Book Review: Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May
Published by Orion Publishing Group
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.
Grade: A
Review by Elle Turpitt
I received this e-book from publisher Orion Publishing Group, via NetGalley, for review consideration.
