Review: Survival in the Grove

A good coming-of-age story in a dark universe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Excellent descriptions

Some people just have the ability to describe the emotion of a place, and Gerrold Cheam is one of those people. In this novella his descriptions just drip out with this impressively evocative, dark feeling. For such a dreary world, it is nevertheless enjoyable to read it thanks to the craft of the writer.

As for the protagonist, Kael is a good underdog. Quick yet sturdy, he manages to survive through a mix of mentorship, luck, and an unwillingness to die.

Speaking of Kael, we feel his emotions. We understand why the weight of his life drags him down. It's hard not to get depressed reading this story, and I mean that in a very positive way. Whatever world he was born into is not a pleasant one. The point is that the author gets across Kael moments of triumph and defeat without making us feel too sorry for the character. It's well done and makes me want to read more by the author.

I do have a very nerdy minor criticism: The author sometimes uses 'parry' to describe the deflection of knife cuts. In a private discussion he says he learned the term doing Filipino Martial Arts (FMA). However, for me that term is a bit jarring, as I myself was taught in FMA the word 'deflection'. Also, parry as a word tends to be used in non-FMA weapon styles more for larger weapons, especially swords. Anyway, it doesn't detract from the story, it's just me being probably unnecessarily pedantic. Go read the book anyway, because it's really good!

Go read "Survival in the Grove"

Also, go read the sequel, Song of the Grove!