Scale-Bright

A modern retelling of a Chinese myth that incorporates romance, family, and feelings of being an outsider. The present-tense, intricate sentence styling is eye-catching and interesting, but overburdened by heavy descriptors. When every noun comes with a plush adjective, the gilded prose might turn off readers tired of that ornamental trend. Lots of jeweled and opulent aesthetics, but the story says little of anything new, nor is it very gripping or provocative. I felt no motivation to read the connected short stories in the second half of the book.

Why I'm okay with it not getting more attention: Sriduangkaew the person is more fascinating than Scale-Bright the book. This story needs more insight than the occasional, superficial unhappiness that tinges the things-happening-with-gods plot. Hints of mood disorders and failed relationships deserve deeper treatment. Sriduangkaew seems to be familiar with these things but can this super-defensive, highly-guarded author deliver a more intriguing, internally-aware story that plumbs personal depths? Can Sriduangkaew shift from simple myth-retelling to personal myth-breaking?