Full of action and I loved watching the relationships between the characters develop and change - found family is one of my favourite tropes! The shifts between points of view and timelines made it a little hard to get properly into the story to begin with, but overall very enjoyable feminist space opera with a diverse, kickass crew including queer, trans, neurodivergent and disabled rep. Not too science-heavy, which can put me off sci-fi, instead the technology was a natural part of the world and story.

I think the main positive for me of this whole story was the world it all takes place in and wow, there’s some depth, but I also feel like it could go deeper. There’s intergalactic wars between empires, there’s the Tholosian empire, who have some form of AI (or super advanced being?) indoctrination with a chip installed in citizen’s brains.

Our characters are a members of the Novantae, the resistance force, most of whom have to suffer a gruelling reprogramming just to be able to think for themselves and join the resistance. The Tholosian are clearly a power-crazy bunch, but with a leader that may possibly be changing his mind on how the empire should be run, until the events of the story play out and things never go quite as intended, do they?

The key thing I feel is missing from the world is a further explanation of the gods of the Tholosians, of which there are seven, all represented with names such as “God of Death” and “God of Survival” (they do have names, but remembering them is beyond me!) and I’m intrigued by how an AI controlled empire would also have a deeply engrained belief in various deities as well. I feel like those two things don’t typically go hand-in-hand, so it’s an interesting dynamic that could be explored further. Unless the AI is actually a deity? Hmmm.

Intriguing Story
Where this book truly excels is in the story itself. A well-paced adventure with thrilling action, intriguing plots and the odd twist in the story.

The book is told from the POV of five different characters, with the chapters labelled with their names. Eris is not who she says she is, so whilst the chapters do not label a timeframe, you can still tell which timeline you’re reading as the authors cleverly use her previous name. One of my favourite parts of the story is Eris’ backstory and all the madness that comes with it. Think a Hunger Games type scenario where 51 brothers and one sister are trained to the highest standard, are able to make allies with one other and then are expected to kill each other until only two survive. Utter madness, and that’s not even the main plot of the story, just a bit of character history, but there could easily be a whole separate novel on just that alone! Spinoff, anyone?

The main story of Seven Devils itself surrounds our motley crew on missions that the resistant forces co-commander labels as ITI, meaning Impossible to Infiltrate, and our crew are tasked with doing it anyway, or else millions will die. And it’s such a thrilling and fun read!

Great Story But Disappointing Characters
Our five characters are Eris, aka, Princess Discordia, who flipped sides to the rebellion, Clo, a bad-ass mechanic with a prosthetic leg (and a hatred for Eris which begins to get boring), Nyx, a kickass soldier, Rhea, a beautiful courtier with secrets and Ariadne, a genius of a girl, who before the events of the story, had no face-to-face human interaction. Our main bad-guy throughout is Prince Damocles.

Greco-Roman Inspirations Did Have Me Smiling

The connections to the Greek myths are exquisite, Sword of Damocles, anyone? Excited to see how that in particular plays out in the next book. That’s not the only name that ascends beyond just being a name, but it’s one that had me smiling the most as I thought about how it’s all going to end. I’d love to go on and list all the connections between the characters, the myths of their namesakes and how it fits into the story, but the spoilers would be out of this world so I’ve chosen not to. Needless to say, however, if you’re familiar with Greco-Roman myth, there’s plenty of Easter eggs here for you! Unfortunately, their names are where my love for the characters mostly begins and ends.

Refreshing Romance

There is also a very light touch of romance in this between two of the POV characters, which was fun to read. The book included a variety of rep without it feeling forced, from bi to trans to ace and it just felt like a natural part of the book’s world, which was refreshing to read in Sci-Fi.

But...

Whilst I enjoyed much of it, as explained above, I think my main problem is with the characters themselves. This should be a found family type scenario with a motley crew to love as the story progresses, but even as I got to the end, the only characters I really cared about was Eris and Ariadne and the others I still wasn’t overly attached to. For me, the characters are always the most important part of the story, and yet here, I found myself indifferent to most, if not downright disliking. The annoying thing is I can’t quite put my finger on why.

