figandfilament 's review for:

Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder

5.0

adventurous challenging medium-paced

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This is a nostalgic read for me — I read it so so many times as a teenager thinking Yelena was the coolest. Easier to see faults as an adult and understand some of the power dynamics and fallout of a totalitarian regime taking power. Very very intriguing, especially when you know what’s coming and realize the author is dropping hints that

the Commander is trans

— and being able to understand as an adult that that isn’t some weird fantasy world made-up thing, but a real situation that real people live in. The fantasy is

giving that trans person the highest authority in this new government

and that’s awesome. It becomes this weird exploration of totalitarianism and how it hurts people at the same time as how those within it are fiercely faithful to the institution even as it hurts those closest to them

like Valek looking for Yelena’s loyalty despite literally making her a food taster and poisoning her daily to keep her in that position.