Medusa of the Roses, Navid Sinaki
Swimming in mythology references, Medusa of the Roses follows the pain and sorrow of hiding your true self to keep out of harm’s way, as well as the distances we are prepared to go for love. Anjir is distraught to find his partner in a hospital bed after a brutal attack and is determined to understand the events leading up to it, if only for his own self-preservation; however, his partner, Zal, is hiding secrets of his own. Despite planning their escape together, Zal disappears after her recovery leaving only a cryptic note behind.
A maddening obsession ensues, as readers are led into a tale echoing the chaos of Osunde’s Vagabonds and Emezi’s Little Rot; reviews likening it to that of a fever dream are entirely accurate. We experience the panic build as more pieces of the puzzle are found and time blurs, as Anjir rushes to hold ontp any morsel of information he can capture. The effect is addictive; the fast paced novel allows it to be consumed in short sittings, keeping the reader both engaged and eager to see through the conclusions written for our array of characters.
The pain and desperation of belonging are evident throughout the novel, as Sinaki produces a stunning debut centring around these themes. Readers are taken on an emotional rollercoaster with this quick-paced storyline and deeply sensitive protagonist, as well as some spiky side characters. The brutality of some scenes is designed to shock, but they do not exaggerate the true trauma of being othered or outlawed in an unjust world.
Medusa of the Roses is perfect for those looking for queer love that defies society’s attempts to shut it down. Sinaki is one to watch for sure.
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