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A review by bookcook
The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley
dark
mysterious
fast-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
4.5
The power of the corrupt governments and entrenched corporations feels inevitable. No doubt so did the rule of kings and landowners before them.
Dietz is an orphan driven by her desire to be accepted as a citizen in a world owned by The Big 6, an oligarchy of corporations. In order to obtain citizenship she enlists in the military and eagerly anticipates her first jump, a method of transportation that whittles its users down to their molecules and puts them back together on the front lines. However she's not being put back together in the same timeline she left from. Experiencing events in such a way forces her to reexamine why she has to do any of this just to maintain a half decent quality of life.
While reading this I was constantly verifying the publishing date because it was a book that almost seemed out of time. Criticisms of obtaining citizenship, government aid, privatized health care, and patriotism all made this book feel like a response to all that has occurred in my country in the last 4 years. Instead it was published in 2019. Now obviously I know what has happened in my home is not specific to the US but still... Was the author also time hopping while writing this?