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rebl's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
Rise of the Resistance by Jackie D is, overall, a solid dystopian fiction that finds itself caught somewhere between being a thought-provoking and didactic political thriller, and a fairly typical lesbian romance with a generic futuristic backdrop. As a fan of the former who is somewhat tired of the latter, this was a difficult book for which to write a review.
Kaelyn Trapp, otherwise known as Phoenix One, is cryogenically frozen — one of a chosen four— sleeping away seventy years until the time is right to stage a coup and overthrow a morally bankrupt government. Arrow, Kaelyn’s guardian, a true believer in what this (potentially ignorant) Australian reader can only best describe as ‘the American Dream’, an idealistic woman of integrity, has worked her whole life to prepare for the war to come. What isn’t to love about this plot?
Exploring a future in which men like Donald Trump have not only been allowed to rule, but have been elevated to the cult-like status representative of many of history’s authoritarian dictatorships, this novel has plenty to offer. The ‘President’ and his heir, MacLeod, make for fascinating reading. Jackie D explores how racist, homophobic, xenophobic leaders manage to seize, manipulate, and maintain power.
“First, he paid off a major media organisation. Its sole purpose was to discredit the others until people who were loyal to him only tuned in to that outlet…Next, he started to discredit our FBI…It didn’t matter how many of his statements were proven as lies, or how horrible his remarks about women and minorities…”
And I have no doubt that this novel has been inspired by a deep-rooted societal concern about Trump:
“Nora sat on the couch. She ran her hands down her form-fitting red dress. She was perfect. Hell, if she hadn’t been his own daughter, he probably would’ve tried to sleep with her by now.”
Nora, MacLeod’s daughter, is the character I found the most fascinating in this story. She’s deplorable in many ways, but also far more intelligent than her father, and the only member of the cast to do something that I found genuinely surprising. Nora is a political mastermind working within a patriarchal, sexist framework in which the inequalities of today have been exacerbated and even legalised. If Nora appears in the next book, I’ll be reading it.
Kaelyn and Arrow are likeable, but also unremarkable. Kaelyn is said to be the absolute best person to restore democracy and freedom, but some aspects of her personality and supposed expertise struck me incongruent with this claim. She is good at giving speeches filled with a lot of platitudes and patriotism, but many of the finer aspects of leadership are left to the reader to assume. There were also some instances where her lack of knowledge (probably more for the reader’s benefit so that Arrow or her mother could then deliver an explanation) didn’t make sense to me. That said, I suspect she is meant to personify the traits of American culture that are most admirable, an ideological foundation of fairness and compassion. Which is just kinda nice, really.
Arrow is almost nauseatingly ‘good’, the proverbial knight-in-shining-armour, where even her faults are positive. I didn’t mind either of the two leading ladies, but I also didn’t feel particularly connected to the pair because they were presented as practically perfect. When someone in the novel pointed out the fact that these two were in their positions of power and influence because they’d been born to the ‘right’ families, I cheered a little, because it frustrated me that two people, both born to presidents were apparently the only ones who could save America (and this is very much a book steeped in all things American). Arrow is a warrior who has a few action scenes that many readers will enjoy. I was pleased to see that Arrow didn’t resort to fatal gunshots as her first method of defence (or attack).
The romance between Kaelyn and Arrow is, I imagine, what many readers will come to see. Given that the romance frustrated me because it kept detracting from the dystopian elements I was enjoying so much as well as what I perceived as deep repetition of the “we shouldn’t go there because we have a duty to others” trope, lots of people will love it. But this is what I meant earlier when I said this book was, I thought, caught between wanting to be a standard romance ‘lesfic’, with the meet-desire-angst-denial-more angst-give in-deny again-HEA plot line many know and love, and a speculative fiction with a heck of a lot of meat on its bones.
Readers like me will want less focus on the internal dialogue attached to the relationship and more exploration of the dystopian setting and its deep-rooted psychological conflicts. Romance-lovers will possibly want to see the reverse. You can see why this review got so long, right? I mean, I love parts of this book, but I also wanted to skip sections.
I have my fingers crossed that subsequent novels in the series will explore characters ‘on the ground’ so to speak, looking at History From Below. I think this will really draw out those complex social and political concepts that are there, but not quite developed. I’d be really interested to hear from anyone else who has read this one. What did you think?!
Rise of the Resistance by Jackie D is, overall, a solid dystopian fiction that finds itself caught somewhere between being a thought-provoking and didactic political thriller, and a fairly typical lesbian romance with a generic futuristic backdrop. As a fan of the former who is somewhat tired of the latter, this was a difficult book for which to write a review.
Kaelyn Trapp, otherwise known as Phoenix One, is cryogenically frozen — one of a chosen four— sleeping away seventy years until the time is right to stage a coup and overthrow a morally bankrupt government. Arrow, Kaelyn’s guardian, a true believer in what this (potentially ignorant) Australian reader can only best describe as ‘the American Dream’, an idealistic woman of integrity, has worked her whole life to prepare for the war to come. What isn’t to love about this plot?
