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Lovely Creatures
Doomsday Dot will wake the day the world ends.
That’s what everyone says, yours truly included.
Bryony’s been searching for her big sister for ten years and change, and the trail finally leads her to Mr. Once-Upon-a-Time’s traveling show. There’s a wolf who’ll serve you tea, a lady who’s sometimes a swan, and Bryony’s sister sound asleep in a glass casket. All of them, rolling through the wasteland in a giant wooden Whale.
The Whale’s important, you’ll see.
But Bryony’s not the only one on the hunt. Everyone on the Whale is running from something. And whether Bryony can wake her sister before they’re caught, well, only the Devil herself knows.
The Devil’s important as well. You’ll see that, too.
That’s what everyone says, yours truly included.
Bryony’s been searching for her big sister for ten years and change, and the trail finally leads her to Mr. Once-Upon-a-Time’s traveling show. There’s a wolf who’ll serve you tea, a lady who’s sometimes a swan, and Bryony’s sister sound asleep in a glass casket. All of them, rolling through the wasteland in a giant wooden Whale.
The Whale’s important, you’ll see.
But Bryony’s not the only one on the hunt. Everyone on the Whale is running from something. And whether Bryony can wake her sister before they’re caught, well, only the Devil herself knows.
The Devil’s important as well. You’ll see that, too.
164 pages, Paperback
First published May 14, 2024
1 person is currently reading
149 people want to read
About the author
K.T. Bryski
20 books29 followersKT Bryski is a Canadian author, playwright, and Pokémon Master. She made her podcasting and publishing debut with Hapax, an apocalyptic fantasy with Dragon Moon Press (2012) and she has stories in Black Treacle Horror Magazine, When the Hero Comes Home Vol. II (Dragon Moon Press) and Tales from the Archives (Imagine That! Studios).
Select playwriting credits include scripts for Black Creek Pioneer Village, East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon (Canadian Children’s Opera Company), and Key of D Minor (Sears Ontario Drama Festival). Her audio dramas "Coxwood History Fun Park" and "Six Stories, Told at Night" are available wherever fine podcasts are found. In 2014, her short story “Under Oak Island” was a Parsec finalist.
When she’s not writing (click here for a full list of credits), KT can often be found frolicking in petticoats, educating the general public about Victorian social history. As you may have guessed, she has a mild caffeine addiction.
KT is a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing. She is currently at work on her next novel.
Select playwriting credits include scripts for Black Creek Pioneer Village, East o’ the Sun and West o’ the Moon (Canadian Children’s Opera Company), and Key of D Minor (Sears Ontario Drama Festival). Her audio dramas "Coxwood History Fun Park" and "Six Stories, Told at Night" are available wherever fine podcasts are found. In 2014, her short story “Under Oak Island” was a Parsec finalist.
When she’s not writing (click here for a full list of credits), KT can often be found frolicking in petticoats, educating the general public about Victorian social history. As you may have guessed, she has a mild caffeine addiction.
KT is a graduate of the Stonecoast MFA in Creative Writing. She is currently at work on her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews
July 6, 2025
I quite enjoyed this fantasy novella—or perhaps short novel; while most novellas stretch to 150 pages only through trickery, this one packs the words in efficiently. It’s a post-apocalyptic tale with the flavor of a western, throwing together a number of fractured fairy tale elements. The primary focus is on a tough woman named Bryony who joins a rather questionable circus in an attempt to recover her long-list sister, and the friends she makes and secrets she discovers while she’s there.
Stylistically impressive, with a strong voice, and structurally interesting, the book uses several narrators whose identities the reader slowly discovers. The characters are engaging and well-drawn. It is very queer though that’s not what it’s about, and the depiction of a female Devil is particularly interesting. The setting is vivid and atmospheric (though I’m not sure how anyone finds enough food or water to survive in it!), and the story kept my interest.
Overall, a lovely and worthwhile read, and it’s a shame it’s as obscure as it is. Bryski is clearly ready for the big leagues and will hopefully start seeing some recognition soon.
Stylistically impressive, with a strong voice, and structurally interesting, the book uses several narrators whose identities the reader slowly discovers. The characters are engaging and well-drawn. It is very queer though that’s not what it’s about, and the depiction of a female Devil is particularly interesting. The setting is vivid and atmospheric (though I’m not sure how anyone finds enough food or water to survive in it!), and the story kept my interest.
