My thanks to Pan Macmillan and NetGalley for a free DRC of "The Works of Vermin" by Hiron Ennes.
I was intrigued by this blend of Fantasy and Horror. A city inside an ancient tree with crawling creatures sounded right up my alley. Also a brother caring for a younger sister was such a relatable part.
Unfortunately I could not get used to its satirical elements and the incredibly dense writing style and I had to DNF at 25%. I love Weird Fiction, but the portrait of this city's elite was so over the top and nonsensical.
Another critique of mine is when authors fail to understand what it truly means to come from poverty. I loved Guy and how protective he is of his sister, but his understanding of Theatre and Opera are in no shape and form possible for someone of his background with no actual education, no mater how often he sneaked to watch and listen the performances.

Unfortunately, this book is too heavy for me in regards to the writing style and the high fantasy world building. From the very start this was very heavy worded, it’s a cross between a lot of genres and it honestly wasn’t for me. I expect this to be a very layered and multiverse book, but I am not the audience for it. I kept thinking while reading, that this would make an amazing graphic novel. There are some good original ideas and references. I am dnf-ing at 20% due to the very specific writing style. Haven’t read anything else by this author, but sadly it’s not to my liking.
Thank you to NetGalley and Pan Macmillan | Tor Nightfire for providing me with the ARC.

Even though I loved Hiron Ennes's Leech, I just wasn't able to get into this. The world building was just as intriguing, but I found the writing too dense and struggled to connect with the characters. Finally decided to DNF.

Wildly imaginative, narratively clever book that does its reader the courtesy of expecting them to be intelligent, attentive, and able to keep up. The social inventiveness, in which artistic works structure everything to do with power and society and politics and influence, and political movements and regimes are themselves called things like, 'Extemporist' and 'Revivalist', was brilliant. The toxic sludge of rot and decay and verminous infestations reminds me of Kameron Hurley, and the use of scent as mode of expression, armour, attack, and defense, was a stroke of genius. This is a book that will repay rereadings.