The Dagger in Vichy is a short novel in a blended genre (medieval vibes sci-fi) about how people will change themselves to make their dreams come true and what they lose when they do.

It's Alastair Reynolds. The writing is quick, textured, a bit touched with horror. Think Avi's Crispin: The Cross of Lead. Reynolds writes mostly sci-fi, but the best I've seen of him is his cross-genre stuff (reading Eversion is a before/after moment in my life), and this little book is another gem.

I'm trying to write around spoilers here, so this is a bit vague, but I think it's actually the coolest thing going on in this book: the discussion of dependence on technology to make come true what should not come true is so sharp. It's not heavy-handed, but it's the heart of the story, and I found this a valuable contribution to my ongoing thinking about the role generative AI plays in the collapse of how we understand what it means to be human.

I received an ARC for this book (can't believe my fortune!) via NetGalley. It releases Oct. 31, 2025. Read it if you can!

Flat characters, weird allegory for the dangers of AI, all around did not enjoy this. My favorite part was my brain casting Sean Bean as Guillaume and Eddie Redmayne as Rufus.

The beginnings of this novella are seemingly innocuous: members of a medieval future theater troupe need to stop for a piss. There, they find a wounded, dying soldier who entrusts them with a box for the Imperator. Master Guillaume finds himself enraptured by the mysterious contents it holds. Rufus, the thief Guillaume saved from punishment of his crimes, finds himself a conflicted participant in his savior’s questionably moral plot with that mystery within. The troupe travels their performance route, and other than narrator Rufus, they remain unaware of their trusted leader’s entrancement with the contents not meant for his, or any of their, eyes.
A story that begins simply quickly evolves into a complex story of loyalty amidst betrayal, of mortal folly, of the intensely human desire to be remembered. This story holds a glorious weight, an enthralling, timeless energy I won’t soon forget.
In all honesty, I struggled to keep track of the roles of side characters (such as Ida, Rosemary, and Faustin, members of the troupe not-so-instrumental or central as Guillaume, Rufus, and Bernard); however, this may largely have to do with my devouring this novella with fervor and wouldn’t give much complaint to this regard. Each character has their role to play, after all.
A heartfelt thanks to @SubPress via NetGalley for affording me the opportunity to read this beautiful work of fantasy-laden science fiction. I give this one a solid five stars. I look forward to reading it again sometime in the future and happily recommend it to my fellow bookworms.

The Dagger in Vichy is a masterfully written tale of resistance, betrayal, and the high cost of loyalty. With vivid prose and meticulous historical detail, the novel immerses the reader in a world where every glance carries danger and every choice could mean life or death.

The protagonist is compelling—complex, courageous, and constantly torn between survival and sacrifice. Through their journey, the novel explores the moral ambiguity of war and the quiet heroism of those who choose to resist from the shadows. Each chapter builds with slow-burning tension, leading to moments that are as heartbreaking as they are unforgettable.

What sets The Dagger in Vichy apart is its ability to balance personal intimacy with the sweeping weight of history. Love, loss, and the human capacity for resilience are all woven seamlessly into the narrative, making this more than just a war story—it’s a deeply human one

This is a quick, exciting read for anyone who enjoys historical fiction AND sci-fi. Set in a far distant future wherein humanity has regressed to a more medieval way of life, and what we currently consider 'modern technology' is viewed as some sort of magic, this fast paced novella leaves you wanting more.

Personally, it reminded me a little of Station Eleven, but with a lighter tone, with richly developed characters, and world building. I would love to see this fleshed out into a novel series — one that I would be very interested in reading!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to enjoy this ARC.

Thank you so much for approving me for this arc. I really enjoyed the setting of this story and how fast paced it was! I enjoy the blend of futuristic sci-fi and medieval France and found myself immersed in the world right from the beginning. Even though it was short I am eager to read the final version when it’s released. I think it’s much more difficult to get the reader engaged and interested in characters when it’s a shorter novel but I had no trouble with finding myself enjoying their dialogue and interactions throughout the story.

This was a very quick paced, short read set in a future society that has regressed to something resembling medieval times. I really appreciated how unique this setting was, as it was cool to see the vestiges of current technology feel like magic. I’ve never read medieval science fiction before, so if anyone has additional recs like that.