Exploring a future in which men like Donald Trump have not only been allowed to rule, but have been elevated to the cult-like status representative of many of history’s authoritarian dictatorships, this novel has plenty to offer. The ‘President’ and his heir, MacLeod, make for fascinating reading. Jackie D explores how racist, homophobic, xenophobic leaders manage to seize, manipulate, and maintain power.
“First, he paid off a major media organisation. Its sole purpose was to discredit the others until people who were loyal to him only tuned in to that outlet…Next, he started to discredit our FBI…It didn’t matter how many of his statements were proven as lies, or how horrible his remarks about women and minorities…”
And I have no doubt that this novel has been inspired by a deep-rooted societal concern about Trump:
“Nora sat on the couch. She ran her hands down her form-fitting red dress. She was perfect. Hell, if she hadn’t been his own daughter, he probably would’ve tried to sleep with her by now.”
Nora, MacLeod’s daughter, is the character I found the most fascinating in this story. She’s deplorable in many ways, but also far more intelligent than her father, and the only member of the cast to do something that I found genuinely surprising. Nora is a political mastermind working within a patriarchal, sexist framework in which the inequalities of today have been exacerbated and even legalised. If Nora appears in the next book, I’ll be reading it.
Kaelyn and Arrow are likeable, but also unremarkable. Kaelyn is said to be the absolute best person to restore democracy and freedom, but some aspects of her personality and supposed expertise struck me incongruent with this claim. She is good at giving speeches filled with a lot of platitudes and patriotism, but many of the finer aspects of leadership are left to the reader to assume. There were also some instances where her lack of knowledge (probably more for the reader’s benefit so that Arrow or her mother could then deliver an explanation) didn’t make sense to me. That said, I suspect she is meant to personify the traits of American culture that are most admirable, an ideological foundation of fairness and compassion. Which is just kinda nice, really.
Arrow is almost nauseatingly ‘good’, the proverbial knight-in-shining-armour, where even her faults are positive. I didn’t mind either of the two leading ladies, but I also didn’t feel particularly connected to the pair because they were presented as practically perfect. When someone in the novel pointed out the fact that these two were in their positions of power and influence because they’d been born to the ‘right’ families, I cheered a little, because it frustrated me that two people, both born to presidents were apparently the only ones who could save America (and this is very much a book steeped in all things American). Arrow is a warrior who has a few action scenes that many readers will enjoy. I was pleased to see that Arrow didn’t resort to fatal gunshots as her first method of defence (or attack).
The romance between Kaelyn and Arrow is, I imagine, what many readers will come to see. Given that the romance frustrated me because it kept detracting from the dystopian elements I was enjoying so much as well as what I perceived as deep repetition of the “we shouldn’t go there because we have a duty to others” trope, lots of people will love it. But this is what I meant earlier when I said this book was, I thought, caught between wanting to be a standard romance ‘lesfic’, with the meet-desire-angst-denial-more angst-give in-deny again-HEA plot line many know and love, and a speculative fiction with a heck of a lot of meat on its bones.
Readers like me will want less focus on the internal dialogue attached to the relationship and more exploration of the dystopian setting and its deep-rooted psychological conflicts. Romance-lovers will possibly want to see the reverse. You can see why this review got so long, right? I mean, I love parts of this book, but I also wanted to skip sections.
I have my fingers crossed that subsequent novels in the series will explore characters ‘on the ground’ so to speak, looking at History From Below. I think this will really draw out those complex social and political concepts that are there, but not quite developed. I’d be really interested to hear from anyone else who has read this one. What did you think?!
queerlitloft's review against another edition
5.0
Whilst this story is one of a dystopian future, there were parts which felt eerily like the beginnings of our current reality.
Jackie D. does an excellent job of weaving a story that depicts what happens when fear of the 'other' and a lack of understanding and communication of those differences is allowed to take root in a society.
In parts, it wouldn't take much to stretch your imagination, to see the footholds of the story reflected in some of todays more divisive rhetoric.
The 'end of the world' aspect of the book is nicely balanced out with a story of hope, one which was put in place and has laid dormant for seven decades in the form of the Phoenix Project.
There's a beautiful synergy between the main characters; Macy, Valour, Arrow and Kaelyn. But none more so than the main relationship between Arrow and Kaelyn.
Whilst theirs could be perceived as instant love, i think the relationship corresponds nicely with their roles having been put in motion long before they ever meet.
Arrow has spent her whole life learning and training for the moment that Phoenix One is awakened. Kaelyn meanwhile awakens into a world which she though she'd be prepared for, but in reality seeks solace in the grounding force that is Arrow.
As such their romance may take root quickly but the progression of Arrow's and Kaelyn's relationship is a fitting balance to the turbulent and fraught world surrounding them.
All in all a really fantastic story, which i truly hope is the beginning of a series. I feel like this story is only just unraveling itself and there's plenty of scope to explore what happens next in a varity of directions, whether that be with Arrow and Kaelyn, Nora MacLeod or Phoenix Two, Three or Four. It's certainly a journey i'd like to see more of.
Jackie D. does an excellent job of weaving a story that depicts what happens when fear of the 'other' and a lack of understanding and communication of those differences is allowed to take root in a society.