Overall, a lovely and worthwhile read, and it’s a shame it’s as obscure as it is. Bryski is clearly ready for the big leagues and will hopefully start seeing some recognition soon.
Read
March 16, 2025What if Ray Bradbury wrote fairy tale retellings?
This, this is what you'd get.
*I'm not rating any books read for the World Fantasy Award.*
This, this is what you'd get.
*I'm not rating any books read for the World Fantasy Award.*
Read
April 12, 2024LOVELY CREATURES is gritty, surreal, and spectacularly whimsical novella that interweaves fairytales, deliciously twisted, yet recognizable, in a warped wonderland, unravelling how all the stories and characters are all interconnected by the thread of death.
Bryski explores how death becomes a spectacle, how desire interweaves with grief, about who controls the story of the characters' lives and the difficulties in reclaiming themselves.
A big thank you to the publisher and publicist for an ARC of the book!
Bryski explores how death becomes a spectacle, how desire interweaves with grief, about who controls the story of the characters' lives and the difficulties in reclaiming themselves.
A big thank you to the publisher and publicist for an ARC of the book!
Want to read
May 5, 2024why am i such a sucker for sentences like "the whale's important, you'll see"
June 9, 2024
Thank you to Psychopomp and NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Do you want a quirky and queer but dystopian take on those classic fairytales you grew up on? Well, then I've got the book for you!
In Lovely Creatures we meet a girl on a search for her sister, a woman taking a really long nap, a wolf who's big but certainly not bad, a swan who is sometimes a lady, a desert-traversing whale, and their ringmaster with a silver tongue who's on the run from the Devil herself.
The dying and dust-choked world of this novella is super atmospheric, and even if the characters have found a home with each other within the Whale, you can really feel the tragedy of the characters, even if some of them hide behind a thin veneer of cheer. Thankfully, Bryony's arrival shakes things up a bit, and through her stubbornness and grit, the shackles of hopelessness are finally shaken off.
While all the fairytale references were fairly obvious, it was still interesting to see all the ways in which Bryski was inspired and how she made her own twists. It was also really cool how the POVs and narrators didn't match up - it was a fun puzzle to figure out who exactly each narrator was for each part, since they never matched up with the character POV for that section.
I had a really good time reading this novella, and I can think of several people who I'd personally recommend this to. If you can get your hands on this book, I'd definitely say it's worth your time!
Do you want a quirky and queer but dystopian take on those classic fairytales you grew up on? Well, then I've got the book for you!
In Lovely Creatures we meet a girl on a search for her sister, a woman taking a really long nap, a wolf who's big but certainly not bad, a swan who is sometimes a lady, a desert-traversing whale, and their ringmaster with a silver tongue who's on the run from the Devil herself.
The dying and dust-choked world of this novella is super atmospheric, and even if the characters have found a home with each other within the Whale, you can really feel the tragedy of the characters, even if some of them hide behind a thin veneer of cheer. Thankfully, Bryony's arrival shakes things up a bit, and through her stubbornness and grit, the shackles of hopelessness are finally shaken off.
While all the fairytale references were fairly obvious, it was still interesting to see all the ways in which Bryski was inspired and how she made her own twists. It was also really cool how the POVs and narrators didn't match up - it was a fun puzzle to figure out who exactly each narrator was for each part, since they never matched up with the character POV for that section.
I had a really good time reading this novella, and I can think of several people who I'd personally recommend this to. If you can get your hands on this book, I'd definitely say it's worth your time!
April 19, 2024
I really enjoyed this story! This novella has a unique style that mixes fairytale retelling and dark themes with a dust storm ridden land and a traveling circus act. I enjoyed the prose, as well as how it changed slightly between the different narrators. I also enjoyed how the pov shifted with symbols — it was a unique and fun way to keep the readers on their toes as to who was narrating. The cast of characters was interesting and their stories kept me reading until the end in one go. The story is sad and dark but ultimately bittersweet and wholesome, about grieving and moving on and finding a family of your own. Overall I definitely recommend this quick and enjoyable read! Thank you to NetGalley and Psychopomp for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
June 8, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up to 4.
