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A review by ninegladiolus
Cascade Failure by L.M. Sagas
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
5.0
Every now and then, a novel comes around that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let you go. Cascade Failure was one such novel. Not since These Burning Stars by Bethany Jacobs did a sci-fi book sit me down and shut me up for the requisite number of hours to read it. With found family vibes to end all found family vibes, a sweeping adventure with stakes both fresh and familiar, and emotional moments that left me breathless, LM Sagas' debut left me both fulfilled and wanting more.
There are a lot of books compared to Becky Chambers these days, but for once, I think the comp is justified in Cascade Failure. This novel excels at showing the tiny, ‘mundane’ moments of human connection that make the wider universal stakes and worldbuilding matter, which is what I associate most heavily with Becky Chambers. I’d also say I get a lot more Firefly than Expanse from this, which—even though I love The Expanse!—is a compliment. A scrappy crew of misfits on an equally scrappy ship facing impossible odds is what I loved most about Firefly.
The characters, the characters, the CHARACTERS. I would die for each and every member of the Ambit’s crew. I love them all in different ways, and by the end of the first novel, they felt so real to me. Not only are they autonomous in and of themselves, but all of them make decisions in line with the personality and motivations they espouse, even when those decisions are ‘bad’ (to vastly oversimplify).
When I say Cascade Failure is impeccably paced, it’s still an understatement. I devoured this novel in a day and didn’t move from my couch or bed for most of it, part of which was aided by the excellent pacing. There’s never a moment that doesn’t serve the story in some way, whether it’s an emotionally intimate character moment or a heart-pounding action sequence.
I want to talk a bit about the queer representation in this since I haven’t seen many folks go over it. One crewmember, the AI who helms the Ambit, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. My only very minor quibble about this book is that I can’t recall any other human characters being nonbinary (or even stated to be trans in other ways), and it’s a personal pet peeve when the ONLY nonbinary representation is also non-human. Though the word isn’t used on page, I interpreted Nash to be lesbian given the hints of flirting and attraction she displays with another woman and her repeated sentiments that men are not for her.
What I really enjoyed but can’t definitively speak to is the potential for aspec representation here. I’ve read Gravity Lost as well—review forthcoming soon, but also another five-star favourite—and even by the end of that, I’m not sure how to interpret a particular relationship. One of my favourite things lately is deep and meaningful platonic bonds being given the same attention as romantic ones, both in and of themselves and how it resonates with aspec identities I hold. One such relationship in Cascade Failure is INTENSELY emotional and intimate, laden with history, but there’s nothing overtly marking it as romantic or sexual. So while it’s queer in my mind either way, it’s not easily labeled, which is a-okay (and good, actually). Maybe it will be a long-game slow burn, maybe it will be the aspec relationship of my dreams, but either way, I look forward to seeing it develop.
All that said: Fans of sci-fi, especially folks who enjoy the deeply character-driven works of Becky Chambers and/or the scrappy and adventurous found family vibes of Firefly, please give Cascade Failure a chance. Don’t miss this little gem of a debut!
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.
There are a lot of books compared to Becky Chambers these days, but for once, I think the comp is justified in Cascade Failure. This novel excels at showing the tiny, ‘mundane’ moments of human connection that make the wider universal stakes and worldbuilding matter, which is what I associate most heavily with Becky Chambers. I’d also say I get a lot more Firefly than Expanse from this, which—even though I love The Expanse!—is a compliment. A scrappy crew of misfits on an equally scrappy ship facing impossible odds is what I loved most about Firefly.
The characters, the characters, the CHARACTERS. I would die for each and every member of the Ambit’s crew. I love them all in different ways, and by the end of the first novel, they felt so real to me. Not only are they autonomous in and of themselves, but all of them make decisions in line with the personality and motivations they espouse, even when those decisions are ‘bad’ (to vastly oversimplify).
When I say Cascade Failure is impeccably paced, it’s still an understatement. I devoured this novel in a day and didn’t move from my couch or bed for most of it, part of which was aided by the excellent pacing. There’s never a moment that doesn’t serve the story in some way, whether it’s an emotionally intimate character moment or a heart-pounding action sequence.
I want to talk a bit about the queer representation in this since I haven’t seen many folks go over it. One crewmember, the AI who helms the Ambit, is nonbinary and uses they/them pronouns. My only very minor quibble about this book is that I can’t recall any other human characters being nonbinary (or even stated to be trans in other ways), and it’s a personal pet peeve when the ONLY nonbinary representation is also non-human. Though the word isn’t used on page, I interpreted Nash to be lesbian given the hints of flirting and attraction she displays with another woman and her repeated sentiments that men are not for her.
What I really enjoyed but can’t definitively speak to is the potential for aspec representation here. I’ve read Gravity Lost as well—review forthcoming soon, but also another five-star favourite—and even by the end of that, I’m not sure how to interpret a particular relationship. One of my favourite things lately is deep and meaningful platonic bonds being given the same attention as romantic ones, both in and of themselves and how it resonates with aspec identities I hold. One such relationship in Cascade Failure is INTENSELY emotional and intimate, laden with history, but there’s nothing overtly marking it as romantic or sexual. So while it’s queer in my mind either way, it’s not easily labeled, which is a-okay (and good, actually). Maybe it will be a long-game slow burn, maybe it will be the aspec relationship of my dreams, but either way, I look forward to seeing it develop.
All that said: Fans of sci-fi, especially folks who enjoy the deeply character-driven works of Becky Chambers and/or the scrappy and adventurous found family vibes of Firefly, please give Cascade Failure a chance. Don’t miss this little gem of a debut!
Thank you to Tor Books and NetGalley for an advance review copy. All opinions are my own.