But Not Too Bold (Spoiler-Free Review)
Hache Pueyo’s novella is an instant sapphic monster lover classic.
Information
Media: Books & Literature
Genre: Supernatural Horror & Romance
Demographic: Adult
Representation: Main F/F Romance
Do I Recommend? Yes!!!
Rating: 4.5/5
The Shape of Water meets Mexican Gothic is hands-down one of the best comp titles I’ve ever read on the front cover of a novel. But Not Too Bold tells the story of Dália, a young woman raised to serve the Lady of the Capricious House—Anatema, an enormous humanoid spider with a taste for laudanum and human brides. When Dália’s mentor and predecessor is accused of theft and eaten by the Lady, Dália is tasked with solving the mystery of the old keeper of the keys or else risk her own life. But Dália is not like the other servants of the house, and her compassion may be the one thing that the Lady lacks from all her many brides.
To be honest, if it weren’t for the premise, I wouldn’t label But Not Too Bold as a horror novel at all. Dália’s immediate acceptance of Anatema instantly calls to mind Eliza from the Shape of Water. That’s a good thing. I like rooting for the protagonist, and I’m tired of monster romances where we begin the story hating or misunderstanding the monster. I appreciated But Not Too Bold’s compassionate storytelling and decadent atmosphere, two features that instantly made it one of my favorite reads of the year so far.
I also want to highlight the novella’s gorgeous prose. It’s not every day you see an author translate their own work into another language, and Hache Pueyo did a breathtaking job. Every line in But Not Too Bold sings with character, but I absolutely adored the delicious descriptions of fancy food that lined the pages whenever Dália shared a meal with the Lady. While I’m still upset that we didn’t get the superior Portuguese edition cover, I’m willing to let it slide if it means we get more of Hache Pueyo in the future.
Finally, we need to talk about the one gripe that holds me back from giving the novella a perfect score: The third-act plot twist and the subsequent event that occurs between the protagonist and another character (if you know, you know). It’s possible that I’m particularly sensitive to this type of character reveal, but I did not enjoy it AT ALL, and it cast a long shadow on the ending. Does Dália intend to keep it a secret from the Lady forever? Does it ever get resolved? As far as the story is concerned, your guess is as good as mine.
Overall, I was left wanting more of the novella—more weirdness, more decadence, more romance, more everything (except maybe Lionel). If But Not Too Bold was a full-length novel, I would eat it up. We need more compelling sapphic monster romances like this! Those with arachnophobia, be warned: Hache Pueyo’s debut novella is not a story for you. But if you’re the type of person who’s going to enjoy reading sex dreams about giant tarantulas, you’re going to love But Not Too Bold.
Have you read But Not Too Bold? Are you a fan of monster romances? Let me know in the comments below!