I’m not going to begin with my usual “I don’t like short stories because reasons” disclaimer, because I really don’t think I applies here
This is an excellent short book with three separate stories
in it. They’re all very compact, relatively simple stories but, above all to
me, every last one of them is really useful and even necessary to the broader
plot.
The first story, Christmas
Shopping, addresses one of my underlying concerns of the story – the relationship
between Keziah and Natividad. These two are the most prominent by far (and, to
a degree, the only appreciable) female characters in the series – it is a very
male dominated series, especially in major roles even if Natividad is usually the
protagonist. Few prominent female characters and those female characters hating
each other with the fiery passion of a thousand exploding suns is, alas, a
powerful trope
So this story of Keziah and Natividad spending time
together is an excellent story. They don’t like each other a great deal,
certainly – but this is a rift brought about form vastly different experiences,
tastes and lives. Them being together in this story both excellently showcases
this while, at the same time, having them build more and more connections, more
understanding and approaching, if not friendship, then perhaps mutual respect.
It’s all nicely capped with something Keziah taunted Natividad about becoming a
joke between them
It also comes with a nice bit of world building shouting
back to the major war that defines this series. In all, an excellent story –
though I do have a discomfort with how very awed Natividad is of towns and
cities. Sometimes her POV gives the impression that Mexico has no great cities
and isn’t very sophisticated.
The second Story, Library
Work, also brings some really necessary elements to the series. In this
case we get to see a lot more of Miguel, Natividad’s human twin brother who is
often out on a limb in the world dominated by Black Dogs and magical Pure and
vampires. This book helped emphasise his strength – he’s smart, he’s cunning,
he’s patient and he is excellently skilled in not only navigating around the
dangerous Black Dogs and their uncertain tempers – but also in outright
manipulating them for his own well being.
On top of this we have the greater development of Cassie,
cambiador, cursed human shifter who,
again, is primarily empowered by her intelligence. She and Miguel work extremely
well together in their cunning, setting themselves up as a very formidable couple
who I really want to see more of. It also set them up as a potential romantic
couple which is also excellently defined as much or more by respect of their
intelligence than it is by physical attraction.
A Learning
Experience brought some attention to Thaddeus and his history as well as,
though she didn’t play a huge role, the importance of his wife DeAnn. This is
important because they are the only Black characters in the series but also
bring some very important lenses to the series by being the only Black Dogs
with no connection to the Dimilioc. He gives us an excellent insight both into
how Black Dogs outside the Dimilioc manage – but also how the Dimilioc appears
and has developed from an outsider’s view.
I also liked how he had different words for Black Dog
concepts from the Dimilioc – again it’s a nice touch to remember that not all
supernatural beings of one kind will share the same culture and references
which is often missing in other books.
Another element all four of these stories brings and
develops is Grayson the Alpha of Dimilioc, despite never making him the central
protagonist we see a lot of his development in these stories. They emphasise
his power, how scary he is, how dangerous and how powerful – but also how
tolerant he is and how light his touch is, especially compared to the cruel
dominance of his predecessor. This is mostly overtly underlined in The
Master of Dimilioc but also in A
Learning Experience since we see Thaddeus’s expectation of Grayson’s
behaviour, his fear of Dimilioc even if, as non-Dimilioc, they were not
breaking any rules. Even the way Thaddeus related to his father – an apparently
benvolent and gentle father – made it clear that brutality and fear was still a
feature of any Black Dog Relationship. Grayson showed compassion and understanding
by setting careful but understanding limits on Natividad. Grayson cunningly saw
though Miguel’s scheming in Library Work
– and then addressing it in a way that both established his control and his
tolerance and intelligence. His tests of Thaddeus in A Learning Experience showed his lighter touch, his emphasis on
control and how he valued Black Dogs who were not just obedient but capable,
intelligent and autonomous, able to work without direction. This culminates,
ultimately, in The Master of Dimilioc,
another story that was all about Grayson while not focusing on him – and how he
managed to sway Ezekiel and become Master of the Dimilioc not through might or
fighting skills or control or power (his predecessor, Theo, ultimately exceeded
him in all these things) but because he was such an obvious better choice. He
now rules Dimilioc because he is good – because he is clever and compassionate
and just (at least in comparison to what has come before) and is so good he
could change other Black Dog’s loyalty who had never even considered the
possibility of rebellion, ever.
I’ve already mentioned that Christmas Shopping happily counters some of the most egregious
treatment of women in this series. I also love how Cassie is clearly Miguel’s
peer and as smart or smart than him, promising another excellent female
character. I also like how, while she’s not a major part of A Learning Experience, DeAnn’s
intelligence and courage as well as profound influence on Thaddeus shines
through in his story. That leaves me more saddened that The Master of Dimilioc uses the abuse of women as a tool and easy
characterisation of the evil of the old master – even if it is urge to protect
Pure Women that finally pushes the open rebellion.
There is a large amount of racial diversity – Natividad and
Miguel are Latino and repeatedly slip into their first language in a very
natural and developed way. Keziah is Saudi Arabian. Thaddeus and DeAnn and
Thadeus’s father are Black and the cur Thaddeus is hunting is east-Asian. It’s
a very very racially diverse cast
Sadly, there are no LGBT people.
Despite my usual dislike of short stories, I will say
that this book is absolutely essential to reading this series and a joy to
read. You can read the rest of this series without reading this book – but the
series is a lot richer, a lot more meaningful and a lot more fun with this book
as an excellent foundation for it. It excellently colours in the rest of the
series, it fills in a lot of the gaps and develops the whole world wonderfully
even if it doesn’t expressly add to the meta-plot
It’s excellently unmissable while not technically be
essential. A perfect short story compilation.
