Assessment:
Plot/Idea: Always Carry Your Scythe is a dark and comedic fantasy adventure which sees Trixie D'Vita pitting her wits against a trans-dimensional vortex while trying to save her best friend. A fast-paced, involving and unpretentious storyline is finely crafted by Paisley in a gratifying addition to the genre.
Prose: Paisley's text benefits from stark, unique and imaginative storytelling that is consistently compelling. Her bold worldbuilding and meticulous attention to plot and character development helps give the storyline weight and pizazz.
Originality: Always Carry Your Scythe is a witty and entertaining supernatural fantasy novel that is positively bursting with ideas. Paisley's innocent and sharply observed dialogue blends perfectly with her playful and boisterous storytelling throughout.
Character/Execution: Paisley's protagonist, Trixie D'Vita, is an inventive and engaging protagonist that is easy to root for. In an imaginative world inhabited by multi-colored demons and werewolf drag queens, Always Carry Your Scythe is a vibrant page-turner with a wild sense of creativity.
Blurb: A fun and thought-provoking fantasy romp.
Date Submitted: May 23, 2024
The heart of the tale lies in the complex mother-daughter relationship between Trixie and Death, which proves amusingly relatable amid the fantastical settings. Trixie's unhealed abandonment issues from Death's aloofness and seeming nonchalance bring a human touch to all the crossings of realms, although the exploration of Death's persona here feels somewhat limited, perhaps to be explored more deeply in future stories. "Like, would it kill my mom to make it to my frickin’ birthday dinner?” Trixie asks, her words echoing the struggle for connection. Better late than never, Death bestows upon Trixie a mysterious miniature scythe—as a birthday gift!—and warns her to carry it with her at all times.
What follows is an action-packed comic trip through hellscapes where Trixie must survive on the other side of the vortex, one that tests the power of friendship to will courage in the face of adversity. Although the story could benefit from a more robust exploration of family and friendship dynamics, Paisley prioritizes world-building and adventure written in lively prose and imaginative storytelling, always with elements of surprise and humanity that readers of inventive urban fantasy metaphysics will find alluring.
Takeaway: Death's daughter goes through Hell to save a friend in this amusing debut.
Comparable Titles: Seanan Mcguire’s October Daye series, M. H. Boroson's The Girl with Ghost Eyes.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
"The mixture of surreal comedy, mythology, and memorable characters makes for a winning combination that will surely have fans eagerly awaiting a sequel...GET IT" Kirkus Reviews
