Weird Fishes By Rae Mariz

Michael || TheNeverendingTBR

This is a beautifully written underwater fantasy novella which is coming in August 2022.

I had the pleasure of reading the ARC, thanks to the author and BookSirens.

Great characters and spectacular world building.

Near the end it goes downhill though, due to the uncalled for brutality and sexual violence; it was very enjoyable before that. It just made the novella feel odd after that.

Bandit

The title is apt. Lots of seafood, all weird. None edible, really, because none should be. Seriously. I don’t know how anyone can look at any of the strange, magnificent creatures that live in the sea and go, hey, that looks tasty.
They don’t look tasty, do they? They look weird. Interesting, exciting, otherworldly. Kind of like an alien world without leaving Earth.
This book takes that concept and goes really far with it, impressively far. The creatures that populate this novella are spectacular, sentient, stunning.
The main protagonists are a squid-like deep sea dweller scientist from a race of deep sea dweller and a seal-like whale rider who travels close to the surface and had the soul of a rebel and a power of a siren.
So, you now, your average, wildly untraditional odd couple, opposites attract and make for a great friendship sort of thing.
And then the two have to consider the terrestrial beings, who are a. very real, b. very destructive. Question is to put up or rise up? And consider, what sort of an uprising would that be if the ocean rises up?
This novella firmly belongs and perfectly exemplifies the branch of science fiction that’s all about climate. As such, yes, the message of it can get quite heavy for the plot, but kudos to the author, it never really overpowers it. There’s simply too much going on.
The world building alone is spectacular. Like the best of David Attenborough Blue Planet show that inspired it. So vivid, so well thought out, so intricate. Pure wow.
The titular weird fishes are as personable, charismatic and compelling as any non-finned protagonist and the emotional engagement here is good and proper.
I’ve tried to stay away from aquatic puns in this review (it’s tough, it really is), but suffice it to say these are the waters you want to swim in. A wildly original, clever, and exciting story. Recommended. Thanks Netgalley.

This and more at
https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/

Peter Tillman

Here's Marissa Lingen's wonderful review of this SF/mystery novella:
"Rarely, if in fact ever, have I encountered such a classic “she’s an x, she’s a y, they fight crime” structure of a novella. Ceph is a squid-like organism from the ocean depths, a scientist among her people! Iliokai is a whale rider, a shapeshifting song-weaver of the sea, concerned about the changes around her and her inability to find any others of her kind. Together, they fight [the] crime [of ocean pollution and temperature increase]!

Mariz’s notes after the novella make it clear that the creatures of the very deep ocean were a major inspiration for this novella, and I cannot help but approve: I too think that they are majorly neglected as weird muses for speculative fiction. More creatures of the utter depths, more! Gender-shifting cephalopod sibling colonies that tyrannize the crabs, sure, why not! Bring on the urchins and the anemones and the coral and the stuff that’s far deeper and weirder! ..."

My review: off to a great start. So far it's living up to Lingen's rave. Thanks to the SLO County Library and the great Calif ZIP program, I had a copy in my mailbox within a couple of days of requesting it. Is that great, or what?

Debut novella from author Rae Mariz. Amazingly well written for any stage in a writer's career. Let's hope she can keep it up! I'm about halfway through, and the only dodgy note so far is the time-vortex gimmick. Headed for 4 to 5 stars, I think.

Well. The ending got a little woo-woo for my taste. . . I've watched some of the Monterey Canyon submarine videos she used for inspiration -- she mentions some specific ones in the afterword. Indeed, those are some Weird Fish! And yes, she got her title from the Radiohead song.
4+ stars, recommended reading. And blessedly short! Go for it.

Para (wanderer)

ARC received from the publisher (Stelliform Press) in exchange for an honest review.

I’ll admit: it was the cover that got my attention. The cover, and the promise of a story centering strange sea creatures with an ecological bent. And really, it largely delivered on that – the worldbuilding was incredibly imaginative. I love non-human POVs that feel non-human, taking biology into account. The expected environmental aspect was not “humanity is a plague and must die” and I loved that too. If you liked
The Deep, you might like this as well.

Unfortunately, the ending was soured by a rape scene with incredibly brutal consequences, that both felt rather pointless and the content warning at the beginning didn’t come close to preparing me for. It also left me in quite a predicament regarding how to review. After all, most of the book was fantastic, with that one scene like a worm in the last bite of an apple. And, after all, I do not do spoilers as a rule and it’s an ARC besides. But how else to talk about it? What do I do?

