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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
It was really strong but then Misery believed they were actually messiah and lost some of her personality, a lot of unanswered questions
adventurous
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:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
3.5 ⭐️ Took me a minute to get oriented but this ended up being a thrilling space opera of a ride. I lost steam a few times, but that was probably a personal thing.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
fast-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
This book is a wild combination of Joan of Arc, Pacific Rim, Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Murderbot. The tonal shifts in the narrative, which centers almost entirely on Misery, correspond with her own belief and understanding of her role in an expansive yet very concealed political intrigue and long-running religious war. It felt like reading an anime, in a good way.
Apparently this may be a trilogy, which makes this a strong opening act to a much wider universe and story. There's very little explanation about the Heretics' beliefs and why the holy war has continued for so long, but I'm hoping for more information in another installment. I'm left with so many questions at the end of this. I want to strap back in and keep going.
Apparently this may be a trilogy, which makes this a strong opening act to a much wider universe and story. There's very little explanation about the Heretics' beliefs and why the holy war has continued for so long, but I'm hoping for more information in another installment. I'm left with so many questions at the end of this. I want to strap back in and keep going.
Okay. Wow. I had to let this one sit for a while before I could really come to a conclusion on what I felt about it. See, part of is that what the blurb says the book is about is only partially true. That's the first half. I *liked* the first half. I liked the ambiguity of whether or not Misery was the chosen messiah or hallucinating. I liked the setting. I liked the characters. Then her apotheosis happens and she becomes a religious fanatic which was really hard to read because of today's political clime. Like, she becomes a frothing at the mouth bible thumping (though there is no bible to thump) true believer, and the book loses all sense of subtlety.
Or does it?
See, the book is being told by a literal unreliable narrator, so when you're reading it you can kind of tell that there's more going on than what's being shown, which was enough to make me stick through it waiting for the twist.... *hoping* there'd be a twist. And when the twist came it just made me... sad, really. Misery was set up to fail, and looking back on the book it just ends up being really tragic. It made me kind of have to go and process my emotions about how I felt about the book afterwards.
One major thing to note about the book is the use of neopronouns. In this world that the author created, pronouns aren't assumed as they are here. Finding out what your pronouns are is a common courtesy, and they aren't limited to just he/she/they. There's also xie/xem, ze/hir, and ze/zir. It was nice to see, but it got a bit confusing for me to try to keep track of who used which pronouns, and I chalk that up to me being old and not being all that accustomed to neopronouns.
So should you read this? ... yees? Look, the book was described as "Gideon the Ninth meets Joan of Arc with giant mecha" and that's a pretty fair assessment. If that makes you go, Oooh I want to read that, then by all means pick up the book. 4 stars.
Or does it?
See, the book is being told by a literal unreliable narrator, so when you're reading it you can kind of tell that there's more going on than what's being shown, which was enough to make me stick through it waiting for the twist.... *hoping* there'd be a twist. And when the twist came it just made me... sad, really. Misery was set up to fail, and looking back on the book it just ends up being really tragic. It made me kind of have to go and process my emotions about how I felt about the book afterwards.
One major thing to note about the book is the use of neopronouns. In this world that the author created, pronouns aren't assumed as they are here. Finding out what your pronouns are is a common courtesy, and they aren't limited to just he/she/they. There's also xie/xem, ze/hir, and ze/zir. It was nice to see, but it got a bit confusing for me to try to keep track of who used which pronouns, and I chalk that up to me being old and not being all that accustomed to neopronouns.
So should you read this? ... yees? Look, the book was described as "Gideon the Ninth meets Joan of Arc with giant mecha" and that's a pretty fair assessment. If that makes you go, Oooh I want to read that, then by all means pick up the book. 4 stars.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I throughly enjoyed this book, don't let my rating fool you. I thought Neon Yang did a great job seamlessly tying in alternate pronouns as well as the overall world/religion building. It was a little slow at the beginning but I got hooked by the middle. I enjoyed the someone unlikeable characters as well as the unknown element of void sickness. I appreciate how Yang gave us many characters and stories to root for an be intrigued by. This part is what made the ending slightly disappointing. I felt like for all the complexity and depth of character work in the first 3/4 of the book, the ending felt a bit rushed and half-baked. Maybe this will kind of be explained or elaborated on in the sequel (as it seems hinted to be), but I felt disappointed that the big climax didn't get more time to unfold and show the betrayal that Misery faced.
I would definitely still recommend this book and will eagerly be waiting for the sequel! Great read for anyone who wants some science fiction that is wonderfully rich and would also enjoy some gayness!
I would definitely still recommend this book and will eagerly be waiting for the sequel! Great read for anyone who wants some science fiction that is wonderfully rich and would also enjoy some gayness!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent
A fantastical and lush space opera/Evangelion fanfic/religious text that’s written so beautifully that it lulls you to forget that the protagonist is an insidious and straight up murderous zealot.
It would be five stars, but it loses points for its rampant purple prose and for throwing too many futuristic pronouns at me without first providing a handy chart. Also for not introducing the giant fighting alien mechs until halfway through. LEAD WITH YOUR STRONGEST FOOT, PEOPLE.
It would be five stars, but it loses points for its rampant purple prose and for throwing too many futuristic pronouns at me without first providing a handy chart. Also for not introducing the giant fighting alien mechs until halfway through. LEAD WITH YOUR STRONGEST FOOT, PEOPLE.