I really enjoyed this quick story and found the sci fi slant really enjoyable. Not my usual genre or style of book but one I was hooked on and read relatively quickly as well. It’s not a story I’m familiar with, but one I followed very easily.

I want to give a massive thank you to Tor for giving me an ARC of Arch-Conspirator on Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. If anyone told me ten years ago whilst I was crying over the end of Allegiant that I would one day have the opportunity to get one of my favourite author's works early, I would have been in shock. I mean - I'm still in shock now, and I am incredibly grateful to have had this chance.

As someone who wrote an essay on modern adaptations of Antigone in the first year of my degree, I am ashamed to say that I did have to watch a recap video first in order to jog my memory - but I do not think that it was crucial. Although some context of the original probably provides some clarity, it does not make the ending any easier, and I wouldn't say that it was essential. Arch-Conspirator takes the ichor, if you will, of Antigone and transforms it into a haunting dystopian world that Veronica Roth crafts so well. Dystopia and sci-fi continues to be Roth's forte as she created another unsettling read that leads you to question your own society and ponder whether we are closer to these concepts than we would like to be.

I think one of my favourite things about the novella was the concept of the ichor; it was incredibly interesting how having the 'soul' of two deceased individuals deemed you as being born with a 'clean slate,' yet, being born in the traditional manner deemed you as cursed and tainted. The ichor leaves an important commentary of how even as we learn and we develop as a society, there always seems to be repeats of history and revivals of outdated perspectives and behaviours that should have remained in those times. Although Arch-Conspirator is a novella, it presents a range of themes that linger with you after you have finished it.

The variety in the perspectives was also a great addition, and Roth executed them really well considering the length of the novel.

I feel like I need to just sit in a dark room now to fully consume what I've read. Arch-Conspirator leaves your mind reeling with the same questions and melancholy as the play it takes its bones from, if not more. My heart aches.

Just like many others, I was obsessed with the dystopian series written by Veronica Roth: Divergent. Arch-Conspirator is a combination of dystopian and another of my favourite genres: greek mythology. This short story was everything I could have hoped for: tension, mystery and action. I was reminded of Roth’s dystopian novels, which many years ago shaped my love for reading. This tragedy is beautifully told.

Thank you Net Galley and Titan Books for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Just like many many others, I've read Antigone during my school years and I actually enjoyed it. It's tragic and devastating. I have, so far, never read a retelling of Sophokles' work, so I was very excited when I more or less stumbled upon Roth's 'Arch-Conspirator", a novella which sets Antigone's story in the distant sci-fi future.

It is, mostly, a retelling that stays very close to the source material, just with a sci-fi spin. Instead of being forbidden to enter Hades, Polyneikes is forbidden from entering a genetic database, for example.
There are some changes - the incestuous relationship between Jocasta and Oedipus doesn't exist, instead they are a now-dead couple that produced offspring naturally, which is a sin in this new society. Antigone and her siblings are shunned because they are naturally conceived children instead of genetically modified ones, carefully crafted to inherit humanity's best traits from specifically chosen dna stored in aforementioned genetic database. The ending is changed, too, though the overall outcome will be the same.

'Arch-Conspirator' is about choice, too, though its big focus is women's bodily autonomy, women choosing what to do with their own bodies in a society that doesn't allow them to. Which is, sadly, still and again a relevant topic. While Antigone could have been an excellent vehicle for that discussion, Roth doesn't really do anything with it, though. Antigone, Ismene and Eurydice remain rather tame and timid, not adding anything new to the discussion while always staying on the surface level. The same can be said for the other characters, really - there is nothing much to Kreon's point of view chapters, for example.

The idea is a very good one, and I enjoyed the dystopian spin on the play, but the execution is, in the end, mostly just okay. This could have been great, and I think it might have worked better as a novel, allowing the readers to really get to know and connect with the characters and themes.
As it is, this is still a solid 3 star read.

I really enjoy re-imagined myths and legends and I'm not sure there is a tale more tragic out there than the story of Antigone. I thought that Veronica Roth introduced a very clever spin on the Greek story, with a blend of sci-fi and dystopia. There's a ton of originality and imagination here and both easy parallels and subtle clever nods to the original tale.

The plot itself I thought was excellent, but I couldn't really get that interested in the characters. It is a novella, and there are a fair few different character viewpoints on both sides of the story. It became hard to keep jumping between a new person every chapter and still feel invested in Antigone herself. I didn't feel like I got to know her that well, and that made the whole tragedy that unveiled have less emotional impact than I was expecting. Because of that I think I would have enjoyed this more as a full novel, with enough time to really get to know the characters.

Three stars for the original take on this classic story, but I wouldn't rush to put it on top of the TBR list.

