A review by etosaurus
Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer
challenging
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Suicide, Slavery, Sexual assault, Cannibalism, and Genocide
Minor: Pedophilia, Eating disorder, Incest, and Child abuse
Gender identity is a large theme which can be distressing for some. While most of the world operates without overt gender, our narrator for convoluted reasons genders people--not based on their sex, but based on outdated ideas of what gendered characteristics are. This gendering is often not done with the consent of the people involved, but when he knows someone's preference and is at liberty to reveal that information he will do so.But the rest of the time can ping as "misgendering" if you're sensitive to that kind of thing (it distressed me a lot the first time through the book). The book does have characters who would count as "trans" in the modern day, and they are not discriminated against for it.