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kayleecake's review
DNF (pg 211)
This is why I prefer queer books...
The story was promising and interesting but there's a subplot of sexual coercion that just feels so awkward. It's not particularly disturbing especial compared to other books I've read (The Poppy War, No dogs in Philly, Girls of Paper and Fire, etc.) The issue is that the other is pushing an awkward sex is the opposite of war metaphor that just doesn't stick to begin with, then you add sexual coercion to the mix and it's just a jumbled mess with a PC both hates the force of coercion but doesn't put in any effort to find other options.
So when she accepts this coercion it feels like just this gross mangled creepy friends with benefits effect. It feels like the story is saying this form of rape is beneficial? This is where I stopped. There are some cool ideas and story opportunities but instead it's used to embrace an awkward VERY concerning view of sex, love and relationships.
This is why I prefer queer books...
The story was promising and interesting but there's a subplot of sexual coercion that just feels so awkward. It's not particularly disturbing especial compared to other books I've read (The Poppy War, No dogs in Philly, Girls of Paper and Fire, etc.) The issue is that the other is pushing an awkward sex is the opposite of war metaphor that just doesn't stick to begin with, then you add sexual coercion to the mix and it's just a jumbled mess with a PC both hates the force of coercion but doesn't put in any effort to find other options.
nightshade386's review
5.0
I thoroughly enjoyed A.W. Wang's novel, Ten Sigma. He has a great grasp of descriptive prose, and weaves a highly enjoyable enjoyable tale. The main character, Mary/Brin is well written and compelling, which is always the most important thing for me.
As with most great sci-fi, there's an element of the moral argument to be found here. Unlike some novels in the genre, it seeps out of every pore of this story. It's the true fiber of the tale, which makes the entire book feel like so much more than just the sum of it's parts. I loved it, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
As with most great sci-fi, there's an element of the moral argument to be found here. Unlike some novels in the genre, it seeps out of every pore of this story. It's the true fiber of the tale, which makes the entire book feel like so much more than just the sum of it's parts. I loved it, and look forward to reading the rest of the series.
tavenorcd's review
4.0
Ten Sigma: A Military Science Fiction Novel by A. W. Wang, tells an intriguing story based on a simple premise at its core. It asks: “What if the military could train supersoldiers by putting human minds through a virtual gauntlet of thousands of battles inside a super-computer?”
Science fiction is designed, as a genre, to ask questions like this one. Consider a real (or hypothetical) technology, and explore human interaction/reaction to it. In Ten Sigma, Wang identifies a compelling SciFi idea, crafts a character and story to fit the mold, and focuses the narrative for over 400 pages.
At this point in the review, I should provide Content Warnings. Not for the review, but for Wang’s book. The story includes intense violence and sexual content, including sexual violence. So if the question posed intrigues you, be prepared to deal with some particularly visceral scenes.
So let’s talk about Brin, the central character of Ten Sigma. Thrust into a virtual world in an effort to escape pain—in an effort to give her family a better life—she must navigate a world where the goal is to become the best. A Ten Sigma. Moving up the ranks, fighting battles, that’s the only choice anyone has.
But not everyone in the virtual world has the same goals. She wants to find a way out to reach her family again. Others revel in the violence.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the book, but here’s what I’ll say overall before moving on to my scores. Ten Sigma is a brutal story. It’s raw. And it’s long. For my tastes, maybe a tad too long, but I understand the need for length in a tale like this. Brin’s journey isn’t supposed to be easy, so if the story started and ended in 200 pages, the stakes wouldn’t feel real. For 400 pages, the narrative drags Brin through these fights and scenarios, ensuring the reader understands, almost painfully so, how gruesome and harrowing her situation truly is.
Here’s the real highlight of Ten Sigma.
The words. The writing. The prose.
Wang has a talent for close-first-person-present-tense. I loved it. You’re in Brin’s head the whole time, and the words flowed on the page naturally and cohesively. The writing flows with the length of the book—readers will feel the pain of Brin stuck in this world for what feels like forever because you’re always in her head.
On to the scores!
Writing: 9/10. Loved it. As an editor, this is the type of writing a crave to see!
