maxisandallies 's review for:

The Genesis of Misery by Neon Yang

3.0

challenging emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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The central premise is "Joan of Arc in space," but Genesis of Misery does so many things not necessary to fulfill that premise. The author takes an unreliable narrator who gets progressively less trustworthy as things go on, combines them with a sci-fi world of miracles and technology and things not quite either, and adds a nearly incomprehensible frame narrative. This novel has really interesting themes; fanaticism, self-mythology, trauma, polyamory, and it handles them well, with compelling characters. But many of the strange decisions the author makes just don't seem to be worth the difficulty they add to the reading experience. The sequel is unreleased at time of writing, but I suspect it answers the "why" questions that hold Genesis back.