A loyal warrior in a crisis of faith must fight to regain her place and begin her life again while questioning the events of her past. This gripping science-fantasy novel from a Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus Award-winning debut author is a complex, action-packed exploration of the costs of zealous faith, ceaseless conflicts, and unquestioning obedience.
Zenya was a teenager when she ran away from home to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect. She was determined to earn mechanised wings and protect the people and city she loved. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial, charismatic leader, Zenya became Winged Zemolai. But after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai is disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is cast out, and loses everything she worked for. As Zemolai fights for her life, she begins to understand the true nature of her sect, her leader, and the gods themselves.
Format: Paperback
Pages: 336
Imprint: Tachyon US
Publication date: 01/09/2024
Wings upon her back
By Samantha Mills
Review by Mida
Set in a steampunk, grungy world fueled by religious fanatism and military zealotry, the story follows a disgraced warrior who has been fighting the same war for over 20 years. One day, destroyed by exhaustion, she makes a mistake – and is stripped of all her achievements and left to die.
I devoured this book in two days. Zemolai is a fantastic focal character, and her story is handled incredibly. The narrative flicks back and forth between her past as a young woman, filled with idealism around her future as a glorious soldier, and her present as a 40+ year old woman, exhausted and discarded, showing where all her dreams have led.
While Zemolai is a fantastic protagonist, her other half (who I won’t name for spoilers) is crafted to perfection to be gloriously hateable. Her relationship to Zemolai is ambiguously defined, but regardless of the label, it is incredibly compelling. There’s no doubt about her hand in Zemolai’s destruction. Mills pulls no punches as we get to see the steady downward spiral, both through flashbacks to her life before the war and the present as she grapples with her exile.
There is so much more that I could say about this book. It has ruined my standards for fantasy forever, purely because it is so damn good. Easily my favourite book that I read in 2024.
Perfect for fans of the Locked Tomb series and Six of Crows.
