Book Review: Scorpica by G.R. Macallister (fantasy)
Author: G.R. Macallister
Publication Date: February 22, 2022 by Saga Press
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
Scorpica was a very uneven read that left me with very mixed feelings. I liked (and even loved) parts of it but, in hindsight, I think they were outweighed by the aspects with which I struggled or became frustrated.
What drew me into the book was the promise of a matriarchal society made up of queendoms, a drought of girls, and the stories of mothers within that world. The only thing I love more than female-fronted fantasy is female-led fantasy, so this should have been right in my literary sweet spot . . . but G.R. Macallister doesn’t really do much with the idea. There’s no meaning, value, or distinction to the gender-swapping of traditional fantasy. Matriarchy is no better or worse, or really any different from patriarchy. It’s plagued by the same flaws and problems, which would be fine if there were some sort of commentary to that effect, but the story never explores that. There are some wonderful women in this world, strong characters whom I loved and admired, the queens all seem to be as greedy, spiteful, mad with power as any king.
Similarly, in a book that could have done some wonderful work with gender, there’s no exploration of transgender issues here. Men are an unwanted commodity in the queendom of Scorpica, sold off to other queendoms upon birth. There’s no consideration given to raising them as girls, even when the drought of girls leaves them struggling to replenish their ranks of warriors. Necessity, as they say, is the mother of invention, and going decades without girls would almost certainly give rise to some plan for creating girls. There have been recent fantasies that have done a wonderful job of exploring the issue (Alina Boyden, Gretchen Felker-Martin, Maya Deane, Heather K. O’Malley, Zabé Ellor), but I’d have even settled for a problematic exploration, given the tone of the book, something done forcefully, perhaps creating perhaps a lower caste of warriors. It wouldn’t have been ideal, but it would have at least opened the door for some layer of gender commentary.
The world-building here was interesting, but falls into the trap of not only settling for gender-based rule, but role-based societies – one of warriors, one of magic users, one of bureaucrats, etc. You’re born into both a gender and a role, and while that role can be changed (there’s a pivotal theft of girls during the drought), you cannot choose to change it or seemingly even want to change it (there’s not even a hint of girls wanting to explore some other role). Again, this static sort of society, one in which gender and role are entirely fixed, is ripe for some level of commentary, but it’s all just accepted, never questioned.
Having said all that, there were some exciting aspects of the plot that kept me reading, particularly that of the Rovers. They’re our only exploration of outlaw characters who exist outside a queendom’s role, and the camaraderie of the group offers a genuine sense of found-family that’s largely absent from the rest of the book. The story of the queen of Arca intrigued me, being the only thread in the book where there’s any exploration of sharing magic and power with a man. There was so much potential there, especially in her swing towards pure villainy, but it’s all squandered, ending too easily without any consequence. And then there’s the tension within Scorpica between usurper queen and a girl still loyal to her predecessor, which seems destined for something important, especially with a carefully worded agreement between them, but nothing significant comes of it. Finally, there are the intertwined stories of the near-immortal sorcerer demigod and daughter with explosive power mentioned in the blurb, which is the only thing that drives any real promise of change within the story, but it all leads up to an all-too-easy anticlimactic resolution that leaves us with more questions with answers.
As I said, very mixed feelings here. I liked enough of Scorpica to keep me reading, and I had high hopes for some of the characters and plot threads, but the ways in which that potential felt squandered have me unsure as to whether or not I want to explore Arca, the sequel. Part of me would like to see what Macallister does with the story, but aside from the mention of a possible future king, I’ve yet to see any reviews that mention it achieving the philosophical depth for which I was hoping.
Rating: 
