I’ve been a fan of Aliette de Bodard since 2012, when I read her award-winning short story “Immersion” and the much-nominated novella “On a Red Station, Drifting,” Since those fascinating science fiction stories, she’s gone on to write books and stories ranging from what’s been called Aztec noir to the Dominion of the Fallen series, plus more science fiction/space opera. Her new novella, “In the Vanishers’ Palace,” is officially released today. At first glance it seems a less complex story than many of her other works, with fewer characters and far less intrigue, but it’s very much worth reading and offers a lot to think about, and I love it.
“In the Vanishers’ Palace” is loosely based on the Beauty and the Beast fairy tale. A dragon is summoned for a healing, and the healer’s daughter, Yên, takes her place as the price of the aid given. The dragon, Vu Côn, takes Yên back to the palace where she lives. So far, so straightforward, although there are already plenty of things in the background to add interest.
You see, the palace was originally created by the Vanishers, the cruel powers who used to rule the world and its people, torturing their playthings until they broke, and then … vanishing, as they left the world behind to find and wreck other playgrounds. Their former servant, Vu Côn, now lives in the palace as a base of operations while she tries to fix the world, piece by piece, and burn out the infections that she can’t make right, to stop them from spreading.
The Vanishers had left something else behind, a couple of infants, whom Vu Côn had decided to raise as her own. Upon acquiring Yên, a scholar who had failed the metropolitan exams and so was despised in her village, Vu Côn sets her to teaching the children. Yên doesn’t realize what they really are for a long time, and when she does, she’s devastated.
But the heart of the plot is what’s in the hearts of Yên and Vu Côn. The dragon is lonely, and thinks Yên is pretty, while the barely adult woman finds the powerful, sleek shapeshifter very attractive. However, they are both hyper-aware of the huge power imbalance between them, and so they resist their feelings, even while they yearn for each other and get to know each other better.
De Bodard has said she wanted to address the consent issues in the old fairy tale, but she has a light touch. The story feels not like a heavy-handed Teaching Moment, but rather a genuine exploration of the complexities of desire and respect.
The same-sex aspect of Yên’s and Vu Côn’s relationship is also not treated as a teaching moment, but simply a natural thing, unremarkable and un-remarked upon. Stories about queer lovers struggling against society are certainly necessary, but I found it quite pleasant to read this story, where the characters’ sexuality wasn’t the controversial issue, just part of life.
A lot more happens in the story, but I don’t want to give it away. Suffice it to say that the keeping of secrets is recognized as an impediment to free consent; humans can be just as malicious if not as powerful as the Vanishers; found families can turn out to be very strong and healthy; and the ending is happy.
I do want to mention how much I loved the worldbuilding throughout this story. Yên knows the world is a wreck, but it’s the world she grew up in, and she doesn’t quite realize how much has been lost, unlike the long-lived dragon. When Vu Côn gives Yên untainted fruit to eat, she doesn’t like it, because it isn’t gritty and lacks a bitter tang. That very short scene said a lot.
“In the Vanishers’ Palace” is a very enjoyable and often even soothing book, despite some fearful moments and emotional distress for the characters. I won’t say Aliette de Bodard keeps getting better and better, because I already thought she was great. But I love to see her keep expanding her range, and I’ll follow her to whatever subgenre she wants to explore next.
