The way many spec fiction authors write, this novella could easily have been a four-hundred page tome that opens dozens of subplots and lingers to provide fine detail in each location. I’m not knocking those other authors; to many that may have been a great experience in its own right. But there is a refreshing sweetness to FINNA’s brevity and pacing; it wastes no time and it dives into its central themes immediately: finding what rises from the ashes of a dead relationship, and the crushing weight of corporate incompetence.
Nino Cipri writes with so much charm and humor that you won’t even notice the pages fly by. But tense scenes and moments of sorrow aren’t undercut by the humor. The plot involves the adventure of two wage workers at a big box store as they travel through wormholes searching for a lost customer. The protagonists have to navigate the dangers of alien worlds, and they’ve just gone through a messy break-up to boot. There is a natural drama filled with the hurtful little details that make the failed relationship feel organic and freshly buried. This may be the book’s greatest strength.
The story leans sci-fantasy, so don’t expect mechanical explanations for how the spec elements work. Though the story is multiversal, the main characters cross to new universes only a handful of times. FINNA is more an exploration of a post-breakup relationship than a dimensional joyride. The journey serves the themes and provides opportunities for characters to reveal themselves. The worldbuilding builds a strong potential for future storytelling, and with one sequel already out, those looking for something meatier may just find the series they were waiting for.
Content warning: mild violence, depictions of transphobia
Plot: 6
Characters: 7
Themes: 7
Prose: 6
Overall score: fifteen hours of naptime
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