A review by e_flah
Phasma by Delilah S. Dawson

dark 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? Yes

4.25

Phasma was not what I was expecting in the best way. Books that rely on a character telling another a story can be hard to pull off. Phasma absolutely works because we have two excellent characters to serve as anchors -- Vi as she tells Phasma's story and Siv who is our viewpoint for the recounted portion of the story. I fell in love with Vi from the very beginning. She's clear-headed during a crisis, able to think a bunch of moves ahead, but also felt very human. I could easily read a whole book just about her and Cardinal as they take turns antagonizing each other while slowly becoming friends.

Phasma also shows us a slice of the Star Wars galaxy that felt very different from anything else I'd seen. Parnassos is dystopian in its harshness, which was a refreshing counterpoint from the settings we usually see. The peek inside the First Order also did a lot to build out how the institution is portrayed in the sequel trilogy movies.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings