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A review by micareads123
Annex by Rich Larson
5.0
Though I’m not typically inclined towards action-oriented literature, Rich Larson has a way of pulling me into his writing anyhow. He introduces human emotion into his stories with a depth that pulls me in despite all the craziness happening at the forefront. But above that, he crafts unusual and intricate worlds that fascinate me and keep me hooked.
Annex: The Violet Wars starts out with a lot of information to take in. In the first few chapters, we are immediately met with an abundance of new concepts and characters. That said, it took me some time to really dive in. But as the characters developed and the plot thickened, my curiosity and interest grew larger.
Following a group of misfit kids who managed to escape the grip of an alien invasion, the novel sheds a very real but endearing light on what it is to be an outsider. It also touches on how it can be to feel alone within a society that doesn’t fully accept a person who deviates even slightly from the norm. Metaphorically, it follows the classic theme of the outsider breaking away from the other societal sheep (or “wasters”) and proving their value, by way of heroism, to themself and to those who matter.
To my surprise, the character I felt most emotionally attached to was the least human. Fitting somewhere between a swarm of flies and increasingly sentient AI, Gloom is pure charm. He is everything you have ever needed in a friend and more, and I sincerely hope we see more of him in the future. His entire concept breaks away from anything concrete and from everything we know, yet he is lovable.
Larson develops for his concepts new terminology that by the end of the book feels completely normal and natural. He normalizes the abstract in a way that sets his work apart.
Annex: The Violet Wars, like the rest of Larson’s work, is extremely imaginative. I am always left in admiration of the way Larson continually comes up with new and interesting worlds and ideas. I have no guesses as to what new angles and concepts he will introduce next, but I am eager to find out.
Annex: The Violet Wars starts out with a lot of information to take in. In the first few chapters, we are immediately met with an abundance of new concepts and characters. That said, it took me some time to really dive in. But as the characters developed and the plot thickened, my curiosity and interest grew larger.
Following a group of misfit kids who managed to escape the grip of an alien invasion, the novel sheds a very real but endearing light on what it is to be an outsider. It also touches on how it can be to feel alone within a society that doesn’t fully accept a person who deviates even slightly from the norm. Metaphorically, it follows the classic theme of the outsider breaking away from the other societal sheep (or “wasters”) and proving their value, by way of heroism, to themself and to those who matter.
To my surprise, the character I felt most emotionally attached to was the least human. Fitting somewhere between a swarm of flies and increasingly sentient AI, Gloom is pure charm. He is everything you have ever needed in a friend and more, and I sincerely hope we see more of him in the future. His entire concept breaks away from anything concrete and from everything we know, yet he is lovable.
Larson develops for his concepts new terminology that by the end of the book feels completely normal and natural. He normalizes the abstract in a way that sets his work apart.
Annex: The Violet Wars, like the rest of Larson’s work, is extremely imaginative. I am always left in admiration of the way Larson continually comes up with new and interesting worlds and ideas. I have no guesses as to what new angles and concepts he will introduce next, but I am eager to find out.