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bookswithbethx's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
reflective
medium-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
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pregnancy, Adult/minor relationship, Murder, Child abuse, Genocide, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Misogyny, Outing, Torture, Xenophobia, Rape, Sexism, Violence, and War
azrah786's review against another edition
3.5
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent (off page), suicidal ideation, suicide, war, genocide, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, ableism, sexual assault, rape (off page), pregnancy, child abuse, radicalisation, gaslighting, confinement
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Some Desperate Glory is a fast paced, action packed sci-fi that will keep you on your toes.
The story revolves around Kyr, a young super soldier who has been brought up on Gaea Station as part of a militarised fascist cult, a group determined to avenge humanity from the Majoda - aliens who obliterated Earth with the help of a reality bending technology known as the Wisdom. However, when it comes to being assigned a division to serve in Kyr is allocated to Nursery, where she is expected to bear children, and her brother is sent on a mission to certain death. Less than pleased with her fate Kyr sets off to save her brother instead and to claim her higher purpose in the war against the Majoda. What she doesn’t expect is the reality check she gets along the way.
One of the big selling points about this book is that it is labelled as a queer space opera. Some things you should know going in is that yes the MC (and a few of the supporting cast) identify as queer but there is not much in terms of romance in this book. There is very little. In fact with characters who are so rigorously indoctrinated as part of a patriarchal community there are a lot of disparaging attitudes towards anyone who identifies as queer in the story and the MC’s journey has a lot to do with unlearning her brainwashing and coming to terms with her own identity. On that note there are A LOT of heavy topics so please take care when picking this one up and definitely check the content warnings before doing so.
The various characters in the book are all pretty morally ambiguous but the single POV narrative means we mainly get accustomed with Kyr and she is not a likable protagonist at all. Her age and mannerisms make the book have a YA feel to it which again is not what you would expect going in so this might be off putting for some people. Her journey and development over the course of the book are in some way inspiring and make you warm towards her a little but I’m not sure I totally liked her by the end either. Her saving grace in a sense and what allowed me to put up with her was how much she actually cared for her brother. I'd definitely give Tesh credit for character relationships throughout this book because they were an interesting mix and written and developed quite well.
What I also really like were the little snippets from text/books that we got at the beginning of each part fleshing out the history and philosophy surrounding everything occurring in the book. Plus I always love seeing different interpretations on reality bending / subrealities / alternate timelines and Tesh’s take on it was pretty cool. Otherwise I have to say the worldbuilding does come across as a little simplistic.
This is an edge of your seat type of read where a lot is happening. The plot itself is simple but it’s the type of sci-fi where everything is storming on ahead and by the time you register what they mean some new twist gets thrown in. Sometimes this makes for the best sci-fi, other times this can be quite frustrating. I’d say for the most part this book falls into the former however, I did get lost by some parts when it came to the reality changing / Shadowspace technology. It is never fully explained so didn’t feel even slightly credible.
The last thing that I do want to point out is a very questionable moment which occurs towards the end of the book which I really don’t think was necessary - Rebecca Roanhorse’s review touches on it here – and this made me knock off another half star.
But all in all this was an extremely engaging story about indoctrination and survival that despite not being particularly ground-breaking was an entertaining read all the same.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
**I received a proof copy from Orbit Books UK in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, injury, murder, death, death of parent (off page), suicidal ideation, suicide, war, genocide, sexism, misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, racism, xenophobia, ableism, sexual assault, rape (off page), pregnancy, child abuse, radicalisation, gaslighting, confinement
--
Some Desperate Glory is a fast paced, action packed sci-fi that will keep you on your toes.
The story revolves around Kyr, a young super soldier who has been brought up on Gaea Station as part of a militarised fascist cult, a group determined to avenge humanity from the Majoda - aliens who obliterated Earth with the help of a reality bending technology known as the Wisdom. However, when it comes to being assigned a division to serve in Kyr is allocated to Nursery, where she is expected to bear children, and her brother is sent on a mission to certain death. Less than pleased with her fate Kyr sets off to save her brother instead and to claim her higher purpose in the war against the Majoda. What she doesn’t expect is the reality check she gets along the way.
One of the big selling points about this book is that it is labelled as a queer space opera. Some things you should know going in is that yes the MC (and a few of the supporting cast) identify as queer but there is not much in terms of romance in this book. There is very little. In fact with characters who are so rigorously indoctrinated as part of a patriarchal community there are a lot of disparaging attitudes towards anyone who identifies as queer in the story and the MC’s journey has a lot to do with unlearning her brainwashing and coming to terms with her own identity. On that note there are A LOT of heavy topics so please take care when picking this one up and definitely check the content warnings before doing so.
