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chandramukhi's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
strategineer's review
4.0
I was blown away by the premise of Dawn (the first novel in the trilogy) and its execution. The remnants of humanity, after a nuclear apocalypse occurs, are "saved" by aliens and forced to choose between mating with their saviors or never being able to have children again. The rest of the novels didn't hit me as hard but they were interesting nonetheless.
Dawn - 5 stars Adulthood Rites - 3 stars Imago - 3 stars
What follows is mostly me rambling about the series.
This series is about biological determinism, consent, imbalanced power dynamics and sexual violence (among other things). Although, the books don't wrestle with these topics as much as I think they should have.
The first book contains a scene of sexual violence that is really phucked up despite not being very explicit. Overall, this book goes HARD. The imagery is powerful and will stick with me for a long time to come.
Adulthood Rites, the second book in the series, follows, from the POV of a mixed-species boy, the story of humanity repopulating the Earth and the tensions between the settlements of human-alien hybrids and the Human resisters who've chosen to be sterilized but free(ish) from alien influence.
It's not as memorable as the first book. It lacks the novelty and the raw-ness of the first book.
The third book in the series, Imago, follows the story of a one of a kind mixed-species ooloi (neither man or woman, a third sex) as it discovers who it is and what it can do (a lot -- it can manipulate the genes of others and itself at will). Despite having an intriguing premise, it's the weakest of the three books. It's ending feels rushed and the lead up to it was disappointing.
It feels as though the series would have been better served by spending more time reckoning with the fact that as the protagonists become less and less human in each book, what comes naturally to them (AKA using pheromones and the best sex skills this side of the universe to have sex with people who ARE NOT biologically capable of providing actual consent) is extremely phucked up and turns them into monsters (at least from the perspective of the reader).
Lilith's Brood is so far removed from the reality that we live in that I found it hard to extrapolate much of anything meaningful from the text other than the absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions that I got from reading the first book.
The text is outlandish but it also seems somewhat uninterested in tackling the ethical issues it takes on through its premise. And so, I felt a little disappointed by the end. I was expecting for a bit more push and pull and more of a focus on the ethics of it all.
Although, I felt that, other than a few minor issues, the world felt internally consistent for the most part. And it was easy for me to immerse myself in the universe that Butler built. Despite feeling somewhat cold on the series as a whole, I'm pretty invested in Butler's writing and I'm interested in reading more from her.
She's blown me away with how bold her writing can be. Nobody else would fill a book with this much rape and get away with it.
Dawn - 5 stars Adulthood Rites - 3 stars Imago - 3 stars
What follows is mostly me rambling about the series.
This series is about biological determinism, consent, imbalanced power dynamics and sexual violence (among other things). Although, the books don't wrestle with these topics as much as I think they should have.
The first book contains a scene of sexual violence that is really phucked up despite not being very explicit. Overall, this book goes HARD. The imagery is powerful and will stick with me for a long time to come.
Adulthood Rites, the second book in the series, follows, from the POV of a mixed-species boy, the story of humanity repopulating the Earth and the tensions between the settlements of human-alien hybrids and the Human resisters who've chosen to be sterilized but free(ish) from alien influence.
It's not as memorable as the first book. It lacks the novelty and the raw-ness of the first book.
The third book in the series, Imago, follows the story of a one of a kind mixed-species ooloi (neither man or woman, a third sex) as it discovers who it is and what it can do (a lot -- it can manipulate the genes of others and itself at will). Despite having an intriguing premise, it's the weakest of the three books. It's ending feels rushed and the lead up to it was disappointing.
It feels as though the series would have been better served by spending more time reckoning with the fact that as the protagonists become less and less human in each book, what comes naturally to them (AKA using pheromones and the best sex skills this side of the universe to have sex with people who ARE NOT biologically capable of providing actual consent) is extremely phucked up and turns them into monsters (at least from the perspective of the reader).
Lilith's Brood is so far removed from the reality that we live in that I found it hard to extrapolate much of anything meaningful from the text other than the absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions that I got from reading the first book.
The text is outlandish but it also seems somewhat uninterested in tackling the ethical issues it takes on through its premise. And so, I felt a little disappointed by the end. I was expecting for a bit more push and pull and more of a focus on the ethics of it all.
Although, I felt that, other than a few minor issues, the world felt internally consistent for the most part. And it was easy for me to immerse myself in the universe that Butler built. Despite feeling somewhat cold on the series as a whole, I'm pretty invested in Butler's writing and I'm interested in reading more from her.
She's blown me away with how bold her writing can be. Nobody else would fill a book with this much rape and get away with it.
cuartolimon's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.75
geonox's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement and Violence
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Sexual violence, War, and Infertility
marc2o's review against another edition
5.0
This is by far the most original and mind-broadening science fiction story I’ve read in a very long time. It is also the first time ever, that I encountered truly alien extra-terrestrials. Olivia E. Butler pulled me into the story right from the first page. It is amazing, how she manages to portray the aliens as being entirely strange, yet relatable, even likable, and increasingly »human« in the course of the story. The book in its core is really about what it means, and what it takes, to be human. — A must-read for science fiction enthusiasts.
sexpest's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
Not only is this book a work of incredibly detailed and magnetizing science fiction of a dystopian Human world colliding with aliens, but it is also a beautiful allegory for so much that remains timeless and authentic. This was my first Butler read and I think the trilogy being in one physical book really encouraged me to stay outside my comfort zone both due to the genre but also the material. Butler has a way of writing that makes the reader uncomfortable through a delivery that makes the abnormal seem normal. The multiple perspectives of each book, the evolution and devolution of both the human and Oankali races through time, and all the shifts and changes and flaws of the characters as individuals and as wholes keep the reader invested and concerned. I thoroughly enjoyed even though it took me a couple extra months to read.
shalini_gunnasan's review
5.0
This is the most terrifying book I have ever read. Before I read this, I'd thought Margaret Atwood's The Handmaiden was my boogeyman book. Some people are terrified of books about demons or serial killers, but none of those things can be as terrifying to me as the complete loss of personhood like in Atwood's world.
Butler's book takes that up to eleven, and then some. She describes spiritual violation and cultural takeover with a tone of complete inevitability. There is no sense of escape, only that you must abide or die. I think that this book would be especially terrifying to readers from conquered nations and cultures, who have had to assimilate with their oppressors and lose everything that made them who they are. The worst part is that there's no "hero side" or "villain side", the alien conquerors aren't really "bad", and the humans conquered aren't really "good". It's just complete loss and defeat to superior technology (both medical and weaponry). It's very reminiscent of certain periods in the world's history. It's very upsetting and gave me quite a few sleepless nights. I don't think I'll be able to read this again for a very long time.
Butler's book takes that up to eleven, and then some. She describes spiritual violation and cultural takeover with a tone of complete inevitability. There is no sense of escape, only that you must abide or die. I think that this book would be especially terrifying to readers from conquered nations and cultures, who have had to assimilate with their oppressors and lose everything that made them who they are. The worst part is that there's no "hero side" or "villain side", the alien conquerors aren't really "bad", and the humans conquered aren't really "good". It's just complete loss and defeat to superior technology (both medical and weaponry). It's very reminiscent of certain periods in the world's history. It's very upsetting and gave me quite a few sleepless nights. I don't think I'll be able to read this again for a very long time.
artisticpie's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy, Incest, Violence, Sexual content, Death, Sexual assault, Gun violence, and Rape
Minor: Cursing, Colonisation, Cancer, Miscarriage, Child death, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, and War