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Graff #4
Not the Most Romantic Thing
On one of their earliest Visigoth assignments, Graff and Ell stumble into each other’s secrets (and one significant surprise) while conducting a recovery mission on a mining asteroid scheduled for imminent pulverization. . .
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.
32 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 11, 2023
3 people are currently reading
99 people want to read
About the author
Carrie Vaughn
280 books4,544 followersCarrie Vaughn is the author more than twenty novels and over a hundred short stories. She's best known for her New York Times bestselling series of novels about a werewolf named Kitty who hosts a talk radio advice show for the supernaturally disadvantaged. In 2018, she won the Philip K. Dick Award for Bannerless, a post-apocalyptic murder mystery. She's published over 20 novels and 100 short stories, two of which have been finalists for the Hugo Award. She's a contributor to the Wild Cards series of shared world superhero books edited by George R. R. Martin and a graduate of the Odyssey Fantasy Writing Workshop.
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
An Air Force brat, she survived her nomadic childhood and managed to put down roots in Boulder, Colorado, where she collects hobbies.
Visit her at www.carrievaughn.com
For writing advice and essays, check out her Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/carrievaughn
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 5, 2025
Carrie Vaughn's Graff #4 available from tor.com for free here
This was was just a background filler, structured as a flashback to a mission on which Dr Ell accompanies Graff to visit an asteroid that is all mined out and due to be destroyed. The mission is to "retrieve off-network data and tissue samples from a lab in 67B’s office section', except that tissue sample isn't a thing in a Petrie dish...
It is a bit of a cutesie romantic story, it is when Graff fell in love with Ell, and while it was 'not the most romantic thing' the flashback setup manipulates to to be, a bit.
This one didn't reach the expectation based on the more solid action of the previous stories in the series. Hoping the next (at this point last, although here's hoping for more) ramps back up the action.
2.5 stars, rounding to 3.
This was was just a background filler, structured as a flashback to a mission on which Dr Ell accompanies Graff to visit an asteroid that is all mined out and due to be destroyed. The mission is to "retrieve off-network data and tissue samples from a lab in 67B’s office section', except that tissue sample isn't a thing in a Petrie dish...
It is a bit of a cutesie romantic story, it is when Graff fell in love with Ell, and while it was 'not the most romantic thing' the flashback setup manipulates to to be, a bit.
This one didn't reach the expectation based on the more solid action of the previous stories in the series. Hoping the next (at this point last, although here's hoping for more) ramps back up the action.
2.5 stars, rounding to 3.
August 10, 2024
2/5★
Unfortunately this was below my expectations of Carrie Vaughn and the Visigoth crew series of stories, but it was nice to reunite with the characters.
Unfortunately this was below my expectations of Carrie Vaughn and the Visigoth crew series of stories, but it was nice to reunite with the characters.
September 28, 2025
Graff and his bf go on a mission together. Frame story is after, but main events before Sinew and Steel and What They Told. Lower stakes, more fuffy than nos. 2 & 3.
March 12, 2025
that was pretty romantic actually 🥹
October 15, 2023
Another great addition
I love reading about this crew. The back story about rescuing the "tissue sample" was so much fun. A great couple moment at the end. Please write more in this world.
I love reading about this crew. The back story about rescuing the "tissue sample" was so much fun. A great couple moment at the end. Please write more in this world.
October 17, 2023
Not the most romantic thing? Pah, it's plenty romantic to rescue a cat :D
April 7, 2024
A Tor.com shorty. A rather nice little ditty about a lovestruck couple who have to rescue a cat from a doomed mining operation on an asteroid...that is about to be pulverised. I liked it and it only takes an hour to read.
October 12, 2023
Not the Most Romantic Thing: A Tor.Com Original (Kindle Edition)
by Carrie Vaughn
This third story in the series of Ell's and Graff. The learning of secrets and the retention of secrets challenge these new lovers. Their trust of each other will put everything at risk in their first mission for Visigoth. It shows the remarkable prowess of the author, as she takes a mundane mission and makes it a poignant reminder of what is personally important to the reader.
by Carrie Vaughn
This third story in the series of Ell's and Graff. The learning of secrets and the retention of secrets challenge these new lovers. Their trust of each other will put everything at risk in their first mission for Visigoth. It shows the remarkable prowess of the author, as she takes a mundane mission and makes it a poignant reminder of what is personally important to the reader.
May 8, 2024
A cute, queer and cosy space adventure with a cat. Really, what's not to like?
October 21, 2023
“Not the Most Romantic Thing” is the fourth of Vaughn’s stories set on the bounty-hunting ship Visigoth. It is the most light-hearted and (despite the title) romantic of the tales. Set much earlier in the timeline than the other stories, it relates Graff and Ell’s first mission together when their relationship was just blossoming. This time the Visigoth is hired to extract tissue samples from a defunct lab on an asteroid scheduled for demolition. Things go sideways when the “tissue samples” give the two men a little more trouble than expected and they run the risk of missing their window to flee before the asteroid gets mulched.