Importantly, despite this being a novella, the characters felt well developed and compelling, and the plot felt full. The troupe of actors, the mystery of the dying soldier’s box, and the setting culminated in a really enjoyable read. I look forward to reading the final published version this fall, and highly recommend this to folks looking for an exceptionally well-written, short sci fi.

The Dagger in Vichy was such an interesting read. Set in a time when technologies have been lost. When the world feels so old and yet so far in the future. I enjoyed the characters and the dynamics they had. It was fast paced, but didn't feel rushed. Being a novella felt like just the right choice for this story. It was interesting piecing together the clues throughout the piece. Overall a really good read!

Well this was a delight. I have been asking the universe for something to follow up Nicked by MT Anderson, and The Dagger in Vichy manages to capture the irreverent, goofy tone and medieval (ish) setting I've been looking for.

Young actor Rufus serves as narrator and observer of events befalling his travelling theater troupe after a chance encounter saddles them with a quest to deliver a mysterious package. I had a lot of fun reading this. I didn't know much about the setting to start beyond my assumptions based on the cover, so I had fun picking up the cues that this was not, in fact, taking place in medieval France, despite the similarities. The characterizations were not very deep, but I didn't mind because the pacing was good. In fact I thought the archetypal characters lent themselves to a stage play sort of feel, which I appreciated. The story touches a little bit on plagiarism and generative AI, but in my opinion is best enjoyed for the medieval sci-fi romp that it is.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for this honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was really compelling for a novella. The length actually did credit to the story. It didn't feel overly drawn out, like it would've as a novel, nor was it too short or feeling like it was missing something. It was fast paced with an eery feeling as a troupe travels through France in the far future. I loved the blend of the sci-fi, post apocalyptic world with an almost medieval feel to it. It felt whimsical and fresh, but also nostalgic, like a story you heard as a child. I couldn't put it down. I'll be keeping an eye out for Alastair Reynolds in the future.

[Thank you to Net Galley for the advance copy of this book.] This novella opens with a troupe of performers traveling through what at first appears to be medieval France, what with the presence of knights and traveling by horse-drawn wagon. But once their playwright agrees to transport a mysterious object, the story tip-toes into both fantasy and sci-fi to tell a story spanning centuries that culminates in a tragedy that, even with all the foreshadowing, feels like a punch to the gut. Our characters, the players in their own play, reckon with the consequences of greed and betrayal. All the while, in the background and eventually within grasp, a magical forest rapidly encroaches and threatens to overtake the land. It reminded me a little of Ser Gawain and the Green Knight. This was a great little afternoon read with a lot of world building and messaging that I would definitely recommend to lovers of sci fi, fantasy, and horror alike!

A wonderful and fast paced novella that kept me immersed with every page. Despite being only a novella, the world building and character development along with the tales inside were wonderfully written and fleshed out.

I've been a long time fan of Alastair Reynolds and Netgalley gives me free copy of his upcoming novella... hell yeah. I didn't even stop to look at what the book was about. Turns out this is fantasy novel of sorts. I still wouldn't have paused to pick this up this novella but it would have made me stop and think because Alastair Reynolds doesn't write fantasy novels. And like I said this is a fantasy novel of sorts. It the dark ages but it's also the future.
This isn't the most original idea(think Robert Silverberg's Lord Valentine series) but that hardly matters with an Alastair Reynold's book. I try to read everything Reynolds puts out but is a lot of fun to watch go against his normal fare.

This novella takes place in a quasi-medieval world where there are remnants of advanced technology leftover from the past. The main character is reformed thief, turned actor Rufus. When his band of players ends up with a mysterious box that they’re meant to deliver to the Imperator, loyalties in their troupe begin to shift as they find themselves confronted with technology they don’t understand.

The writing in this was enjoyable, and has more of a science fiction feel that you might gather from the title. It reminded me a lot of some of my favorite classic sci-fi movies. We follow these kind of stock characters — an ambitious playwright, a noble soldier, etc. — and the plot is fairly predictable. But I thought the way everything fell into place was satisfying at the end. I think the questions it asks about technological advancement are also really interesting — there’s even a part in here that feels very much like a dialogue about generative AI.

The highlight for me was the worldbuilding. The world was really interesting and I wish this had been just a little longer so that we could see more of it! Like they're just commonly eating mammoth and dodo birds in this future? Fascinating! As someone who loves theater, I also loved following the players and hearing their little squabbles about lines and staging and whatnot.

