Tangles

by Seanan McGuire

Genres: Fantasy, Short Stories, Fiction, Magic, Hugo Awards

ebook

First published September 3, 2021

About the author

Hi! I'm Seanan McGuire, author of the Toby Daye series (Rosemary and Rue, A Local Habitation, An Artificial Night, Late Eclipses), as well as a lot of other things. I'm also Mira Grant (www.miragrant.com), author of Feed and Deadline.

Born and raised in Northern California, I fear weather and am remarkably laid-back about rattlesnakes. I watch too many horror movies, read too many comic books, and share my house with two monsters in feline form, Lilly and Alice (Siamese and Maine Coon).

I do not check this inbox. Please don't send me messages through Goodreads; they won't be answered. I don't want to have to delete this account. :(

Reviews

[Jayme · Rating 1 out of 5]

https://magic.wizards.com/en/articles...

After a one star novel (Into the Drowning Deep), an abandoned novel (Middlegame), and two underwhelming short stories (a 3-star from The Book of Dragons and this) I think it's safe to say this is not the author for me.

This story, like others of McGuire's I've read, was certainly imaginative, but pretty poorly written. Lots of awkward dialogue, melodrama, info dumping, and sloppy plot. The main character is a wizard, who doesn't sound like he's very good at magic but is still super famous (classic failing upwards) and he meets a dryad, who is super good at magic, but is somehow completely unknown (classic patriarchy). But McGuire never does anything (or is potentially unaware of) with these more interesting aspects of the story. I actually think this story could have been a lot better as a comedy of errors if it hadn't taken itself so seriously.

Hugo Award 2022 Short Story Finalist

[Anurag Sahay · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the last of the 2022 Hugo nominees for short story that I had to read. I saved it for last:
1. Because it's a Magic: The Gathering story, whose lore I've always liked, even if I don't know too much of it.
2. Because it's Seanan McGuire, and I've enjoyed most of her work that I've read.

My first thought is: why did this get a Hugo nom? Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. But this feels sort of akin to Eternals getting an Oscar nomination for Best Picture. Seanan McGuire, like Chloé Zhao, is an awards darling, but is *this* story worthy of a nod?

As for the story itself: it was good for what it is -- a story told by a professional in a setting that has existed forever. I enjoyed it, and it made me feel like playing M:tG again, so it has fulfilled its purpose. I might also try to read McGuire's other work for the M:tG folks.

At the rate at which McGuire writes, I've mostly given up on ever being caught up on her entire bibliography. But I intend to keep reading her when I can.

Recommendations: you can skip this, unless you already have a reason to be interested in either McGuire or M:tG.

[Quỳnh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tangles (Cuộn rối): Một mộc nhân và một pháp sư tình cờ gặp nhau trong cánh rừng xa lạ. Người này sẽ thay đổi số phận người kia theo một cách không thể ngờ tới. Đôi lúc, sai lầm và phép màu vẫn xảy ra cùng một lúc.

Chưa bao giờ mình nghĩ sẽ thấy trong danh sách đề cử truyện ngắn của giải Hugo một fanfic của game thẻ bài. Do một tác giả có tiếng viết. Song đúng rằng đẳng cấp là mãi mãi, nhờ vào tay Seanan McGuire mà Tangles trở thành một truyện ngắn khá ổn. Sức sáng tạo của McGuire đã thổi hồn vào những bức minh họa sinh động và làm sống dậy mộc nhân Wrenn - một nhân vật với thân thếvà năng lực độc nhất vô nhị. Tiếc thay, những nhân vật cốt yếu khác không được đầu tư xây dựng tương ứng. Nhân vật Teferi chỉ giữ vai trò một "pháp sư tốt" điển hình, chưa thể hiện được nhiều cá tính và năng lực. Nhân vật phản diện quá thiếu đất diễn, thành ra mình thấy hắn như một công cụ thúc đẩy cốt truyện hơn một mối nguy hiểm ác. Xuất hiện, đe dọa nhân vật chính rồi biến mất nhanh như một cơn gió.

