157 pages
Published 2022
Read from December 4 to December 11
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
In my little corner of the writing world, a lot of people have become besotted with the trope of disaster gays. The trend didn't begin with Lana Baker, scribe and protagonist of Low Parliament, but she could be cited as a prime specimen of this archetype. She's a drunk and a flirt who can be relied upon to make a foolish choice for a pretty face. She lets some kissing cloud her judgment and winds up exiled to Parliament, a sort of Doggerland EU chamber of human and fairy politics, where she faces drowning (along with the rest of people who reside there) should the politicians remain deadlocked.
High Times is a delightfully horny number that builds its world with an admirably light touch. Unfortunately, about halfway through, the narrative loses some of its initial momentum and gets lost (like its protagonist) in a repetitive series of rooms and botched liaisons that don't add much to the story. I expected the meat of the story to involve backroom talks and roguish scheming, as Lana figures out how to use her charisma to avert catastrophe. Instead, we get an unusual amount of what felt like filler for a book this short, only settling back into a solid groove again for the final third of the book.
All in all, though, High Times is an enjoyable romp and a fine allegory of class solidarity in the face of supernatural Brexit.
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