So: Ceph, a scientist and an octopus-like deep sea creature, finds proof that the ocean currents are slowing, the consequences of which are bound to be catastrophic. With the help of a symbiotic suit and Iliokai, a seal-like whale singer who has proof, she sets out to fix the issue before it’s too late.

The worldbuilding is where this novella really, really shines. Biological differences are taken into the account when it comes to non-human cultures, resulting in something that feels both interesting and unique. I’m also a complete sucker for stories that involve cultural differences, and there’s plenty of that too between Iliokai and Ceph. There are strong Hawaiian influences as well.

The plot…well, the plot felt a little weak in the second half, since both the problem and the solution are at least part if not mostly magical (though it didn’t seem that way at the start), but it’s not something I particularly minded. It’s fantasy, not a manual on how to solve the world’s issues, it’s fine. Maybe it would have been better as a novel, but then, I always say that with novellas too.

However. Now we get to the one, just one thing I disliked, but it's a big one: the rape scene and how it was handled. There is a list of content warnings in the beginning, including one for “some depictions of state violence (including one instance of sexual assault to subdue activism).” Though warnings are always welcome, I’m not, as a rule, especially sensitive to sexual assault in books. I thought I was prepared. I was wrong. The tone of the book until the point of the rape scene was not especially dark or brutal, and I just…didn’t see the point of having that happen, narratively speaking? (Plus the whole load of questions such as: ) It just went and shot the dog and for what? I don’t know.

If not for that scene, I’d be recommending it wholeheartedly, left and right to anyone of the many people I know who might be interested. But as it is, it’s near impossible. Honestly? If I knew, I’d not have read it either.

Enjoyment: 4/5 for most of it, 1/5 for the ending
Execution: 3.5/5

Recommended to: those who like weird biology and sea creatures, fans of
The Deep, by Rivers Solomon (similar vibes!), those annoyed by the “humans are a plague” trope
Not recommended to: those put off by what happens at the end

Content warnings: body horror, rape

More reviews on my blog,
To Other Worlds.

christinac_reads

This is a weird novel about fishes. No but really: it’s a vibrant, immersive, and beautifully written
climate change science fiction novella that’s full of “heavy shit presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight” starring an unlikely duo: a scientist of a cephalopod & a solitary mermaid seal-folk story teller stuck.

This is a novel with striking social commentary that encompasses a wide range of topics metaphorically explored through the creatures of the deep’s first contact with humans, their curiosities towards not only other species but also the vast unknown, and anti-colonialism and colonial violence from within and towards the sea. Reading this flip in perspective and the unreliability of the narrators and their narrowed view of the world is incredibly humbling. The theme of motherhood, especially the kind illustrated here was undeniably beautiful.

Honestly, what a striking read. It’s incredibly cerebral and thought provoking. It's intended to be an uncomfortable read. I highly encourage everyone who has the spoons to do so, to pick this up, ruminate over it, then come back to it again and mull over every word in the prose and every thought that passes through during your reading experience. I’ve never read anything quite like this and I for sure will be coming back to re-read this time and again.

(+) Hawaiian culture, possible aro/ace & trans rep, NB pronouns used, Portugese - Hawaiian indigenous author

Emma Ann

”To the whales, coral, and octopuses, people aren’t smart apes—we’re just weird fish” (from the acknowledgements)

An immensely creative novella populated with deep-sea creatures who feel truly unique and inhuman. The writing itself is rough around the edges (e.g., a shifting omniscient POV that felt to me more like head-hopping than true omniscience), but the ideas are awesome.

Thank you to the publisher for providing an ARC!

Amanda at Bookish Brews

blok sera szwajcarskiego

gods i adore bonkers books

Ladz

Content Warnings: abandonment, animal cruelty and death of a loved one, child loss and grief, self-harm and suicide, near-drowning, state and police violence, rape and sexual abuse, genocide and cultural loss. Heavy shit, presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight

Ceph and Iliokai are both weird fishes, one being more like an octopus and the other being a seadog. They notice that the currents have been slowing down as a result of the activities of those Above and it’s a race against other’s collective decisions to fix the problem. Enthusiasm and love for all things oceanic burst from the page along with an impotent rage over its destruction as a result of unregulated human waste. Clever and fantastical, I greatly enjoyed this journey.

