This was such a fun novella that really, really packed a punch. I loved the cover and the blurb and as I fell further into the world of Nesi and the Fox and the other Pillars I ended up loving the story. It took me a while to feel grounded in it and understand the world and the history of it all, but such is the nature of being thrown in mid plot. And I loved it all despite that, it just took me a couple rereads back to really understand. I loved the interludes of the Fox and their siblings between each chapter of Nesi’s, it added layers to the Fox and the other Pillars that were much easier to build the entire nature of his character off of than if we spun through an elaborate back story, it lends a lot to the novella working well despite knowing there is likely deep history to the world that we’re not getting. Nesi was a great main character to follow, and watching the go from the desperation of becoming an acolyte and facing rejection but determined for her own future to being thrust into the past and piecing out her character by helping these people she met along the way. I know I keep saying it but I loved it all, it was very much folklore, and it reminded me deeply of the teachings of the Indigenous people here in Canada. I was also pleasantly surprised at how relevant it is today. To act in the face of tyranny, to keep your heart despite it all.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I absolutely ADORED this book. An incredibly interesting concept, with wonderful worldbuilding! I'd love to purchase a physical copy once it comes out.

The characters are loveable, with interesting characteristics and personalities, that gradually develop throughout the book, and I love seeing the darker themes come through during the book. It was a wonderful read and one I'd definitely love to read again!

“Audition for the Fox” Martin Cahill

The main character Nesi is trying to become an acolyte of one of the 99 Pillars of Heaven. She is a child with the blood of a god, and if she fails to get patronage, then she is not destined to get out of her temple home, where she is studying. And Nesi wants freedom.
She had already had 96 audiences with the Pillars of Heaven, but without success. And Nesi decides to pray to T'sidaan, the Fox of Tricks...
And it seems that the fox is a joker, but the task gives her is not a joke. He throws her back 300 years, when Nesi's homeland was occupied by Zemin's wolfhounds.
Nesi has heard stories about this time, and knows that there was a rebellion, but... It turns out that she is destined to be the spark of this rebellion, so that people can overthrow the exiled 100-year-old Pillar, the Wolf of the Hunt.
I liked the story, it even seemed short. I would like more. A good story comes with beautiful illustrations, and after the story chapters, chapters with fox stories. Nesi finds friends in the past, and how sad it is to know that she has to return to her own time.
The book will be published on September 16th, 2025
Thanks NetGalley and Martin Cahill for giving me opportunity to read this book

"But since I have no reason to lie to you, middling art tends to be my favorite kind. Poetry, fiction, movies--I mean plays, all of it I prefer middling, [...] Because middling art is the most inspiring kind of art!"

If middling art be the goal, I can confirm Martin Cahill failed utterly. This book was incredible. From the pacing to the worldbuilding, I was on the edge of my seat! The deity system made sense and it was expansive without being overwhelming. It kept up the suspense and energy through the whole of its length, and while I personally wouldn't have minded a longer story, I think the length is just right for what's being told. Having this fantasy story revolve around time travel made the topic fresh and unique - sometimes stories get bogged down trying to justify the ways time travel could feasibly exist, but in a fantasy novella you have to keep that explanation short and simple, which I appreciated. Our main character Nesi was so lovable, the side characters had me rooting for them (especially Teor), and even when you know a story like this must end hopefully I was still tense trying to figure out exactly how they'd all do it! Having a queernormative universe was pleasant as well. Nothing makes me feel cozy quite like seeing the use of they/them pronouns or some casual sapphics in the midst of a story.

T'sidaan gets their own paragraph for being one of the best depictions of a trickster god I've ever read in a modern novel. Although I grew up outside the reservation and largely outside the culture (I'm only 1/16th Native), you can't not learn about the trickster gods in indigenous folktales. And while the old stories maintain the charm, cunning, and occasional viciousness of a truly good trick, modern attempts often fall flat for me. To be a trickster is not just to be silly, and to be cunning is not to be cruel. T'sidaan captured that beautifully. The afterword mentioned a potential novella set in the same universe, and I have to say that even if it wasn't centered on Nesi and T'sidaan I'd pick it up in a heartbeat. After this, I think I'll pick up anything Martin Cahill writes.

I would have liked it better if it had been longer—maybe a full novel instead of a novella. As it is, it feels a bit rushed. Things are being told more than shown, and when the time comes for the emotional moments, I feel it would have hit harder if we had spent more time with the characters. More length could also have helped deliver the message more subtly.

The scenes that shined were the ones that showed one of the most important acts of rebellion can be kindness. I find that often goes overlooked, so it was nice.

I liked the art separating each section and the stories of the fox and the other pillars.

