Fantasy Novella Review: Dead Like March by Daniel Jose Older

Dead Like March by Daniel Jose Older

Dead Like March is a novella set in the Shadowshaper Cypher universe of Daniel Jose Older and more specifically a prequel to the series' 2nd book, Shadowhouse Fall.  I'd just read the second book as an audiobook when I discovered this novella's existence, and having enjoyed the series I picked it up from the library on a whim.  And the novella is ideal for just that type of reader: someone who is enjoying the Shadowshaper series and wants more, but will be totally lost on anyone who hasn't read at least the first book of the series (whether you want to read the 2nd book before this one as I have could probably go either way).  It's a solid novella for that purpose, but little more.




Plot Summary:  Mina Satorius, a classmate of Sierra who is from a miserable family in Staten Island, has found comfort in the words of the Sorrows.  But when the Sorrows send her to meet others in the House of Light, she finds herself confronted with the Sorrows' anger towards Sierra and the Shadowshapers, and finds herself not liking what she sees.  Meanwhile, Juan is struggling with a new melody and a growing crush on one of Sierra's friends, while Sierra is distracted by the new powers she now has as head of the Shadowshapers.  As the West Indian Day parade is being celebrated in the city, Sierra, Juan, and Mina's destinies will collide as the Sorrows make their first move....of perhaps many to come.

Thoughts:  If you read Shadowhouse Fall before this novella like I have, this story essentially serves as an origin story for new character Mina and an explanation of some events only referenced in that novel.  If you haven't read the second book, this novella serves essentially as an appetizer teasing events to come in that book.  I think it probably works better as the former - as it explains a bunch of ideas that Shadowhouse Fall brings up and which that book treats as potential surprises, which are spoiled here.  For that purpose, it's a solid novella, an expansion of this world to cover some gaps, but very little more: because all of these characters but one have a place in the main novels, there really isn't much interesting that can be done with them and that really shows here.  So this novella will make real lovers of the main series happy, but everyone else might as well pass.  Nothing really wrong with that, it does what it's trying to do, but little more.