does our society view children born... different? How should we? How do I?

There's a peculiar type of fear to parenthood where you want the best for your child--how could you not--and you hope nothing goes "wrong." What if my child were born unhealthy? Or with some genetic abnormality? So many birth announcements include some variant of the phrase "both baby and mother are healthy" and no doubt that phrase addresses this looming fear that is everpresent and almost entirely out of anyone's hands but chance. But is it ethical to desire my child not be born with a genetic abnormality? Would I be unethical to hope my child be born striking some kind of genetic lottery--or at least avoid rolling genetic snakeyes?

And it's the latter question that cuts to the heart of how Sarah and the increased incidence of uncanny births fits into this analysis and makes the closing description an "increased incidence" rather than an "epidemic." Clearly, Sarah thrives regardless of her Uncanny nature. Clearly one can look around the the real world and see countless children and adults dealt hands not of their choosing and who are thriving nonetheless. And yet, still that question lingers: How would I react faced with similar circumstances?

It's not an easy subject matter, and it's certainly not something resolvable in a few hundred word book review. But, to my perspective the finest stories are the ones that expose conflicts within the reader and demand the reader look at hard places within themselves. Those, ultimately, are the stories we remember.

This is one of those stories.

What a strange little novella! Set in the 1600’s, we follow Sarah, an apprentice midwife with a secret: she was born with a tail, one of many children born with unusual attributes. She’s a member of a guild of midwives who are in touch with the realm of the mysterious, a realm that they believe is responsible for all of the monstrous births around London. In a series of events with world-shattering consequences, Sarah must make a choice: do what she’s been told, or remake the world to be a better fit for herself.

Rather’s world was well-crafted and had the right amount of spookiness. There was an uneasiness that permeated every scene, and it worked well with Sarah’s uneasiness about her place and purpose. The queer elements were integrated beautifully, and although this story is set in the 1600’s, there was no hate or violence towards the queer characters. Were they out? No, not really. But they have a thriving community that we get to see Sarah discover. Her scenes with Margaret were some of the best in the book.

Overall, this was an excellent novella!

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is set in 17th century London during a time when many unnatural babies are being born. Sarah is an apprentice midwife who is familiar with these uncanny babies as she was one herself.

Lina Rather painted a wonderful picture of the world that this story takes place in. The characters were dynamic and I felt like I was in the room with them.

Being a novella it was a nice quick read as well, but I finished wishing that it was a little bit longer.

Overall a great read and I would definitely recommend it.

Thank you to Tor Publishing and Netgalley for an ARC

If you’re on the lookout for a feminist horror story, this should be your next read. The book’s musings on power and who is permitted to wield it resonated deeply with me.
For me, Sarah is an immensely relatable character. She feels trapped between two social strata, too odd for one and too normal for another, therefore not fitting in anywhere. Regardless of how weird I may be (it’s up for debate), I empathized with Sarah. She is a complex and nuanced character whose mistakes and triumphs both make sense in the context of the story.
While I feel this book succeeds mainly as a character study, the imagery is haunting and evocative. Even though the author expertly captured the dreary atmosphere of 1600’s London, the book left me feeling anything but. I particularly enjoyed the message about creating a space for oneself.
Even though this isn’t a found family story, I feel like it will resonate with those who typically enjoy found family, as it deals with similar themes of belonging (at least if I, a fellow found family enthusiast, am indicative of any larger trend). While this isn’t the most terrifying horror I’ve read, it left me with a lot to think about, and for that reason, I think it’s worth the read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group for the opportunity to read rate and review this arc which is available Oct 31,2023!

Holy cow Batman! This book was creepy, atmospheric and oh so good. Devilry, queer rep, midwifery and horror are happening in 17th century London. I honestly am sat here at a loss of how to describe this book with justice it has knocked me speechless. It is that damned good.

Lina Rather's writing has a consistent atmosphere, whether writing about space-faring nuns or midwives in a Lovecraftian historical London - and that atmosphere always appeals to me. A Season of Monstrous Conceptions was mysterious and mesmerising, but alongside the overarching plot, I really enjoyed the quiet sapphic love story that slowly unfurls in the background. This is a short novella, but it packs in a lot of plot and worldbuilding. I continue to eagerly anticipate anything Lina Rather writes!
4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Strange babies, a witchery midwife guild, accidental murder and obsessions with the otherworldly? Count me in! A Season of Monstrous Conceptions caught my attention the minute I read the title.