Ngoài ra, văn phong của Tangles không hề lôi cuốn mình, dù bút lực của tác giả không tệ chút nào. Mình đoán bản thân là một cái cây câm lặng trước tiếng hát của mộc nhân Seanan McGuire :))

"Thứ gì đến từ anh sẽ mãi thuộc về anh. Nước được rễ cây hút no nê từ lòng đất ẩm mãi là một phần của mây xanh trên trời; những chuyện đã qua luôn là một phần của con người anh trong quá khứ, và anh trong quá khứ mãi thuộc về con người anh trong hiện tại và tương lai. Các anh không nhìn nhận cội nguồn của ma thuật như vậy sao?"

[Tar Buendía · Rating 2 out of 5]

Está bien escrito, tiene un párrafo que me ha gustado mucho pero me parece muy simplona, no me aporta nada ni en forma ni en contenido y es incluso difícil hablar de ella. Supongo que si estuviese más metida en el universo Magic me gustaría más.

En resumen, le reconozco la calidad, McGuire me parece muy buena escritora pero este relato no es para mí.

[tobes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uhhh I love SM and I have no idea how this was nominated for a Hugo.

[Lis Carey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wrenn and her tree, Seven, have been partners a long time, and now Seven wants to retire permanently to his own world. Wrenn, who is a dryad but not quite like other dryads, will need to find a new tree there. This won't be easy, because of the ways in which she is different from other dryads.

Teferi is a mage, traveling for reasons of his own. Most immediately, he has come into the Kessig forest, where Wrenn searches for the right tree, ostensibly to help the Cathars find the white witch rumored to be there, and really to escape the suffocating hospitality of the local townsfolk. He has quietly wandered away from the Cathars.

They encounter each other, and confront a threat, and then an even bigger danger.

This is apparently a Magic: The Gathering short story. I've never played the game, but very much enjoyed this story.

[Glen Engel-Cox · Rating 3 out of 5]

The issue with any story connected to something outside itself—in this case, the card game Magic: the Gathering—is that much of the world is known by the acolytes of the thing, but unknown to the casual readers. McGuire does the best she can in this world, but at best it is only a yeoman story, nothing that truly illuminates or achieves anything beyond its simple beginnings.

[Liz (Quirky Cat) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tangles is a short story available for free online, and it's worth the read! Granted, I think Magic: The Gathering fans will enjoy this story A LOT more. I only have a casual understanding of it, so I got a little bit lost a time or two.

Interestingly, Tangles is a Hugh 2022 award nominee (for short stories). I don't know how I didn't know about it until now, but I'm glad I'm catching up now! Since I'm not an M:TG uber fan, maybe that's why this one went over my head? Would love to hear from a hardcore fan that has also read this short!

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[Marco · Rating 2 out of 5]

This review is for Tangles by Seanan McGuire.
Every year I read all the finalists of the most prestigious science fiction awards (at least in the English speaking world): the Hugo awards. This story is a finalist in the Short Story category. I have previously read (and loved) many stories by this author. In particular a few years ago I read Middlegame, that I thoroughly enjoyed. As a result I was quite eager to read this piece of work... but I was disappointed. Do not get me wrong, it's not a bad story, it's just nothing special, there is nothing to set it apart or particularly remarkable. I am not clear how it ended up in the list of finalists for this year Hugo Awards. I wonder if I am missing something. I wonder if my lack of familiarity with the characters and world of Magic The Gathering this story is set in prevents me from fully understanding and enjoying the story. Either way this author is great, but do not start from here if you want to read some of her work.

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read as part of the Hugo 2022 voting packet.
Meh. That’s the feeling this gives me. Maybe if I was familiar with the fluff around Magic the Gathering, *maybe* I’d care. As it is, it had a hint of something interesting, in how different magic users perceive their magic, but as a story I didn’t feel anything for the characters, and didn’t care what happened to them. The antagonist is little more than a growling shadow. There’s no sense of what caused the conflict at all. There was no tension in it, but neither was there anything particularly offensive. The only thing to recommend it was it’s brevity.

[Pau Lethani · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5

Short Story Hugo Awards 2022 Nominee.

Another 3 stars for me. Considering I have no idea about Magic (a cards game apparently in which this short story is based), I could follow most of the story with no issues. Really liked the magical atmosphere and the spiritual message delivered. But it felt too simplistic, I needed more. It was my first attempt with Seanan McGuire though and she didn't disappoint so I'm looking forward to read her full length books.

