Review of Baird's "In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret"

“In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret” by Keith Anthony Baird is marketed as a “fairy tale for elders.” The main thrust of the plot revolves around a deposed princess who spends a lifetime plotting her revenge, only to, in turn, be betrayed by the next in line to her rule. There is magic and war and intrigue in the intervening years. 

I generally like fairy-tale retellings or new incarnations based on the tropes of the past. This one has many of the appealing aspects of a dark fantasy. The basic plot points are good and could lend themselves to a very lush, long fantasy novel. Some of the language is quite poetic, but in other spots it feels overwrought. What is really missing here, however, is the deeper perspective that most reinventions utilize and that most modern readers desire. Because of the sparing use of dialogue and deep scene, the narration flows more like summary. I kept expecting what felt like the background retelling to stop and the real scene to begin, but it never happened. As a result, right up until the end, I was never into the text because it felt like narration that could be skimmed. In addition, one graphic scene was repeated four times with very little change. While I appreciate repetition for effect, in this case because of the length of the scene, it didn’t really work for me. 

I really wanted to like Baird’s “In the Grimdark Strands of the Spinneret,” but it just wasn’t to my taste. Other readers have raved about this dark fantasy. Check those reviews if you are still interested after reading mine. Maybe they will speak to you. I received this title from NetGalley in exchange for my review.