Overall
Overall, I really enjoyed Seven Devils by Elizabeth May & Laura Lam. It had such a fun and interesting story with quite the ending and I can’t wait to see where it goes in the next book! Whilst the characters didn’t have me as much as I’d have liked, I’m hoping that will improve in the next book.

A badass band of morally grey women taking down the empire? In space? Sign me up. This book has so much I love and it was co-wrote by Laura Lam who did an great job with her novel Goldilocks so I couldn't wait to read it. Although it had quite a slow start, it picked up once the whole 'team' where finally brought together and after that was just the fast-paced sci-fi I wanted it to be. The world was interesting and the characters well written; I was mostly interested in Eris's story as it was the most interesting to me, I love characters that turn away from a society they had always known. There wasn't much I didn't like about this novel, however there were parts I felt like I had read all this before, it had a tendency to fall into cliches but this wasn't always a bad thing and some times worked in their favour. I will be eagerly awaiting the sequel!

I came across this book because an author I really like said how much he had enjoyed it. I'm no great SFF reader but it sounded interesting and I gave it a try.
I absolutely love this book. Laura Lam and Elizabeth May are great in writing characters I can care about. I just love those women (the ones in space, as I don't know the authors), and I'm so glad the next book is already being written (write faster!), so I won't have to live without them. Also it has a lot of action and as someone said 'lesbian snogging', wonderful book.
P.S. Especially nice was the Scottish touch in Clo.

Seven Devils seemed to promise me a scifi adventure, full of intrigue, strong women and queerness.

And I was partly satisfied. The queer rep is absolutely wonderful and I will stand by it till the day I die.
It is however, the characters that carry this story forward, and as the plot is one we have seen before - the looming evil empire hellbent on taking over the whole world, I think the wonderfully diverse cast of characters we were introduced to gave it new life.

However, I will say, as we followed five different characters from five different points of view it did sometimes feel a little disjointed, and I think if the emphasis had been on one of two I might have felt more connected to the actual plot. What also seemed to drag the book down a little in rating was a last plot twist which I think we could have been without - to me, it jjust felt more like pandering then a necessary plot point.

Over all, I think this is a wonderful read, but it lacked in certain areas to make it a full five stars.

That being said I loved the banter, and the easy way this story was written and I think on a second read I may find it more enjoyable.
There is so much more to explore in this world, and I look forward to seeing it.

I was so excited when I heard about this book! Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elisabeth May is the start of a space opera duology and was an incredibly good read.

The Tholosian Empire is run by a cruel dictator and an AI that programs its citizens to obey. This is the story of seven rebels trying to bring it down. And it kicks ass.

The authors take the feeling of Star Wars, mix it with heists and sprinkle a fast-paced storyline on top. It works incredibly well and I would wish for a movie adaptation of this instead of Star Wars Episode “Let’s cut out diverse characters”.

I’ve already been a fan of Laura Lam’s books, and I’ll definitely check out Elisabeth May’s books.

Seven Devils is the first in a feminist space opera duology, it’s a high octane interstellar adventure following a band of rebels taking on a sinister Empire. A wickedly fun mashup of Star Wars and Guardians of the Galaxy with a splash of The Hunger Games.

The story alternates between several POVs and shifts between present and past. The flashbacks are fascinating during the first half of the book and felt essential to the story, but in the second half they begin to drag down the momentum a little.

Apart from the flashbacks belonging to Eris, I personally don’t feel they added enough value to the story or characters to really justify the slightly jarring pacing in the last 30%. Although, I will freely admit that I was so taken with Eris as a character by this point, that anything deviating from her was just less fun to read about for me!

The story has some familiar space opera tropes, but the authors bring a totally fresh approach to them. Inventive technology, cool planetary systems and riveting political games.

I especially enjoyed when the authors explored what it takes in their world to become heir to the Empire (kind of like The Hunger Games played out across the galaxy. I would have happily read an entire novel just about this!)

I also loved the sapphic romance in this book. It was sweet and fragile and beautifully written. I definitely want to see more of that in book two!

The only reason this gets pulled down to 4 stars is the flashbacks in the second half. Other than that, this book is a total joyride and set things up for a spectacular second book!

