The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps is a 2015 LGBT science fantasy novella, the debut novella by Kai Ashante Wilson. It is set in the same fictional universe as his later novella A Taste of Honey, as well as several of his short stories. It won the 2016 Crawford Award.

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps
Official cover art for The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps
AuthorKai Ashante Wilson
LanguageEnglish
GenreFantasy literature; science fantasy
PublisherTor.com
Publication date
1 September 2015
Pages212
ISBN0765385244

Plot

A merchant caravan hires Captain Isa, Sorcerer Demane, and their men to guard them on a journey through the dangerous Wildeeps. The Wildeeps are a forest in which multiple dimensions overlap; only by staying on the Road can travelers be assured of safety. Isa and Demane are both descended from gods, granting them supernatural strength and other powers. They hide both their powers and their romantic relationship from the rest of the convoy. During the journey, the caravan is stalked by a jukiere, a type of magical tiger. Isa and Demane leave the Road to hunt the tiger. Demane kills one tiger while Isa fights another. In an ambiguous ending, it is implied that Demane's missed spear throw kills Isa.

Background

Prior to writing The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps, Wilson had attempted to write "six or seven" novels, but only got through a few chapters each time. He decided to focus on a smaller work that was nevertheless more extensive than his previous short stories. Most of the characters are based on real people. The novella is set in the same universe as his previous short stories Légendaire and Super Bass.[1] A later novella, A Taste of Honey, is also set in the same universe.

The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps was one of the first novellas published by Tor.com Publishing, then a new imprint of Tor.com.[2]

Reception

The novella received positive reviews from critics. Publisher's Weekly gave the work a starred review, calling it a "rich, delicately crafted world ... stocked with vibrant characters". They also praised the author's use of various dialects.[3] The book's writing style has been described as a "blend of very fancy literary writing, Martin-esque fantasy prose, and hip-hop slang".[4]

The novella has also been praised for its inclusion of African-American culture in a secondary fantasy world. Wilson's use of African-American Vernacular English, Spanish, and French further serve to further draw contrast with the "traditionally unmarked white middle-class accent (or dialect) of the typical fantasy protagonist".[5]

The novel won the 2016 Crawford Award.[6]

gollark: That is all.
gollark: Hi! GTech™ has beaten you to space and the apeirogon looms overhead.
gollark: > <Tux3> bad news: i lost where they areYou mean "containment breach of lunar spehnisciforms, class lambda-81".
gollark: This will not go wrong as the GTech power grid can never fail.
gollark: Perhaps I should make the ship ENTIRELY of force fields.

References
  1. Alasdair Stuart (6 November 2015). "Interview: Kai Ashante Wilson, author of The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps". Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  2. Joel Cunningham (1 September 2015). "Tor.com's Novella Lineup Proves Good Books Come in Small Packages". Barnes & Noble. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
  3. "Fiction Book Review: The Sorcerer of the Wildeeps by Kai Ashante Wilson". Publishers Weekly. 10 August 2015. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  4. Charlie Jane Anders (6 Jan 2016). "Sorcerer of the Wildeeps Is an Epic Fantasy Unlike Anything You've Read Before". Gizmodo. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  5. Michael Levy (11 July 2016). "THE SORCERER OF THE WILDEEPS BY KAI ASHANTE WILSON". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 22 July 2020.
  6. Stacie Hanes (2 Feb 2016). "2016 Crawford Award Announced". International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts. Retrieved 29 July 2020.
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