“Seven Devils” by Elizabeth May and Laura Lam is a thrilling space opera that deftly combines action, rebellion, and camaraderie. This high-octane novel follows a diverse crew of rebels as they fight against a tyrannical regime. The authors craft a compelling narrative filled with richly developed characters and a fast-paced plot that keeps readers engaged from start to finish. The dynamic interplay between the protagonists adds depth and emotional resonance, making their fight for freedom both relatable and riveting. Seven Devils is a must-read for fans of science fiction who crave strong characters and epic adventures.

I’ve had this book for an embarrassingly long time and really wanted to like this but it was a huge disappointment for me. My main reason is because it just read like Star Wars fan fiction, and if it had have been fan fiction edited and published that wouldn’t have been an issue but it just felt like it was trying too hard to be Star Wars (an implant that reprograms you to how the Empire wants you be… hello Order 66 clones). I will say if you like the sound of this book and you’re either not a fan, or you’re a very casual fan of Star Wars then give this a go, but if you’re like me and a big fan of Star Wars fan then you will likely not enjoy it.

I approached this book because I fell in love with the concept, and had heard really good things about both L.Lam and Elizabeth May, although wasn't - at first- familiar with their individual work. But what a wonderful duo!

Queer rep? Space opera? Crime and Corruption? Sign me up.

I'll admit the initial pacing of the book was a little difficult for me to get into, and I put it down after the first read. It was a DNF. I really wanted it to explore the pantheon of gods a little more, albeit I realise that's a personal preference of mine in books.

But then, after some time away, I decided to pick it back up - probably in my space-opera era when it comes to books - and after the first few chapters it clicked. The characters are diverse and engaging, and didn't feel tokenistic in a way I feel some sci-fi tends to lean towards. They totally NAILED the found family vibe, which is a big big love for me in any space opera book I read.

I'd say it's worth having a read, even if it didn't click at first. It's the sort of book that grows on you. Now, off to read the sequel!

Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience.

Did not finish,

I'm a big fan of Laura Lam's books, but this one didn't quite click with me. I didn't like the characters and really struggled with some of the dialogue. This wasn't one for me, but I'd recommend for someone looking for sci-fi that bridges the gap between YA and adult.

Seven Devils by Elizabeth May and Laura Lam is one that I read ages ago and somehow just forgot to review - I read it before release! It is a delightful space opera with a ton of references to Greek mythology which made me love it even more. Combining queer found family elements (pretty much all of the main characters are queer, and female or non-binary, which is awesome) with hints at pre-determined story elements through the references and generally a fun space opera story, Seven Devils is pure entertainment. It is fast-paced and not scientifically accurate. This is one of those science fiction books where the rule of cool supersedes everything, rather than being meticulously researched in terms of technology and science. And it makes it compulsively readable. I need to catch up with Seven Mercies, the second book in the duology which has been released in the meantime (shame on me, this is how long this took me...) and dive back in the world of Eris, Ariadne and co. I loved all of the characters, who became more like friends over the course of the story, which I found wonderful. Definite recommendation for a relaxing and quick read.

Look, I really wanted to finish and like this book. But I kept reading a few pages of it and then putting it down to read something else. It was when I used the text-to-speech function on my kindle and realized nearly a chapter had gone by with me not paying a lick of attention – I had to dnf this, otherwise I was very likely to get into another reading slump. It stayed on my Currently Reading shelf for about a YEAR because I kept trying to get myself into this book.

So yes, I dnfed this at 25%. The cause? I guess not being interested enough? The characters were interesting and I liked the whole plot – rebellions are always fun to read about. It’s not that it was high sci-fi – I liked that bit. I think it was largely due to the characters – though they were interesting from time to time – it wasn’t enough to keep my reading.

Maybe I’ll pick it up in audio some time.

Queer rep? Check. Amazing women fighters? Check. A dark and hungry space empire to root against? Check. Amazing action, dialogue and plot twists? Check, check, check.

This book really does have everything! There is a part of me that wants to compare it to The Locked Tomb books, but that doesn't seem fair to either series. While they both have kick ass women space warriors and queer rep, and a grasping empire at the heart of a galaxy, they are very different beasts!

May and Lam's ensemble cast is full of spiky, independent, glorious characters, all with different motivations and goals, but each one compelling in their own way.

There are times the dialogue got a little clunky, or where I felt I was stretching my suspension of disbelief as far as I could go, but in the end I carried on for a satisfying, rollicking space adventure that leaves me excited for book two!

A feminist space opera with lush world-building and endearing characters. This is a fun and engaging read with plenty of diverse rep. Perfect for fans of ILLUMINAE.

A space opera is the type of book I didn’t know I needed in my life. I like how the book is told from a number of perspectives and we get to know each character more in detail through this. There was a lot of action in the book and it kept me interested throughout especially with the flashback chapters. The book has great representation and I’m looking forward to reading the second in this duology to find out what happens next!

I really loved this book, when I think Space Opera this is exactly what I'm looking for. It wasn't perfect but all the components were good and I think it deserves the five stars I am giving it. It is a book full of badass characters, who all have well fleshed out back stories, fighting in a resistance against an Imperial Empire. I love a good resistance story and this one met my expectations.