The story is structured as a flashback narrated by the illegally post-human Graff, whose enhancements give him perfect recall. As such, Vaughn doesn’t bother exploiting the story’s built-in countdown clock in order to ratchet up the suspense – Graff has already indicated at the start they will make it through alive, even if readers of the previous stories need no such prompt. The story concludes in the “present”, with the two lovers remarking on that long ago mission with particular attention to a detail that could have given away the secret Graff was (at the time) so terrified of letting out. In this way the story plays as something of a postscript to its tenser, heavier-themed predecessors; a “look where we’re at now” coda to the story so far. It’s a nice addition that works best for readers who have already been following the series, though I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t prefer the author to turn it back up to 11 the next time around.
The story is structured as a flashback narrated by the illegally post-human Graff, whose enhancements give him perfect recall. As such, Vaughn doesn’t bother exploiting the story’s built-in countdown clock in order to ratchet up the suspense – Graff has already indicated at the start they will make it through alive, even if readers of the previous stories need no such prompt. The story concludes in the “present”, with the two lovers remarking on that long ago mission with particular attention to a detail that could have given away the secret Graff was (at the time) so terrified of letting out. In this way the story plays as something of a postscript to its tenser, heavier-themed predecessors; a “look where we’re at now” coda to the story so far. It’s a nice addition that works best for readers who have already been following the series, though I’d be lying if I said I wouldn’t prefer the author to turn it back up to 11 the next time around.
March 4, 2024
Carrie Vaughn, acclaimed author of the Fantasy series "Kitty and the..."
greatly switches gears here towards a hard Sci-Fi story, with a bit of romance.
Graff and Ell work together on an asteroid recovery mission to bring back a 'sample'. Time is of the essence before the asteroid is obliterated because of the finished, exhausted-out mining operative. Graff has secrets she cannot share with Ell, and reverso, Graff here learns alot about Ell. The sample turns out to be a great reveal!
Quickly paced and engaging writing made this for a very enjoyable read for me and I'm looking forward to backtracking to the first three Graff stories. This one can be read on its own, imo.
greatly switches gears here towards a hard Sci-Fi story, with a bit of romance.
Graff and Ell work together on an asteroid recovery mission to bring back a 'sample'. Time is of the essence before the asteroid is obliterated because of the finished, exhausted-out mining operative. Graff has secrets she cannot share with Ell, and reverso, Graff here learns alot about Ell. The sample turns out to be a great reveal!
Quickly paced and engaging writing made this for a very enjoyable read for me and I'm looking forward to backtracking to the first three Graff stories. This one can be read on its own, imo.
December 30, 2023
I didn't notice this was part of a series when I started this and I don't know if I would have read it if I had. As it was, this is perfectly understandable without previous exposure. It's a simple story about rescueing a cat and falling in love. I would have liked to know more about the characters, but I suppose that's probably explained in another story. So while it isn't necessary to read in order, it probably helps.
April 5, 2024
Two people, each with secrets, meet while on an assignment and get romantically attached. But the assignment would require them to trust each other do to their work, despite their secrets, when they enter a lab on an asteroid due to be demolished to retrieve some organic material. It is only at the lab do they realize the nature of the organic material and have to work on the spot to secure it. But the job would seal together their relationship.
November 7, 2023
Short story - Graff and Ell are on a recovery mission on a mining asteroid scheduled for destruction.
I like the cyborg character of Graff, and wish Carrie Vaughn would write a novel, or at least a novella-length story. But I'm happy just to get another short story in an interesting world. Just keep them coming, Carrie!
I like the cyborg character of Graff, and wish Carrie Vaughn would write a novel, or at least a novella-length story. But I'm happy just to get another short story in an interesting world. Just keep them coming, Carrie!
December 15, 2023
I would've loved it more if the protagonist doesn't say "I sleep with him" for about ten times in the span of 32 pages.
Rescue mission for a tissue sample, which turns out to be .... hilarious, and thankfully the mission is not really life-threatening. I also love the protagonist and Ell. Their relationship is cute and adorable.
Rescue mission for a tissue sample, which turns out to be .... hilarious, and thankfully the mission is not really life-threatening. I also love the protagonist and Ell. Their relationship is cute and adorable.
November 4, 2023
Oh buddy oh pal you are down bad for them. You really thought you could get away with hiding all the healed over wounds and synthetic guts. Jokes on you buddy you got attached and you're in it for the long haul. Also you got a cat...kind of but still. That's love for you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 13, 2023
Cute!! I love it and gives me cozy Murderbot vibes.
Read
October 13, 2023Loved it. I'm all about saving cats.
October 15, 2023
Cute story
October 16, 2023
I enjoy these Graff stories that Vaughn has been putting out. This is another good addition, going back in time and adding some backstory. The twist is adorable!
Read
October 26, 2023I can't get enough of this series.
January 1, 2024
Really enjoyed it
Want to read
March 18, 2024to find later https://reactormag.com/not-the-most-r...
June 25, 2025
Relato olvidable en el que el protagonista vuelve a una luna en destrucción para rescatar a un…. Gatito! Puff. D
March 20, 2024
Such a sweet story. And there's a cat. ♥
Read here: https://reactormag.com/not-the-most-r...
Read here: https://reactormag.com/not-the-most-r...
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews