Like most people who studied literature in school but not really had anything to do with it since, I vaguely recalled the tragic tale of Oedipus. So when I heard of a Veronica Roth retelling of Antigone, one of Oedipus’ children, but sci-fi with a library of people rather than books, I was intrigued. And having just finished it, I now recall why I don’t usually read novellas… I need more!

Roth has a very cinematic way of telling a story - she’s one of the few authors who makes me feel like I’m watching a film or episode of a TV show when I’m reading her writing. ARCH-CONSPIRATOR feels much like you’re dropped in right before the climax of your favourite show. The scene has already been set, familiarity with characters is almost assumed, even though it’s only the first page, yet it doesn’t feel like you’re strangers with only a name to go by. You are immediately hit with a sense of tension and anticipation, and know that you’re going to be in for a ride.

Antigone (“Tig” to her siblings) is not a bold heroine. She’s no femme fatale, and doesn’t give “main character vibes” at all. If anything, Antigone is very much an antihero, and it’s clear that all she want’s in her life is freedom. Freedom to make her own choices, to write her own story. And it’s a sad story, one that leaves the reader with more questions than answers, and a bittersweet ending to it all.

I really enjoyed ARCH-CONSPIRATOR, and really wish there was a sequel or more written in this world! I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves sci-fi/dystopian retellings, or want a quick read reflecting on the fragility of humanity and what it means to make our own choices with the limited options life throws at us.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a digital review copy!

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

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adventurous emotional mysterious fast-paced