In parts, it wouldn't take much to stretch your imagination, to see the footholds of the story reflected in some of todays more divisive rhetoric.
The 'end of the world' aspect of the book is nicely balanced out with a story of hope, one which was put in place and has laid dormant for seven decades in the form of the Phoenix Project.
There's a beautiful synergy between the main characters; Macy, Valour, Arrow and Kaelyn. But none more so than the main relationship between Arrow and Kaelyn.
Whilst theirs could be perceived as instant love, i think the relationship corresponds nicely with their roles having been put in motion long before they ever meet.
Arrow has spent her whole life learning and training for the moment that Phoenix One is awakened. Kaelyn meanwhile awakens into a world which she though she'd be prepared for, but in reality seeks solace in the grounding force that is Arrow.
As such their romance may take root quickly but the progression of Arrow's and Kaelyn's relationship is a fitting balance to the turbulent and fraught world surrounding them.
All in all a really fantastic story, which i truly hope is the beginning of a series. I feel like this story is only just unraveling itself and there's plenty of scope to explore what happens next in a varity of directions, whether that be with Arrow and Kaelyn, Nora MacLeod or Phoenix Two, Three or Four. It's certainly a journey i'd like to see more of.
hhushaw's review against another edition
3.0
An honest review thanks to NetGalley. This was an excellent read; I was pulled into the storyline instantly. It was a refreshing change, but I felt like it was too fast. Right, when Phoenix One woke up, they were ready to take back the government. It didn't seem that Phoenix One did anything so exceptional to take the government. It seemed like the Resistance could have done what they did years before. I felt like there wasn't something so special about Phoenix one that came off the page to showcase her strength for the resistance. It was a very refreshing storyline I just wanted more background of what the resistance was doing before Phoenix one woke up.
rogue_lurker's review against another edition
3.0
A relatively light science fiction novel set 70+ years in the future - a dystopian future where America has been divided into two - the isolationist, authoritarian, patriarchal police state that drugs its citizens to retain their power and and the outlying communities that have broken away but are hampered by limited resources and forced to trade the majority of their food in order to maintain some level of autonomy.
The book starts in the present where a beleaguered President sees the writing on the wall with the rise of a fear mongering opposition who are poised to take over the government. He creates the Phoenix Project where four specially selected people (specialists in military, technology, psychology and history) will be cryogenically frozen and able to be activated when it is time to retake the government and reinstate democracy and American ideals.
It's an interesting premise but the book itself just didn't work for me. I had more questions than answers with the world building, assumptions and overarching plot that kept pulling me out of the story. I didn't connect with either of the MCs and the romance seemed too stilted and forced.
While reading this one, a number of things kept bugging me and pulled me out of the story
Kaelyn is chosen because she's going to make such a good leader - but her character is relatively passive and never really leads.
If I were Kaelyn, I'd be moderately weirded out by Arrow's fixation - she's read/watched all her lectures and books, gone through all her personal stuff and has been sitting beside her cryogenically frozen body for years just talking to her. It's almost stalkerish.
If it is such a bad thing that the McLeods set up a ruling dynasty - passing the leadership from father to son, why is is such a good thing that the former President's daughter is supposed to be the chosen leader of the Resistance/new America without anyone questioning it?
Phoenixes - Just because you're an expert in current times, doesn't mean you'll be an expert 70 years in the future - the context of things like culture, geography, psychology is fluid ... it like saying if Thomas Jefferson showed up, he'd be the perfect leader for the present. And why only four and why these specialties.
That was the quickest and easiest coup ever ... was the population of the US reduced to a few thousand people all living in one city?
The book starts in the present where a beleaguered President sees the writing on the wall with the rise of a fear mongering opposition who are poised to take over the government. He creates the Phoenix Project where four specially selected people (specialists in military, technology, psychology and history) will be cryogenically frozen and able to be activated when it is time to retake the government and reinstate democracy and American ideals.
It's an interesting premise but the book itself just didn't work for me. I had more questions than answers with the world building, assumptions and overarching plot that kept pulling me out of the story. I didn't connect with either of the MCs and the romance seemed too stilted and forced.
While reading this one, a number of things kept bugging me and pulled me out of the story
Spoiler
Kaelyn is chosen because she's going to make such a good leader - but her character is relatively passive and never really leads.
If I were Kaelyn, I'd be moderately weirded out by Arrow's fixation - she's read/watched all her lectures and books, gone through all her personal stuff and has been sitting beside her cryogenically frozen body for years just talking to her. It's almost stalkerish.
If it is such a bad thing that the McLeods set up a ruling dynasty - passing the leadership from father to son, why is is such a good thing that the former President's daughter is supposed to be the chosen leader of the Resistance/new America without anyone questioning it?
Phoenixes - Just because you're an expert in current times, doesn't mean you'll be an expert 70 years in the future - the context of things like culture, geography, psychology is fluid ... it like saying if Thomas Jefferson showed up, he'd be the perfect leader for the present. And why only four and why these specialties.
That was the quickest and easiest coup ever ... was the population of the US reduced to a few thousand people all living in one city?
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