A review by mal_eficent
Arch-Conspirator by Veronica Roth

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

As someone with absolutely no knowledge of the original Antigone story, I picked this up entirely for the futuristic Greek mythology vibes and was not disappointed. I enjoyed the writing (though it does barely fall on the right side of 'gravitas filled' for me); each of the character perspectives were surprisingly distinct and added to the narrative; and the setting was interesting even though only a small portion was fleshed out. For a book that's not even 150 pages long, it was a thought provoking, quick read. 

And it tries to do a lot for its page count – from discussing reproductive rights to wondering if it's the right thing to do to sacrifice yourself for the wider human race. While it might not cover those points with all the nuance or intersectionality one might hope for, the setting and strong, flawed characters try to provide framework for why that's the case. I really enjoyed that the ideas were brought up without this turning into a theology textbook. That said, I'm also a white, asexual lady with no disabilities and no desire for children, so take that with a grain of salt.

I'd recommend this if you're into science fiction that tries to have some discussion about wider topics. If you're put off by the price vs the size (do I regret spending £13 on a hardback less than 200 pages? A little) check out the audiobook preorder. On Apple Books at least it was £6 vs the ebook's £9 and I was very tempted but wanted to read this sooner.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings