But Not Too Bold by Hache Pueyo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
But Not Too Bold is so odd, and so beautiful and so compelling. It’s oddly, beautifully-compelling.
I am almost at a loss for words. It felt at times like I didn’t understand it, but I did, at the same time. The themes, the descriptions, the gorgeous characterizations, it felt instinctual, though I can’t necessarily explain it coherently.
In fact, this is much less of a coherent narrative style than I tend to enjoy, but I fell in love with the writing instantly, so just decided to roll with it and I’m so glad I did!
But Not Too Bold is a Queer Fantasy Horror novella, of which I shall say nothing of the plot. It’s only 112-pages and well-worth the read.
The synopsis lays out everything you need to know going in, but even with that, I feel you’ll still be surprised at the depths to which this story will take you. It felt like falling down a dark, whimsical, dangerous rabbit hole, from which there’s no escape.
I loved the main character, Dália. There was something so relatable about her. I was also surprised at how intrigued I was by the mystery that Dália is trying to solve.
More than that, I was shocked by the emotional impact this little story has. How is it possible to pack this much punch into such a small space?
Somehow, Pueyo succeeded in doing just that. The conclusion was gorgeous. My only small gripes would be that there were a couple of details I felt weren’t adequately fleshed out, and also, I wish this were a little longer.
Overall though, I am so pleased with this. I would recommend it to anyone who enjoys Fantasy Horror, or stories that feel like modern folklore. Also, a bonus if you are looking for Queer, or female-centered dark fiction.