It was kind of middling, so the fox would be delighted. Thank you to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing an ARC. All thoughts are my own.

This was such a pleasant surprise! I requested this ARC after seeing one of my fave authors recommend it on Insta and being enamored by the art on the cover, but I wasn't quite sure what to expect. What I got was an exploration on finding yourself, but also revolution and rebellion. Because this is a novella, there's not much I can say that won't spoil things. I will say that T'sidaan is exactly the type of god character I love to read about. They're funny and cheeky and really add moments of levity to a premise that might otherwise be weighed down by despair. Nesi, too, was a painfully relatable protagonist and I really enjoyed how well the author allowed her to grow in such a short page count.

The writing, too, was beautiful and expansive. While I do think that the pacing sped up a bit too quickly by the end, for my liking at least, I think this story and its characters were some of the best I've read in a novella in a long time. I do hope the author gets an opportunity to return to these characters in the future!

I had higher expectations for this. I know it is a novella but the lady of detail…leaves much to be desired. It wasn’t as engaging as it could’ve been. Great idea but not the best execution.

I might come back and edit this review later, because I have so many thoughts but none of them are ordered enough to put them into words.

What a novella. I didn't know what to expect from this story, I was simply drawn by the title and the cover. And, I must admit, I was a bit cautious about the tone and theme, because I care about both very much and it's hard to get it right, in my opinion.

Well, I was blown away. Really. First, by the amount of worldbuilding and sense of place placed in a short book. And without being heavy or boring! Truly amazing and inspirational.
Then, the story itself. Very mythical, full of bite and fun, but also violence and resistance. Martin Cahill somehow managed to balance all of it, in a gripping tale with wonderful description (I think very strongly about our Fox, their smile and sense of presence). I liked Nesi and her struggle to find her place with a god. She has a very relatable sense to her, while being very herself. Following her as she is sent back in time into a labor camp, all for an audition with the Trickster Fox God was a nice ride.

Are the messages (morals, if you will) of the story light or hidden under deep symbolism ? No, but it suits the story, its inspiration from fairy tale and folklore. It makes sense, and only add to the narrative.

Veryn very good surprise.

This was such a good book. I loved the story and the writing so much. The characters were great and the story flowed smoothly. Will definitely read more books by this author in the future.

I needed this novella badly, and I'll be highly recommending it when it comes out this fall. I'm a huge sucker for trickster gods and the power of stories, but Cahill hits home really hard with this, in the best kind of way. Because sometimes you feel lost in the plot of your own life and you need someone to show you that yes, the actions you take do matter. Throw in fox tales as interludes between the chapters and you get a novella that's like a warm jacket on a fall night. It won't let you forget that there's work still to be done, but that we can and will get through this, and the stories we tell to do so will matter a lot. Cahill mentions in the acknowledgements that there's years of work that have gone into this, and you can tell in the way this is crafted. Pick this up when it comes out this fall.

I enjoyed my time with this book. It is easy to read with entertaining characters, interesting events, and solid world building, but it's too fast, too smooth, too direct. It is a large story in book a bit too small. There are great bones, but not enough flesh on them for it to truly shine.

The characters are interesting and entertaining, but they don't have enough time to breathe. Their arcs resolve too easily and too quickly without time to feel the impact before we are on to the next thing.

The story beats are much the same, interesting events that we don't see enough of before they're resolved. Often resolving without the reader experiencing much in the way of challenge, robbing them of their impact. There is little to no planning, a glimpse of execution, and then results. Any struggle hidden from us.

The themes and messages the story tells are also too direct for my taste. Like many of the fables that inspire it, there is no need to guess at what the story is meant to tell you as it explicitly stated.

The book is certainly good, but it shows you how it could be great.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing a digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own.

"Audition for the Fox" is a powerful, poignant novella. It is a masterful work of storytelling that addresses the central themes of tyranny and resistance with a deft hand the perfect amount of worldbuilding to support its message. I truly loved this book: the world is fascinating, the tale is creatively told through both traditional storytelling and fable making it a deeply interesting read, and it was easy to become emotionally invested in the characters. Strongly themed novellas with clever worldbuilding and mysterious, compelling characters are truly among my favorite kinds of reads, and this one is easily a new favorite.

This book follows Nesi, who is desperate to become an acolyte of any god, called Pillars, who will take her. She is down to her last few options, and, in a moment of recklessness, reaches out to the Fox, the Pillar of Trickery. The Fox is a feared Pillar: honored as a deity, yet seen as fickle, unknowable, and more likely to cause Nesi harm for their own amusement than aid her in her quest. The Fox chooses to test Nesi’s mettle by sending her back in time, to 300 years before when her homeland was being occupied by the violent Wolfhounds, worshippers of the Wolf. She is tasked with inciting rebellion against their tyrannical rule, with the Fox offering their support and guidance from the shadows.

