5/12/2023 0 Comments Triptych by J.M. FreyI tentatively settle on four stars, because the parts I liked, I really really loved. I was quite torn about what rating to give this book. You can read my full review at my website Andy's Anachronisms. Kalp as a character will remain with readers long after they finish the book. Frey has managed to create in Kalp a wholly believable and touching character that is both alien in his biology and sexuality, and yet immediately recognizable and accessible for readers. Meanwhile his attempts to understand human culture and not offend his hosts are both heartbreaking and amusing by turns. We feel Kalp's pain acutely at his loss of his homeworld and his consuming loneliness before he is accepted by Gwen and Basil. Personally, my favorite chapters were the ones told from Kalp's point of view. Frey pulls no punches in her depiction of the humanity of Gwen and Basil as they come to accept Kalp, including some very graphic and touching sex scenes, or in the depravity and savagery of humanity as several of the aliens are the targets of vicious attacks in the novel. Gwen, Basil and Kalp get caught up in a plot of intrigue as various memebers of the institute are targeted and a wedge is slowly driven between the more tolerant humans and their alien guests. Frey successfully creates a complex world in Triptych, where a lot of larger events unfold around her characters, yet always makes the story feel personal and intimate.
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