The galaxy is ruled by the ruthless Tholosian Empire. People are not born, but created, designed for whatever purpose they can serve. And each is under the control of the Oracle, whispering in their minds, reinforcing propaganda, issuing orders. But the Resistance is growing, especially with the former heir as a member. She and Clo – engineer and pilot, born naturally and without the Oracle’s influence – are forced to work together to infiltrate a ship and discover what, exactly, is being transported.

They discover something unexpected. And come across three women, desperately trying to escape the Empire.

Star Wars meets Firefly meets Guardians of the Galaxy meets this is the kind of book I’ve been waiting my whole life for. Space, sometimes, almost feels like a male-dominated area. The boys are the ones who get the fun space romps, who get to be Jedis and Captains and main characters, or form a quirky crew who have a fun time travelling in a falling apart ship. Growing up, the women I saw in space were princesses or courtesans, or more tomboyish characters, sometimes fighting for their lives while the boys got the fun. I love Leia, I love Ripley, I love Star Wars and Red Dwarf, but Seven Devils gives us an evil Empire, a Resistance, and women who are varied and different and keen to make a mark, rather than regulated to a maximum of two women for every three men seen.

Eris might be a princess of sorts, but the life she lived was not a privileged one, pitted against her numerous brothers, forced to duel them in order to prove herself worthy. The book contains the sort of tropes I absolutely love, and though you can almost see the shadows of other (usually male) characters behind these women, they wonderfully step out from under them. They’re not reflections, but they do give a nod to others, in a way that feels new and fresh.

This feels like it could slot in nicely to a world like Star Wars, while remaining far removed. It’s the kind of book you feel instantly comfortable with, yet still retains a unique, fresh look at space and the kind of adventures that can be had among the stars.

The set-up for Empire is interesting and fascinating, ruled by a man with an extended life, waging a constant war and ravaging planets for resources. Supported by Oracle, an ever-seeing AI which has a distinct Toxic Mother feel. This book is a roller coaster ride, taking you up and dropping you down and giving you that sinking heart feeling as the stakes rise higher and higher. The relationships between all the characters are important, the way they feel about one another having a strong impact on decisions and their actions. My favourite character was, perhaps, the youngest. Ariadne, when we meet her, is trying to adjust from a life lived in isolation with only the Oracle for company, to interacting with people, while feeling she must constantly be perfect in order not to be punished.

This is the kind of book I could talk about for days. It’s the sort of book you want to sit down and discuss with others, and go through your favourite (and least favourite) characters, revel in the best moments, dissect each scene. It’s the kind of book to keep you gripped and tense, while giving you warm, fuzzy feelings and the urge to punch the air. It’s a duology, which in some ways makes me sad because I’d love for this to be a longer series.

Believe the hype: this book is feminist as fuck. For all the women who wanted to wield a lightsaber or blaster or other space weapon, who wanted to see more than just one female character out in space, this book is for you. There’s little to dislike about this one, and so much to love.

If this review was simple one line it would be; read this kick-ass, super feminist, absolute badass book, right fricking now. This is a book I did not know I needed until it stumbled into my life. To be completely honest I saw the US cover first and was like ‘yup, I need to read this book. Look at all those female characters ahhhhh.’ And then I saw the UK cover and though I prefer the US cover, the UK has shown the epicness that is space and I for one am here for anything space related.

This book was an absolute delight to read, it was nice to read sci-fi after a huge lack of sci-fi books on my TBR. Safe to say fantasy has completely taken over. Seven Devils follows a group of badass females taking on the corrupt galactic empire, just a regular ol’ Tuesday for some. This gave off some serious Star Wars vibes – which I’m so fucking here for!!!! (I may still be in withdrawal from my rewatch of Star Wars and Kylo Ren…)

This is the all female Guardians of the Galaxy group we didn’t know we needed and I highly recommend this book because who doesn’t love a good ol’ spaceship race and space jumps. Elizabeth May and Laura Lam have filled this book with amazing representation; POC’s and queer characters that are breaking patriarchy with every shot their blasters take.