The novella is set in 17th-century London where children are being born with «monstrous» anomalies. Our main character and midwife-in-training Sarah has a touch of this uncanniness herself and feels a deeper connection to these children and to the «Other World». We follow her as she navigates this historical London as a widow and queer woman, and is faced with a difficult choice that might destroy the world. The story is full of magic, monstrosities, and contains a wide variety of female characters as well as a sapphic romance subplot.

The story is atmospheric and I could easily envision this historical London while reading. I found the first half of the novella very interesting as we were familiarized with this particular London and our MC Sarah. I found Sarah to be well-developed and I enjoyed her pov. Around the 60% mark I was slightly confused and felt like a huge chunk of the story had been lost to me, and then towards the end the confusion lessened. I think this was due to the fact that this is a novella and thus had limited space for certain ideas to develop nicely. Certain aspects of the worldbuilding, and descriptions of magic and the «Other World» felt sadly glanced over. I would actually have liked this to be slightly longer, perhaps even a full-length novel.

The novella also deals with topics such as grief and obsession, a combination I definitely enjoy. I would have liked to see more of the relationship between Sarah and Mr. Wren as I think this was one of the most interesting dynamics in the story. The sapphic romance subplot felt right at home and contributed to some balance in this otherwise slightly horrifying world.

Overall, A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is an intriguing, uncanny, and compelling novella that centers strange (queer) women, female oppression and power, obsession, monstrosity, queerness, grief, and magic, all in an atmospheric, historical London. One of the novellas main flaws is its length, which should have been considerably longer (a novel), and that’s saying something.

3,75

3.75 Stars. Thank you to TOR and Netgalley for the read.

What an odd novella. We have this 1600's London where a group of women who can access magic work as an unsanctioned midwifery guild.

We have a MC, Sarah, who was born with a "monstrous" extremity that was removed when she was an infant to be able to blend in; however she lived a miserable home life and an even more miserable marriage until she found the means to be free.

Chased by her past she's brought under the wing of Mrs. June, an aforementioned midwife who takes Sarah as an apprentice.

London's new births are becoming increasingly monstrous, Sarah takes on a new client whose husband draws her into alchemical, mathematical and physics driven work to fix the world.

The story is well written, the prose was great, it was incredibly atmospheric..you could easily see and feel the environment.

There's an underlying queer love story.

Where it fell a little flat, was more due to it being a novella rather than a full length novel was a lack of really great world building, more nuisance in the magic, and how the other realm and creatures function, although there was entry there to get the story across.

Overall, I really did enjoy this quick read!

Unusual babies, midwives' guilds, and an obsession with the uncanny - these are just a few of the things you'll encounter in Lina Rather's A Season of Monstrous Conceptions. Set in 17th-century London, this historical fantasy novel introduces us to Sarah Davis, a woman with an uncanny nature that she keeps hidden from the world. When she becomes a midwife's apprentice, she finds herself drawn into a world of magic and intrigue, where strange and unnatural babies are being born in the city, causing fear and suspicion to spread.

As Sarah's journey progresses, we are introduced to a cast of complex and nuanced characters, each with their own motivations and desires. Lord Christopher Wren, the famous architect, is obsessed with the uncanny and becomes particularly interested in Sarah. Meanwhile, Lady Wren hires Sarah as her midwife, leading to unexpected twists and turns in the story. Throughout it all, Rather masterfully weaves together historical fiction, fantasy, and horror, creating a richly detailed world that is both captivating and terrifying.

The novel is beautifully written, with lush descriptions of 17th-century London that transport the reader back in time. The depiction of the uncanny babies is particularly vivid and chilling, adding a sense of horror to the story. Yet, at its heart, A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is a story about power, and how those who seek to use it can threaten to destroy the world. If you're looking for a captivating read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this is the book for you.

This book presented one of the most special and interesting plots I've read. The idea is outstanding and memorable, but the execution not so much. I don't think it's an author problem. For me, it would've worked better as a full-length novel. Some scenes and descriptions lacked the details I love reading, it felt underwhelming at times because I wanted to know more.
But the characters stood out for me, and the setting of the story was so atmospheric and unique. I would have love to read five hundred pages of this.

