While I enjoyed this read, I’m not totally sure this novella is labeled correctly. Yes, KJ Parker’s Making History is set in a fictional fantasy world, but a good chunk of this is a political satire - commentary on our current political climate, both here in the U.S. as well as many other countries around the world, including the U.K., the author’s home country.

I tried my hand at writing a political satire before. I thought it worked pretty well as a piece of commentary, considering that very soon after publishing it I had VERY positive reviews and VERY negative reviews depending on the ideology of the person who had read my story. After looking at a few of the early reviews for Making History, I’d say as a political satire piece, Parker may have succeeded. There are some good reviews and some reviews where you can tell…he may have struck a bit of a nerve.

The name of the novella basically gives the story away. The king of a fantasy land wants to “create” a history of an ancient city, giving his best and brightest scholarly minds nine months to make sure the history he wanted to be told was the “official” story. Doing an archeological dig, they are tasked with painting a picture of their enemies…thousands of years in the past. Literally -- Making History.

With certain governmental leaders advocating banning books and whitewashing historical events today, Parker’s novella is a timely satire. It is humorous in a “wow that’s really spot on” and “you’ve gotta be kidding me” kind of way, but also a little tough to take in. If this was written…let’s say 15 years ago, it would be a farcical little story. Today though? It’s an interesting story that sometimes goes a little too over-the-top and is a little heavy-handed on some of the story elements.

Now…it isn’t a pure political satire. There definitely is a fantasy element and there is a twist at the end that changes a lot about the first half of the book, while keeping with a different aspect of today’s political climate. The narrative style may not be for everyone either -- at times its a bit of a stream of consciousness, but I’d definitely recommend giving this a read, if nothing else to see what Parker does with this short read.

Thank you to Tor for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I’ve read one other book by K.J. Parker (under the name Tom Holt). I had mixed feelings about The Outsorcerer’s Apprentice, and I have mixed feelings about Making History.

Making History has an interesting concept – a brutal tyrant forces expert historians to fake an ancient civilization as part of his Evil Plans. The main character is a linguist who is required to fake the ancient civilization’s language as it would/could have been before evolving into modern language. Once the historians get started, something startling happens (which I won’t reveal because spoilers).

The world building is good. Not overly detailed. There is some super casual cruel violence and torture, which I didn’t love. The narrator is very matter-of-fact about the dangers of working for a brutal tyrant. The characters aren’t overly developed, but this a short novella after all.

I was intrigued by the startling development but the climax/big reveal was disappointing. The author has a nice way with words that kept me reading. I don’t think Making History was a total success, although it is thought provoking, and I’d read another book by the author.

I read an advance reader copy of Making History from Netgalley.

The ability to build a world like this in 150 pages is impressive. I had a hard time connecting with the characters and wish the story had a little more so I had the opportunity to know them.

I love a story about the dark side of academia and propaganda, especially in a fantasy context, so I really enjoyed this novella. In this, scholars are forced by the king to invent an ancient civilization and create a city so that he can justify a war.

I'm an armchair linguistics nerd, so I really, really enjoyed our narrator's perspective. It was super engaging and drew me in immediately. I was also deeply impressed by the depth of the worldbuilding, and how rich this world felt, especially in a book so short.

I will say the story and plot shift significantly towards the latter part of the book, and I felt like not enough time was dedicated to making that part of the story feel as complete and fleshed out as it could have. Even with that, I was still very impressed with the mystery, and couldn't dock more than a star from my rating because of my sheer enjoyment.

Recommended for fans of unreliable narrators, historical revisionism, and questionable reality.

This novella is an evocative speculative piece, but it could have benefited from being divided into chapters.

By not having chapters or parts for the scenes, the text felt like a cramped stream-of-consciousness piece, and it didn’t quite work for me. It felt almost like it was tripping over itself or a rambling run-on diary entry, but that might very well just be a me thing, and this is kind of a nitpick, so I’m rounding up to a solid 3.

Thank you, NetGalley and Tordotcom for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I loved the premise of this novella: a group of scholars at the top of their field are 'asked' to create an ancient civilzation from scratch so that it can be 'discovered' by the ruler and used to justify another war. Our MC is a linguist and I found the details on language (as well as the other disciplines) fascinating, as this is what Parker chooses to go in-depth into in this story. How a language is born and evolves, how the culture of a society changes over time, what kind of artifacts one would find during this supposed time period, etc. I was glued to the pages.

