Scan barcode
A review by loganslovelylibrary
Seven Devils by L.R. Lam, Elizabeth May
4.0
This was overall an excellent diverse, queer sci-fi book! A note that it’s a lot heavier than I thought it would be and deals with themes of dictatorship, technology, genocide, and biological warfare. But also has excellent themes of individuality, freedom, and found family.
The writing in this was great, and even though the chapters switch off between many people, I never found myself wishing to read a different character’s chapter. It was a little confusing right in the beginning since there are a lot of folks to keep track of, while also figuring out the rules in the empire/resistance. There are 7 main characters (5 main ones, 2 on the fringes that come into play later on in the book). But as the characters came together I started to differentiate between them, and I loved the way the story was told from multiple perspectives in present day and past chapters. This may not work for everyone but it leant a lot of depth to the cultivated and complex characters and relationships!
This went to a lot of darker places than I thought it would, and I was coming into this for a more YA lighthearted space read, hence my mixed feelings about it. This was pitched as a ‘feminist Guardians of the Galaxy’, but I think it’s more like a feminist Red Rising. That being said, it explores complex issues of artificial intelligence embedded in a dictatorship and the women who come together to attempt to undermine and overthrow the current regime.
3.75 rounded up!
The writing in this was great, and even though the chapters switch off between many people, I never found myself wishing to read a different character’s chapter. It was a little confusing right in the beginning since there are a lot of folks to keep track of, while also figuring out the rules in the empire/resistance. There are 7 main characters (5 main ones, 2 on the fringes that come into play later on in the book). But as the characters came together I started to differentiate between them, and I loved the way the story was told from multiple perspectives in present day and past chapters. This may not work for everyone but it leant a lot of depth to the cultivated and complex characters and relationships!
This went to a lot of darker places than I thought it would, and I was coming into this for a more YA lighthearted space read, hence my mixed feelings about it. This was pitched as a ‘feminist Guardians of the Galaxy’, but I think it’s more like a feminist Red Rising. That being said, it explores complex issues of artificial intelligence embedded in a dictatorship and the women who come together to attempt to undermine and overthrow the current regime.
3.75 rounded up!