Quill and Still

De: Aaron Sofaer

Narrado por: Avalon Penrose

Sophie Nadash once yearned to understand life and chemistry. Now a disillusioned scientist approaching middle age, she yearns to set aside pipettes and polymerase forever.

A chance encounter with the Goddess Artemis sets her on the path to becoming the Alchemist for the rural Shemmai village of Kibosh, where the rat race gives way to peace and the quiet life. Freed from the hustle of Earth, she can relax, make friends, and rediscover her love for chemistry through its mystical precursor... and come to grips with the Jewish faith she left behind as a child.

Quill and Still weaves together chemistry, mythology, magic, and an off-the-path Judaism to form a slice-of-queer-life, which reviewers described as “like opening up a pulp fiction novel and getting Milton's Paradise Lost.” It's perfect for lovers of cozy, slice-of-life fiction in the vein of Becky Chambers’s “Records of a Spaceborn Few” or Jo Walton’s “Lifelode.”

©2023 Aaron Sofaer (P)2025 Riverfolk Books

Reseñas de la Crítica

"Aaron crafts an interesting, vibrant world to explore. A slow life fantasy about civics, science, and a city above a dungeon." - Casualfarmer, author of Beware of Chicken

"This is the story I never knew I’d always wanted to read, in a world I never knew I’d always wanted to inhabit. Among high-concept fantasy conceits, ‘what if a society was built to maximize decency’ sounds almost banal to describe, until you see it actually executed well and realize just how subversive that idea is. You deserve to read Quill & Still." -D. D. Webb, author of The Gods are Bastards

Cozy

This book is a fun escape from the real world. Literally. After Sophie has a chance encounter with the goddess Artemis, she is sent off to a new world where she wanders around meeting people and leisurely trying new things. If you’re looking for a plot-heavy book, this isn’t it, but relax and enjoy the slice of life with litRPG vibes it has to offer.

(I received an audio copy for review purposes, but this is my honestly opinion.)

Give Kibosh a try!

If you’re looking for an engrossing new world to explore, come spend a few hours exploring the dungeon city of Kibosh alongside the newest arrival, Sophie, and her assigned first friend, Kelly. The author has done EXTENSIVE world building: magic system, crafting system, economy, etc. And it’s all masterfully presented to you one bite at a time as Sophie explores her new surroundings.

The narration in the audio version was delightful, matching the lighthearted tone of the novel perfectly.

I was also happy to learn that the author intends to continue Sophie’s story as a series. Read it, enjoy it and watch for more to come from this author!