Kai Ashante Wilson
Tor.com
October 25th, 2016
On a warm day, Aquib meets Lucrio. He’s walking a big cat from the royal menagerie, and the obedience of the cat catches Lucrio’s attention. The two strike up a conversation and hit it off, and the soldier and royal cousin meet often and in secret; while Lucrio’s people would see nothing wrong in the two of them being lovers, Aquib’s father would be furious. Aquib is to marry into the royalty and lift their place at court.
From here, their stories diverge. There is the Aquib who runs away with Lucrio, and the Aquib who does his duty. Wilson crafts the story like a beguiling bit of mirage in hot summer air; you see the parts, but you aren’t quite sure which is real. Is the answer that they both are? Both narratives have their own beauty, and in the end, it doesn’t really matter. Whichever is Aquib’s truth, the journey has been fascinating.
Beautifully crafted, A Taste of Honey is a novella of possibilities. Our choices effect those possibilities radically. Is wondering what could have been worth the pondering?
JL Jamieson is a strange book nerd who writes technical documents by day, and book news, reviews, and other assorted opinions for you by night. She is working on her own fiction, and spends time making jewelry to sell at local conventions, as well as stalking the social media accounts of all your favorite writers.