The strongest aspect of this book is its theme. The book depicts tyranny: the sense violence of the ruling class, the loss of a sense of self of the subjugated, the risk of resistance, the way the tyrannical are willing to turn on their own to assert group identity. Moreover, it shows the power of trickery; how wit and social structure can be a powerful tool in dismantling oppressors. I will avoid going into this more deeply to avoid spoilers, but this message leaves a powerful impression on the reader. It feels acutely accurate to real-world events, yet managed to leave me with a sense of hope at the end of the story.

I also really enjoyed the way the book is written. The book intermixed fables about the Fox into Nesi’s story, and each one is incredible. They do an amazing job adding to the book’s themes, developing the character of the Fox, and giving the story a very unique voice. I found them to be an impactful addition to the book.

All in all, if this kind of novella is something you enjoy, I highly recommend picking this up. It’s an easy 5-star read for me

As a child who grew up on Aesop's fables and stories of tricksters like Anansi of West African folklore, this novella healed something in me.

I just love the world presented and how it plays into our treatment of animals as symbols. It does a wonderful job of capturing that feeling while attributing it to stories that answer a lot questions brought on by modern dilemmas.

For some readers it might be a little too on the nose with its morals and messaging, but those like me will feel a nostalgia beyond compare.

I'll light many candles to the Fox after reading this, and I hope others will too.

I usually find stories about trickster gods really entertaining, and while this one is no exception it also proves to be deeper and darker than I expected, and is the more richer for it.

In this short novel, our main character Nesi auditions to be an acolyte for the Fox, but of course a trickster god's tests will prove to be nothing like what Nesi expected.

The worldbuilding is shaped slowly but expertly, giving us enough information to immerse ourselves in the story but also letting us know there is more to this world than what we’ve discovered. The fables between chapters are a great addition for us to learn more about the Fox and the rest of the gods.

An enjoyable read with great pacing. I hope to read other full length novels from this author in the future.

I liked a lot of the individual elements here. The world had a lot of potential, and the characters had clear goals that I wanted to see them achieve. Unfortunately, I felt there was a disconnect somewhere between those two elements. I wasn’t getting why this story needed to take place in this world, or why in this world, this was the one story the author would tell. I think a big reason for that disconnect was a lack of obstacles and conflict in the narrative. The main character sets out to do something, and despite having failed in her life so many times before, achieves it this time fairly easily. There was no real tension, and so I wasn’t as invested. And while I did enjoy the interludes—the parables every other chapter—I wished that real estate had been used to add complexity to the main story.

This was great! Well paced, a few different styles of storytelling, uplifting, fun and likable characters.

I was drawn in by the cool cover, but I stayed for the original and lovely story. We follow the temple-worker Nesi who is supposed to find a patron among the Ninety-Nine Pillars of Heaven but was already rejected by Ninety-Six of them. Her options are down to the Pillars of War, Assassination, and Tricks, so she enters the audition for T’sidaan, Fox of Tricks. The Fox promptly sends her back in time and gives her the task of securing the course of history, and so Nesi finds herself 300 years away from her own time in a labor camp during an occupation of her lands. I really got the feeling that this little novella took place in a vast world with rich history, to the point where I was a little lost between all the names of countries and regions. But I do appreciate the effort, and it just shows how much the author created for this story. My favorite part was the mythology itself, and I loved to learn about the different Pillars (they're basically gods) and especially about the Fox, of course. They were such a great character, being a trickster, mischief-maker and shapeshifter with a silly side, but they're also patient and kind, and ready to teach a lesson when necessary. Nesi was a good main character too. I really felt for her with all the rejections she had to endure, having the feeling that she's not enough although she is actually very passionate. It's a story about finding one's place in the world and about how a little trickery can stand against tyranny and violence. It's very original and hard to compare to other things, but parts were almost fable-like and the focus on storytelling reminded me a little of the "Singing Hills" Cycle by Nghi Vo. A lovely novella that's pretty on the outside and on the inside. There's also pretty art between the chapters, so I'm sure the finished version will be stunning. Highly recommend!

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Gosh I absolutely loved this book. It felt like such an original story and I wasn’t sure where it was going most of the way through. The ending was equal parts emotional and satisfying. My only wish is that it was longer and we got more information on Nesi, her background, more interactions between her and Una (who was a fantastic character) and of course some more stories from the Fox. I would love to see more from this set of characters.