Alastair Reynolds’s The Dagger in Vichy is an engaging novella that blends medieval intrigue with subtle science fiction elements. Set in a distant future where civilization has regressed to a medieval-like state, the story follows a troupe of traveling actors as they embark on a mission to deliver a mysterious relic to the Imperator in Avignon. This journey is filled with secrets and hidden motives, adding layers of mystery to the narrative.

Reynolds excels at building an atmospheric and immersive world that feels both familiar and otherworldly. The characters are complex and reveal their secrets gradually, enhancing the story’s depth. The brisk pacing keeps the narrative moving quickly, making it an absorbing and satisfying read.

Overall, The Dagger in Vichy demonstrates Reynolds’s skill as a storyteller, offering a distinctive and memorable tale that leaves a lasting impression.

The Dagger in Vichy is a tense, atmospheric novella that blends medieval intrigue with subtle sci-fi elements. Alastair Reynolds crafts a world that feels both familiar and alien, following a troupe of traveling actors who become entangled in a dangerous mission. The story unfolds with an eerie sense of inevitability, balancing slow-burning suspense with sharp, efficient prose. While the character work is solid and the worldbuilding compelling, the ending feels a bit abrupt, leaving certain threads unresolved. Still, it’s an engaging, thought-provoking read that lingers after the final page.

Throughly enjoyed, would recommend to others!

I really liked the writing style and how the story was told. I also enjoyed how the book goes over the greed of men when it comes to power and how it changes you so much. The sci-fi aspect of the book was mixed with medival and dystopian vibes that was very enjoyable. Having it be in France of their time made the understanding of how far they were traveling more obtainable as well. Honestly the story kept me guessing and I did like the slight thriller vibes of the mysterious box. The sci-fi wasn't too over the top and understandable. The overall dystopian/sci-fi vibes kind of reminded me of Seven Black Blades. I plan to recommend this book because it's unlike most books I have read and I'm happy I got the chance to. I'm hoping the author plans to write more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the E-Arc copy of The Dagger in Vichy in exchange for my honest review!

The Dagger in Vichy by Alastair Reynolds is an eerie novella that mixes fantasy and sci-fi, and it grips you right from the start. Set in the far, far future—think medieval times, but way more twisted—the story pulls you into a world that feels both ancient and otherworldly. What really stands out here is the atmosphere. Reynolds does an amazing job creating a vibe that’s tense and unsettling, making you feel like you’re walking through a dream (or a nightmare) where nothing is quite what it seems. The mix of futuristic tech and old-school mythology gives it a unique edge, and the story itself keeps you on your toes.

It’s a short read, but if you’re into speculative fiction that plays with different genres and likes to keep you guessing, The Dagger in Vichy is definitely worth picking up. It’s dark, mysterious, and totally immersive—just the kind of read for fans who like a little weirdness with their adventure.

Rating: 5/5

A ragtag troop of traveling actors stumbles upon a stranger while en route to their next destination and they make a bargain that changes all of their lives forever.

This novella was a quick read that left a lasting impression. A creepy tale about the morality of a weighty decision; I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. The only drawback was that it was not longer.

Thank you to Subterranean Press and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I think that anybody who has any anxieties about the numerous artificial intelligence large language models, and what that could mean for books, the publishing industries, movies, television shows, and all the creative fields, should pick up this book regardless if they like novellas and/or sci-fi, or they don't. The reason is, that this is the first work of fiction that I have personally read that deals with these anxieties in a raw and tangible way. While I am sure this won't be the last of this theme in the years to come, I am willing to say this is one of the firsts. And because of this, when it comes out, I need you to pick up a copy and digest and sit with what this book is trying to communicate.

In this book, we follow a young man named Rufus in an entertainment troupe in a far future, post-industrial and post-technological France which has practically reset to the medieval times, retaining very few technological advancements from the previous ages and civilization. The entertainment troupe leader helped Rufus escape the death penalty, granted that he reformed his criminal ways. Because of this, Rufus feels a debt is owed to the leader. However, when the leader gets ahold of some old technology, Rufus must contend with his morals or the man who saved his life.

Again, I cannot express enough how much I want you guys to read this book if you have even the slightest anxieties about the future to come with websites like DeepSeek, Copilot, and ChatGPT, especially in the creative fields. Once again, while I am 1000000001% this won't be the last book with these themes, this is one of the first books with this theme that I can discern and I think everyone should read it.