This story captures all the wonder, danger, and magnificence of the sea. From the tiniest krill to the idea of ocean currents being vectors of time, no stone gets unturned. Each piece of the ocean gets characterization, and it’s told beautifully through Iliokai’s and Ceph’s alternating POVs. One has a more transient role within the ocean as a whale rider and the other has almost a tourist’s perspective of everything outside her deep blue sea. The way Mariz communicates cultural differences and languages barriers feel so human, but it’s the details in prose and imagery that remind the reader that it is in fact the humans who are getting a marine-eye view of several watery ecosystems.

There are so many evocative scenes in this one, but my favorite part had to be when Iliokai gets swallowed by a whale. It so deftly captures one of the major themes of the novella, which is the interconnectedness of one’s actions and presence. That sense of wider oceanic communion both at an interpersonal and macro level comes through so succinctly, I had metaphorically clutched my heart at how well it was pulled off.

A work that shows incredible respect for the lives and liveliness beneath the ocean’s surfaces, this is not one to miss if you’re into all things ocean, whether it is marine biology, climates studies, or some combination thereof.

alex ✨

Let me be honest here. I am stumped with Weird Fishes. I have not read a book that made me so conflicted about how I felt in a hot second. If you saw me fiddle with the rating, yeah. I was stumped. Still am, honestly.

Uudenkuun Emilia

I read most of this in one delightful sitting. A brilliant, beautiful, important climate fiction book bringing the deep ocean to life in all its magic and brutality.

Alan

Rec. by: Peter T.

Bertie (LuminosityLibrary)

With a rich underwater world with a seal-like mermaid, a squid-like scientist, and an abundance of ocean life, this eco-fantasy felt so alive. This book is indigenous Hawaiian inspired, and the way that was brought in was delightful. I loved the parallels between deep sea life and humanity, it expertly critiqued our own society despite not really interacting with humans. There are content warnings listed on the front page, but I wasn't quite prepared for the intensity and consequences of the sexual assault scene. I don't want to critique its inclusion, as sexual assault is a real tool used against activists. The whole plot point seems especially relevant in the wake of anti-abortion laws and the consequences of that on pregnant people. However, it's useful to know that's a major event in the book.

Dumitru Andrada

Excuse me? Who gave you the right to be this good?

Sim Kern

Beautiful prose and deep (literally) insight. Delightfully unlike anything you’ve ever read. Was worried about starting this amidst a climate despair spiral, but it actually buoyed me up rather than sucking me down, much like a benevolent sperm whale.

José Alejandro Cantallops Vázquez

Comencé 2023 cansado de leer libros largos, así que decidí que leería más noveletas y esta, Weird Fishes, es la primera de las más de treinta que tengo escogidas. Esta, al igual que las demás, fue nominada en la categoría de mejor noveleta del premio Hugo, por lo que la calidad está garantizada.
Ahora bien, entrando en tema, Weirds Fishes es una noveleta de menos de 130 páginas escrita por Rae Mariz, una antigua bibliotecaria y ahora traductora, interesada en la literatura juvenil, el océano y el medioambientalismo. De ahí que no es de extrañar que escribiera un libro sobre la amenaza de los microplásticos para la vida en general, apoyándose en una historia que mezcla fantasía y ciencia ficción y lo hace bastante bien. El libro tiene una nota de la autora comentando que aborda temas bastantes serios: violación, descripciones detalladas de asfixia, algo de violencia y un intento de suicidio, a lo que agregaría un poco de LGTBQI. Pero no es algo de lo que debas preocuparte a menos que quieras dárselo a leer a un niño-adolescente.
Uno de los puntos fuertes de la historia es que la autora no aborda el problema desde la perspectiva humana sino desde la de una científica calamar de aguas profundas, Ceph, e Iliokai una especie de sirena, pero más emparentada con las focas. A través de esta nos muestra las profundidades del mar, su diversidad y el cómo la actividad del hombre, con los microplásticos y el aceleramiento del cambio climático, está matándola poco a poco.Sin embargo, en vez de ponerse panfletaria sobre el tema y recalcarlo una y otra vez, me gustó que se centrara en desarrollar a sus protagonistas: Ceph tiene que superar los problemas de "calamarcentrismo" de su especie (una alegoría obvia a la forma de ser de la Humanidad), mientras que Iliokai debe superar su complejo de soledad debido a su carencia de madre y dejarse querer. En tanto que ambas recorren el océano en busca de una forma de salvarlo del hombre, esos "peces extraños" que han olvidado que aunque vivan fuera del océano, son parte de este. El final tiene un deus ex machina, pero debido a que la historia se acerca mucho a una fábula para adolescentes se le perdona.
Por lo que si te gusta el océano, te preocupa el medioambiente, quieres practicar tu inglés y deseas leer una historia que te haga reflexionar. Entonces, Weirds Fishes, de Rae Mariz, es el libro que te recomiendo.

