I’m a fan of Aliette de Bodard’s Xuya Universe stories, but one look at the dust jacket illustration on Seven of Infinities by Maurizio Manzieri was enough for me to order this book from Subterranean Press.
Aliette de Bodard follows up her award-winning Xuya universe novella, The Tea Master and the Detective (you can read my review here), with Seven of Infinities set in the orbitals of the Scattered Pearls Belt.
The story centers around Vân, a scholar from a poor background who is eking out a living as a tutor to a rich family, while hiding the illegal artificial mem-implant she manufactured as a student. Vân teams up with Sunless Woods, a cunning mindship who is a notorious thief and a master of disguise. She’s come to the Scattered Pearls Belt to retire, but is drawn to Vân’s stolid personality and integrity.
When a mysterious corpse is found in the quarters of Vân’s student, Vân and Sunless Woods find themselves following a trail of greed and murder that will lead them from teahouses and ascetic havens to the wreck of a mindship–and to the devastating secrets they’ve kept from each other. If you’re in the mood for a mystery with intriguing aspects and marvelous surprises, I recommend Seven of Infinities. GRADE: A
Wow. Great cover. Of course, I haven’t read the first one yet but maybe this will give me the push to do it.
Jeff, I like the mix of SF and mystery that Aliette de Bodard provides in her Xuya books. I think you would enjoy them, too. Plus, they’re short!
I like the cover a lot, but haven’t read any of the stories.
Rick, I’ve enjoyed all the Xuya stories. And the cover artwork on all the books is superb!
I am trying to remember if I ever bought a book for its cover. I often don’t even notice covers except when there is a trend–like when there were shoes on a lot of them. Megan’s UK version of The Turnout has an unusual cover with a slash of white paint across the dancer’s face. I am not sure what that means. But I think I have seen it before
Patti, I started buying books for their cover artwork right from the get-go. I still find myself continuing the habit, but most books today have inferior artwork on their covers. I’ll have to check out that Brit cover on THE TURNOUT.
I try not to go overboard, but I definitely will buy a book just for the cover. I am going to look into this series. It sounds interesting.
Tracy, I really enjoy Aliette de Bodard’s Xuya stories and the lovely artwork on their covers. I’m sure you would enjoy them, too!
There are no few ugly books I’m glad to have, but I’ve not yet bought a book on the sole strength of its cover. I’ll try to give AdB’s novella series a shot!
I will admit that if I had encountered this first “Kitty Telfeair” volume when I was, say, 8-12yo, I would likely be Very Lenient about the quality of the prose within in terms of sampling it, in hopes that it would eventually live up to that photo, and its model, she definitely conforming to one of my (admittedly many) “types”…http://toomuchhorrorfiction.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-kitty-telefair-gothic-series-by.html
Or even Telefair!
Todd, I was buying paperbacks with Robert McGinnis covers back in the early Sixties. And, of course, the wild ACE Double covers. So, from an early age cover artwork affected my purchasing habits.
I’ve not yet read all the stories in this universe, but I’ve loved every one that I have read. She is a wonderful writer who has created such a rich and imaginative world.
Carl, I completely agree! You would enjoy SEVEN OF INFINITIES. And, you have to love the cover artwork, too!