The various characters in the book are all pretty morally ambiguous but the single POV narrative means we mainly get accustomed with Kyr and she is not a likable protagonist at all. Her age and mannerisms make the book have a YA feel to it which again is not what you would expect going in so this might be off putting for some people. Her journey and development over the course of the book are in some way inspiring and make you warm towards her a little but I’m not sure I totally liked her by the end either. Her saving grace in a sense and what allowed me to put up with her was how much she actually cared for her brother. I'd definitely give Tesh credit for character relationships throughout this book because they were an interesting mix and written and developed quite well.
What I also really like were the little snippets from text/books that we got at the beginning of each part fleshing out the history and philosophy surrounding everything occurring in the book. Plus I always love seeing different interpretations on reality bending / subrealities / alternate timelines and Tesh’s take on it was pretty cool. Otherwise I have to say the worldbuilding does come across as a little simplistic.
This is an edge of your seat type of read where a lot is happening. The plot itself is simple but it’s the type of sci-fi where everything is storming on ahead and by the time you register what they mean some new twist gets thrown in. Sometimes this makes for the best sci-fi, other times this can be quite frustrating. I’d say for the most part this book falls into the former however, I did get lost by some parts when it came to the reality changing / Shadowspace technology. It is never fully explained so didn’t feel even slightly credible.
The last thing that I do want to point out is a very questionable moment which occurs towards the end of the book which I really don’t think was necessary - Rebecca Roanhorse’s review touches on it here – and this made me knock off another half star.
But all in all this was an extremely engaging story about indoctrination and survival that despite not being particularly ground-breaking was an entertaining read all the same.
Final Rating – 3.5/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Blood, Murder, Death, Suicide, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Genocide, Sexism, Misogyny, Homophobia, Transphobia, Racism, Xenophobia, Ableism, War, and Child abuse
Moderate: Gaslighting, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexual assault, Rape, and Pregnancy
ezwolf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Kyr is a teenager born to fight for humanity after Earth is destroyed by The Wisdom and she has the training scores to prove it. When she's assigned to the Nursery and sends her twin brother on a mission meant to kill him, she breaks the rules and goes after him. Venturing to a planet inhabited by "traitor" humans, Kyr begins to learn that maybe everything she's learned is not the whole truth.
This book brings up a lot of great topics, the faults of humanity in the future, as well as currently. Gaea is everything you would expect from a society that's almost entirely white and able bodied, xenophobic, homophobic, and forces its women to be pregnant for years and years. Of course, this is why Kyr starts off being immensely unlikeable, but she does grow and learn to realize how narrow minded her thinking was and at one point even recognizes that even though she has made progress, she still holds internal biases.
But this is getting a solid 4 stars from me because I could not stand Kyr for a good chunk of the book. I know that was part of the plot and Kyr had to realize that Gaea was brainwashing everyone, but I was never endeared to her. I wanted her to succeed because no one should grow up the way Kyr did but I didn't particularly care about anyone other Yiso, I didn't like any of the characters other than them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
This book brings up a lot of great topics, the faults of humanity in the future, as well as currently. Gaea is everything you would expect from a society that's almost entirely white and able bodied, xenophobic, homophobic, and forces its women to be pregnant for years and years. Of course, this is why Kyr starts off being immensely unlikeable, but she does grow and learn to realize how narrow minded her thinking was and at one point even recognizes that even though she has made progress, she still holds internal biases.
But this is getting a solid 4 stars from me because I could not stand Kyr for a good chunk of the book. I know that was part of the plot and Kyr had to realize that Gaea was brainwashing everyone, but I was never endeared to her. I wanted her to succeed because no one should grow up the way Kyr did but I didn't particularly care about anyone other Yiso, I didn't like any of the characters other than them.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for making this available in exchange for an honest review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Suicide, Violence, Homophobia, Grief, Xenophobia, Gaslighting, Genocide, Gun violence, Murder, Misogyny, War, Blood, Death, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Pedophilia, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, and Torture
Minor: Ableism, Alcohol, Animal cruelty, Abortion, Death of parent, Racism, Rape, and Pregnancy
alexalala's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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? Yes
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tordotcom for this advanced copy. All opinions are my own.
Wow. I was blown away by this book!
Kyr has trained her entire life to avenge Earth's destruction aboard Gaea station with her mess, the Sparrows. She expects to be placed in a fighting wing, but instead is placed in Nursery to bear humanity's future children. Shocked, and a little disillusioned, Kyr takes destiny into her own hands, stealing a ship with a captive alien and another Gaean. What follows is a heartwrenching tale through space, time, and different dimensions.
Everything about this book was incredible. Kyr goes through grief, disillusionment, and grapples with understanding who the "good" guys are, if there are any. This book explores what it means to be sentient, empathetic, what family is, and how to stand up for what's right. This book is also very heavy, as it deals with ideas such as indoctrination, eugenics, mass murder, cult-like communities, abusers, suicide, and the literal weight of the world. All was very well handled, with grace and empathy. It asks many questions about ethics, morality, and relationships.