Thank you to the author, the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 Stars

TL;DR - A bewitching novella about the bonds between women, the lines between the mundane and the fantastical, and the power that comes with finding yourself and standing firm in your truths. Spooky and strange, rife with cosmic chaos, but ultimately a story about how being different is not always a bad thing. A lovely exploration of how an unloved daughter becomes a woman wanting nothing more than affection and approval, and how far such a woman will go to feel like she belongs.

Big thanks to Tor Publishing Group/Tordotcom and NetGalley for providing the ARC for this book in exchange for an honest review!

‘A Season of Monstrous Conceptions’ by Lina Rather is a fantasy-horror novella that takes place in London, unfolding over the course of the winter and early spring of 1675. It follows Sarah Davis, an apprentice midwife who arrives in London just as distinctly inhuman babies start to be born - some with many eyes, others with fins and webbed fingers, still others with fur and horns. Sarah is like them, strange and powerful, but human enough to hide it from everyone but her mentor, who can also access the same magic but is much weaker at it. We follow Sarah as she struggles to find her place after tragedy, both in London and the world at large, and watch as she begins to understand the connection between herself and the uncanny babies she helps deliver.

I didn’t know what to expect going into this novella, but I was pleasantly surprised. The writing is simple but impactful, the prose clean and concise, and everything steeped in subtle, unnatural beauty. There is a definite air of creepiness about the story, in the mystery of these strange babies and Sarah herself, and it was overall well-written and compelling. The plot is relatively straightforward, but the pacing is good and the ending is both unexpected and satisfying.

Sarah is an interesting and likable character, with deep wounds both old and fresh. She’s a strong woman, but also alone and lost and looking for her place, and I could relate to her on many levels. It’s wonderful to see her come into her own and watch as she goes from a mundane life to an extraordinary one, to stand her ground and do what she believes is right. Bonus points for the sweet (and a bit spicy!) sapphic romance, always love to see it.

This books is distinctly feminist in a lot of ways, exploring the sanctity of midwifery and the camaraderie of women both as midwives and the women they help. There’s a lot of razor-sharp commentary on the ways patriarchy suppresses women possessed of great minds, how men have power simply by virtue of existing, and how women have to work exponentially harder for their place in the world, especially in the past. I always enjoy stories of midwifery and childbirth for this very reason, and I was pleased to see it handled with such care and thought.

The only reason I gave this novella less than 5 stars is because I wanted to see more of the magic and its source, to understand Sarah’s powers better - there just wasn’t enough of it to really satisfy my personal tastes. However, I recognize that this is a novella and space is limited, but I would have preferred to read this as a full novel that spent the time to expand on all of this. That said, I did enjoy what I got.

Final Thoughts:

This is a great quick read when you need something a little spooky, a little magical, and with a lot of heart. I greatly enjoyed this novella, and I will be adding a physical copy to my shelf!

This book has a little bit of everything - witches, parallel universes, accidental murder, midwifery, the real historical polymath Sir Christopher Wren. I absolutely loved this novella's historical setting, even in the places where it was adjusted to contain the fantasy elements and monstrous people of this world. The main character, Sarah, was incredibly compelling. The multiple ways in which she feels removed from society - both as an otherworldly creature and bisexual icon - made her internal conflict interesting to read about.

I think the complexities of this story would have worked better in a full-length novel, rather than a novella. There is a part in the middle where the mechanisms of the universe are skimmed over, which made their reasoning hard to follow in parts. Sarah has a complicated history with both Michael and Margaret, which we are told rather than shown in the limited space, even though there definitely could be more to explore there.

Overall, it's delivering in its chosen genre of sapphic scientific oddity-core, but could have used further elaboration.

Thank you to Lina Rather and NetGalley for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
A Season of Monstrous Conceptions- Expected Release Date, 31 Oct 2023

Sarah was born Uncanny, for she had a tail and a power deep within. To spare her grandchild, Sarah’s grandmother cut off her tail while she was still a babe. But her mother still knew, and treated Sarah like she has the plague, and in a way, I guess she did.
After Sarah fled her childhood home, accusations of witchcraft nipping at her metaphorical tail, she apprentices as a Midwife in London. Six months into her apprenticeship, more and more Uncanny Children are being born. These babies are being thrown away. Disposed of. Killed. Before they had even a chance to live.
“What was one more baby in a world where so many died so often?”
Now, Sarah must fix their broken world.

