Scan barcode
loganslovelylibrary's review against another edition
4.0
This was overall an excellent diverse, queer sci-fi book! A note that it’s a lot heavier than I thought it would be and deals with themes of dictatorship, technology, genocide, and biological warfare. But also has excellent themes of individuality, freedom, and found family.
The writing in this was great, and even though the chapters switch off between many people, I never found myself wishing to read a different character’s chapter. It was a little confusing right in the beginning since there are a lot of folks to keep track of, while also figuring out the rules in the empire/resistance. There are 7 main characters (5 main ones, 2 on the fringes that come into play later on in the book). But as the characters came together I started to differentiate between them, and I loved the way the story was told from multiple perspectives in present day and past chapters. This may not work for everyone but it leant a lot of depth to the cultivated and complex characters and relationships!
This went to a lot of darker places than I thought it would, and I was coming into this for a more YA lighthearted space read, hence my mixed feelings about it. This was pitched as a ‘feminist Guardians of the Galaxy’, but I think it’s more like a feminist Red Rising. That being said, it explores complex issues of artificial intelligence embedded in a dictatorship and the women who come together to attempt to undermine and overthrow the current regime.
3.75 rounded up!
The writing in this was great, and even though the chapters switch off between many people, I never found myself wishing to read a different character’s chapter. It was a little confusing right in the beginning since there are a lot of folks to keep track of, while also figuring out the rules in the empire/resistance. There are 7 main characters (5 main ones, 2 on the fringes that come into play later on in the book). But as the characters came together I started to differentiate between them, and I loved the way the story was told from multiple perspectives in present day and past chapters. This may not work for everyone but it leant a lot of depth to the cultivated and complex characters and relationships!
This went to a lot of darker places than I thought it would, and I was coming into this for a more YA lighthearted space read, hence my mixed feelings about it. This was pitched as a ‘feminist Guardians of the Galaxy’, but I think it’s more like a feminist Red Rising. That being said, it explores complex issues of artificial intelligence embedded in a dictatorship and the women who come together to attempt to undermine and overthrow the current regime.
3.75 rounded up!
jgilge's review against another edition
4.0
This book was awesome! The diversity of the characters was so wonderful to see, and amazing to read. Futuristic space dystopia with lots of cool friendships, fighting, and sarcasm.
areaderamongthestars's review against another edition
5.0
Seven Devils is feminist science-fiction at its best. With a perfectly crafted queer cast and a gripping plot, this book delivered the Star Wars: Rebels vibes that had been missing from my life since I finished watching the show.
On the surface, the core of Seven Devils seems to be the classic conflict between a cruel empire and a group of ragtag rebels relying on luck and very few material resources, with the addition of certain captivating elements to the world-building (from an omniscient godlike AI, to brain-engrafted chips acting as mind-communication device). But, as the story goes on, it became clear that in truth this one is a story about a group of women retaking possession of their own selves and engraving a path of their own choice on a road cemented by others.
Seven Devils also succeeds in portraying “heroes” that feel realistic, by highlighting how even if the good guys (or gals, in this case) have the best intentions, the right motives, sometimes they can still end up making enormous and unforgivable mistakes. After all, not every plan will end up with the hoped result, especially when fighting merciless villains.
An already stunning book couldn’t, obviously, miss a chaotic found family. The way they had to learn how to work together, to ignore mistrusts and past history to save their lives and those of the rest of the galaxy, but then found themselves deeply bound to each other, was so lovely and made me shed a tear or two.
And while the relationships that formed between some of them, both romantic and not, are so heartwarming, individually they are such incredible characters. Each of them is so perfectly crafted, and having multiple POVs made it really easy to immerse inside their minds, to understand how their personal experiences and traumas impact the way they move into the world and the decision they take.
To choose only a fave among them is not an easy task, but I admit I have a soft spot for disgraced princesses with horrible fatherly figures and a soft heart, even if there is blood on their hands.