I’m not a fan of short stories but felt the novella length gave enough time to develop the story. The story focuses on a traveling band of actors who perform plays. The main characters are Guillaume, the playwright, Bernard, an actor and retired military man, and Rufus, a young boy saved from the noose a by Guillaume after being caught stealing. Guillaume is entrusted by a knight on the road with delivering an urgent package and it is there that their troubles begin. The story was well written and enjoyable. Happy reading!

An amalgamation of horror, thriller, fantasy, and Sci-fi, The Dagger in Vichy was a crazy 120 pages. The story follows a travelling theatrical troupe through various cities in France as they perform their Shakespeare-esque plays. Their journey is quickly hijacked when they find themselves rerouted on a mysterious quest involving an Imperator, a playwright, a young apprentice and a menacing box they are warned should not be opened. I could not put this down. The characters are both loveable and despicable, the pacing is sharp and the story is pleasantly weird and unique. The setting was not exactly pinpointed, but it felt like a medieval renaissance following a semi-apocalyptic war where magic and advanced technology were previously prevalent. Maybe? I'm honestly still not sure. Once I stopped trying to figure out the juxtaposition of centuries, it was too easy to enjoy the precarious whimsicality of not knowing. It kept the story fresh and me, as the reader, on my toes. Just when i thought I knew where I was and what was possible, I'm thrown for a loop and back to square one. It felt familiar yet refreshing different; like history, but a history I didn't know existed. I don't know, something about this book kept me fully engaged and smiling the whole time. One minor star off for the way it ended. It felt a little abrupt and I wish we'd gotten a few more details. Even with that minor issue, it still felt satisfying and cohesive. 4 stars.

A dagger in Vichy gives an eerie and shadowy vibe. In this old fashioned novella, a group of traveling actors in France come across a dying soldier on the road. With his last breath, he gives them a sealed box and asks them to deliver it to the Imperato. Their leader promises to complete the task and never open the box. But the master's curiosity gets the best of him.
The journey takes an unexpected turn filled with secrets, manipulation, and betrayal to the masters companions.
I enjoyed this fast-paced read. I loved the vibe from the beginning which kept me hooked. The authors writing style was smooth and easy to follow. The story had a great balance of mystery and tension. While I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, it was still well-crafted and entertaining read that I'd recommend to anyone looking for a quick, immersive story.

What an interesting French-medieval ‘fantasy’ novella by one of science fiction’s most important writers of the last 30 years! A Dagger in Vichy is set in humanity’s far future after an apocalyptic event has left the world without much technological advancement, no cars, no phones - just limited, to almost medieval, means. We follow a troupe of performers who are tasked with returning an important religious artifact to the Imperator in Avignon. As the story unfolds, we learn more about the narrator, the youngest member of the troupe, the master writer of the group, and the artifact itself. Wonderfully written and a nice distinction from Reynolds’ typical space-faring stories. Reminiscent in some ways of Mark Lawrence’s Broken Empire trilogy - with the far-future setting and the left-over technologies, but not quite as dark. Reynolds leaves this world at the end of the story with potential future tales as an apparent option. I would certainly enjoy seeing more stories in this world. Reynolds is an excellent storyteller and has created a wonderful setting and characters. Highly recommended!!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the E-ARC! 3 ⭐️


This is a fun mishmash of genres, definitely a romp. I don’t have a whole lot of insight; the note I wrote down while reading was: “If the Rust filming accident happened in a medieval Futurama episode.”

It was a quick, fun time. I found myself being more drawn in by the atmosphere and the lore of the world, and in that sense it left me wanting more. Those bits grabbed me more than the plot, which is pretty easy to follow but ultimately fairly archetypal.

Anyway it was a good, if not unchallenging read.

I wasn't a huge fan. My opinion is biased due to my dislike of 1st person POV writing styles. Overall, the plot was interesting.

I have read and enjoyed much of the science fiction of Alastair Reynolds and was curious to see how he handled fantasy. I was not disappointed. The Dagger in Vichy is not quite fantasy though. In it we follow a troupe of traveling actors through a far future post-apocalyptic France as seen through the eyes of the youngest member Rufus, an illiterate former thief who is being taught to read and write as an apprentice to the resident playwright. They find a dying soldier by the road and are entrusted with a relic from a monastery that must be brought to the Imperator immediately. They accept the charge with the caveat that they must honor their current contracts before they can go to Avignon. Things go downhill from there.