[Norman Cook · Rating 1 out of 5]

2022 Hugo Award finalist - Best Short Story

Maybe if I knew anything about Magic: the Gathering I'd understand this story, but as it is it's just a mess. This just seems like McGuire hurriedly dashing off some fan fiction. Did an editor even look at this before it was published? As much as I am continually underwhelmed by McGuire's stories, I know she can write a lot better than this. Come on, Hugo voters, you can do better than this.

[A.J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for the 2022 Hugos

This story may not mean much to people that don't play Magic: The Gathering. That's ok. I do play, so names like Teferi and Innistrad mean something to me. The coolest part of this story is that it upends what I know, while still being accurate. Innistrad is a dark and scary place. The story lets you know that right out of the gate. You expect a story set there to be dark and scary. This one has it's scary moments, but it isn't a full gothic horror story. Magic is a game of combat, so most of the stories about it are also violent, to one degree or another. This one isn't. It's about finding a way through problems without fighting. It fits the world and the game, without playing into the tropes and expectations of either. Clever.

[Flinx · Rating 2 out of 5]

From the beginning, I got the feeling that this was supposed to be in a specific universe (and it is), and I'd probably read more from that particular series. But that's mostly all that this is for me: a teaser for something else. It's not engaging on its own and I'm not sure why it got picked out to be in this category. Nevertheless, I didn't feel like I wasted my time.

[Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enchanting little tale. I don't know much of M:tG lore beyond some brief reading I did for the D&D/M:tG crossover books, but I think most of the questions I had were answered in the span of the story.

I liked it a lot. It really shines in its simplicity, especially compared to some of the other stories in the same category that are quite a lot denser.

[William Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Read for 2022 Hugos

This was an interesting MtG story. I read a few back when I was actively playing in the late 90's and was annoyed that most of them ended badly. This one carries some better themes with it, and it was cool to see characters and places I remember, but I feel the connection to a niche culture, even it's a large one, restricts the viability of this entry for the Hugos.

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s a cute enough story, but obviously part of a larger body of work in this world. The author expects that the reader has some working knowledge of the world and so leaves out a lot of detail that could add to the story for an unfamiliar reader. To me, it even seemed forced - like this should have been a longer story, but it was chopped down to fit the short story category. Not my favorite.

[David · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like a lot of others, I think this story is OK for what it is, which is a story especially written for Magic: The Gathering lore. McGuire is a competent writer and can bring the story off. I'm kind of assuming that the explaining about the roles of the characters is to make them fit in the MtG world. So I'm not sure how it got on the Hugo list, though it's a great thing for MtG fans.

[Faith · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was fine, I guess, but there's no real conflict or point to it. Maybe it would have meant more to me if I'd had any knowledge of Magic: The Gathering, but I kind of think not. Nothing wrong with the story, per se, but really not sure why it got a Hugo nom.

[Lorena · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well written, but I suspect it resonates more with people who are invested in the Magic: The Gathering universe. It was pleasant enough for someone with no connection to that mythos, but probably would have seemed deeper to someone who was familiar with character backstories.

[tysephine · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read for Hugo Awards 2022

It was fine. I have no history with MTG so I wasn't too invested.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hugo finalist

[Elizabeth Lovegrove · Rating 4 out of 5]

Unexpected dryad lore, MtG planes walkers, though my lack of knowledge of MtG retained from my brief period of playing it 25 years ago didn’t hamper my enjoyment of the story.

[Zachary Sellers · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think, perhaps, not interesting to me simply because M:TG isn't my thing.

[Jester · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was okay. Hard to recommend but far from feeling like a waste of time reading. I think a pure middle of the road 2.5-3* short story.

[Bryn A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having no attachment to Magic the Gathering, I found very little engaging in this story. The plot was mildly interesting but predictable.

[Sbrunati · Rating 3 out of 5]

Scritto bene (ma si sa che Seanan McGuire scrive bene), storia interessante, tuttavia, non da premio Hugo a mio parere (candidato nelle short stories)

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dryad and a mage. A spell gone awry. Sometimes mistakes become blessings. A sweet, lovely story.

[Jen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I have no idea why this was nominated for a Hugo award.

[Heni · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't quite understand why this is a good nomination, but it's nice to read something about dryad.