Richard Derus

Rating: 4* of five

The Publisher Says: AN UNDERWATER TALE OF FRIENDSHIP AGAINST MONSTROUS ODDS

When Ceph, a squid-like scientist, discovers proof of the ocean’s slowing currents, she makes the dangerous ascent from her deep-sea civilization to the uncharted surface above. Out of her depths and helpless in her symbiotic mech suit, Ceph relies on Iliokai, a seal-folk storyteller, who sings the state of the sea and has seen evidence of clogged currents as she surfs the time gyres throughout the lonely blue. Navigating the perils of their damaged ocean environment, and seemingly insurmountable cultural differences, Ceph and Iliokai realize that the activities of terrestrial beings are slowing the spiralling currents of time. On a journey that connects future and past, the surface and the deep, the unlikely friends struggle to solve a problem so big it needs a leviathan solution.

I RECEIVED A DRC FROM THE PUBLISHER VIA NETGALLEY. THANK YOU. ***CW: rape***

My Review: I know a lot of folks are, um, squeamish about couples that aren't one-man/one-woman. Y'all gonna bust somethin' when it comes to intimate interspecies relations....

But my gosh! The worldbuilding in this novella would support a billion-page nonillionology for each of these cultures. And still the read manages to be truly satisfying. That is a major achievement. The consequences of human action starts the plot on its course; the circle of life gets closed in the end, but in a way I warned you about above.

I am delighted to say that every step leading up to the ending's unpleasantness contains no such activity. I can't say you're likely to be prepared for it with foreshadowing or desensitization. I can say it's stark and shocking when it happens, unambiguous in its cost, and fully part of the narrative arc.

And my goddesses did I hate it.

There's nothing like consequences to offer a lesson about what the author wants to say. I'm glad Author Mariz said it. But I still hated it.

Navarre

Weird Fishes was a wonderful journey that reminded me of how I felt the first time I read 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea as a kid. This book is definitely going on my recommendations list for tidalpunk literature, as it very deftly addresses climate change and its effects on the ocean without feeling preachy.

The story is an interesting take on the buddy genre, pairing a sheltered octopod scientist with an emotionally-vibrant and well-traveled mermaid. Amusing and profound interactions between the two characters help them grow as individuals while they investigate the cause and solution to slowing ocean currents.

Mariz's prose is beautiful and evokes a true feeling of wonder and connectedness to the ocean. Clever twists on common turns of phrase remind you that the main characters aren't human, and the interplay of the many different species of the ocean gives hints at the biodiversity teeming below the surface. There's even a cameo by 52 Blue, the "world's loneliest whale."

This book helps you remember that we came from the sea and that it still exerts an emotional pull on us like the tide. One of my favorite lines from the book is "People carry the ocean inside them. On an upright fishbone spine sits the soul of an octopus." Not every line in the book is that poetic, but I feel that encapsulates my feelings when I read this book.

While I wholeheartedly enjoyed this book, it isn't for everyone. The book doesn't shy away from the real world consequences of microplastics, commercial fishing, and warming oceans. Many creatures die, often in graphic, but not prolonged, ways. This book also has a content warning for sexual assault.

If you're looking for a tidalpunk read that rekindles your love for the ocean, I can't recommend Weird Fishes enough.

Thanks to Stelliform Press for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Paige

Thank you Stelliform Press for sending me a copy of Weird Fishes to review!

I read this incredible novella in just two sittings, I completely fell in love with Ceph and Iliokai, and I found it hard to look away from their journey. Mariz packs so much into such a small number of pages, and I think the story is completely the perfect length.

In typical-me fashion I failed to properly read the blurb before I started reading. So hadn't picked up that Ceph was a squid-like creature, instead picturing her as a humanoid. But, I actually really enjoyed discovering what she was, it felt like I was really discovering a new deep-sea creature as I read the story. It was only really once she met Iliokai that I really figured it out. I completely fell in love with this sea-faring duo and the fact they're both outcasts in the sea.

There are content warnings for the book that I've put at the end of the review. I urge you to read the authors note at the start of the novella as it gives context for why Mariz included some scenes, and for me they felt justified and a necessary part of the story.