Plot: 7/10. I loved the core SciFi question, but I didn’t particularly enjoy how it pushed the question toward sexual violence.
Setting: 7/10. The virtual world as a place for military training is cool!
Characters. 8/10. In addition to Brin, a few really awesome characters stand out, and you’ll get attached to them quickly. Be wary—being attached to a character in Ten Sigma is dangerous.
Overall: 7.75/10. Four stars! I highly recommend for anyone looking for an AI/Virtual World/Military SciFi Thriller!
Science fiction is designed, as a genre, to ask questions like this one. Consider a real (or hypothetical) technology, and explore human interaction/reaction to it. In Ten Sigma, Wang identifies a compelling SciFi idea, crafts a character and story to fit the mold, and focuses the narrative for over 400 pages.
At this point in the review, I should provide Content Warnings. Not for the review, but for Wang’s book. The story includes intense violence and sexual content, including sexual violence. So if the question posed intrigues you, be prepared to deal with some particularly visceral scenes.
So let’s talk about Brin, the central character of Ten Sigma. Thrust into a virtual world in an effort to escape pain—in an effort to give her family a better life—she must navigate a world where the goal is to become the best. A Ten Sigma. Moving up the ranks, fighting battles, that’s the only choice anyone has.
But not everyone in the virtual world has the same goals. She wants to find a way out to reach her family again. Others revel in the violence.
I don’t want to spoil too much of the book, but here’s what I’ll say overall before moving on to my scores. Ten Sigma is a brutal story. It’s raw. And it’s long. For my tastes, maybe a tad too long, but I understand the need for length in a tale like this. Brin’s journey isn’t supposed to be easy, so if the story started and ended in 200 pages, the stakes wouldn’t feel real. For 400 pages, the narrative drags Brin through these fights and scenarios, ensuring the reader understands, almost painfully so, how gruesome and harrowing her situation truly is.
Here’s the real highlight of Ten Sigma.
The words. The writing. The prose.
Wang has a talent for close-first-person-present-tense. I loved it. You’re in Brin’s head the whole time, and the words flowed on the page naturally and cohesively. The writing flows with the length of the book—readers will feel the pain of Brin stuck in this world for what feels like forever because you’re always in her head.
On to the scores!
Writing: 9/10. Loved it. As an editor, this is the type of writing a crave to see!
Plot: 7/10. I loved the core SciFi question, but I didn’t particularly enjoy how it pushed the question toward sexual violence.
Setting: 7/10. The virtual world as a place for military training is cool!
Characters. 8/10. In addition to Brin, a few really awesome characters stand out, and you’ll get attached to them quickly. Be wary—being attached to a character in Ten Sigma is dangerous.
Overall: 7.75/10. Four stars! I highly recommend for anyone looking for an AI/Virtual World/Military SciFi Thriller!
whistberry's review
5.0
A well-written and pulse-pounding novel of speculative science fiction. Mary is fighting a terminal illness and dragging her family down into financial ruin as they desperately search for a treatment that will save her. She is offered the chance to leave her body behind and embark on a new life of sorts by having her consciousness placed into a newly constructed body within a virtual reality where scientists are attempting to create the ultimate soldier. Mary chooses to accept this chance in order to save her family from further hardship, an altruistic choice that foreshadows Mary's attempts to maintain her humanity and compassion after she is plunged into a brutal contest to earn her way back to the real world. There are echoes of the Hunger Games here, with the relentless fighting and struggle for survival against seemingly insurmountable odds. If wading into intricately described warfare with all the horror, death, and inhumanity that can entail is not your thing, you may want to skip this one, but I was impressed with how the author keeps the reader invested in the outcome of each skirmish and ultimately in Mary's struggles to balance the violence of her new calling with her deep desire to remain human. Lots of imagination and interesting world building with an antagonist who is truly chilling made this a winner for me. The only downside was I was left wondering why the world needs such a super soldier to begin with, but the ending of the book, while wrapping up the story in a satisfying way, promises a sequel that I hope will delve more into what has happened in the real world that demands this kind of extreme solution as a remedy. Thought-provoking take on what it means to be human, what makes us the unique person that we are, and what we'd be willing to do to survive for the chance of seeing the ones we love again.
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