Thursday, January 31, 2019

SciFi/Fantasy Book Review: A Study in Honor by Claire O'Dell




There are few other classic characters in literature who have inspired adaptations and interpretations like Sherlock Holmes, particularly in the SciFi/Fantasy genre.  Hell, I've read two SF/F books in the past week with their own spin on Sherlock Holmes and his assorted cast, and at least four* in the past year.  There's something about the idea of the incredible detective, who uses incredible powers of logic and deduction to solve crimes ordinary inspectors cannot - often via oddball/quirky methods - that inspires both authors and readers in various ways, especially when the setting is given aspects of genre not found in the original.

*For those curious, the other three books besides this one in question are:
The Tea Master and the Detective by Aliette de Bodard: (Review)
The Death of the Necromancer by Martha Wells: (Review)
European Travels for the Monstrous Gentlewoman by Theodora Goss (Review)

A Study in Honor is the first in a new Dystopian Science Fiction series by Claire O'Dell featuring adaptations of both Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson (the series is titled The Janet Watson Chronicles).  But it's interesting in particular in how different this spin on the two characters is from the normal portrayals - not just in how the characters are gender/race-flipped or queer instead of straight (though these changes have resonance), but in their very attitudes and aptitudes....and yet, the characters are still very recognizable as adaptations still of Sherlock and Watson.  The result is a short novel that really really works, recognizable and yet feeling very fresh, and one which makes me really want the sequel to come more quickly.


 -----------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------------------------
In an unfortunately near future America, the country is faced with a New Civil War, spurred on by the President embarking on a campaign of restoring civil rights to minorities and LGBTQ communities after years of suppression due to White Supremacist governments.

Dr. Janet Watson, a queer black surgeon, enlisted in the army to fight for the cause, but now finds herself on the edge after losing her arm in battle and being medically discharged.  Now back in D.C., unable to work as a surgeon due to the inadequate mechanical prosthetic a fellow surgeon scrounged for her on the battlefield, Watson finds herself without direction - with no family left in the area, little job opportunities, and mental trauma from the battlefield still fresh in her mind.

And then a friend introduces her to Sara Holmes, another black woman with seemingly absolutely no social skills or tact, infuriating to say the least, and whose actual occupation seems utterly mysterious, and who refuses to give a straight answer to any actual question.  Watson resolves to simply try and endure the year she's committed to serving as Holmes' roommate, but when a patient at the VA Med Center she works at dies in mysterious circumstances, Watson finds herself looking for answers.  And to find those answers, Watson will need to actually work together with Holmes, who has the connections and capabilities she needs to find the truth....assuming they can both stay alive long enough to find it....
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There are a couple of traits and characteristics that are common to Sherlock Holmes adaptations - Sherlock is usually brilliant at deduction, but an utter oddball who others find hard to work with, and new people who meet Holmes (usually Watson but not always) tend to come to terms with this and agree to continue working with him as their first adventure goes on.  A Study in Honor both follows this template and subverts it - while Sara Holmes is a bit of an ass and hard to work with, her powers of deduction are severely downplayed, with a lot of those "abilities" seemingly (or maybe not?) the result of augmentation technology she possesses.  Moreover, she's not a detective, but instead a covert agent of some sort, and there's never a standard police detective for Holmes to bounce off of.

Similarly, Janet Watson shares some similarities with the classic Dr. Watson but is very different as well.  Yes she's a veteran and doctor who finds herself in Holmes' orbit, with issues of PTSD, but she never really develops an admiration (an understanding, yes;  admiration, no) of Holmes like the classic Watson and is far more of her own character.  Her trauma and past experiences make her easy to root for, and her development as she learns to assert herself rather than passively accept her lot is great, and it is this development and her own feelings toward fellow veterans and her patients that drive her together with Holmes, not any interest in Holmes' work.  These changes make both these characters feel fresh despite being of archetypes written hundreds of times, and make them fascinating to read and experience.

The worldbuilding in this book also helps quite a bit with this - the story is a dystopian America but one that feels very real, with fights over racism, homophobia, and white supremacy causing a new civil war - something that honestly doesn't feel that unrealistic these days - and this setting providing tension and a greater conflict for Watson and Holmes to deal with - as a Black Woman in a world which resents that, this Watson faces greater opposition than the original ever had.  The idea of how the leaders of even the good side of this conflict might be chickening out of doing what is right for the sake of doing what's easier is also rather poignant these days, and the idea that some may be profiting from both sides is one as old as time, but done quite well here.  These ideas form the foundation for the mystery of this book as well as just the actions taken by the characters, and they work chillingly well.

A Study in Honor isn't perfect - the resolution of the conflict for example, with the reveal of the final villain, is a bit too neat with the villain conveniently acting in a way to put themselves into our heroes' reach way too easily for my taste.  Holmes' cryptic nature is also maybe sometimes a little too mysterious, with her sometimes acquiescing to Watson's demands at times that just feel out of character...just barely.  But these are very very minor flaws, as this is a book with strong characters, a strong world, and in general a plot that flows pretty well from beginning to end.

And yeah, I can't wait to read the sequel coming out later this year, to see where these two new versions of old characters are going in this dark but realistic future world.  I definitely recommend in the mean time yall picking up this book to see if you'd be interested as well. 


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