Psychopomp & Circumstance
In a fantastical Reconstruction-era New Charleston, Royce portrays a young woman’s journey of self-discovery and striving for independence. When news of her estranged aunt’s death arrives, Phaedra St. Margaret infuriates her mother by volunteering to become the “pomp” for her aunt, the arranger of her laying-out and homegoing ceremony. Mysteriously, the penalty for failing to put on a sufficiently grand pomp is a lengthy jail sentence where starvation is likely, so the stakes are high. Anything is better than the marriage her domineering mother sees for her proper future.
Mythical creatures are part of life in New Charleston: hippocampi (horse-fish hybrids) who draw carriages through the perpetually flooded streets and part bird, part human flying messengers. Magic is woven into this world both as a source of entertainment at parties and in religious practices where God is called the Magician.
After being driven from the family, her aunt built from scratch a town called Horizon for any freed slaves who need a temporary haven. When Phaedra arrives at her Aunt Cleo’s house, she experiences frightening visions and unsettling spiritual visitations. She knows nothing about seeing the dead off, and she cannot find any final instructions from her aunt even though everyone else insists there must be some.
Some plot elements that Royce effectively introduces to build suspense, end up with a less clearly engaging payoff, for example, why a poorly done pomp can result in a jail sentence. In addition, this short novel has a slow start, but once Phaedra immerses herself in Horizon’s mysterious environment, the pacing picks up. Overall, Royce develops an atmospheric, rich magical world with exquisite detail, and the reader enthusiastically roots for Phaedra from the beginning.
