The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe

Magic in books and fairy tales has often been associated with the spoken word. The interesting spin on this idea that has emerged recently is in considering the relationship between language and real-world power. RF Kuang explored this to great effect in her historical fantasy Babel. Shay Kauwe attempts something similar in her futuristic fantasy novel The Killing Spell.

The Killing Spell is set in a future in which the islands of Hawaii have been decimated by and event known as The Flood, an event which also somehow released magic into the world. Remnants of the Hawaiian population now live in an area known as The Homestead, outside the protective boundaries of Los Angeles. In this changed world, different languages wielded effectively can produce different types of magic. However, only those representing ‘accepted’ languages are allowed onto the ruling council in Los Angeles. Hawaiian is not one of those accepted languages but is still a language of some power.

Kea is a clan leader in the Homestead but is struggling with debt and with being accepted by other clans. She is also trying to get a handle on the magic associated with her own language. When a Hawaiian-language spell is used to kill a prominent Filipino politician in LA, Kea is brought in by the ruling magical council to help them find the killer. Only the clock is ticking and if she cannot identify the culprit the Homestead is likely to be destroyed.

The Killing Spell tries to be urban fantasy with the lot – a murder mystery, a hint of romance and some interesting world building. And it is anchored by a messy but engaging main character. Kea and her energy leap off the page and while her journey is a fairly well trodden one, Kauwe at least makes her successes feel earned.

The refreshing aspect of The Killing Spell is its focus on Hawaiian culture and language. Kauwe finds a way to explore the relationship between Hawaiian culture and mainstream American culture, and to make some valid and relevant points about colonialism and cultural imperialism in a fantasy setting. This book continues to expand out the fantasy offering coming out of North America from first peoples – authors like Rebecca Roanhorse, Stephen Graham Jones and Jessica Johns.

In the end though, The Killing Spell comes up a slightly less than the sum of its parts. The murder mystery element, while driving the plot along, really does not make much sense when the final reveals are made. The world building around the language magic system was interesting but begged so many questions, particularly about the use of magic in nonregistered languages.

But this is a debut novel with some room for Kauwe to either continue the story or do something completely different. Either way, it will be interesting the see what she delivers next.

The Killing Spell by Shay Kauwe

7.5

7.5/10