This is a fast-paced, exciting read - inspired by Monte Cristo rather than a retelling/reimagining of it, because that sure isn’t a job for a novella. I do wonder if the size of a novel would have allowed it to have a more fleshed-out sense of self — the world looks good enough to spend more time in, and I would have enjoyed that.

This book isn't for me. The prose is overly clunky and exposition-heavy; I never felt like I could get a sense of the characters or the scenes, just the facts the author wanted me to memorize. I kept waiting for the exposition to peel back, but eventually my patience ran out. I ended up DNF at 20%.

From the descriptions of the book, the emphasis on anti-colonialism and worldbuilding, I was expecting something more similar to Baru Cormorant, Ancillary Justice, or The Unbroken. While thematically the book has those elements, in terms of prose, it lags behind. However, I don't read a lot of military scifi, so this style may be more common in that subgenre. I may just not be the right audience.

Because this is a negative review, I won't be posting it on any public social media. I want this book to do well! I'm just not the right reader for it.

firstly, i think it is important to recognize that "influenced by" and "retelling" are very different things, because this isn't a retelling of the count of monte cristo. the plot is obviously influenced by that book, but it isn't the same story. "people of color don't always get the same outcomes" is a theme hinted at by many story elements, as well as the book's plot. it was surprising, but well done.

for the novella as a whole, it has many of the elements a sci-fi/fantasy reader expects. the first two chapters are a loading up on new names, new places, asking one's self "what do i need to remember", and also half a dozen flashbacks. it is the fueling up of the ship, those first two chapters, and for me chapter three is where it really took off. from there, i felt like the story continued to open up until about two thirds in, then i had to start wondering how it would end by the end. and, i wasn't disappointed.

This is Ms. Palumbo's first jump to novella, and I do feel like she pulled some of her storytelling punches a bit. I'm unsure if it's because she didn't want to fully commit to the idea of her adaptation of the Count of Monte Cristo, or it could admittedly be the proverbial middle finger to the colonialist writing tradition it was rooted in (even if Dumas was baller as hell). This is still a great anticolonialist novella that's rooted in a future take on the Haitian Revolution, and on the first third or so of the Count of Monte Cristo. Still a hell of a great read, and worth your time this fall.

This had that scifi feel that I was hoping for from the description and the cover. I enjoyed the revenge element and getting to go on this journey with Virka. It was a great overall feel and enjoyed getting to learn about this world and characters. Suzan Palumbo has a great writing style and can’t wait to read more.

I feel really bad about 2 stars, but it is what it is. I’ve read The Count of Monte Cristo and watched a couple film adaptations, so I was curious about this retelling. I love the intricate revenge of the story. Well… that’s not what you have here.

The first half does feel at least vaguely inspired by The Count of Monte Cristo. You have an officer on a spaceship accused of a crime and wrongfully sent to prison. There are some unique features of this retelling that are compelling - SF setting, gender swapped MC, queer, immigrant. It felt like a solidly 3 star read for the first half.

Then the second half really has nothing to do with the source material. The intricate revenge I wanted is nowhere to be found. And the scope is way too big for a novella. It really should have been a novel because it’s underdeveloped in this form. I could’ve really enjoyed the novel version of this, too, so that’s disappointing.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Countess is a space operatic reimagining of the Count of Monte Cristo. It features themes of betrayal, suffering, and redemption and morphs the original story into a tale of futuristic West Indians subjugated to an Old World descended space empire. Genders are switched and the story leans heavily on queer themes, as well. I thought the world-building was a bit cursory and, indeed, found the book a bit cursory as well. A bit more time with the heroine once she emerged as Countess would have been well spent.; this could easily be a novel rather than novella. Palumbo isn’t a bad writer and I would read the possible sequel.

Thanks toNetGalley and the publisher for a free ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.