The Dagger in Vichy is a dark, short novella that presented a compelling consideration of how our creative impulses are shaped by technology. The story used a unique mix of sci-fi and fantasy tropes that created a world rich for exploration—I especially loved the quasi-medieval setting and our main cast of traveling performers. Outside of Rufus, Guillaume, and Bernard, characterization in the story was a little flat, though that is likely due to the constraints of a novella (so not a huge deal). And without giving away too much of the main mystery, the story’s reflection on our anxieties over some new and unknown frontiers of technology was very well done. It didn’t feel like this story had answers for all the questions it raises, but the critiques it did make were nuanced and presented in a fascinatingly fresh way.

A fast and engaging novella set in a compelling futuristic medieval France. The story is told by Rufus, a player in a traveling theatrical group. On the road, the group comes upon a dying knight who entrusts them with his strange quest: deliver a tribute for the Imperator to the city of Avignon. This triggers tension within the group as they now need to travel out of their way to deliver the box. As the group continue to perform and travel towards Avignon, Rufus overhears the box speaking to Master Guillaume, their leader. It tells him terrible things will happen if it falls into the Imperator’s hands. Rufus continues to eavesdrop and becomes wrapped up in a secret alliance between his Master and the being inside the box.
For me, the setting was an interesting blend of sci-fi and dark fantasy that made me want to know more about the world itself. The only reason I gave 4 instead of 5 stars is that the background characters felt a bit flat. This could be due to wanting to keep the story shorter, which I completely understand. I would love to read more stories set in this world!

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced e-copy of this book! I think this was a mixed bag for me, it had some strong points and it had some low points. I think the sense of place was well done but it also left me wanting for more, I was so interested in the world and the history, that it made me wish for a longer story if only for the chance at more world building. The author really created an interesting, far-flung future that teetered on something medieval and futuristic.
The plot was simple and pace quickly. The soldier vs the scholar, the sword vs the pen, but something devious and dark comes between the two. While the plot did not hold any surprises, I wasn't expecting any either. Our young narrator was really the one I wasn"t a fan of. The plot device of the older storyteller, looking back on this dark misadventure from his youth really worked here. If anything the narrative voice felt too flat, and there were way too many characters for a novella this short. If anything, I wish there had been more focus on Blind Benedict, Guy, the narrator, and Bernard. It would given more space for these characters to shine through in such a short story. The dialogue also felt clunky sometimes, didn't flow the way it should have been characters that supposedly knew each other for so long.

This is a great novella coming out this fall (on Halloween, even!), and it's one I'll be recommending when it comes out. We get a tale of a traveling acting crew telling stories in the aftermath of society collapsing, and how sometimes the people in power are seduced by what is clearly a goddamn terrible idea, and the changing forms of technology in the future, and survival. (This is absogoddamlutely about AI and I love what Reynolds has to say about it and human creativity.) Also with all these fucking tariffs, Subterannean Press is gonna need all the help it can get to survive. Please preorder this ASAP.

The Dagger in Vichy
This novella was deficient in character building. The world was done well enough, as it mimicked our Europe/UK area. But I couldn't care less about any of the characters. They were lifeless. It gave me the feeling of watching a puppet show, but the puppeteers are drunk and they keep dropping the strings.
I want to read one of Reynold's novel-length books and see if I feel the same way. I think that the novella format does a disservice to many otherwise talented writers.
It would be one star, but I wanted to give a star to the basic idea.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher, Subterranean Press, for providing an e-arc of this novella.
2/5 stars
PG

A clever little novella -- my interest was piqued as soon as I saw "Alastair Reynolds" on the cover. I've read Reynolds before, but only sci-fi.

The Dagger in Vichy is immediately immersive, and it doesn't take long to pick up the nuance of the setting. Not "just" a simple troupe of actors traveling through the French countryside by wagon to their next booking, there are glimpses of antediluvian technology like "healing coffins" and impossibly detailed maps that flicker at the edge like they used to be capable of displaying other pictures. Enjoyable genre-bending.

Despite the short length, the characters and world-building elements felt fully fledged. The pacing is brisk but didn't feel rushed.

Can't say too much more without spoilers, just give it a read!