Set in the far future, this novella is a visionary and daring retelling of Antigone.

In a dystopian, isolated society, the last hope for humanity lies in the Archive, where the cells and the souls of the dead are stored. When Antigone's brother dies while committing treason against their uncle and their ruler Kreon, he is denied access. This starts an unexpected chain of events...

This book is a very original retelling of an ancient play. The story takes place in a post-apocalyptic setting, where the local ruler's power is absolute as there is no contact with the outside world. From ancient Greece, we are transported into some hardly recognisable future, which I think was a bit too much for me. The story is fascinating and well-written, with lots of action and lots of side characters, who seem to have their own voice and agenda. This would be brilliant in a longer form but becomes a bit overwhelming in a novella.

To sum up, it is a very interesting position for open-minded readers of science fiction.

A short read. But one that has me thinking back on it.
This novella is a retelling of Antigone which I wasn’t familiar with when starting it.

Set in a dystopian future with an imposing dictatorship, women are set aside as second class citizens and only seem to have one sole purpose - to carry the refined DNA of the next generation.

Immediately after reading this I looked up the synopsis and some breakdowns of the source material and I have to say it’s made me enjoy this retelling even more!

Veronica Roth is a name that some science fiction fans will instantly recognise; having shot to fame with the release of her first book, Divergent, that focused on a young woman fighting back against an oppressive regime. Since then her books have only grown in popularity, and fans have been enjoying more work from her. Her latest science fiction novella once again deals with a young woman trapped in an oppressive world; but does so in a very different way. Arch-Conspirator mixes post apocalypse science fiction with ancient mythology as Roth reinvents Antigone.

In Arch-Conspirator, Antigone and her siblings, her sister Ismene, her twin brother Polynices, and her other brother Eteocles, are the children of deposed, deceased leaders of the sealed off community that they like in. The world outside has been ravaged by radiation, and the last remnants of humanity have gathered together behind the walls of their city to try and survive. Over the generations their community has developed new systems and ways of existing; and this has led to a society where people no longer reproduce naturally, instead choosing the genetic material of deceased people to birth clones. Antigone and her siblings are different, however, born the natural way.

After the deaths of their parents, the four of them have come to live with their uncle, Creon, who has taken over as leader. Due to having been conceived the natural way, people see Antigone and her siblings as being without souls, and their existence is barely tolerated. As such, when Polynices tries to assassinate his uncle and is killed in the attempt Creon refuses to allow Polynices genetic material to be stored like everyone else's. With only a handful of hour to save her brothers 'soul' Antigone is prepared to go against her uncle's laws to do so; but doing so could lead to terrible repercussions.

Luckily for me, I wasn't familiar with the story of Antigone before reading this book, and as such much of what transpired here was fresh and new to me. The story was interesting, in part due to the world that Roth had crafted to go around it. We don't learn much about the world outside of this final city, other than the fact that it's unlivable and irradiated, nor do we learn much about the origins of the city and the strange traditions and practices that happen there. This is mainly because these things don't really matter to the characters. Yes, the setting informs their story because of the way people treat death and the process of harvesting DNA to survive afterwards; but the topic of how they got there doesn't really matter. You don't need to know all of American history to read a story set in New York for example.

It would have been easy to get bogged down in these kinds of details, to spend pages going into the history of this future that Roth has crafted; but this would have slowed things down quite considerably, and it would have taken away from the central focus, Antigone herself. Plus, this is a novella, so space is somewhat at a premium too. As it is, we get enough information so that we understand the motivations and the reasons as to why things happen, but get to keep the fast pace and easy to read quality that comes with the novella format.

The story of Antigone is the focus here, and despite the short length of the book and the multiple narrators I feel that there's a pretty good sense of who she is and what drives her. She's trapped in a world that's not designed for women to succeed, or even be seen as equal, and on top of that she's not even seen as a real person. The book puts her at the centre of her societies problems with people, it makes her the most hated and disliked, and then it makes her one of the most reasonable and smartest people there. Her struggles throughout the book, to be seen as a person, to be seen as more than just a walking womb, and to be listened to make her easy to connect with, as it's a struggle that a lot of women and feminine presenting people are dealing with right now.

Feminine people have always had it worse than masculine ones. Men rule over women, women are the weaker, meeker, and subservient people. Men are in charge, women have to obey. It's been baked into the majority of cultures for a while now. And whilst this notion has been fought against, and whilst more rights are slowly being won they're also constantly under attack. The US saw the overturning of the hugely important Roe V Wade, which has resulted in a roll back for women's bodily autonomy. Obviously, these were issues that were already effecting a lot of people, usually those in even more marginalised groups such as women of colour, but now it effects even more people. The result of this is a bigger focus on bodily autonomy and reproduction rights, particularly from those who'd not really have to consider it before. In some ways Arch-Conspirator feels like a result of this, a story where reproduction and women's rights are an important part of the world that's been created here. It's also worth noting that whilst these issues are often called women's rights it does effect people who aren't women, and Arch-Conspirator does acknowledge this with a brief mention of trans men and non-binary people.