It did take me a while to get fully invested into the plot, the multiple POVs did help but got a tad mixed up with the past and the present chapters – although the past chapters did give much insight into the current state of mind of some of the characters. I found myself quite invested in the present chapters and then would get sent back to the past which was okay but too much to handle.

Elizabeth May and Laura Lam have done a space-tastic (hehehe) job with book, it’s an amazing first book in this epic adult sci-fi duology and I for one cannot wait to read the next and final duet to Seven Devils.

'If you want to resist you have to rebel’

In Seven Devils, there is a ruthless empire, the Tholosian Empire. This empire controls its citizens with brainwashing and AI control via chips in their brains. The empire is ruled with precision and severity, the Emperor passing his title down only after his children have killed each other to the last two. This violence and cruelty echoes throughout the empire, its citizens grown in batches save the natural-borns who live chipless and downtrodden in slums below vast palaces.

In response to the empire's merciless rule, the Novantae resistance has risen up, led by Kyla and Sher, two former citizens of the empire. The resistance works to destabilize the Empire where it can while also rescuing and deprogramming defectors. Working for the resistance, Clo and Eris are sent on a mission to infiltrate a ship and gain intel on its cargo. But things go wrong almost immediately as they discover someone else has taken down the ship's crew, intending to hijack the ship for their own. And that is how Clo and Eris meet Rhea, Ariadne, and Nyx.

The three new additions to this crew are recent defectors from the empire. They team up with Clo and Eris as the mission changes. And keeps changing, because things often don't go according to plan when you're an underground resistance fighting against an immensely powerful empire that has mind control.

In the course of their mission, they uncover a deadly plot aimed at the Tholosians' oldest enemy, the Evoli, and they are in a race against time to stop it even as everything seems to be going wrong for them.

Seven Devils is an excellently crafted book. It's got a good pace but also gives the feeling of a real group being out in space, taking the time to make plans, reassessing as things go awry, while also being mindful of their time constraints. It ends on quite the cliffhanger and I am very much looking forward to the sequel.

If you enjoyed 'Six of Crows' or 'Star Wars', you'll probably like this one too! 'Seven Devils' boasts an epic interstellar journey of resistance against the totalitarian Tholosian Empire, over which stands the watchful gaze of the Oracle/One, an AI program that surveils the regions under Tholosian rule. There are also diverse characters, including BIPOC, disabled, trans, queer, neurodivergent characters, which is both important to their characterisation (for example, attention is paid to how Cloelia's prosthetic leg affects her daily life) but it is not all they are. (Note: the racism/xenophobia in this book is not based on skin colour, but rather a fear of alien superpowered abilities.) 'Seven Devils' also has an irresistible found-family dynamic with excellent banter!

It was a bit of a rocky start with this one - a flood of place and people names, a few info-dumps that were interesting but still info-dumps, and plot-wise, a relatively slow beginning. However, once 'Seven Devils' gets going, it really digs its claws into you and keeps you hooked. The last quarter in particular was a slew of rocketing plot twists and high octane scene flow.

The world-building is quite intricate, built up through flashbacks and *ahem* the aforementioned info-dumps, and everyone's backstories are similarly layered in complexity. (Even the antagonist develops too - at least from our original concept of them - and I anticipate we may get some more of their backstory in the sequel.) Flashbacks take place as whole chapters, which I think is smart as it's a lot less confusing than having random backstory passages in the middle of a stressful present-day scene, but it does make the plot seem like it's slower than it actually is.

Their backstories built character depth, especially for Eris/Discordia. Eris used to be Princess Discordia, (also known as General Discordia), Heir to a brutal Empire that demands its potential rulers to kill all but one of their siblings (the Spare) in order to earn their place as successor. Eris/Discordia was my favourite, utterly fascinating and compelling in her character arc. She's particularly interesting because most of her character arc has already taken place before this book, in the years leading up to her faking her death and defecting to the Resistance.

While there was a sweet sapphic romance blossoming between two other characters, the bond I was most invested in was the sibling love between Eris/Discordia and her gentle brother Xander, so different to her other brother Damocles, the present-day Heir. The crumbs of Xander's story, scattered throughout Eris' flashbacks, built up his bond with her until I grieved him too, despite Xander never appearing in the present-day. I actually wept real tears!