It also featured many different types of relationships throughout contexts - whether it be familial, abuser/abusee, romantic, friendship, or interspecies. The characters were extremely complex, all wrapped up in their own biases and background while trying to make sense of the truth around them. In particular, Kyr grows immensely throughout the book, from a brainwashed cadet incapable of empathy to a kind, empathetic person who critically thinks through her actions and those of others. Yiso is also particularly well done, changing through different dimensions and even becoming a little morally grey.
Though the beginning was a bit slow, it sped up quickly and alternated between medium and fast-paced. It was a very entertaining read, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and felt extremely emotional by the end. The prose was beautiful but very readable, and I never felt like it was going over my head, nor that it was a simplistic read for the beach (though I did read this on the beach successfully since I couldn't put it down). The plot had many twists and turns, but they felt very earned and added to the plot, rather than being for shock value. Each plot point had a purpose for the overall plot and message of the book.
Overall, this was an incredible book that will definitely make my best book of the year list.
You will like this if you like: space operas, multiple dimensions, aliens, sci-fi, cults, strong emotions, heartbreaking conflict, and complicated characters.
Wow. I was blown away by this book!
Kyr has trained her entire life to avenge Earth's destruction aboard Gaea station with her mess, the Sparrows. She expects to be placed in a fighting wing, but instead is placed in Nursery to bear humanity's future children. Shocked, and a little disillusioned, Kyr takes destiny into her own hands, stealing a ship with a captive alien and another Gaean. What follows is a heartwrenching tale through space, time, and different dimensions.
Everything about this book was incredible. Kyr goes through grief, disillusionment, and grapples with understanding who the "good" guys are, if there are any. This book explores what it means to be sentient, empathetic, what family is, and how to stand up for what's right. This book is also very heavy, as it deals with ideas such as indoctrination, eugenics, mass murder, cult-like communities, abusers, suicide, and the literal weight of the world. All was very well handled, with grace and empathy. It asks many questions about ethics, morality, and relationships.
It also featured many different types of relationships throughout contexts - whether it be familial, abuser/abusee, romantic, friendship, or interspecies. The characters were extremely complex, all wrapped up in their own biases and background while trying to make sense of the truth around them. In particular, Kyr grows immensely throughout the book,
Though the beginning was a bit slow, it sped up quickly and alternated between medium and fast-paced. It was a very entertaining read, I was on the edge of my seat the entire time and felt extremely emotional by the end. The prose was beautiful but very readable, and I never felt like it was going over my head, nor that it was a simplistic read for the beach (though I did read this on the beach successfully since I couldn't put it down). The plot had many twists and turns, but they felt very earned and added to the plot, rather than being for shock value. Each plot point had a purpose for the overall plot and message of the book.
Overall, this was an incredible book that will definitely make my best book of the year list.
You will like this if you like: space operas, multiple dimensions, aliens, sci-fi, cults, strong emotions, heartbreaking conflict, and complicated characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual assault, Death of parent, Suicide, War, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Pregnancy, Rape, Suicide attempt, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Self harm, Violence, and Death
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Thanks to TorDotCom Books for the free advance copy of this book.
- Whew, this book! SOME DESPERATE GLORY has fantastic world building, morally gray characters, "are we the baddies?," a dash of queerness, and a freaking fantastic couple of twists that I will try not to give away here. You need to go in fresh on this one, just trust me.
- Kyr is going to be a hard character for a lot of people (as will several others in this book), and I loved that Tesh just did it. Yeah, she's mean and self-centered and has a limited worldview. Deal with it, alongside Kyr herself dealing with it.
- SOME DESPERATE GLORY is truly the best of what sci-fi can do. It pushes on big questions of morality while also delivering edge of your seat action. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Tesh does next.
- Whew, this book! SOME DESPERATE GLORY has fantastic world building, morally gray characters, "are we the baddies?," a dash of queerness, and a freaking fantastic couple of twists that I will try not to give away here. You need to go in fresh on this one, just trust me.
- Kyr is going to be a hard character for a lot of people (as will several others in this book), and I loved that Tesh just did it. Yeah, she's mean and self-centered and has a limited worldview. Deal with it, alongside Kyr herself dealing with it.
- SOME DESPERATE GLORY is truly the best of what sci-fi can do. It pushes on big questions of morality while also delivering edge of your seat action. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Tesh does next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Alcohol, Blood, Death, Death of parent, Gun violence, Sexism, Suicide, Bullying, Transphobia, Violence, Child abuse, Pregnancy, Confinement, Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, and Murder
Moderate: Racism, Rape, and Sexual violence
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