Reviews

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

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fedak's review against another edition

3.0

Enjoyed the first third or so, reasonable MilSciFi with some heavy borrowing/homage to Starship Troopers

The time travel narrative kinds collapsed under its own weight and the deus ex machina ending seemed like it was rushed. (In the notes, the author admitted to needing a flow chart to keep track of the time travel plotlines, and as a readers we probably needed the same)

The college freshman anti-corporation political manifesto that permeates the whole book was a bit overdone. And the gender reveal gimmick left me somewhat confused prompting me to google what was going on rather than what I presume was an intended "aha" moment of me revisiting my expectations.

anxiousnachos's review against another edition

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4.0

3.5 stars. This was a really cool concept: sci-fi war between Mars and corporations on Earth with soldiers who are turned into light to beam them across the galaxy, but sometimes that results in them experiencing the war differently. It raised such interesting questions around culpability in war, power structures, and how people can change cycles of violence. But the writing was a little detached for me and so I didn’t feel very strongly about any of the characters. But very cool premise!

Content warnings: extreme and graphic depictions of war (inc use of both biological and chemical weapons), torture, blood/gore, violence and military/police brutality (inc against civilians and children), death

erinlcrane's review against another edition

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4.0

I hesitate to call this book fun because it was very violent and dark, but it was quite the ride. Mind bendy! Became more and more interesting as it went along. I’d love to see a movie of this.

matty_braugen's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

strategineer's review against another edition

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5.0

The Light Brigade is a story about breaking people down and putting them back together again, both mentally and physically, to turn them into perfect soldiers/monsters.

It's a wild ride that kept me hooked all throughout. It subverts many of the science fiction tropes you're familiar with to keep you guessing.

Spoiler

Overall I enjoyed it despite the politics feeling a little on the nose (Late stage capitalism baaaad? War baaaaad? Murdering children in cold blood baaaaaad?).

If you're able to look past that and are interested in gritty off the beaten path military sci-fi, you'll probably enjoy the Light Brigade. I know I did.

lisasocal's review against another edition

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I’m just not the right reader for this book. I expected a bit more clarity nearly 150 pages in. Had zero interest in picking it back up. I don’t know what made me think a military sci fi book would be for me. Unlikable characters and a lot of repetition (we jump to another war zone, different set of characters, nothing makes sense).