I totally recommend Seven Devils to everyone who is looking for a well-written sci-fi novel with brilliant plot twists, and doesn’t mind ending up mildly traumatized and quite heartbroken- I promise it’s so worth it!
On the surface, the core of Seven Devils seems to be the classic conflict between a cruel empire and a group of ragtag rebels relying on luck and very few material resources, with the addition of certain captivating elements to the world-building (from an omniscient godlike AI, to brain-engrafted chips acting as mind-communication device). But, as the story goes on, it became clear that in truth this one is a story about a group of women retaking possession of their own selves and engraving a path of their own choice on a road cemented by others.
Seven Devils also succeeds in portraying “heroes” that feel realistic, by highlighting how even if the good guys (or gals, in this case) have the best intentions, the right motives, sometimes they can still end up making enormous and unforgivable mistakes. After all, not every plan will end up with the hoped result, especially when fighting merciless villains.
An already stunning book couldn’t, obviously, miss a chaotic found family. The way they had to learn how to work together, to ignore mistrusts and past history to save their lives and those of the rest of the galaxy, but then found themselves deeply bound to each other, was so lovely and made me shed a tear or two.
And while the relationships that formed between some of them, both romantic and not, are so heartwarming, individually they are such incredible characters. Each of them is so perfectly crafted, and having multiple POVs made it really easy to immerse inside their minds, to understand how their personal experiences and traumas impact the way they move into the world and the decision they take.
To choose only a fave among them is not an easy task, but I admit I have a soft spot for disgraced princesses with horrible fatherly figures and a soft heart, even if there is blood on their hands.
I totally recommend Seven Devils to everyone who is looking for a well-written sci-fi novel with brilliant plot twists, and doesn’t mind ending up mildly traumatized and quite heartbroken- I promise it’s so worth it!
alipals's review against another edition
4.0
First book of 2021 :-) enjoyable read especially for lockdown during a grey January! Likeable characters with back stories which gradually emerge as the action ramps up, hoping there's not a long wait for part 2.
abrittlebee's review against another edition
5.0
If you’re looking for a fast paced feminist story about a dysfunctional girl gang attempting to overthrow the patriarchy in space, then I definitely have the recommendation for you.
Seven Devils was one of those strange books that completely sucked me in with its’ cover alone, but once enticed, it took over my entire life with how unpredictable and just downright funny and heart wrenching it was.
An assassin princess, a butch mechanic, a test tube soldier, a courtesan, and a child genius with no social grace all steal a ship together… It sounds like the beginning of a really weird joke, but it’s actually the premise of probably one of my new favourite LGBTQ2+ reads. It’s just by pure happenstance that I ended up finally reading this during pride month, but I am so glad I did, because now I can recommend it to everyone.
Want more scifi? Read this. Want queer romance? Read this. Want a racially diverse set of characters? Read this. Want mental and physical disability representation? Read this. Want realistic feminist representation with imperfect characters just trying their best? Read this. This book is so many things, and I loved that it was able to project all of that without overwhelming its own plot. I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment in the duology.
Seven Devils was one of those strange books that completely sucked me in with its’ cover alone, but once enticed, it took over my entire life with how unpredictable and just downright funny and heart wrenching it was.
An assassin princess, a butch mechanic, a test tube soldier, a courtesan, and a child genius with no social grace all steal a ship together… It sounds like the beginning of a really weird joke, but it’s actually the premise of probably one of my new favourite LGBTQ2+ reads. It’s just by pure happenstance that I ended up finally reading this during pride month, but I am so glad I did, because now I can recommend it to everyone.
