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A review by ninegladiolus
Azura Ghost by Essa Hansen
adventurous
dark
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
5.0
I wasn’t really sure what to expect going into Essa Hanen’s Azura Ghost. To be honest, I was lukewarm on the first book in The Graven series, Nophek Gloss; Caiden as a young, traumatized protagonist was written convincingly as such and it made it hard to connect with the narrative. But Azura Ghost was like its own multiverse in miniature and reset the playing field altogether. With a ten-year interval and a vastly expanded character cast and stakes, I could barely put down this book for all its 600 pages.
A lot of what I loved about Azura Ghost counts as massive spoiler territory, so unfortunately I can’t get too specific about what I loved, but I can certainly talk about some generalities. Transhumanism plays a central role in Azura Ghost in more ways than I can count offhand, and that is my absolute jam, especially when intersected with topics like disability, neurodivergence, gender identity, and artificial intelligence, all of which are explored in this novel. The intricate, descriptive prose made by brain pop and fizz with delight; so many phrases and paragraphs got highlighted in my ARC.
The character work also ascends into the stratosphere in this one. Caiden with ten years of being on the run under his belt has a lot to grapple with, both in regards to his past and the current conflicts he faces. Many old favourite faces return as well, including the inimitable Endirion Day. In addition to returning characters from Nophek Gloss, we’re also introduced to Abriss and a large cast of unique, terrifying, and wonderful characters in her orbit. Hansen excels at character development and I cared about everyone who got page time. There’s so much queer found family in space that my little heart was full to bursting with the full range of human emotion.
Also… when I say I could barely put this book down, I mean it. The pacing is absolutely excellent, and the way both plot events and character arcs weave together and split apart is a thing of beauty to behold. The already imaginative world gains more new layers than I can shake a stick at, and I sat in awe as that world unfolded before me.
For anyone who was on the fence about continuing this series after Nophek Gloss like me, I have to say I highly, HIGHLY recommend picking up Azura Ghost; this book feels like it has begun to touch upon the heart of the series and is both gripping and imaginative. And if you were considering starting this series at all, consider this my strong recommendation to do so. Unique, wonderful, emotional, brutal, and literally out of this world, Azura Ghost is a contender for one of my favourite reads of 2022.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.
A lot of what I loved about Azura Ghost counts as massive spoiler territory, so unfortunately I can’t get too specific about what I loved, but I can certainly talk about some generalities. Transhumanism plays a central role in Azura Ghost in more ways than I can count offhand, and that is my absolute jam, especially when intersected with topics like disability, neurodivergence, gender identity, and artificial intelligence, all of which are explored in this novel. The intricate, descriptive prose made by brain pop and fizz with delight; so many phrases and paragraphs got highlighted in my ARC.
The character work also ascends into the stratosphere in this one. Caiden with ten years of being on the run under his belt has a lot to grapple with, both in regards to his past and the current conflicts he faces. Many old favourite faces return as well, including the inimitable Endirion Day. In addition to returning characters from Nophek Gloss, we’re also introduced to Abriss and a large cast of unique, terrifying, and wonderful characters in her orbit. Hansen excels at character development and I cared about everyone who got page time. There’s so much queer found family in space that my little heart was full to bursting with the full range of human emotion.
Also… when I say I could barely put this book down, I mean it. The pacing is absolutely excellent, and the way both plot events and character arcs weave together and split apart is a thing of beauty to behold. The already imaginative world gains more new layers than I can shake a stick at, and I sat in awe as that world unfolded before me.
For anyone who was on the fence about continuing this series after Nophek Gloss like me, I have to say I highly, HIGHLY recommend picking up Azura Ghost; this book feels like it has begun to touch upon the heart of the series and is both gripping and imaginative. And if you were considering starting this series at all, consider this my strong recommendation to do so. Unique, wonderful, emotional, brutal, and literally out of this world, Azura Ghost is a contender for one of my favourite reads of 2022.
Thank you to Orbit and NetGalley for an advance reader copy. All opinions are my own.