Then, things happen. It's a fascinating twist and I was wracking my brain trying to unravel the mystery.

Then, the story becomes something slightly different and I didn't care for it, so the last quarter of the novella or so was not my favorite. Still, among Parker's novellas--especially among his 1st person works--this is good stuff.

An interesting novella that humorously delves into the nature of history, the past, and the stories we tell ourselves (and create) about our heritage. A little reminiscent of "Piranesi", this fun, short read will make you think about how we got to now, and what you take for granted about the past.

This started out a little slow, but then became so interesting I read it in one sitting. The voice of the narrator was so strong, I could see what was happening. Honestly, I wanted this to be more cause it was so interesting.

In this novella, we follow a professor and a group of other specialized professors in fabricating an ancient history from scratch, demanded by a power hunger leader -- seems possible right? What can go wrong?

The premise is enticing, and there is a low level of dark academia. Although at times, the writing was a bit dense and hard to follow, it was really enjoyable because the second person point of view worked so well in this novella. I wished we got to see more of the premise in execution, but where this book takes you was fun to follow.

This book has a magical vibe to it despite the fact that there is no magic or fantasy elements to it.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the advanced copy!

A historical fantasy with dark wit and high stakes? I’m in. This novella will leave your mind reeling and questioning your own lived history.

In Making History, a professor and a team of language and historical scholars are given an impossible task: build an ancient city that never existed. Their job is to reverse-engineer a false civilization; language, culture, pottery shards and all. All for a king who demands authenticity… or heads will roll. Literally.

What unfolds is a sharp, biting, and deeply intellectual exploration of how history is created…. and corrupted. The reader learns how a language can be constructed from scratch, how archaeological assumptions are made from something as mundane as a pot, and how power shapes the stories we choose to remember. Someone should also call OSHA about the labor force they use (tens of thousands, questionable ethics at best).

The writing is smart (albeit, intimidating at first) but once I settled into the rhythm, I couldn’t put it down. The narrative style leans toward the academic and philosophical, with flashes of dry, self-aware humor that had me cackling and cringing in equal measure.

The characters are not particularly charming or unique—but that’s kind of the point. As someone who’s worked in academia: it checks out. The main character’s blend of self-deprecation and razor-sharp observation drives the novel’s deeper questions:

What is history, really?
Is it shaped by the text—or the reader?
How much of our own history has been manipulated, mythologized… or flat-out invented?

Making History is perfect for linguists, history nerds, philosophy buffs, and readers who love first-person narratives that flirt with stream of consciousness. I look forward to reading more from KJ Parker.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Making History is a dark academia, historical fantasy that asks readers the questions: what is history and who writes it? It will appeal to readers of R. F Kuang.

I’m honestly not sure how I feel about this book. On one hand, I really liked the concept, on the other hand the execution didn’t quite work for me. I think this would’ve been better as a full length novel.

KJ Parker always hits the mark. This is a fantastic, quick read. Loved it so much, and can't wait to read more.

Thank you to Tor and NetGalley for the ARC!

A newly risen tyrant seeking to cement his position on the throne by provoking war with neighbors reaches out to the scholars of his realm to create some alternative facts. A humorous, very topical dip into dark academia.

I was very torn on how to rate this novella, because the premise was so enjoyable, and for the most part the plot really delivered. I would love to have seen this as a full length novel though, and reading it often felt like a breakneck dash through the story, which really contrasted with the narrator's style of "rambling scholar".

Overall, 3.5/5 stars!

This was an interesting read. It was short which made it easier to read. I will say some of the writing seemed garbled but it also fit the character. It was a bit confusing at times (again seems like the character to go on tangents) but stuff would eventually be cleared up.

I actually did enjoy this and I would read another book by this author!

This novella is just so imaginative in both premise and carries a character voice so strong it would be remiss of me to not sing it's praises.

The concept of developing a realistic but ultimately inauthentic past from the tools and knowledge of the present is an idea rich with promise that Parker delivers on emphatically.

Genuinely think that this novella could be a really wonderful way to teach adults about linguistics. This novella explains some concepts better and more approachable than the class I took in my undergrad on it.

