Mini Review: Undercover by Tamsyn Muir

Hedwig's World

Nov 30

*" 'You were undercover. I'm undercover.' She found herself saying. 'It's a hellish world.' "*

It's not my norm to review a single short story on the blog, but there are exceptions to be made. I'm an absolute down to clown for anything Tamsyn Muir writes. So a new short story where it's a guard and their charge with some strange tension and more genre mashing is not going without me gushing about it.

When a stranger comes to town, secrets are sure to come out. New York Times bestselling author Tamsyn Muir spins a twisty—and twisted—short story of revenge and survival.

A fresh-faced newcomer arrives in an isolated, gang-run town and soon finds herself taking a job nobody else wants: bodyguard to a ghoul. Not just your average mindless, half-rotted shuffler, though. Lucille is a dancer who can still put on her own lipstick and whose shows are half burlesque, half gladiator match. But the stranger is no stranger to this particular ghoul. Both women are undercover in their own way. And both have something to lose if their connection comes to light.

I loved this. No denying that. I'd love to leave that as the review and just walk off. But it won't do this justice. What I can assure you is that despite it's length, this story is a complex and layered tale with extremeley vibrant characters and real moment of '...oh shit. OH.' happen.

We're of course following a protagonist hired to protect something that she should be executing. The story starts with her being hired for the job by a crime boss called 'The Widower'. The Widower, impressed with her new employee's proven past with other fellow bosses and her handling of ghouls for him. But then she introduces her new responsibility, Lucille, and things just get more dangerous for her. I can't emphasise enough that you either read the story again after you finish it or at least a summary. There is a lot hidden in plain sight. And a lot of small detail that really brings the world to life. Starr, our protagonist, eventually realises how the Widower is truly tied to Lucille.

It is of course Muir's expert character development that makes this story stand so well on it's own. The Widower not being the only one. Starr herself is excellently open and secretive to the reader to the same point. Lucille herself as well is so distinct, in a Jasmine Jolene from Bioshock way but also from being her own level of complex? I mean yes she's a ghoul who is undead but lives on living flesh but she was a human once. She is being kept alive with her own body guard. She's strangely aware of many things for a mindless monster. And who even makes their mind up that she is a monster? What if the Widower see's her in a way others can't?

The world is set up very distinctly as well in such a short amount of time. Ghouls are common place in this place, the crime bosses are also fairly prominent. It reminded me a lot of the world in Robin Mckinley's Sunshine if that gives a better view. But there are rules to working with Lucille, like ways to protect yourself. There's types of stages a ghoul can get to that is mentioned. I could go on but that is spoiler territory.

This is one in a collection of Amazon short stories and I do intend to read the others. But if you're going to read any, this is the one I think you should. Especially if you like being tricked by Tamsyn Muir. Thanks for checking in guys, happy reading!

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