This is most definitely adult fantasy. It is very, very adult, and not in the sexy way (though there is a pretty good sexy scene in here). Nope, it’s adult more like in the gory, stomach-turning way (though these scenes are spread out). So be prepared for that. But this was a very promising debut! Not everything worked perfectly for me, but I was very compelled by the story, and read this not-small book in about two days flat.
This is a hybrid fantasy/science fiction story about Ikenna, a young woman who has just graduated from military academy on the heels of her grandfather’s death. His death is hitting her very hard, because he raised her after her mother died on the day she was born, and she has never known her father. Her grandfather is one of the most powerful people in her country despite having brown skin in a country full of racists, and when it turns out he was murdered, she’s persuaded to attempt to become a Praetorian—think the sff equivalent of the Navy SEALs—in order to get close and find out who murdered him, and enact her revenge.
Ikenna is an interesting if frustrating character to follow, because she never met a conclusion she couldn’t jump to without the slightest bit of evidence, and she doesn’t hesitate to act on those conclusions. She has a lot of maturing to do. She’s incredibly good at fighting and tactics, but she has a temper and is impatient. But you can’t help rooting for her, not only to figure out who killed her grandfather, but also to make it through the beyond brutal trials to become a Praetorian, trials in which washing out doesn’t involve just leaving, but death (there’s one scene where a recruit is blown up because he couldn’t hold a plank, so that’s the level of intensity we’re working with here).
Despite the first person POV, the wonky pacing (like, two books worth of plot is crammed in here), some iffy worldbuilding choices, and the use of idioms and slang that make no sense in the context of the world the author has built, I really enjoyed reading this. I am excited to see what else this series has coming, if all the wild shit that was pulled in this one was just the beginning.
Chipping Away at Mt. TBR, July 2022—Book 8/31