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chaitiefling's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
kevinscorner's review against another edition
3.0
Seven Devils just did not work for me. I could not get into the story at all. The backstories and flashbacks were far more interesting than the main storyline which took to long to get going. The plot really just doesn’t hold up when you think about it.
With a cast nearly all female characters, I was not really that invested in any of them because they were all essentially just different versions of the same woman with a chip on her shoulder. Their interactions felt really stiff and unnatural. There were also too many perspectives, especially for a story where they were essentially always together anyway, negating the need to have so may different points of view.
Despite being classified as adult sci-fi, this is reads entirely in YA territory, just with a bigger disregard for life as they keep killing left and right.
If I hadn’t already bought the sequel to this, I probably won’t continue it anymore. Thankfully, it’s just a duology. I hope Seven Mercies is better.
With a cast nearly all female characters, I was not really that invested in any of them because they were all essentially just different versions of the same woman with a chip on her shoulder. Their interactions felt really stiff and unnatural. There were also too many perspectives, especially for a story where they were essentially always together anyway, negating the need to have so may different points of view.
Despite being classified as adult sci-fi, this is reads entirely in YA territory, just with a bigger disregard for life as they keep killing left and right.
If I hadn’t already bought the sequel to this, I probably won’t continue it anymore. Thankfully, it’s just a duology. I hope Seven Mercies is better.
iam's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
Super fun, action-filled and at time dark space romp with a GREAT cast.
Find this review and more on the blog!
Content warnings include: child abuse, torture, assault, abduction, graphic violence and death, injury, surgery, mind control, propaganda,xenophobia, racism, misogyny, classicism; mentions of transphobia, sexualized violence, genocide.
Full content warnings and descriptions can also be found on the author’s website.
The cast really is where Seven Devil shines. There are five distinct POV characters, and I adored each of them:
Eris, who used to be the evil empire’s heir but then faked her death to join the restistance, now a ruthless agent known for her skills in seemingly impossible missions and high kill count.
Clo, a disabled mechanic born in a planet’s slums who’s also a skilled pilot, and who hates Eris for who she used to be.
Nyx, a lauded soldier of the empire who’s tired of being of being a mindless killing machine.
Rhea, an empathetic courtesan favoured by the empire’s leaders who no longer wants to be an object and who hides her own secrets.
And Ariadne, who was engineered specifically to be hands and voice of the empire’s all-encompassing controlling AI, a genius desperate to just experience life.
I loved all of them, as well as several of the side characters, including the last two main characters who make up the titular Seven Devils.
The story is told in alternating timelines, every now and then showing flashbacks into different characters’ pasts. Those flashbacks always have immediate relevance, and chapters overall were rather short. I was never confused with the frequent POV and timeline changes, all of them were interesting and a joy to read.
The plot was fast-paced and action heavy. There’s always something happening, and the characters barely get a chance to take a breath. It was always enaging and exciting, but not so tense as to be sweat-inducing.
The evil Tholosian empire truly was a nightmare. Not only was genocide one of the common modus operandi, all citizens had neural implants so an AI has direct access to their brain, constantly feeding them propaganda, controlling them, making them commit and be complicit to atrocities, and even completely taking over in high stress situations.
And that doesn’t even account for the terrible child abuse.
While I do love all characters, I also have a clear favourite. Sure, Eris and Nyx were badass, I adore Ariadne’s need for proving her worth, and Clo was wonderfully rounded and such a dear, but it was Rhea who totally stole my heart. I loved that she wasn’t one of the combat fighters or engineered geniuses, yet she was still never incompetent (and to be honest, I’d love her even if she had been). As an empathic person myself I loved seeing that facet of her character and how it was executed.
She, like pretty much all of the characters, had a horriffic backstory that isn’t for the faint of heart. She also had a secret she hid from the others, and it’s related to my pretty much only complaint about the book. To me her big reveal felt very sudden and like there wasn’t any buildup.
Another thing I struggled with was in regards to the AI of the empire… sometimes referred to as One, sometimes as Oracle. They seemed to be distinct, but I couldn’t tell the difference.
I loved how diverse the book was. The cover is absolutely stunning, and the characters fit the descriptions pretty much exactly. There’s several POC, and almost all relevant characters and all POV characters are women, which was another great facet.
There is a romantic subplot which was wonderful and tender and totally what both characters deserved. The couple is sapphic. Overall the focus is heavy on the action, but character dynamics and relationships are very important too. Friendship, (found) family, trust and group dynamics as well as mentor relationships are much more in the foreground than romantic ones, though.
The ending is more or less a cliffhanger, and the plot is very far from finished. The book was an exciting ride, and despite the heavy themes and abundance of violence and abuse it wasn’t a dark read. Several scenes made me laugh.
I am very excited for the sequel, and can’t wait to see how things end.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
Super fun, action-filled and at time dark space romp with a GREAT cast.
Find this review and more on the blog!
Content warnings include: child abuse, torture, assault, abduction, graphic violence and death, injury, surgery, mind control, propaganda,xenophobia, racism, misogyny, classicism; mentions of transphobia, sexualized violence, genocide.