This story is told form multiple point of views which I feel really helps us get to know all of the characters and their pasts. It also has some time skips so we get a lot of backstory that is very relevant to the story and the current mission they are on. This helps us really understand the characters motivations and how they all end up where they are now.

The story was full of action and it kept me hooked until the end, the plot was pretty basic and could be predictable. A resistance fighting against an evil empire isn't exactly a unique concept but this was one was just really well written.

The book ended really well and its definitely made me more excited for the second. It wasn't as much of a cliffhanger as I was expecting but it did up the stakes a hell of a lot. The world building was really good and I loved the AI and how the Empire kept the people loyal. Overall it was just a very good space opera story with amazing characters.

I really enjoyed this feminist space opera! The characters were great. They felt believable and well-developed, complete with flaws and interesting backgrounds. I found the plot gripping and had a lot of fun reading this book.

I loved Seven Devils - a fun, diverse, high-stakes space opera was just what I needed. A testament to my enjoyment is that I even enjoyed reading the flashbacks - usually I dislike when whole chapters are dedicated to a character's past, but here it was used sparingly enough that it both added to the character's backstories and moved the plot along.

My only complaint is that the ending felt a little scattered, though the epilogue did make up for that. I look forward to the next instalment, and seeing what universe-saving antics the titular Seven Devils get up to next.

I really like the idea of sci fi, with some sort of influence of the gods. I love myth and as I journey through more sci fi, I feel like that is a good blend for me.

However, I did find that although it was fast paced and action packed from the start (which was fun and exhilarating), I felt like I was missing bits and pieces along the way, that I couldn't process with the speed of everything happening and the onslaught of characters to meet and remember in rather quick succession. This led me, at times, to feel as if I ended up skimming sections, and had to keep goung back over them slower, when I realised this was happening. If it had slowed down in its delivery slightly, and focused that time a little more on world building, the politics of the different planets, more about the Oracle/One, etc (as my buddy read partner said best), I could have absorbed more, and in turn, enjoyed it more and not feel as bombarded.
I think, due to how quick everything was, although I loved the all female cast and the way they meshed and clashed with each other, I did keep getting confused between Rhea and Ariadne. They are very different, but the names kept jumbling up in my head.

Despite all this, the main characters that we met were very interesting and I did feel very sucked in (albeit, in a very dizzying way) to the plot and all that was happening.

I was concerned that everything seemed to fall into place just so , (especially Ariadne, she felt super over powered) but by about 70% in, twists were sprouting here and there and that's when I was really sucked in.

I did wonder how I'd feel reading from a duo of authors, as I've still got wariness built up from a really stilted experience, but I'm happy that I found it cohesive and didn't feel obviously like two different writers. It melted well together.

This was a really intriguing premise and I will probably get around to reading the sequel, once its released.

SPACE. OPERA. I love a good space opera! Especially when it's a feminist space opera with some of my favourite tropes & rep:
- Friends/Enemies/Friends. - Trans Rep!!
- Bi!!!!!! Rep - Autistic Rep!
- Ace!!!!! Rep - Team of misfits
- f/f relationships! - Found Family

As you can see this HAS IT ALL! Though some of my favourite things about this book were just how enjoyable it was to read and how like it was mainly a crew of kick ass women and it was just so freaking cool to read. It felt like this book was so diverse and it was all the better for it. I did find that the book was a bit middling at times and that the flashbacks did slightly ruin the pace of the story though I did enjoy the flashbacks but they did feel slightly jarring.

I think that sums up the majority of this book for me though. I did enjoy it, and i would recommend it. Though I would read books again by these authors bc they were good!

(3.5)

Seven Devils is in one word 'epic'. It's so good. That's probably why I'm writing this review six months later because I couldn't find the words for it earlier. The women are truly powerful, all in their own way. Every single one has a great backstory, their own character arc, and important role in the climax of the book. Oh right, have I shared the original comp line? MAD MAX + ROGUE ONE BUT WITH WOMEN. Yeah, so much is happening, it's hard to keep track. But everything is neatly coming together in the end.

The story is told through different points of view, two at the beginning and I didn't like one of them. Not because it was bad, I just wasn't interested in her. I wanted to know all the other stuff though. So after they meet up with the three other women who later become part of the mission, things really sped up. It's a thrilling, action-packed space adventure. The world is convincing, both beautiful and deadly at the same time. The authors don't hold back on the deadly either. Expect blood and gruesome violence, horrible morals, and more enemies than allies.

I give Seven Devils five stars. I don't know what else to give it. I don't read science-fiction a lot, and definitely not space opera, but I really enjoyed this. The book ended with a soft cliffhanger. It's the first book of a duology so it makes sense there would be some kind of cliffhanger. I honestly can't wait until the next one is out.

A thought-provoking, pedal-to-the-metal space opera with characters to root for.. Full review of the book is at the Nerds of a Feather Blog.

I received this book from the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. I also read it for the Space Sirens Book Club December read :)

I thought I'd enjoy this going in and I really did. It's honestly fun from start to finish. I always like a good rebellion, and I found the politics in this to be very intriguing.