Having now looked into the original story, it's interesting to see how Roth has adapted it to this new setting. There are a lot of similarities, and she's not just taken the names and transplanted them into a new tale. This is still very much Antigone, and I think that those who are familiar with the original story and enjoy seeing new versions be made will find some interesting stuff here that they will enjoy.

Perhaps my only real criticism with the book is that it's too short. The novella format works well here, and the story is paced really well to keep you interested, to give you lots to experience, and to leave you feeling satisfied. However, I'd have also have loved to have seen what Roth would have done with this story in a longer form. It would have been wonderful to see more of this world, to spend more time with the characters, and to have the experience of reading it to have lasted longer. But those are tiny gripes, and the book is still a fantastic read that I'm sure will leave folks feeling happy.

1/5 stars! I was a little hesitant about reading this book. When I was a kid I read the Divergent series and liked it. However, I tried to reread it a few months ago and had to DNF. I found the writing immature and shallow. But I wanted to try something else from the author, so I picked up this book. The premise sounded good so I was extremely cautiously optimistic. But yeah; this author's writing is just not for me. Her writing always feels underdeveloped and like things just get dropped into the story without fitting the plot. It was underwhelming and overwhelming at once somehow. Not for me.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review

A lush, captivating and enchanting version of Antigone that will give you many Handmaid's Tale vibes. Although I enjoyed the writing, I left wanting more than what I was given - could this have been a full length novel?

I admit that I effectively skim-read this book. I started and abandoned it multiple times as I simply wasn't a fan of the writing, for a reason that I cannot immediately put my finger on. Retrospectively, I wonder if an audiobook rendition of the story might have improved the reading experience for me.

Nonetheless, the premise of the novella is an interesting one, blending Sophocles's 'Antigone' with elements of Margaret Atwood's 'The Handmaid's Tale', all set in a futuristic sci-fi, dystopian Earth. As such, I feel as though this could be a good book club read. Indeed, had I approached the novella as more of an academic exercise, comparing and contrasting the source material to the retelling, I reckon that I would have enjoyed it a lot more!

Thank you Titan Books and NetGalley for allowing me to read this book.
I was really curious to read something written by Veronica Roth since Divergent (I haven't read her other books).
And well, I'm a little bit conflicted there. I have read years ago the story of Antigone, when I was a teenager. And I must confess I didn't recall a lot of it. So I was pleased to be reminded of everything.
And yet, I'm not sure which points are based on the true story, and which one are Veronica's imagination. I guess that doesn't matter a lot, but to me, just retelling the story in a new century isn't really creating a story. That's my main negative point.
Otherwise, I appreciated the plot : Antigone is a "guest" in her uncle's house with her siblings after the death of their parents. The action takes place in a post-apocalyptic world, procreation has became a sacred act. A man having a child with a woman is considered a fault, and it is common to 'implant' someone else's Ichor to create a baby. But Antigone and her siblings weren't born this way. And by that fact, they are doomed.
Real tragedy, this story is a mix between the Handmaid's tale and the greek mythology, and is a fine way to open the eyes of the reader upon the extremisms where religion and technology can lead.

A rich retelling of the tale of Antigone! Arch- Conspirator is a short book by the fabulous author Veronica Roth.
Roth takes us into a new dystopia where women are prized for the ability to reproduce and all of humanity depends on it.

If you are familiar with the tale, I think you will like it quite a bit. If it's not something you read in hs, then you are in for a surprise. Antigone, or Tig is a hero relevant to today. Roth provides multiple viewpoints to the characters which add complexity to the story. If you love a greek myth, a strong and stubborn woman or just a fan of dystopian tales, Arch Conspirator is for you!

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Veronica Roth, and the publisher, Titan Books, for this opportunity.

Roth's take on Antigone is fresh and imaginative, taking the classic Greek tragedy and spinning it into a suspenseful dystopian tale. However, this definitely should have been a full length novel.

The world-building is pretty cool, with the post-apocalyptic setting and the Archive's concept adding a unique layer to the story. However, there should have been more exposition. The characters similarly suffer, lacking depth and nuance. As I result, I failed to really connect with the characters.

Being familiar with the source material, I thought this followed the plot beats of the original pretty closely with minor differences. I appreciated using Antigone as a way of talking about bodily autonomy and women’s choice. The story is filled with interesting characters and themes, but it could benefit from a tighter pace and more streamlined storytelling.

