Reviews

I am so glad I read this, and I appreciate it more as I continue to reflect on it. I’ve had it on my TBR forever (story of my life), and I’m really bummed that I let it sit there for so long now that I’ve finally read it. This duology is set in a contemporary AU where the West has fallen, and Southeast Asia is the global epicenter of power.

SPY is very aware of the inherent violence of the world the characters live in, with commentary on capitalism, patriarchy, and ACAB, and relishes allowing the characters to be violent in response. The writing reflects this very clearly and is the main reason why I “Liked” this book instead of “Really Liked” it. This is a capital-R romance, and I prefer romance writing that allows for deeper access to the characters’ emotions. More sentimental, if you will. I want to feel deeply emotionally attached to the developing romance, and I didn’t quite get that with how the authors chose to write this story. As a result, I felt quite distant from Dallas and Olesya’s growing love for much of the book. But while it’s not an overtly soft book, in the end it is quite tender. The section at the end, after Olesya and Dallas finally let go of all the secrets they’ve kept from each other, is perhaps my favorite part of the book. The vulnerability of that conversation, the terror of being truly known by another… For Olesya especially. Do you see me as I am? Can you accept me as I am? Can you accept the many things that I am? Ugh, it guts me still.

I want to be very clear, though: the above discussion of the writing style is not a criticism or even a critique of this book. I think the authors were ultimately very successful in what they accomplished with their writing style. In particular, there’s some really beautiful, really compelling writing in the book, particularly as it pertains to the characters’ gender identities and expressions. Notably, their transness brings them closer together, sparking a moment of connection as Dallas observes that she has found a “kindred spirit” in the woman she does not know is Olesya. A fundamental belief of the book is that nothing is immutable; nothing is sacred; no law or system is safe from violation. And this leaves space for the characters, (femme) Olesya in particular, to shape their worlds and bodies to reflect exactly what they want them to. One of my favorite things about SPY is how much fierce, savage joy Olesya takes in rejecting the “tyranny of [her] genetics” for the sake of a body of her own design. And she provides (butch) Dallas with the means (i.e., access to the necessary hormones) to begin doing the same for her body. I loved this tearing down of the idea of the body as a temple. No, the body is tool that I will design and alter it to suit my desires. Ugh, it is so good. And Olesya applies the same logic to Singapore: she blows it up - literally - and then rebuilds it in her image. All in the name of safety.

This book is deeply, deeply political, both in its criticism of the harm done by social institutions and celebration of trans women, creating space, perhaps violently, to live their self-actualized lives. (Also its overt disdain for the US lol)

In case I haven’t convinced you yet, know that every single character is a woman and a lesbian. Not a single man (or white person, for that matter) in sight. It’s super gay. It’s great. So is being in Olesya’s head during her POVs cause she is SUPER Machiavellian. Manipulating everyone left and right.

Full disclosure: I read this book before I read book 1 in the duology. I can confirm that it can be read as a standalone, but as I haven’t read book 1 yet I cannot confirm if they are best read in order.

Content Warnings

becisatree's review

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adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

theoryofhorror's review

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

aether's review

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

Following on the heels of Gunrunner and her Hound, I was so pleased to find this was in the same universe. And a t4t primary relationship to boot? This one's incredible!

percival_whyborne's review

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

travestinismo's review

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adventurous emotional medium-paced

4.5

This is the first book I've read with a character who is a trans woman and a butch, most books about trans women don't write about the possibility that they could also be butch or masculine. This book has made me feel happy in that sense, being a butch is not exclusive to certain groups of people, it also belongs to us.

Perhaps the genre of the book is not entirely my taste, actually this is why I don’t give 5 stars, but I loved the characters and their relationship, plus the writing is incredible

lady_moon's review

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3.5

Rep: Singaporean setting & BIPOC cast, trans lesbian MC, trans polyamorous lesbian MC, polyamorous sapphic side characters

I must admit, I'm a little disappointed. The writing wasn't bad but wasn't good either. The plot was shaky and a little confusing and the characterization of the MCs were... a little off? Can't explain it, there was just too much contrast at what we're told about them and what we actually see from them, excluding Dallas.

Also - of course the trope "character A has killed character B's loved one so character B is getting close to character A to kill them but they accidentally fall in love" will be resolved this way :') Of course.

Can I get a book with this trope isn't resolved with the loved one's death being deserved/justified or character A not have killed them at all? 😩 Like, FOR ONCE character B's revenge to be ctually valid and on point? Pls

rickosborne's review

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tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

For being relatively short, this story still managed to hit all the beats. No notes.

Sex:

mostly closed-door, with a few oblique references to acts and anatomy

Tags: #BeGayDoCrimes #DualPOV #FirstPersonPOV #HiddenIdentity #NeutralNeutralPair #OrganizedCrime #RehabRecovery #RivalsToLovers #SecretsAndBetrayal #TransMC

Content Warnings

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