A fun thing to do with this series is to predict the way the story will go based on the piece of mythology, history or religion featured in each title. Another fun thing to do is realize how wrong you were in your predictions, after the book has had its way with you.
It’s still fun afterwards, though. I bet the authors have a grand ole time coming up with these titles.
Some spoilies below, so if you want to go in blind, maybe don’t finish this review.
Persepolis was the capital city of the first Persian empire, which was eventually conquered by Alexander the Great. Going in to Persepolis Rising, I don’t know, I guess I assumed the title was referring to some theoretical rise of a new human empire, but like, a more symbolical kind. I didn’t think there would ACTUALLY be a new human empire, and that empire would be hostile. I guess I should have also seen it coming that the seeds for this empire were laid in the last book (and the last novella), with Duarte stealing a large part of the Martian fleet.
I also didn’t think there would be such a large time jump! Holy shit!
I feel like this book is going to be one of those where you look back after the series finishes and you appreciate it more, but I was just so thrown by it, I had a hard time getting my bearings. It sort of reminds me of the way I felt reading books one and two for the first time. Not sure where it’s going, and kind of just this baseline of distress. (And this book added into the mix a heavy dose of the bittersweet that comes with knowing things end.) One of the reasons I loved books three through six so much is that I felt they had a start to finish clear trajectory. The storytelling felt almost inevitable to me. But there’s also a place for creatively controlled chaos in a narrative, chaos that feels discombobulating at the time, but after the fact, makes sense. I just don’t think I’ve reached that point yet, though the end of the book made long strides to getting me there.
I mean, I feel like it is impossible for me to talk about this book the way I want to without spoiling the hell out of it. Ultimately, I guess I can say that while it was not as immediately as enjoyable (and the middle bits felt kind of wallowy and depressing), it was a very important piece of the larger story Corey is telling. And likely I will be just as surprised by what’s coming next as I was during every book in this series at some point.
One thing I will say, though, as this is more Bobbie’s book than anything, NOT ENOUGH HOLDEN.
[4.5 stars]
I’m having difficulty getting through some of the early parts of the books (because I just don’t care to read from the POV of SpaceNazis, though I understand why they’re there). The fact that there isn’t enough Holden makes me sad.
I didn’t really like those bits, either, but they definitely need to be there, especially for the end of the book (and I think, going forward, it’s helpful for us to know what a True Believer of these guys looks like, and how they will act, etc.)
Next book, though, whoa, there is going to be some major Holden stuff. You’ll see what I mean, mwahaha.
ACK! CURSES. I guess I’ll just have to buckle down and read it.
(So I was looking through reviews on Goodreads, for reasons, and I saw some review that said they thought it was easy to sympathize with SPACENAZIS (I can’t remember the actual planet name off the top of my head) and I about died in horror. THEY’RE SPACE NAZIS. And they authors aren’t exactly subtle with the comparison either. I mean, I haven’t gotten far but SPACENAZIS.)
You know, I don’t actually know that the NAZIs are the best comparison because there’s such an association between them and genocide, and a racially motivated one at that. There isn’t any of that here, just pure authoritarian control, and for supposedly generous, humanitarian reasons, which I think makes it actually a little more sinister. A force like that is much harder to resist when they’re seemingly representing Good Things. And it’s so much easier to get people to follow you willingly if you’re appealing to their better nature, rather than say, White People Are The Best, Kill All Others. Or whatever.
I also tend to resist reading direct allegorical parallels in books.
And I will admit, I see what those people mean. Singh is ultimately wrong, but it’s so easy to see in his head how he thinks he’s right, and that’s the danger. He is CONVINCED he’s doing the right thing. It’s hard for me to say any more without spoiling it . . .
I want you to finish it so we can really discuss it!