A unique and action-packed set of novellas by Adelaide-based Aden Burg.
Feature image credit: Buon-Cattivi Press
The Faustian Curiosity Novellas is a unique offering by Adelaide-based author Aden Burg. Fast-paced and a little gory, this collection of four novellas dives into a battle between good and evil that is not quite as black and white as it initially seems. The book is billed as being written with readers with ADHD, ASD, dyslexia or other neurodivergence in mind, and perhaps for this reason there is generally not a lot of subtlety in the motivation behind characters’ choices and emotions, but there is a lot of internal monologue that explains in black and white what a character is thinking and why they are making a choice. While I found this writing style took a little while to get used to, I can see how the more obvious explanations of the characters’ emotions and internal conflict would make for a more fulfilling reading experience for some readers. I also struggled a little with the lack of varied voices between characters. Most characters had very similar speech patterns, and this at times made it harder to keep track of who was speaking, especially in novellas 1 and 4, which have lots of characters. However, each character had specifically described skills and weaknesses, and the character differentiation seemed to be focused here instead of in voice and mannerisms.
The other accessible element of this story is the typesetting using the OpenDyslexic font, which has been specifically developed to assist readability for those with dyslexia. Though I do not have dyslexia, I found this font very comfortable to read.
The first of the novellas, titled Exorcist Dance, is a series of epic battles between “exorcists” (martial-arts-trained teens with supernatural powers) and a series of demons, apparently controlled by the exorcist-gone-bad Kujo. The battles read very much like a manga comic in pure text form. It is fast paced and action packed, with a lot of internal narrative, especially as the various characters are introduced. A strong theme through this narrative is overcoming personal doubts and weaknesses and learning to work together as a team to defeat the demons.
Adelaide Gourmet follows two assassins, Maya and Colt, who are hired to wipe out the apparently evil homunculi, who are disguised as normal humans but who do not have a reflection. Each chapter is based around a dish of food as the two assassins share meals together and discuss philosophy before kicking butt. This is perhaps the most morally grey of the novellas, with it becoming clear early on that the assassins are trying very hard to convince themselves that they are on the “good side.”
Rachel Walker and The Mechanism of Truth takes quite a different tone from the other novellas. While still based in a similar world where demons are in disguise, this one reads more like a teen mystery. A girl dies under mysterious circumstances, and her friend Rachel Walker is determined to find out exactly what happened. Perhaps due to the slower, more problem-solving nature of this story, the characters felt the most like real people and less like action figures in comparison to the other novellas. This was my favourite of the four stories, with its “normal” characters and some interesting twists throughout the plot.
This set of novellas is rounded out with Exorcist Dance: Verse of The Revolution. This is where the characters from the first novella come together in one final battle against Kujo. The plot follows a more linear structure than the first, which jumps quickly from one battle to another with little to connect them. This story also delves a little into Kujo’s motivations for his turn against the Exorcists, again blurring the lines between good and evil. I wish this had been explored even more.
One thing that did surprise me, particularly as this is not a self-published work, was the number of typos and several malapropisms, such as “off-handily.” These were a little jarring to come across, and it’s a shame there weren’t a few more editorial passes before publication. Despite this, however, the stories were fun to read, and will be particularly engaging for readers who also enjoy reading manga or who want short narratives with very quick pacing.
Reviewed by Kristin Stefanoff
The views expressed in this review belong to the author and not Glam Adelaide, its affiliates, or employees.
Distributed by: Buon-Cattivi Press
Released: July 2024
RRP: $31.95
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