Full content warnings and descriptions can also be found on the author’s website.
The cast really is where Seven Devil shines. There are five distinct POV characters, and I adored each of them:
Eris, who used to be the evil empire’s heir but then faked her death to join the restistance, now a ruthless agent known for her skills in seemingly impossible missions and high kill count.
Clo, a disabled mechanic born in a planet’s slums who’s also a skilled pilot, and who hates Eris for who she used to be.
Nyx, a lauded soldier of the empire who’s tired of being of being a mindless killing machine.
Rhea, an empathetic courtesan favoured by the empire’s leaders who no longer wants to be an object and who hides her own secrets.
And Ariadne, who was engineered specifically to be hands and voice of the empire’s all-encompassing controlling AI, a genius desperate to just experience life.
I loved all of them, as well as several of the side characters, including the last two main characters who make up the titular Seven Devils.
The story is told in alternating timelines, every now and then showing flashbacks into different characters’ pasts. Those flashbacks always have immediate relevance, and chapters overall were rather short. I was never confused with the frequent POV and timeline changes, all of them were interesting and a joy to read.
The plot was fast-paced and action heavy. There’s always something happening, and the characters barely get a chance to take a breath. It was always enaging and exciting, but not so tense as to be sweat-inducing.
The evil Tholosian empire truly was a nightmare. Not only was genocide one of the common modus operandi, all citizens had neural implants so an AI has direct access to their brain, constantly feeding them propaganda, controlling them, making them commit and be complicit to atrocities, and even completely taking over in high stress situations.
And that doesn’t even account for the terrible child abuse.
While I do love all characters, I also have a clear favourite. Sure, Eris and Nyx were badass, I adore Ariadne’s need for proving her worth, and Clo was wonderfully rounded and such a dear, but it was Rhea who totally stole my heart. I loved that she wasn’t one of the combat fighters or engineered geniuses, yet she was still never incompetent (and to be honest, I’d love her even if she had been). As an empathic person myself I loved seeing that facet of her character and how it was executed.
She, like pretty much all of the characters, had a horriffic backstory that isn’t for the faint of heart. She also had a secret she hid from the others, and it’s related to my pretty much only complaint about the book. To me her big reveal felt very sudden and like there wasn’t any buildup.
Another thing I struggled with was in regards to the AI of the empire… sometimes referred to as One, sometimes as Oracle. They seemed to be distinct, but I couldn’t tell the difference.
I loved how diverse the book was. The cover is absolutely stunning, and the characters fit the descriptions pretty much exactly. There’s several POC, and almost all relevant characters and all POV characters are women, which was another great facet.
There is a romantic subplot which was wonderful and tender and totally what both characters deserved. The couple is sapphic. Overall the focus is heavy on the action, but character dynamics and relationships are very important too. Friendship, (found) family, trust and group dynamics as well as mentor relationships are much more in the foreground than romantic ones, though.
The ending is more or less a cliffhanger, and the plot is very far from finished. The book was an exciting ride, and despite the heavy themes and abundance of violence and abuse it wasn’t a dark read. Several scenes made me laugh.
I am very excited for the sequel, and can’t wait to see how things end.
I received an ARC and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.
nova42's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
spacebornfew's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
booksandlemonsquash's review against another edition
4.0
I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I also read it for the Space Sirens Book Club December read :)
I thought I'd enjoy this going in and I really did. It's honestly fun from start to finish. I always like a good rebellion, and I found the politics in this to be very intriguing.
As is often the case with this sort of book, our rebels have to combat terrifying odds, and I like that they do it with style! While we have two main protagonists, we also have a small number of additional POV characters, with my favourite being the young but fantastic Ariadne! I loved her throughout. Clo and Eris are both excellent, and also having to work together despite a very rocky history and one hell of a grudge being held by Clo. I love a friends to haters to colleagues! An underrated trope, perhaps.
We also get great LGBT+ rep and so much excellent feminism and sisterhood. I honestly loved the relationships between these women. Yes, even Eris and Clo with all their vitriol.
I am super excited for book two, as we get some serious fireworks at the end. 4.5 stars.
I thought I'd enjoy this going in and I really did. It's honestly fun from start to finish. I always like a good rebellion, and I found the politics in this to be very intriguing.
As is often the case with this sort of book, our rebels have to combat terrifying odds, and I like that they do it with style! While we have two main protagonists, we also have a small number of additional POV characters, with my favourite being the young but fantastic Ariadne! I loved her throughout. Clo and Eris are both excellent, and also having to work together despite a very rocky history and one hell of a grudge being held by Clo. I love a friends to haters to colleagues! An underrated trope, perhaps.
We also get great LGBT+ rep and so much excellent feminism and sisterhood. I honestly loved the relationships between these women. Yes, even Eris and Clo with all their vitriol.
I am super excited for book two, as we get some serious fireworks at the end. 4.5 stars.
caffeinatedwayfarer's review against another edition
4.0
Loved the book and I need the sequel yesterday.
daffodill37's review against another edition
I think I just don't like Space Operas.