Jack
This is a really solid book, and I'm glad to have it added to my collection of Gender Role Reversed books. It perhaps takes the crown as the best one. It's like it's made up of all the little pieces of the others, and blended them cohesively.
It has the Sci-Fi power dynamics of "The Power"; "Egalia's Daughters" satirical, yet draining, reversed society; Wen Spencer's fantastical whimsey and world-building. All these in a single novel. It's a heavy read, but it's easy to get invested. It even made me reconsider the complexities that Muslim women must experience when considering their own relationships with their family, society, and home.
The scenery and location is unique, painted expertly with vivid imagery, and the book even has a layered linguistic element. I feel it does a stronger job than Egalia's Daughters, by virtue of the story existing not solely for the point of social commentary. I still feel like Wood wanted to tell me a story of her own, and the social critique is a part of that greater whole.
The story is mostly character driven, so if you're partial to a plot driven novel, it likely won't be for you. It falls into the old tradition of Sci-Fi being used as a method of social critique and challenging norms, rather than as a mere aesthetic decision.
My only strong criticisms of this tale, is that the pacing sometimes feels odd due to the long time-span it covers, and that sometimes the protagonist feels a little bit too lucky in multiple occasions.
This is a really solid book, and I'm glad to have it added to my collection of Gender Role Reversed books. It perhaps takes the crown as the best one. It's like it's made up of all the little pieces of the others, and blended them cohesively.
It has the Sci-Fi power dynamics of "The Power"; "Egalia's Daughters" satirical, yet draining, reversed society; Wen Spencer's fantastical whimsey and world-building. All these in a single novel. It's a heavy read, but it's easy to get invested. It even made me reconsider the complexities that Muslim women must experience when considering their own relationships with their family, society, and home.
The scenery and location is unique, painted expertly with vivid imagery, and the book even has a layered linguistic element. I feel it does a stronger job than Egalia's Daughters, by virtue of the story existing not solely for the point of social commentary. I still feel like Wood wanted to tell me a story of her own, and the social critique is a part of that greater whole.
The story is mostly character driven, so if you're partial to a plot driven novel, it likely won't be for you. It falls into the old tradition of Sci-Fi being used as a method of social critique and challenging norms, rather than as a mere aesthetic decision.
My only strong criticisms of this tale, is that the pacing sometimes feels odd due to the long time-span it covers, and that sometimes the protagonist feels a little bit too lucky in multiple occasions.