Welcome back to Back Shelf Saturdays, where I review backlist titles I didn’t get a chance to read when they were first published. I do this every week to ensure I’m reading more than just newly released and forthcoming titles.

This week’s title is The Jewel and Her Lapidary by Fran Wilde, which was nominated for the 2017 Hugo Award for Best Novelette and the 2016 Nebula Award for Best Novelette. The Jewel and Her Lapidary clocks in at 89 pages and fits a ton of story into its small package.

Goodreads / Amazon

Synopsis:

From Fran Wilde, the Andre Norton and Compton Crook Award-winning author of Updraft.

The kingdom in the Valley has long sheltered under the protection of its Jewels and Lapidaries, the people bound to singing gemstones with the power to reshape hills, move rivers, and warp minds. That power has kept the peace and tranquility, and the kingdom has flourished.

Jewel Lin and her Lapidary Sima may be the last to enjoy that peace.

The Jeweled Court has been betrayed. As screaming raiders sweep down from the mountains, and Lapidary servants shatter under the pressure, the last princess of the Valley will have to summon up a strength she’s never known. If she can assume her royal dignity, and if Sima can master the most dangerous gemstone in the land, they may be able to survive.

“The central fantastical idea is pretty cool… nicely written… I suspect the world it’s set in might yield more fine stories.” – Locus

Review:

Unlike most of the Tordotcom novellas I’ve read, The Jewel and Her Lapidary is more of an epic fantasy than a speculative read. Readers enter Jewel to find a kingdom under siege. The main two characters are Lin and Sima. Sima and Lin are tied together by oath and by the gem magic that runs through their kingdom. Lin is the Jewel, a princess of sorts, and Sima her Lapidary, or her protector. Both are mourning the losses of their fathers, as they are the only two who survived the castle siege. 

You may be asking, “How can an epic fantasy fit into just 89 pages?” That’s a great question. The world-building felt a bit haphazard for me. I loved the friendship between Lin and Sima, but whenever the gem magic came up, I lost momentum. I never felt like I fully understood the gem magic or the properties of each gemstone. It was all a bit under-explained for me. Which, I do understand. After all, this is only a novelette. 

I know there are more books in this series, and I believe the next book is about 200 pages long. Since I loved the characters so much, I will likely read further in the series. However, I think I’ll take a break from the gems for a while before continuing.

Final Thoughts:

This novelette has such a promising world, but the writing made the world-building confusing. There were moments in the story I adored – like that sweet kiss. The ending was heartbreaking but well done. I’m thoroughly torn on this story, but will likely return to this world at some point in the future.

Rating: 3.75/5 stars.