I mentioned a few weeks ago that I sometimes can be motivated to try an unfamiliar author or novel if the plot summary is sufficiently weird. (And as a matter of fact, I did try that novel out. What’s more: I really enjoyed it. The review appeared on Tor.com last week and will be posted here tomorrow!)

Today, I have another example of the strange little things that can grab my attention when trying to decide what to review. I’m not sure whether I should call this a tag line or just a bunch of, well, keywords maybe? Anyway, this is the string of text running along the top of the press release for David Walton’s Quintessence:

* Sea Monsters * Alchemy * Betrayal * Human Dissection * Religious Controversy * Magic * Torture *

Well alrighty then. I mean, really, how could you turn down a novel that promises all of that?