As is often the case with this sort of book, our rebels have to combat terrifying odds, and I like that they do it with style! While we have two main protagonists, we also have a small number of additional POV characters, with my favourite being the young but fantastic Ariadne! I loved her throughout. Clo and Eris are both excellent, and also having to work together despite a very rocky history and one hell of a grudge being held by Clo. I love a friends to haters to colleagues! An underrated trope, perhaps.

We also get great LGBT+ rep and so much excellent feminism and sisterhood. I honestly loved the relationships between these women. Yes, even Eris and Clo with all their vitriol.

I am super excited for book two, as we get some serious fireworks at the end. 4.5 stars.

I was given a free copy of this book by Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. That was back in July. I finally finished ‘Seven Devils’ at literally the eleventh hour on New Year’s Eve 2020.

That kind of sums up my main issue with the book. I just didn’t enjoy it. I really struggled to read it, which was a shame as I loved the concept. The world needs more feminist LGBQT+ space operas so I was determined to finish and I’ll probably read the sequel to support the authors, but sadly ‘Seven Devils’ did not grip me. The writing was often clunky or cliché though, to be fair, there were some neat turns of phrase too. Like ‘Firefly’, there’s plenty of slang and invented terms, though the dialect of the ‘Snarl’ where the last naturally born humans live (including Clo, one of our heroines) sounds suspiciously like a Scottish accent. (This is also dicey, considering the ‘Brave New World’ like attitudes of this fictional society, in which people are genetically engineered and ‘grown’ and natural reproduction is considered primitive. By extension, Clo is presented as uncouth and unrefined, and her community is poverty-stricken, crime-ridden and drug-addled (by the Empire’s design). I’m just saying, there are unfortunate implications.)

Still, the worldbuilding was generally one of the book’s stronger elements. It seems to be set in a distant future in which humans have conquered distant galaxies, since Latin words and terms are used throughout. The “Oracle” is the AI that keeps the Empire running and controls its citizens, who are all genetically engineered and programmed from birth to fit various roles, like “servitor” (servant class) or “militus” (soldier class). This, incidentally, was another strong point, since the brainwashing and the Oracle’s ability to hijack its victims was genuinely chilling. In my opinion, this also saves the book, with its mostly female cast, from the inevitable accusations of misandry, since most of the male antagonists are brainwashed, so their actions are not their fault. (You could also argue that even the main villain, Prince Damocles, is a product of cultural indoctrination.) In any event, unlearning prejudice is a theme that I hope will be expanded upon in the sequel(s).

Some little bits of worldbuilding fit nicely with the book’s overarching themes. Given the norm for ‘growing’ people, traditional family units no longer exist. Other characters are very curious about Clo’s relationship with her mother and there’s a taboo around phrases like “brother” and “sister” (or “frater” and “soror”, since this is a Latin-obsessed civilization). Little touches like these round out the fictional world and fit with the book’s themes of (found) family and community versus the state. (Most of the other main characters have issues with isolation and alienation and even Clo is orphaned.) Genocide of alien races is referenced multiple times and the Tholosian worldview - that the human race are entitled to every planet they come across - is essentially a kind of authoritarian Manifest Destiny on a cosmic scale. This extends to some observations on male entitlement and fragility in the book’s main antagonist, Prince Damocles, who’s kind of a cartoon villain with a massive chip on his shoulder due to his own failings and his father’s obvious preference for his sister, Princess Discordia. (I did like Princess Discordia's storyline, by the way.) As I said before, the authors highlight the fact that he’s a product of his culture, but he lacks depth or interesting facets as a villain. I also found it hard to believe that in a cohort of genetically engineered superhumans (essentially), Discordia was the only girl to have survived to adulthood. Sure, the authors were making a point about the harshness of the royal family’s training but, for a book full of feminist messages, it seems to reinforce the idea that women (even genetically engineered women) are inherently weak, compared to men.

To be fair, I did enjoy reading about women desperados adventuring and working together. And the main cast is diverse, including a trans woman, women of color, a sex worker, LGBQT+ characters (and a lesbian romance), a character with a disability (and a prosthetic) and a character who could be interpreted as neuro-divergent (Ariadne is a genius who struggles with social skills, though that could be attributed to her isolated upbringing). On the other hand, the plan they come up with to fight the empire (upon which the plot hinges) seemed pretty stupid to me, and the characters kept reacting with surprise to things I thought were obvious. I spotted the big twist at the end way before any of the characters did, for example. A climactic scene, discovering one of the Empire’s atrocities on a forgotten planet, also reminded me a bit too much of the Miranda scene in ‘Serenity’.

I think ‘Seven Devils’ has its strong points, but for me, at least, the plot, occasional typos and even some of the writing let it down. Of course, that could just be me, and I’m sure lots of people will enjoy it much more than I did.

I enjoyed this a lot, it was well paced and I really liked all the characters. It did take me a while to get my head around the switching of pov's and time frames but once I did it was really quite engrossing. A solid scifi which isn't too heavy, its smart and I am very much looking forward to the sequel.

Strong 4 out of 5 stars.