A History of the Defeated

The former consort of a god lives in exile with his mythic dog in this elusive, non-linear fantasy novella from Jernigan (No Return). Amur grew up among the proud Nosi, where women make all the decisions and enforce their will with violence, until he was chosen by Dorone, a powerful being capable of wiping out entire cities, and whisked away to live among the gods, or elderim. Years later, Amur lives by himself on a sparsely populated island with his resurrected dog, Sroma. He spends his days pushing his body to physical limits and indulging in a drug called dust to maintain his youthful appearance. In flashbacks, Jernigan reveals the bridge between these two timelines as Amur first encounters Sroma as a destructive companion to elderim Orrus, bristles at Dorone’s determination to kill the dog, and makes a promise to take Sroma’s soul and flee. The mythology is a bit oblique, making the slight plot difficult to follow. The setting, meanwhile, blends steampunk and classic fantasy elements in a way that feels just beyond comprehension. Readers will struggle to untangle this, but those who allow the evocative prose to buoy them along won’t mind the lack of answers. (Feb.)