I am always up for retelling of a Greek myth/play and have read some intriguing takes on Antigone over the last couple of years, both historical and contemporary. Now Roth throws her hat into the ring with this futuristic novella about a family torn apart by pride, ambition and hubris.
Antigone, along with her three siblings, has been raised by her uncle Creon after the tragic deaths of her parents - not by suicide in this case with a pleasing lack of eye gouging - but at the hands of rebels after her father, Oedipus, had won a democratic election. After the rebellion was put down Creon took control of their city state, possibly the last viable living area after a catastrophic war some time in the past. With a disturbingly low survival rate for mothers in childbirth, women in their childbearing years are restricted in freedom, their sole goal to bear children to ensure the survival of their race.
But Creon's harsh rule leads to another rebellion with Antigone's two brothers on opposing sides and the fallout will affect every surviving member of the family as Antigone battles to do what's right, whatever the consequences.
Thoughtful with interesting worldbuilding, Roth creates a pleasing science fiction out of this most ancient of stories.

Antigone is one of my favorite mythical Greek heroine, the woman who rebels to her uncle and bury her brother as she feels this is the right thing to do.
This a short synopsis as Sophocle's heroine is a very complex character.
That said the names of the character in this novella are the same of the play by Sophocle.
Veronica Roth wrote an interesting and thought provoking novella set in a distant future.
I love it as I thought that this Antigone was not the modern version of my beloved heroine.
There's a good world building, the different POV are well done and I assume it could be the prequel of a series.
I enjoyed it and liked storytelling
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine

Thank you to Titan Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!

This will be a month full of Antigone for me! I've had to read an Antigone retelling for my Comparative Literature class, I've now read this retelling, and I'm going to see a theatre production of it next week.

I have been very excited to read this since it's announcement, but unfortunately the result fell a little short for me. I loved the POV's of Antigone, Eurydice and Ismene, they all felt distinct and well-realised which made them easier to connect with emotionally. I thought that Polyneikes' singular chapter was written strangely, especially when coming from Antigone's. And Kreon's left more to be desired in the political machinations as he just told us what happened and moved on quickly.

Despite this, the idea of ichor Extraction, editing genes and the associated effects with souls was an amazing idea, but could've been developed further. I will stand by the fact that this should have been a full novel rather than a novella. The world building was cool, and could've been explored further to enhance the themes of autonomy, life versus death, power etc. I did feel a little confused by the world at times as there was little explanation due to it being a novella. I understood the main dystopian aspects, but would've loved to know more about them and how they came into place. The Archive definitely deserved to be seen more - I mean, look at the cover art (the American one)! This also links to the lack of description which it could've benefitted from to put further pressure on the characters, rather than spending 90% of the time focused on their thoughts.

The ending was a strong point for this novella, however. I loved the final chapter from Antigone's POV, especially the last line. It felt different enough from the original ending of Antigone that it was somewhat hopeful, even though it is alluded to that it will end differently. It tacked on just enough emotion that the middle part lacked.

Overall, this was a decent novella and one I would recommend. The writing was quite strong and I highlighted a lot of good quotes (the first paragraph is an incredible opening and has a fun parallel later on!). Not the best sci-fi I've ever read, but I look forward to reading more of Roth's adult work.

I think that Arch-Conspirator is one I need to sit with, and that will stick with me for long enough for me to do so. I haven't read Antigone, so went into this with the most bare-bones knowledge of the original tale - however, the writing was beautiful, and for a novella, the world felt very real despite scant background detail. I wasn't left confused by not knowing the origins of the story at all. If I had to nitpick, the characters could have been more fully formed - particularly Ismene, and the ending felt rather abrupt. However, what little I know of the original leads me to appreciate this abridged conclusion. However, this was a fast-paced and moving read, that makes me want to explore the source material further.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have loved everything I've read by Roth so far, so when I heard she was writing a sci-fi reimagining of the story of Antigone I was very interested!

It was an ambitious undertaking, and I think it was done well, focusing on bodily autonomy and the role of woman in society - it felt pretty relevant to today's politics.

I think writing a novella is hard sometimes as you have to condense so much into a smaller page count - world-building, character development, story arcs etc. I feel like maybe this could have done with being a full length to really expand on this world and spend more time with the characters.

Having said that, I really enjoyed it despite realising I remembered nothing of the original Greek myth! So if you're looking for an interesting, dystopian sci-fi with a relevant political slant then this is for you.

Unfortunately I'm not familiar with the story of Antigone so I think some of the purpose of this story might have been lost on me. I loved the dystopian setting and the concept, but I felt like possibly there was more to explore..? Regardless I still love VRs writing and enjoyed this book!