Where I have issues is the latter half where it becomes less interesting and more bickering. The reveal isn't as satisfying as it seems utterly impossible.
For what I did like about it though I give 4 stars.

I wanted to put Making History down on so many occasions—and this is a very short novella. It often strolled into the territory of stream of consciousness narrative that often make me dislike a book, but ultimately I finished out the piece—and am actually glad I did.

This isn’t to say I necessarily ‘enjoyed’ this or would ‘recommend’ it. But I don’t regret my time with it. How can that be? Well I think the book’s author may have achieved exactly what he intended to do—to educate in some respects, to show some humour but ultimately to make me stop and think.

This book is about a powerful ruler who instructs his top scholars to essentially create a fake ancient civilization to be uncovered—to essentially falsely create an archeological discovery so he could use its find as a political tool in his war plans. To be honest, I still don’t full understand that point.

The first part of this story sees the main character, a linguist, working with his colleagues to create an artificial history. But about halfway through this story this narrative becomes something else entirely. I would get into spoilers but the main character experiences a shift in their desires that actually had me interested.

Making History’s strengths is that it makes you ask questions. That said, it’s also it’s great weakness. The prose is almost entirely a case of tell-vs-show, and through the thick soup of descriptions, I found it difficult to discern things like character motivations or key plot elements that had be scratching my head. Why did this character have this heel turn? How does building a fake civilization benefit the emperor? Why are the characters trying to get their hands on this super rare book?

What this piece does well is it forces the reader to consider the very concept of history, and how its ‘written by the victors’. It shows that while historical observations can be truth-based, they can often be manipulated or falsified truths, posed as facts which are intended to mislead.

So while I can’t recommend you read Making History as a source of entertainment, I can recommend you read it if you are interested on a meditation of how history and ‘truth’ is created.

**Thank you Tor and Net Galley for the ARC**
***Video version of review on TikTok, Youtube and Instagram will follow soon on social***

In a country ruled by a usurper king, history can be a powerful tool for cementing authority and power. To do a decent job of manipulating the past, it’s important to turn to the people who know the most about it: historians. In Parker’s latest, excellent novella, a group of historians are (quietly) threatened by their new king into creating a new history that supports his authority and mandate.

Making History contains all of the things we have come to expect from a K. J. Parker novella: a playful twist on history, myth, and fantasy. The characters are engaging, varied, often hapless or naïve. In Making History, they’re also academics, and they come complete with all the petty foibles one should expect from such a group. This includes their sense of subject-superiority, easily distracted by their subjects and the puzzle that has been presented to them.

Over the course of the story, the historians throw themselves fully into the project (if they didn’t, they’d probably be killed, so it’s a balance between surviving and welcome, unique challenge). As the project unfolds and progresses, though, it becomes clear that they may not be the only group engaged in manufacturing history… What will this mean for their country, their jobs, and (most importantly) their lives?

Parker’s prose is excellent throughout, often amusing and witty. The plot moves at a steady pace, and perfect for the story he’s telling. Every new novella just further cements my opinion that Parker is the master of this type of story. Fans of his work will no doubt find plenty to love in this new book, while newcomers will find a perfect example of why he is so beloved by readers.

Very highly recommended.

What is history? Is it something that the winners create by how they tell the tale ... or by what they create to back up their story?
In this fantasy world, Gyges is new to the job of dictator, and already looking to expand his empire. He'd like to invade the city-state closest to his empire, but he needs a reason to start the fight. So he enlists a cadre of university professors to create an "ancient" city in the desert border between the empire and the adjoining city-state. A few forged stone tablets that show the adjoining city-state used to belong to the empire, and he's got a reason to take over his neighbor.
Our unnamed narrator is one of the 12 professors chosen for this large-scale forgery. He is a cynical linguist with a very dry sense of humor who both sees that there is no way out of this and figures there is probably also no way through - at least, no way in which he survives.
This is a very short story that manages to create a world and people it with characters who recognize the terrifying power of governmental authority when used improperly - and what people of all echelons of society will do to survive (or, at least not be tortured to death). The story also questions what is history - who decides what happened, and how do we ever know what's real?
This is an excellent book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

4.5 Awesome character, humor, dark and quiteshort and easy to read. Itdoesn't need much to pass the message well. Truth is not History and this unreliable narrator is the perfect character for it. Interesting linguistic focus. Makes it nerdy and fun.