The Elven Inquisition: A Woke Fairy Story by Steve WileyMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
A cautionary tale for social justice warriors
The Elven Inquisition is a hilarious satire of the modern social justice movement. I'm an avid promoter of social justice, which made me appreciate this book and its message. In my experience, some groups and individuals can push social justice to extremes that do more overall harm than good. This is particularly true when social justice is used to benefit a minority group by subverting others rather than addressing the causes of inequity. This story is an excellent illustration of how social justice can be co-opted and wielded as a weapon against those that threaten a supposed egalitarian society's status quo. It is smart, witty, and an excellent cautionary tale for social justice warriors everywhere. As I read, the words of Nietzsche came to mind -- "Beware that, when fighting monsters, you yourself do not become a monster."
Outside of its value as a clever satirical work, it is an excellent story as well. The overall plot and story are entertaining and engaging, and the characters were surprisingly nuanced and deep for a short book. I also enjoyed the way the author used a combination of modern fantasy and traditional folktale elements to build a unique world. Overall, it was a fun and enjoyable read (or listen). The audio version of the book was performed by Michael J. Lunney, who did an excellent job narrating the main character and projecting the book's tone and unique message.
A special thanks to Steve Wiley, Jen McDonald, and the rest of Lavender Line Press, who graciously provided me with this book at my request.
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