By virtue of having characters with wildly different backgrounds, 'Seven Devils' could address several themes quite well. For example, through Eris/Discordia and another character, Ariadne, the difference between toxic love (from their parents) and healthy love is illustrated. It also portrays the dangers of nationalism, institutionalised violence and heteronormative, binary thinking.

I have some remaining questions, like how Eris first came to the resistance, why Discordia and Damocles are blonde versus their 49 other brunette siblings, but I trust these will be addressed in the sequel. The final line was absolutely amazing. Gave me literal chills. I am SO excited for the next book!

Unfortunately, Seven Devils didn't live up to my expectations - however, I probably would still read the sequel! Some of the issues were first-book-in-a-series teething problems - I found that it took me at least half of the book to become invested at all, and the conclusion then came too quickly and wasn't as satisfying as it could have been. This was a result of both pacing issues and character depth. I'm usually a big fan of multiple POVs - however, in this book it meant that it took a long while to really get insight into the characters. I struggled to feel connected to them and be invested in what was happening. The POVs were also quite similar to each other, it wasn't always obvious which character's you were reading. The use of non-chronological / flashback POV chapters, especially towards the end of the book, also seemed to halt the pacing, just as the plot was finally progressing,
That said - I love the found family aspect of this book - watching the group come together was satisfying. I'm intrigued to see how they overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, together.

An interesting novel that seemed to be heading towards an easy victory and then surprised me.

At first I struggled with the world building because it felt a bit clunky, but as the book went on this became much smoother.

I do want to see the characterisation go deeper and hope book two brings that depth.

This novel felt like a lot of set up, and a pretty open ending so hopefully book two can build on this and deliver a fast paced resolution.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a copy in exchange for an honest review.

A group of rebels out to smash the patriarchy in space? A feminist space opera with a hint of Rogue One, a dash of Firefly and a heady dose of bad-assery? A Guardians of the Galaxy type heist, but with way more gay?

Sign me up. A princess, a soldier, a courtesan, a pilot, a mechanic, a leader and a child genius hacker. What could possibly go wrong?

I loved them all. Our motley crew: Eris, Clo, Ariadne, Kyla, Rhea, Nyx and Cato. Each very different, yet together more than the sum of their parts.

It’s a classic tale of the rag-tag bunch of misfits coming together to pull off the job. But it’s not often that it’s done with such style and panache as Lam and May have on display here.

The story stars with Clo and Eris on a mission for the resistance (should that have a capital R?), and it’s not long before they come across the others, and the action ramps up a notch or three as our gang set off to save the galaxy from its new heir.

Glorious fun, with a wonderfully diverse group of characters, Seven Devils is the sci-fi book you didn’t know you needed. Roll on book 2!

Seven Devils is an outstanding start to a new feminist and queer space opera series. Exactly what you need to escape the dreary world we're living in and dive into an exciting, high-stakes, twisty adventure. The diversity is fantastic. The characters are ones you enjoy rooting for. The writing is solid and smooth (for having co-writers). The world-building draws readers in. And the ending will have readers dying for the sequel. Highly recommended to fans of space operas or just exciting sci-fi.

I have been looking forward to this book for such a long time and the wait was worth it, Seven Devils is an incredible book!!!!!!! This is such a rich, exhilarating book that makes me so excited for more in this series and with the storyline and the depth of characters, there is a lot to work with!
What I adored about this book is the character development, particularly amongst female characters you don’t get to witness such a journey from very distinct characters but these women here evolve on the page; you have a rebel princess out to take down a family that trained her to be a weapon, an escaped courtesan dealing with the trauma she was made to endure, an engineer who has lost a limb learning to adapt, a child raised in isolation... I could go on but basically there is just a beautiful variety of characters, of different backgrounds and representations, with LGBT, disabilites and race written in a brilliantly diverse way. Loyalty, forgiveness, self acceptance, LGBT romance, disabilities, sexual trauma, space battles, redemption, espionage, betrayal and politics... this book has it all with this badass crew of witty, badass, damaged but healing women (and man). And yes they don’t always get on but there is little more beautiful than women working together to take down the bad guy, this book is just glorious!

