A review by fourthleafluckart
The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

adventurous mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

I was immediately fascinated by "space mech Joan of Arc" as a concept, and Yang's worldbuilding to substantiate it was equivalently fascinating.

The pronouns and cultural aspects of the world were distinctive and interesting. The same can be said of the combination of the queernormativity and ultra-religious military environment. I really enjoyed Misery's fluctuations in reliability as a narrator, as well as her shift into believing in her own status as Messiah.

The pacing was challenging. The story started out pretty slowly and ultimately, this book felt as if it was paced to be the beginning of a series. It would have worked better if it were. Unfortunately, I was left with the sensation that Yang was cooking some complex themes (especially regarding unreality, high control environments, imperialism, and the value of life) and the book just needed more simmering time for the concepts to fully develop. If Yang returns to this as a series, I will definitely be back.