Ninefox Gambit (The Machineries of Empire, #1) in Around the Year in 52 Books

Jun 29, 2017 Trish rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: science-fiction, zzhugos-2017, zsrc-2017-2-summer

I have to say, the first chapter was impenetrable. My first thought was that the author had obviously done some really original world building here, but it would have been so much easier to appreciate if he'd actually explained some of the weirdness: like what's the "calendrical" stuff, and why does that give rise to heresies; and what's the thing with shadows being of something other than the person casting it? Plus, if he wanted to write Fantasy, why disguise it as Science Fiction/Space Opera ...more

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Sep 19, 2016 Jacqie rated it really liked it

This is a very good first novel. I fear it may have been a bit over-hyped, or maybe I just over-hyped myself. Or maybe I've just read so many twisty novels lately that I spend a lot of time looking for that twist and trying to outsmart the author.
There's no doubt that this book takes some attention. Yoon Ha Lee seems to belong to the Charles Stross school of thought that throws readers into the deep end of an imagined world and leaves them to swim through all the new terminology until they get t This is a very good first novel. I fear it may have been a bit over-hyped, or maybe I just over-hyped myself. Or maybe I've just read so many twisty novels lately that I spend a lot of time looking for that twist and trying to outsmart the author.
There's no doubt that this book takes some attention. Yoon Ha Lee seems to belong to the Charles Stross school of thought that throws readers into the deep end of an imagined world and leaves them to swim through all the new terminology until they get their bearings. I happen to kind of like that as long as I can eventually figure things out, and I didn't have difficulty with that here.
Cheris, our main character, is a member of the Hexarchate, a confederation of six "houses" (this is too medieval of a term but it's the best analogy) that all work together toward nothing less than galactic domination. They have all conceived of a framework of reality, including a calendar of rituals and beliefs, that the population feeds, actually allowing them to do sort of a "mathemagic" ( a friend of mine came up with this term and I love it) that transcends reality and gives them a startling amount of power. The Hexarchate is constantly fighting with rebels or looking to expand its territory.
The six "houses" each have their own symbols ( a hawk, a fox, a moth, a manta) and those who belong to each house tend to share personality traits. The Kel, to which Cheris belongs, are mainly foot soldiers and they are known for their loyalty. Foxes are known for their trickiness and often serve as spies and assassins. Cheris is merged with the personality of a long-dead Fox in an effort to take back a space fortress (yep, this is space opera) that is critical to the survival of the Hexarchate. The book is a combination of Cheris's pragmatic efforts to get through her tasks with honor, while Jedao, the Fox, has his own long-range ploys. It could be said that the whole book is really just to set the stage for one final gambit, really.
There is a lot of imagination here and a lot of very visually striking symbology. The author really managed to make me care about the relationship between Cheris and Jedao. For a book that was written with an almost clinical sense of distance and gamesmanship, it was heart-breaking. I'm very interested to see what the author will do next. ...more

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May 17, 2018 Nadine in NY Jones rated it did not like it

Shelves: spacey-space-future, fantasy-and-sci-fi, did-not-finish

The youngest soldier –Kel Dezken, scarcely out of academy –slipped out of position trying to share a bad joke with a comrade, and died to a last Eel bullet. Cheris noted it in passing. Terrible timing, but Kel luck was frequently bad.

By the time the hoppers and medic teams came to ferry them into orbit, escorted by Guardhawk servitors and –of dubious utility –weather-eaters, Cheris was disappointed to abandon the battlefield. In a way each battle was home: a wretched home, where small mistake

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