Want more scifi? Read this. Want queer romance? Read this. Want a racially diverse set of characters? Read this. Want mental and physical disability representation? Read this. Want realistic feminist representation with imperfect characters just trying their best? Read this. This book is so many things, and I loved that it was able to project all of that without overwhelming its own plot. I honestly can’t wait to get my hands on the next installment in the duology.
posthumusly's review against another edition
3.0
Had a tough time getting into this one for some reason.
flaviaaalouise's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
dcnarvaez's review against another edition
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
I was really hoping to like this book but the multiple POVs dragged the story down, there was never a sense of camaraderie between the crew and it was too long and slow in the first and last 30% of the book.
lookingforamandaa's review against another edition
4.0
Seven Devils is a book that Antonia brought to my attention earlier in the fall and I’m so glad that she did. I absolutely devoured this book. The story is told from a few different perspectives. This is something that can either make or break a story. There are many books where the multiple perspectives all blend together, this was not one of those cases. Each character was distinct and I was never confused about whose perspective I was reading. I think the writing was really good. This world they created was so fascinating and well built.
We follow some members of the resistance that have history with one another from before the book starts. Eris and Clo worked together for the resistance in the past. Clo learned Eris’s biggest secret and the two haven’t worked together since. But there is a mission they must work together to fulfill and that’s where this story starts. Clo is angry that she has to work with Eris. I really enjoyed that we got chapters from both the present and the past for many of the characters. We got to see exactly what happened between Eris and Clo. I liked Eris. I liked her even more after learning about her past and her secrets. I just genuinely liked all of the characters. We meet the rest of our squad a little way into the story. I liked that it worked like this because we got to settle into the world and get to know Eris and Clo and figure out what was going on before three more characters were added. I liked the three friends that became a part of the crew. They each added something different, but equally important. I thought all the characters had such an interesting dynamic as a group because the three friends knew one another, but they were unsure about Eris and Clo. There wasn’t much trust, but it was really wonderful seeing these characters learn to trust one another individually and as a group.
Overall, this was such a good story. I loved that the story jumped back and forth between the past and the present (and was clearly labeled when it did this). I loved the group of characters that needed to learn to work together and trust one another. I loved the secrets that eventually came out. There were slower moments, but there were also some pretty high stakes. The representation was also wonderful. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the representation but I do want to mention what was in this story. One of the leaders of the rebellion is a trans woman. There is a romantic relationship between two women (this was my favorite and the story was so casual about it which I loved). There’s an autistic character. There’s bisexual representation and ace representation. I cannot wait for this series to continue. I will definitely be reading more by both May and Lam.
We follow some members of the resistance that have history with one another from before the book starts. Eris and Clo worked together for the resistance in the past. Clo learned Eris’s biggest secret and the two haven’t worked together since. But there is a mission they must work together to fulfill and that’s where this story starts. Clo is angry that she has to work with Eris. I really enjoyed that we got chapters from both the present and the past for many of the characters. We got to see exactly what happened between Eris and Clo. I liked Eris. I liked her even more after learning about her past and her secrets. I just genuinely liked all of the characters. We meet the rest of our squad a little way into the story. I liked that it worked like this because we got to settle into the world and get to know Eris and Clo and figure out what was going on before three more characters were added. I liked the three friends that became a part of the crew. They each added something different, but equally important. I thought all the characters had such an interesting dynamic as a group because the three friends knew one another, but they were unsure about Eris and Clo. There wasn’t much trust, but it was really wonderful seeing these characters learn to trust one another individually and as a group.
Overall, this was such a good story. I loved that the story jumped back and forth between the past and the present (and was clearly labeled when it did this). I loved the group of characters that needed to learn to work together and trust one another. I loved the secrets that eventually came out. There were slower moments, but there were also some pretty high stakes. The representation was also wonderful. I can’t speak to the accuracy of the representation but I do want to mention what was in this story. One of the leaders of the rebellion is a trans woman. There is a romantic relationship between two women (this was my favorite and the story was so casual about it which I loved). There’s an autistic character. There’s bisexual representation and ace representation. I cannot wait for this series to continue. I will definitely be reading more by both May and Lam.
the_bookish_scorpio's review against another edition
4.0
Una space opera davvero carina in stile SoC