Book Review: Markmaker by Mary Jessica Woods

Markmaker by Mary Jessica Woods

Hundreds of years ago, the Noxxiin people fled their home planet on a fleet of enormous ships, hoping to find safety. One of their cultural quirks is the importance of tattoo artists. They record a people's lives on their bodies, including the clan to which they belong, their family members, their professions, their personal accomplishments, etc. Tattoos are truth, sometimes hard truths like crimes and punishments. Marrikel Serix unwittingly put an exile mark on a political "criminal" (actually, an innocent man), so he struggles to make up for it. At first he sneaks into the Underbelly, the part of the ship where outcasts and exiles live. They have no access to Markmakers, so they are grateful for his pro-bono work. He gets drawn into a larger conflict between his Serix clan and the ruling Ascendance faction, who are denied a tattoo for a military action that wasn't really honorable (thus unworthy of recording). The conflict upends his life and the lives of those around him.

The story sets up an unfamiliar world with surprising ease. Even though they are aliens, people are people everywhere. Their situations are quickly relatable and readers are drawn in to a fascinating world on the brink of change. The depth of the Noxxiin history and mythology is presented in a natural way. Marrikel's story is told in first person, present tense writing, making it interesting. The plot moves at a great pace, leaving readers wanting more.

Recommended.