A traveling troupe of players and their fading star of a playwright make their way through an unrecognizable future earth in Alastair Reynold’s new novella, The Dagger in Vichy. The group has to hustle to make their coin and can’t afford any delays, especially not delays that might involve the imperial guard or the pope—which, of course, is exactly what they run into while making their way to their next venue.
Our narrator is Rufus, a thief on his second chance after a close escape from the hangman. On the day that everything changes, Rufus overhears the troupe’s bosses, Master Guillaume and Master Bernard, find and speak with a dying imperial guard. The guard was ambushed on the road to Avignon. He was supposed to take a box that must never be opened to the pope. Master Bernard, an old veteran of the Emperor’s wars, swears to complete the guard’s quest without question. Master Guillaume, on the other hand, has a lot of questions. His chief question is about what the hell might be in the box, so it isn’t much of a surprise that he’s the first to succumb to the temptation of finding out.
The Dagger in Vichy races along as the troupe’s loyalties strain under Master Guillaume’s increasingly erratic behavior, the rumors of violence across what used to be France, and a much bigger plot than anyone could’ve predicted. Rufus, Bernard, and Guillaume himself slip into roles that wouldn’t’ve been out of place in one of Guillaume’s plays. I’d argue that this novella gives off Shakespearean vibes (the drama, not the speeches) as well as A Canticle for Liebowitz vibes, though the ending wouldn’t have been out of place in a medieval monster legend.
Readers looking for a tale of pride, cheating, betrayal, and lies—with a touch of science fiction—might enjoy this unique story.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley, for review consideration.