Wierd Fishes firmly sits in the climate fiction genre, and I loved that it's from the perspective of the sea creatures and watching them try to understand what is happening is heartbreaking. I feel like you usually see it from the human side, so to see it from the innocent creatures that it effects is so novel and effective. There's a definitely fantasy element to it too which I would have loved to explore further!

I highly recommend picking up this strange little novella and spending an afternoon wrapped up in the story.

Some content warnings for this book if you need them: death, loss and grief, violence, an instance of sexual assault, and mentions of self-harm/suicide. While these scenes are not graphic, the story does touch on some heavy themes.

juno

Mermaids: The Body Found was one of my favorite 'movies' growing up. at that point in my life, i didn't understand the distinctions between various types of visual media, longform and shortform, real or staged; to me, a movie was any video. so being 7 years old and not having any critical thinking skills to speak of, i watched this documentary full of science people with what i obviously thought was hard evidence of mermaids being real. i defended this fact with my life, and i held onto the idea that mermaids were real for a humiliatingly long time, you will not understand the ridicule i experienced from my peers. you will never know. anyways, all that to say that this novella gave me the same feelings that godforsaken mockumentary did but without the shame years later. i watched it again just a few days ago and i feel so cheated.

back to this novella! i felt so immersed (aha) into this underwater world where squid-like creatures live in the depths with their large egos and a seadog 'sings' and saves animal from pollution. i particularly felt connected to this story as a pacific islander. my whole life, i've had to hear and be very aware of things like climate change and rising sea levels and having to deal with the frustration of not being able to really do anything about it, so it was funny to see the same feelings mirrored by characters who are complete opposites of me. or maybe we're actually identical.

Gillian Mannebach

Popsugar 2023 #15: A song with a song lyric as its title (Radiohead)

I wanted to love this. I love speculative fiction. I appreciate the urgency of the need for ocean conservation and climate change mitigation. I appreciate what the author was trying to do here with this fable.

I had such a hard time picturing the main characters and the world they lived in that I had a hard time immersing (sorry!) myself in the read. I would have loved more detailed descriptions of Ceph and Iliokai, and where they were and what the various locales in the novel looked like. I would have loved more detailed descriptions of where, geographically, Ceph and Iliokai were traveling.

Even as a biologist, I found that the brief, sporadic bits of technical jargon also kind of pulled me out of the zone. So did repeatedly referring to a lamprey as an eel. The inconsistency of the level of research, I guess.

There are content warnings on the back of the very last page of the book, described as "Heavy shit, presented in a narrative that takes care to support the weight." I didn't agree with that. The triggering moments occurred without lead up or giving the reader any time or space to process what had just happened. I think it's okay because it's an allegorical depiction of nature, and nature is like that, but the weight of those issues wasn't really supported.

Haley Kilgour

Weird fishes… weird is correct.

I feel like this piece was meant to be an exposition on women in the world, women in science, and climate change. In some ways it was dead on, on others, it missed.

The first major thing is that this book would have been near incomprehensible had I not been a marine biologist. Scientific terminology was used abundantly, but not always in a reader friendly way.

The way dialogue was physically denoted at times got weird. And using a “c” as a section divider threw me off at first.

My other major issue was that the writing contradicted themselves on many occasions. One of the larger times I noticed it was with the pronouns for Mone. Another one was describing Mooch as a lamprey and then calling him an eel. Sentence later. Another issue with Mooch is that’s neither lampreys or eels are parasitic.

There were some biology and environmental things that were wrong. For the average reader, this isn’t an issue. But, as I feel like this is geared towards ocean centered readers, it’s a bit deal.

With Iliokai she’s described as having a blowhole and a nose. That’s not how that works. A blowhole in cetaceans is a “nose”.

The ending was also a little odd to me.

Kara

I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Overall Rating 5/5
Sass Score: 3/5
Spice: 0/5

I was initially attracted to Weird Fishes because of the lovely cover and because I unabashedly love fish. My only complaint about this novella is that I wish it was longer because the vivid undersea world painted by Rae Mariz pulled me under so completely. We follow along on the adventures of scientist Ceph and whale rider Iliokai as they learn about each other and the world around them. It presents a very unique perspective as a sheltered deep sea scientist gains knowledge of the current state of affairs. I highly recommend Weird Fishes. There are many heavy themes discussed so be prepared for a deep dive. The immersive world building is incredibly impressive as the characters presented communicate using a system of changing skin patterns and chemical signals in the water. Seriously, read it. But do mind the trigger warnings presented by the author in the beginning so you are not taken by surprise.