The pacing is brilliant, including flashbacks for characters that build them up who they are but not in a way that feels like the story is going backwards, and the characters are so diverse that you don’t feel you have to endure any POVs to get back to your favourite character, you’re rooting for them all.. THAT SAID, Eris is my girl and I need more of her, there’s so much I need to know about her and her journey was the one that drew me in the most. I just loved her so much.

My only minor complaint is that I love the US cover more than the UK one, I might have to buy both copies of this book because it’s just so pretty!!!

Buy, read and fall in love with this witty, exciting and empowering adventure, you’re in for a beautiful ride.

Thank you NetGalley for the early read - you’ve made me very happy!!!

Firstly, I would like to give my thanks to NetGalley and Orion Publishing for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for my honest and independent review.

Did someone say Fury Road, Mad Max, Space Opera?

Hell yes! Laura Lam and Elizabeth May wanted to write Fury Road in space and the result is Seven Devils, a high stakes space opera that doesn’t veer away from micro and macro aggression and brutality!

This is the first in a duology, a high pace, adrenaline fused space opera set in the Tholosian Empire; an Empire founded in war, violence and a fight to control the galaxy, and all its resources. The empire uses physical, technological and mental control across the populace to maintain total dominance and obedience, any displays of defiance are ruthlessly punished and offenders reduced to husks of their former selves.

Seven Devils draws from Greek and Roman history and mythology to shape its society, structure, and most noticeably, names. The main protagonists of the book are Eris, formerly Princess Discordia, the disillusioned heiress of a tyrannical space empire, turned rebel; Clo (Cloelia,) a mechanic for the Novantaen Resistance, Nyx, previously a member of the Empire’s royal guard, soldier, and deadly killer, Rhea, former royal courtesan with a secret; and Ariadne, a prodigy who had a chilling connection with Oracle, the Empire’s AI. There are more links, but I’ll leave you to discover them!

Other key characters include the Archon, ruler of the Empire, Damocles, Eris’ brother now deadly enemy and Sher and Kyla, both senior members of the Resistance. There are other characters who play significant roles in shaping the story, all of whom are well crafted and provide greater context and substance to the story.

The story itself is well paced and keeps focus on the theme of resistance to injustice, independence and the right to choose for yourself, rather than others map and control your path. The reader is kept enthralled and provided with the necessary world-building and context, including accents and dialects, all of which add further depth and flavour to the story. Plus, there is also a little, but well managed FTF love that brings just the right touch of pathos to the adventure.

Be aware that there are some trigger warnings including an abusive parent, allusions to sexual assault, and lots of general violence. However, these are well managed and appropriate to the context of the story.

I have previously read Goldilocks and have been very impressed by Laura Lam, and this collaboration with Elizabeth May only serves to increase my respect and I doff my cap to them both. This brilliant female driven, high adrenaline, space jamming, adventure filled space opera was just what the Doctor ordered!

Ooh, I nearly forgot look out for the alternative swearing - you’ll soon work out just what Seven Devils really means!!!

Review
I was surprised by the CAWPILE rating of this book. I was sure it would be a 4 star, but now that I think about it, 3 stars are appropriate. Let's get into it!

Characters
We follow the POV of multiple characters in this one, but the book starts off with Clo and Eris' perspectives. I really enjoyed the relationship dynamics between the characters and this is most definitely a character-driven book.

We get a lot of flashbacks and character building, and I really enjoy books where I get to know characters in-depth. However, even though we had a lot of character study, I felt very disconnected from the characters. I didn't really root for them until the last part of the book. They're all very interesting characters and I love their stories, I was just disconnected. And once again it's because I'm soulless.

Characters = 8

Atmosphere
A good sci-fi book needs excellent worldbuilding and atmosphere. I enjoyed the worldbuilding, but I was confused for big parts of the book and we don't spend enough time on one planet to get to know the surroundings.

My favourite parts of the book happened while the characters were on board their ship, and a few "normal" scenes between them really endeared me to the story and characters.

