Miranda in Milan

Miranda in Milan is a 2019 fantasy novella, the debut novella by Katharine Duckett. It is a modern-day sequel to The Tempest by William Shakespeare, and imagines the events which occur after the end of the original play. It won the 2020 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Science Fiction/Fantasy.

Miranda in Milan
Official cover art for Miranda in Milan
AuthorKatharine Duckett
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy literature;
Set inMilan
PublisherTor.com
Publication date
26 March 2019
Pages208 (paperback)
ISBN1250306329
Websitehttps://www.katharineduckett.com/fiction

Plot

After the events of The Tempest, Miranda does not marry Ferdinand as planned. Instead, she returns to Milan with Prospero, who has regained his position as duke. She is shunned by the castle staff; her only friend is the servant Dorothea, a Moorish witch, with whom she soon begins a romantic relationship. Miranda learns that Prospero has not given up his magic as he previously promised.

Desperate to learn why she is being shunned and about the circumstances of Prospero's fall from grace, Dorothea and Miranda use magic to invade the memories of a castle staff member. Miranda learns that after the death of her mother Beatrice, Prospero used his magic to resurrect her. This led a horrified Antonio to stage a coup against his brother.

When Miranda learns that Antonio is being held prisoner in the castle, she and Dorothea attempt to rescue him and stage another coup. Prospero catches them, but is confronted by the reanimated corpse of his wife, who has been living beneath the castle. Prospero is then killed by his brother. Miranda chooses to reject her arranged marriage with Ferdinand. She, Dorothea, and Beatrice return to the magical island where she was raised.

Themes

The novella explores the ways in which imposing one's views on others can be destructive. Prospero claims that he has a right to rule over Sycorax and Caliban because he is "civilized". Meanwhile, Dorothea is forced to change her name from the original Duriya in order to fit into European civilization.[1] The novella has been described as postcolonialist.[2]

Reception

The novella received mixed reviews from critics. Library Journal gave a positive review, praising the way in which Miranda was transformed from a secondary character into a fully-realized heroine.[3] The Lambda Literary Foundation praised the novel's lesbian romance, calling it "femslash for Shakespeare." They also praised Prospero's characterization, calling him "utterly believable".[4] A Locus Magazine review praised the novel's "crisp prose" and complex themes.[1]

NPR wrote a mixed review which called the debut "solid", praising its treatment of women and the believability of the novella's original characters. However, the same review criticized the way in which Ferdinand is written out of the story, as well as the way in which Caliban's attempted rape of Miranda is "handwave[d] away".[5] Publishers Weekly criticized the power differential inherent in Miranda's and Dorothea's romance, feeling that it undermined the novella's postcolonialist themes.[2] Kirkus Reviews wrote a negative review and proclaimed "Shakespeare this ain't". It criticized the "pedestrian language" and flat characters.[6]

The novella won the 2020 Golden Crown Literary Society award for Science Fiction/Fantasy, tying with three other works.[7]

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gollark: Does incdec work for you?
gollark: Yes, but this is infinite scroll.
gollark: No.
gollark: I guess I can edit it.

References
  1. Liz Bourke (26 Apr 2019). "Liz Bourke Reviews Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett". Locus. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  2. "Sci-Fi/Fantasy/Horror Book Review: Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett". Publishers Weekly. 7 Feb 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  3. Kristi Chadwick (1 Feb 2019). "Miranda in Milan". Library Journal. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  4. Carling Mars (1 Apr 2019). "Miranda in Milan by Katharine Duckett". Lambda Literary Foundation. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  5. Elizabeth Graham (24 March 2019). "'Miranda In Milan:' No Woman Is An Island". NPR. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  6. "Miranda in Milan". Kirkus Reviews. 23 December 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  7. "2020 Goldie Winners". Golden Crown Literary Society. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
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