Lexi

This is one of the most unique books I’ve ever read. Following these two mystical sea creatures through a journey through the ocean, I loved getting the perspective of their lives and all the ocean creatures they talked to along the way. The parallels between the deep sea creatures and humans and the harmful (and selfish) choices they made and how those choices impact other creatures was well done. I just really love the idea that someone was able to discuss the harm done to our oceans in such an engaging way. The idea that all creatures (or weird fish!) are connected to the ocean was beautiful, without giving spoilers I loved the cause of the wave, and Iliokais songs. But I do wish that we got a little more at the end to fully understand what happened, I was hoping after a few lines of transcript we would get more from Cephs or Iliokai point of view.

**check TWs before first chapter**

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Kate Marlowe

Rae Mariz takes us under the sea to discover the ocean’s view of our changing world in Weird Fishes. The ocean world is extremely complex, and Mariz does a great a job bringing in parallels like gender identity and racism to help us relate to all the creatures from the deep. This is important because the overall moral of our story is one of resilience. We are hurting our planet and since our oceans make up such a big part of that, it means life there has no choice but to deal with our detrimental choices. These creatures suffering from oppression of their own are further stripped of a decent way of life because of the greed of humanity. I loved Mariz’s vivid imagery in describing all the different characters and their way of life in a dreamlike world. If you are into any type of sea creature, you’ll love this book, but don’t come thinking Disney’s Ariel is going to swim around the corner!

Septimusy

Thanks to BookSirens for letting me read this ARC in exchange for a honest review

This book was supposed to be about weird fishes....And actually they are weird.
Honestly, it was the cover that got me. It was actually my first request on a BookSirens and I am happy i have chosen this one!

The world building was fantastic, characters were *CHEF'S KISS* and I would give it a five star rating if there wasn't this really bad scene towards the end of a book... I mean I was warned at the very beginning but honestly I don't understand why has this scene HAVE TO BE there.

Anyway, it's a very interesting book and if you like stories about ocean's creatures and are ready to see these violent rape scenes than you should check this book out!

TW: violence, rape

Ray

I first found this book via a review on Solarpunk Station (not sure how I found that site).
It seemed like a short, unique, and relevant piece of fiction. Pretty much prefect for me, trying to get into fiction, but also a great potential gift for my friend Cliff who loves fish and niche sci-fi.

Anyway, I really enjoyed the 2nd half of the book. It almost made me cry at points and filled me with wonder at others. It felt a little slow starting (I don't read much sci-fi but I imagine this is typical) but the premise was so interesting that I had to keep reading. I'm glad I did.

For what it is, a short cli-fi by an independent author, absolutely a wonderful book!

Can't wait to hear what Cliff thinks about this book :)

Laurel

When Stelliform Press first announced this book I was immediately intrigued. Climate Fiction isn’t a genre I’ve explored often, but the ocean and all its creatures will always have a soft spot in my heart (ichthyologist was the first potential career I touted around as a kid). Many thanks to the press for sending me a copy!

Weird Fishes by Rae Mariz follows two narrators - Ceph and Iliokai, a deep sea cephalopod scientist and a seal-folk storyteller respectively. Mariz managed to bring prominent real-world perils into the ocean and enfold them into a created world cleanly. This novella touches on friendship, prejudice, ignorance, anger, bias, environmentalism, and so much more. I found myself invested in Ceph and Ilokai’s friendship despite the brevity of the novella. Do check the trigger warnings for this (despite the non-human narrators it handles some oh-so-human issues), but if you enjoy climate fiction and friendship with adversity - or find wonder in the innate curiosity that drives discovery - this may be a story for you.

Lynne

I thought this was really cool mash-up of a lot of things. It had excellent fantasy worldbuilding, but was still very grounded in science, so much so that it almost felt like hard-sf was existing alongside fantasy? The optimism of the narrator and the innocence of her quest also made this feel like MG, and the friendship between Ceph and Iliokai was just super excellent. The very end of the book losing their perspective for the last chapter left me a little disappointed, but overall this was some really intelligent and imaginative writing.

Title	:	Weird Fishes
Author	:	Rae Mariz
Rating	:
ISBN	:	-
ISBN-10	:	9781777682354
Language	:	English
Format Type	:	ebook
Number of Pages	:	127
Publication	:	First published August 17, 2022

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