REVIEW: Behooved by M. Stevenson
Behooved by M. Stevenson takes a time-worn trope – arranged political marriage – and twists it in this charming and quirky subverted fairytale, perfect for readers who like their grimdark so light that it almost isn’t grimdark at all!
Bianca is the second daughter of House Liliana, one of the few ruling houses of Damaria. When the threat of war from the neighbouring kingdom of Gildenheim arrives in the form of a treaty, requesting the marriage of Bianca to Prince Aric, the heir-apparent, (and rumoured murderer of the Queen) Bianca must put her duty first. After an assassination attempt on Bianca and Aric’s wedding night goes awry, Aric is magically transformed into a horse, and Bianca is now the prime suspect of a supposed regicide. So what does she do? She mounts her husband and rides off to safety, of course! At the setting sun, Aric returns to human form, and both husband and wife discover that the assassination attempt is actually part of a much larger plot against the throne. Tensions rise and feelings grow, while the fate of the kingdom rides on Bianca and Aric’s ability to unravel the curse and protect the throne.
Grimdark readers – be warned! Whilst the synopsis does highlight a few themes that you would typically find in many grimdark stories: wars, assassinations, murder; it is exceptionally light in its execution. Behooved does not take itself seriously at all, pottered with all the best horse puns you could think of, and hand in hand with the type of hyperbolic scenes you’d often find in children’s fairytales. Honestly, it was almost a breath of fresh air!
The bulk of the story focuses on the budding romance between Bianca and Aric, framed with each of their humorous personalities. The characters subvert typical fairytale norms; with Bianca being the protector, experienced with a sword, whilst Aric favours the comforts of a book, and questions whether he is truly made for the throne. This refreshing take is coupled with the fact that Bianca also suffers from a chronic illness, which is not at the forefront of her character at all, and is simply just something that she deals with. Alongside the queer-normative setting of the magical world, it was a nice change from the normal societal expectations that often frames typical fairytales.
My major qualm with this book was that the reveal of the attempted murder plot was too simple, and lacked in fulfilling the potential it had to build up a really elaborate scheme to overthrow the throne. It almost felt like an epilogue was missing, which could have gone into more detail regarding the assassination attempt and subsequent coup. I also wished that the magic system had been explored more.
For those looking for a truly grimdark-esque fairytale, you won’t find it here. However, if you’re looking for something light and fun, it would simply behoove you to pick this up!
Read Behooved by M. StevensonThe post REVIEW: Behooved by M. Stevenson appeared first on Grimdark Magazine.