I loved the idea of this- it was dark, it was unsettling, it was atmospheric as hell!
I just wish it had more… substance? I thought the magic system was poorly explored and it ended up sounding like the ravings of a strange fever dream.
It had such a unique and interesting plot, a beautifully imagined world but it still felt a little lacking to me? I especially would have liked to see more of the Uncanny Children! I feel a strange and morbid fascination towards them. An attachment I can only say is because I felt like I was right there in the rooms where Sarah helped bring them from their mothers womb!
Overall, it was a solid 3 star read for me and I’m really glad I got the chance to read it.

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions follows Sarah, a 17th-century witch midwife in a time where babies are being born with very strange features, and when she's engaged to help a noblewoman through her pregnancy, she comes into contact with her obsessive, magical-prone husband who opens a whole world of magic and intrigue and escaping the shackles of servitude and monotony for Sarah.

I thought this was a really unique premise, and coupled with the novella format, it was the perfect blend of big stakes but cozy, quick pacing. Like a slice-of-life but with much more at stake. I really loved the worldbuilding around magic, how powers operated in the very strict gender normative society of 17th century London, and the integration of spheres and celestial worlds and alchemy. It gave me almost a steampunk, science fantasy feel, which was a new twist on ordinary historical fantasy or historical horror! Sarah was a great protagonist, and I enjoyed watching the development of her character as she unburdened herself from the binds she found herself under Miss June and society. Oh, and I loved her relationship with Margaret!

What a fine collection of my favorite themes in one little book.

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions is a story about Sarah, a midwife’s apprentice in 17th century London, where more and more… unusual babies are being born.

This is a short read, but paced well and with just enough to pull me in and keep me on my toes. And keep you on your toes it does. It’s atmospheric, witchy and sapphic and a really interesting peek at the time period.

You know I love gritty pregnancy and labor depictions in fiction and this was a great addition to my ever growing collection. (There should be more of it in fantasy, frankly.) The midwifery was what I particularly enjoyed in this book, the ways women shared knowledge and supported each other while science and medicine ignored them is always fascinating.

Thank you to TorDotCom and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Such an amazing, unique and intriguing premise. Although this was short I felt like there was a lot fit in and everything was so interesting from the fantasy, magical aspects and being a midwife/apprentice midwife in the 1600's. I do wish there was more development of the magical aspect and we got a more in depth description and understanding of 'The other world' and how the magic worked. But overall this was really interesting with great descriptions and fun characters.

I was drawn to this book by the title and the premise. I remember reading about reports of monstrous babies being born in one of the history classes I took in college, and it was really interesting to see those reports in an actual fantastical way. I do think this book would’ve benefited from being longer. I wanted to get to know the characters better, and at times I found myself confused about where exactly the monstrous babies originated from. Regardless, this is a quick read with a well thought out world.

Thank you to Lina Rather, Tor Publishing Group, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review-- all opinions are my own.

A Season of Monstrous Conceptions interested me as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb. I think the cover helps build anticipation for the story because of how striking and eye-catching it is. This novella is set in the 1600s and follows Sarah, an apprentice midwife, through a time in London where children are being born with mysterious and other-worldly attributes and features. The author does a really good job at setting the scene for readers and makes you feel as if you are walking the streets of London with the main character rather than feeling like someone watching events play out from afar. The descriptions and details of events and scenery are written very well. I also really like and appreciate the romance plot line. One thing that did fall a little flat for me was the somewhat lack of explanation/detail of the magic system and 'The Other World'. At times I felt a little confused about what characters were talking about in regards to it and how their actions/ other characters' actions related to it. It left me feeling like it was a little rushed in some places. Readers who are interested or looking for a novella that has a good mix of monsters, female lead characters, and fantasy elements should definitely give A Season of Monstrous Conceptions a try.

By coincidence I’ve read a lot about Mary Toft lately which fits as this story is about people being born with animalistic features. Our main character is working as a midwife’s apprentice and therefore comes close to these babies being born with these unusual features.

It was a short and intriguing read, and I enjoyed it quite a lot.