The Dagger in Vichy is a fascinating, genre-defying work of fiction. This novella is like an intricately constructed puzzle; with each page, I discovered another element of world-building that subtly altered my understanding of the story. Reading it was a delight.

Rufus is the youngest member of a close-knit troupe travelling the countryside performing plays in each city and village. When they discover a dying man on the road one night, he entrusts them with a box that must be taken to the Imperator. But when the leader of their troupe becomes dangerously obsessed with the thing inside the box, Rufus is drawn into a world beyond his understanding that may be destined to end in tragedy.

This novella is truly genre-defying; it seems to be equal parts fantasy, sci-fi, and adventure, with a wistful coming-of-age story woven throughout. It's a quick read, but it pulled me into the plot swiftly and entirely, and I suspect this story will linger in my thoughts for a long time.

I would recommend this book to fans of Station Eleven and The Butcher of the Forest, as well as to readers who enjoy post-post-apocalyptic worlds, sci-fi / fantasy mixes, and coming-of-age tales.

Thank you to NetGalley and Subterranean Press for the arc! All thoughts & opinions in the review are my own.

I fear novellas are not for me. I was quite confused by the point of the plot and motivations of the character and felt that the story was underdeveloped. It was a fast, decent read but nothing truly stuck out to me. I feel that I am missing something vital from it and that others who are more versed in the genre would appreciate it more.
It’s about 70% dialogue, and the lack of character tags make it difficult to follow along in the thick of it.

This was a quick fun read, albeit kinda confusing. It was mostly dialogue so it made for a one sitting read.

A fast and engaging read! Genre-bending through medieval fantasy, horror, and sci-fi. This goes several places you weren’t expecting in relatively quick fashion. With an incredibly interesting plot, and twists that you won’t expect, I would definitely recommend this! Especially if you like: medieval horror, A24 fantasy movies, or weird novellas.

THE DAGGER IN VICHY gives engrossing proof that author Alastair Reynolds can write Science Fiction Fantasy and post-Apocalyptic genres just as capably as he can Hard Science Fiction. Truly a can't-stop-reading page-turner, this novella is a one-sitting read packed brim-full of content, adventure, interpersonal conflict and coming-of-age, blending a tale resonant of Medieval Fantasy with a Post-Technological Era, long following the apocalyptic end of Technology, in which machines are sort of archaeological artifacts, and sometimes items very dangerous, even fatal, for the former Technology was far advanced over what we know. Not a moment's lapse in this story: an adventure to read, and well deserving of rereading as well.