A very intriguing novella. Multiple POVs weave together to tell this fascinatingly strange story about dust storms and the Devil and a shack by an apple orchard and a giant wooden whale gliding through the dust. There's a wolf and a swan lady and a sleeping girl in a casket and a sad, angry woman who's trying to save her sister. There are stories within stories, shifting narratives, beautiful imagery, and fairy tales all knotted together in a surprisingly effective way.
This whole novella is slightly off-kilter in a way that I'm still trying to figure out, but which had an unsettling and intriguing effect. The Gothic western carnie vibes are odd but immaculate.
The narrative style is fascinating, shifting from tall tale to fairy tale and back again throughout the book. The prose is fanciful and dreamy, but also jagged and gritty. Sometimes the narration is cynical, sometimes it's philosophical. The shifts in tone make the story feel less free flowing than I associate with most fairy tales, but it definitely works. I found the style so interesting that I'll likely read it again in order to study it. I don't think everything about this book worked, but what did work worked extremely well.
I thought the shifting POVs and perspectives worked very effectively to tell the story, but they did require close attention as a reader. This didn't bother me, but I can see some readers being frustrated by it. For me, I enjoyed it the most when I stopped trying to figure everything out and just went with the flow.
I liked the cast of characters. It wasn't the primary focus in the story, but there were several crucial sapphic relationships, and the whole book was very queer. I also enjoyed the themes, which included found family, friendship, love, recovering from trauma, and processing grief.
It's hard to compare this to other books, because it's really doing its own thing. Stylistically the writing was reminiscent of Cat Valente or maybe Seanan McGuire, though a little less polished. KT Bryski is definitely a writer to watch and I will be on the lookout for more of their work.
Huge thanks to KT Bryski, Psychopomp, and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC for review!
A very intriguing novella. Multiple POVs weave together to tell this fascinatingly strange story about dust storms and the Devil and a shack by an apple orchard and a giant wooden whale gliding through the dust. There's a wolf and a swan lady and a sleeping girl in a casket and a sad, angry woman who's trying to save her sister. There are stories within stories, shifting narratives, beautiful imagery, and fairy tales all knotted together in a surprisingly effective way.
This whole novella is slightly off-kilter in a way that I'm still trying to figure out, but which had an unsettling and intriguing effect. The Gothic western carnie vibes are odd but immaculate.
The narrative style is fascinating, shifting from tall tale to fairy tale and back again throughout the book. The prose is fanciful and dreamy, but also jagged and gritty. Sometimes the narration is cynical, sometimes it's philosophical. The shifts in tone make the story feel less free flowing than I associate with most fairy tales, but it definitely works. I found the style so interesting that I'll likely read it again in order to study it. I don't think everything about this book worked, but what did work worked extremely well.
I thought the shifting POVs and perspectives worked very effectively to tell the story, but they did require close attention as a reader. This didn't bother me, but I can see some readers being frustrated by it. For me, I enjoyed it the most when I stopped trying to figure everything out and just went with the flow.
I liked the cast of characters. It wasn't the primary focus in the story, but there were several crucial sapphic relationships, and the whole book was very queer. I also enjoyed the themes, which included found family, friendship, love, recovering from trauma, and processing grief.
It's hard to compare this to other books, because it's really doing its own thing. Stylistically the writing was reminiscent of Cat Valente or maybe Seanan McGuire, though a little less polished. KT Bryski is definitely a writer to watch and I will be on the lookout for more of their work.
Huge thanks to KT Bryski, Psychopomp, and NetGalley for generously providing me with an ARC for review!
March 23, 2024
A gorgeously wrought, dark, and unsettling twist on fairytales where the Devil stalks a storm-whittled landscape, and where Bryony searches for her long-lost sister. It's written as a weave of tales, and Bryski's prose has a magic all its own. A woman finds her sister sleeping in a glass coffin. There's a wolf and swan-maiden, and a man who holds everyone in thrall with his stories. Bryski delves deep in heartache and guilt, love and friendship, and the landscape of the story is tightly intertwined with the people traveling through it. Beautiful, strange, and profoundly moving.