I found the characters to be convincing and likable and the pacing brisk. In such a short book one can’t learn the deep backstory of everyone but there is enough exposition and banter to learn how everyone relates to each other and enough history to understand what motivates them. I quite enjoyed this book and thank net galley and the publisher for the chance to read it in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this. It was fast paced and kept me engaged the whole time. I absolutely loved the world and the setting - it's medieval but also Sci Fi and post-apocalyptic all at the same time, which sounds confusing but it was awesome. I think explaining it would give away too much so I won't.

I really enjoyed the cast of characters and the fact that they were a theater troup, I kind of wish the book was longer so we got more time with them. I really enjoyed the perspective of Rufus, the main character telling the story, I didn't really understand his decisions at the end, but that's ok. I'm still thinking about it after it's done so that's a good sign.

The Dagger in Vichy by Alastair Reynolds is a novella set to be released later this year by Subterranean Press. This is a fascinating tale set in a future where society has regressed back to medieval times, yet advanced technology still lingers from ages past. It is a story that plays with Clarke’s theme of sufficiently advanced technology being indistinguishable from magic. I have come to really enjoy stories that take characters in a low tech society and then introduce some kind of highly advanced and unexplainable tech, seeing how those characters react.

In this novella, a troupe of actors traveling across France in a wagon encounter a dying soldier on the road. This soldier entrusts them with delivering a mysterious box to the Imperator in Avignon. Master Guillaume, playwright and leader of the troupe, agrees to deliver the box and promises not to open it. A young actor and thief, who was saved from the noose by Guillaume, overhears his master speaking to the box, and from there the story sails.

This was a quickly paced story that can be read in an afternoon. The story showcases Alastair’s typical creative genius and his mastery over the science fiction genre. The characters are compelling and the plot is exciting. As usual, Al gives us just enough background to let our imagination ponder the possibilities, and yearn for more.

I would definitely recommend The Dagger in Vichy. Be on the lookout for its release later this fall from Subterranean Press. It is a perfect mix of medieval science fiction, a mashup not seen very often.

This is a fantastic short novella, an easy read! Great pace, very effective forward motion. I enjoyed the intricacy of the relationships between strangers to friends and the plot twist towards the end had me pulled in!

I want to say thank you to NetGalley and the publisher Subterranean Press for the E-Arc copy of The Dagger in Vichy in exchange for my honest review.

Okay... maybe I'm not in the right frame of mind for this right now but I am not getting Voltaire word play and motifs here—I'm getting middle school humor about urination and it goes on for the first four pages. I've tried a bunch of times to just get past it but I'm at a loss.

The writing itself is nice, and maybe somewhere down the line I'll give this another shot, but unfortunately it's a DNF for me.

The prose is nice, the humor is lacking but I don't think it's fair to give it less than 2.5 stars so I'm rounding up...

A big thank you to NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

This short and fast-paced book follows Rufus, a horse thief turned actor, on his journey around France with his master, to deliver an important relic that must not be opened by its carriers. There is manipulation and betrayal, old friends turning on each other for the power and glory.

I will say that I did enjoy this book, but most of it fell a bit flat to me. It was no fault of the author, I simply don't think I was the target audience for this novel. I've never been one for fantasy outside of dragons and magic, so this read was somewhat outside of the norm for me. However, the writing style was fantastic and clever, with only a few words leaving me wondering what they meant.

If you enjoy reading books set in medieval times, with a simplistic but layered plot, this book might be for you!

Thank you to Sub Press for the ARC!

To be honest with you, I'm not really a big novella reader/fan. I always feel like just as the story gets going, it's over. However, that is not the case with "The Dagger in Vichy". Reynolds grips you right from the start. I found the story and characters to be very engaging. It is a theater troupe traveling around France in a wagon. It almost felt like I was in the wagon with them. At times this novella reminded me of Station Eleven and Sir Gawain and the Green Knight. It was a very enjoyable quick read and I do recommend it!

Enjoyed this book by Alastair Reynolds. I enjoyed the characters, well developed. And it was a great plot with great pacing. Will be seeking out more books from Alastair Reynolds. #TheDaggerinVichy #NetGalley