I also really enjoyed the technology used in the book, or rather the technology that was created for the book. The Oracle is a really interesting "character"/entity in the book and I can't wait to read what happens in the sequel.

Atmosphere = 7

Writing
The writing was really beautiful and really pulled me into the book. Unfortunately, the eARC I read was not formatted correctly, so it was slightly difficult to read from time to time as the words were all over the pages. However, that is no fault of the author, so I didn't penalise the book for it.

Writing = 7

Plot
The plot was kinda your typical sci-fi adventure. It really lagged in the middle due to the amount of character building we got. Most of the main plot happens in the last 40% of the book and I felt like we could have gotten there a lot faster.

Apart from the pacing, there's nothing really wrong with the story. It's average, and I think I'll likely forget the plot in a few months. But I might just be really tired of reading fantasy/sci-fi books, and it's impacting the way I read books.

Plot = 7

Intrigue
As I said, I might be tired of SFF. I've seen these plots before, I've seen these characters before, and there was nothing that really stood out for me. The last part of the book really picked up and I really enjoyed it, but I had to weigh it against struggling through the first part.

Intrigue = 6

Logic
I was really confused about what the difference between One and Oracle is, but apart from that everything in this book made complete sense. Lam and May have created some truly fascinating cultures and very real conflicts, and that's what makes this book enjoyable.

Logic = 7

Enjoyment
Overall I just felt this book was really average. Then the last part of the book kinda saved it, which is why I initially thought this book would get four stars. I did enjoy it, it just didn't stand out like other sci-fi books I've read.

Enjoyment = 6

CAWPILE = 6.8

This is a very high 3-star rating (as 4-star ratings = 7/10 on the CAWPILE scale), so I decided to rate it 3.5 stars.

Imagine you worked for the Resistance (Star Wars style), only instead of fighting against various men with mummy issues whilst dressed in silly helmets, you were instead up against a power more akin to those running the Capitol/Panem in The Hunger Games.

We have Eris, who had an upbringing that granted her every skill the resistance could ever want. We have Clo who came pretty much from the opposite - the slums, but luckily so low below the empire's notice that at least she wasn't brainwashed like most of the population have been. Clo handles all the ship's mechanics and piloting and is damn good at it, Eris handles... well, a heck of a lot of things. They work for Kyla and Sher who lead the Resistance, and it's on their orders that they're boarding ships and trying to gain intel on what's got the empire so obsessed with a particular delivery when they run into a trio of others who just happen to be on their way fleeing the empire to join said resistance.

This trio consists of a soldier so talented she was placed in the honour guard of one of the royal family - the rulers of the entire empire. We have Rhea, a courtesan, who was also so talented she worked directly with the royal family also. They've come protecting the third in their part, Ariadne, the youngest character in the story who is beyond incredible - who was created literally to be the hands and body work for the previously mentioned brainwashing system known as the Oracle.

This is a space opera that hits all the right notes - women who are powerful (in terms of actual power, body strength, technical ability), fight scenes, romance, and all kinds of representation - bisexual, trans, neurodivergent, disabled. It's a bit grungy, showing us a future that's a bit more dirty and negative (but always with a twinge of hope and people trying to make it better/fairer for all), and it's a bit violent though never gratuitous.

I love how it has its own version of swearing and Gods, building up quite a layered bit of world building without drowning the reader in it at any time, always leaving you wanting more. The tech is mentioned seamlessly throughout. The food sounds familiar yet has its differences. I personally wish the purple fruit existed. 

This is planned to be a duology, with the second book hopefully coming out sometime in 2021, covid-willing.

This was so so so so good. I seriously loved it, I don't know where to start though. I went in just knowing that it was a feminist and queer space opera, and I love that I didn't know more.
I just fell for the characters one after the other and was so very engrossed by the entire plot. I really was captivated from the first sentence to the last. It really was that good. Perfectly gay and such a great cast, all of them. They are my children and I would die for them all.
The tension, the friendships, the enemies to friends arcs, I just can't.
I don't know what else to say, just read it. I seriously CANNOT wait for book 2.