April 8, 2024
This was a really unique and well written novella, however it wasn’t necessarily the sort of writing style that I prefer. It definitely had an interesting cast of characters and I enjoyed the fairytale retelling aspects and the surprising reveals. Bryony’s search for her missing sister was quite sad and a little dark but there were bright spots as well - Bryony’s refusal to let someone else decide her story and the found family she gains along the way. Overall not something I would revisit, but I can appreciate what the author did with it.
Thank you to Psychopomp for the ARC!
Thank you to Psychopomp for the ARC!
April 12, 2024
Lovely Creatures by K.T Bryski is a unique novella, unlike anything I’ve ever consumed prior.
Written during the pandemic, Bryski’s piece feels like a psychedelic fever dream. I do think there is an audience that will relish in this creation. I enjoyed the zany cast of characters we meet in this twisted fairy tale.
I applaud the author for putting their energy and effort into such a peculiar piece of literature during a time of collective isolation and despair.
Thank you to Psychopomp & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Written during the pandemic, Bryski’s piece feels like a psychedelic fever dream. I do think there is an audience that will relish in this creation. I enjoyed the zany cast of characters we meet in this twisted fairy tale.
I applaud the author for putting their energy and effort into such a peculiar piece of literature during a time of collective isolation and despair.
Thank you to Psychopomp & NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
April 21, 2024
Lovely Creatures wrestles with grief and loss of love, independence, and freedom, the dissonance between outer appearances and inner feelings, and the desire for reunions. It is filtered through first and third-person POVs that has you questioning who is narrating and when in time. We are confronted with death throughout the story, most particularly the residues of the past and having to leave it behind to move forth. A fine novella.
Thanks to Netgalley and Psychopomp for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.
Thanks to Netgalley and Psychopomp for providing me with the e-ARC/DRC in exchange for an honest review.
May 11, 2025
Combining found family with a traveling circus, Angela Carter and Ray Bradbury and the man who tricked the devil, I loved this so much. What would it be like to survive a fairytale, only to have the tale twisted and retold until you no longer recognized your life? What if the devil was on your trail, but you fell in with someone worse? It's like it was written especially for me.
I devoured this in two sittings. I would have gulped it down all at once, but I had to get off the bus!
I devoured this in two sittings. I would have gulped it down all at once, but I had to get off the bus!
May 7, 2024
Firstly thank you to NetGalley and psychopomp for this opportunity! This book is available TODAY!
Holy mother of Pearl but this book to me is 20 billion stars. It is unique, strange, lush and dark. It’s a weird dystopian fantasy with memorable characters in a wooden whale. Bryony was the perfect narrator for this story. I am actually buying it.
Holy mother of Pearl but this book to me is 20 billion stars. It is unique, strange, lush and dark. It’s a weird dystopian fantasy with memorable characters in a wooden whale. Bryony was the perfect narrator for this story. I am actually buying it.
March 6, 2025
A wonderful fable that never feels like it falls too far into fairy-tale tropes. Deliciously anime in its worldbuilding and characters. One of the cleverest and clear-eyed romances I've seen in quite a long time. The tragedy doesn't hit quite as much as my last sister-story read, alas, but the rest of the relationships ground it enough I didn't really mind.
June 3, 2024
Lovely Creatures
By K.T. Bryski
This was… interesting. I enjoyed the weaving of different fairy tales into an apocalyptic wasteland. I wasn’t a fan of all the narration jumping and maybe it was a bit too weird for me? I’m torn.
Thanks to @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
By K.T. Bryski
This was… interesting. I enjoyed the weaving of different fairy tales into an apocalyptic wasteland. I wasn’t a fan of all the narration jumping and maybe it was a bit too weird for me? I’m torn.
Thanks to @netgalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.
June 19, 2024
Strong atmosphere, decent characters, cool ideas.
August 3, 2024
Thorn-sharp and down-soft, a beautiful and desperate story.
March 2, 2025
Lovely Creatures is exactly the book I needed to read. I loved the way the narrators changed, adding interest to what is going on and who is the narrator. I enjoyed all of the characters, particularly in how they grew throughout the story, and how QUEER the cast is! It felt "normal" for the wildness of this world. Bryski does a great job of weaving and contorting fairytales and myths into this story. My only disappointment was that it was not longer. I would have loved the setting to be a little more flushed out and maybe a few more characters to give it a heavier weight.
Displaying 1 - 18 of 18 reviews