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spacecadetlav's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
For telling Antigone in a post-apocalyptic setting, many of the rules of the world lacked depth. It was understood the limitations for women, but had they always been this way or were rights stripped away as child bearing became important? Overall the parallels and themes to the original play carry over well in the dystopian setting created.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Murder
aseel_reads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
this was an interesting retelling of antigone and i loved the creativity needed to make it a sci-fi. i can't remember much of the original story but i think this was an accessible story and very straight to the point. i kind of wish it was longer or even more of the greek society retold in this sci-fi world.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Lesbophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Sexual assault
palmkd's review against another edition
dark
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This was a super intriguing retelling of the Antigone, set in a dystopian SciFi setting where natural birth is an abomination. Having studied the play a bit, albeit some years ago, I enjoyed seeing new life breathed into the story and seeing how the conflict was transferred to this setting.
With the planet a wasteland, all resources must be guarded carefully, including the genetic material and the females who can bear children. Genetic material (called Ichor) is precious and stored in a secure facility called the Archive, kind of like a library but filled with Ichor.
After her parent's untimely murder, Antigone and her siblings are cared for by their uncle who has taken their father's throne.
A gilded cage is till a cage and Antigone is not one to submit to those who wish to control her.
The original play Antigone is Athenian tragedy by Sophocles which as most Greek plays loves a good catharsis (kinda like purging) of emotions. The retelling, like the original, is going to drag you through a lot of feelings, but in the end you'll be better off for it!
With the planet a wasteland, all resources must be guarded carefully, including the genetic material and the females who can bear children. Genetic material (called Ichor) is precious and stored in a secure facility called the Archive, kind of like a library but filled with Ichor.
After her parent's untimely murder, Antigone and her siblings are cared for by their uncle who has taken their father's throne.
A gilded cage is till a cage and Antigone is not one to submit to those who wish to control her.
The original play Antigone is Athenian tragedy by Sophocles which as most Greek plays loves a good catharsis (kinda like purging) of emotions. The retelling, like the original, is going to drag you through a lot of feelings, but in the end you'll be better off for it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
misterwisp's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
It's an interesting, well written sci fi retelling of an old Greek play. The characters are well done and the darkness of the dystopia setting gives a distinct feel to everything. It's alternately sad, melancholy, and grim at different times. The writing is strong and evokes the underlying themes in a compelling way. It's a pretty quick short little book and I liked it enough to want a more from certain parts. Even so it's pretty good overall. It does leave a desire to try more by the author.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Classism
Minor: Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Death of parent, Murder, and Pregnancy
ncoletti's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Murder
wizardish's review against another edition
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Infertility, Misogyny, Sexism, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and Lesbophobia
jessicaludden's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
“If a soul endures, then perhaps—it simply endures, no matter what we do.”
Arch-Conspirator is a retelling of Antigone set in a dystopian world where the genes of the dead are preserved to be used again. After Antigone’s parents are killed during a rebel revolt, her and her siblings live with their uncle who is now in power and Antigone is given a mission that may be impossible to complete.
This was an interesting, fast-paced, dystopian read. Although I’m not familiar right the original story of Antigone, I was surprised by how much I grew to like the characters in such a short amount of time. I loved the multiple POVs and felt like each character was developed nicely. This book brought up a lot of interesting topics and themes that I wish could’ve been explored in more depth, such as women’s bodily autonomy, the civil disobedience in this society, what makes a soul, and the harvesting of DNA to preserve humanity. It felt like many topics were introduced, but not many points were made. Overall, I enjoyed reading this but wish there was more time to fully develop the messages.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC of this book!
Arch-Conspirator is a retelling of Antigone set in a dystopian world where the genes of the dead are preserved to be used again. After Antigone’s parents are killed during a rebel revolt, her and her siblings live with their uncle who is now in power and Antigone is given a mission that may be impossible to complete.
This was an interesting, fast-paced, dystopian read. Although I’m not familiar right the original story of Antigone, I was surprised by how much I grew to like the characters in such a short amount of time. I loved the multiple POVs and felt like each character was developed nicely. This book brought up a lot of interesting topics and themes that I wish could’ve been explored in more depth, such as women’s bodily autonomy, the civil disobedience in this society, what makes a soul, and the harvesting of DNA to preserve humanity. It felt like many topics were introduced, but not many points were made. Overall, I enjoyed reading this but wish there was more time to fully develop the messages.
Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for an ARC of this book!
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Misogyny, Sexism, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder