Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Tordotcom (2023), 448 pages
Description
While we live, the enemy shall fear us. Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, she readies herself to face the Wisdom, the powerful, reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over humanity. They are what's left. They are what must survive. Kyr is one of the best warriors of her generation, the sword of a dead planet. When Command assigns her brother to certain death and relegates her to Nursery to bear sons until she dies trying, she knows she must take humanity's revenge into her own hands. Alongside her brother's brilliant but seditious friend and a lonely, captive alien, Kyr escapes from everything she's known into a universe far more complicated than she was taught and far more wondrous than she could have imagined.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member krau0098
Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got an eGalley of this book through NetGalley to review.
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning to the very end. Previous to reading this book I had read Tesh's "Greenhollow Duology" and really loved it. This book was very
The book follows Kyr, a battle breed human born on Gaea Station. When Earth was destroyed by the majoda, Gaea Station stood as a last line of defense protecting the humans that were left from the aftermath. Kyr has trained all her life to command a dreadnought and attack the enemy; then suddenly she finds she's been regulated to Nursery duty. Command feels it is more important for her to use her battle breed gene pool to breed more humans than to use her hard-earned battle skills. Kyr starts to rebel against the Gaea Station doctrine and ends up taking things into her own hands to discover the truth behind Gaea Station.
I think the synopsis gives too much away. I didn't read it before I picked up this book and was seriously stressed about what assignment Kyr would get, although this does happen pretty early in the story. I loved watching Kyr grow throughout the book; she has to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing and really stretch her mind and beliefs to do what she needs to do.
This book is full of amazing characters trying to understand the huge worlds around them and make sense of their own militant upbringing. All of the characters are incredibly well done and engaging to read about.
The world-building here is phenomenal. Most of the universe is run by an entity called The Wisdom and all of the majoda are in sync with it. Although, things become much more complicated than that as Kyr starts to unravel the truth behind humanity's relationship with the rest of the galaxy.
There is quite a bit of action here and some visiting other worlds and meeting other species. I loved the creativity and description in these scenes; it was so much fun to meet these new alien races and visit these new worlds. Tesh did a fantastic job creating them and making them come alive for the reader.
This book was a wonderful balance of unique world-building, amazing characters, action, conspiracy, and mystery. This book does an excellent job of wrapping things up but I would love to see more books set in this world and see what the future has in store for Kyr.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved everything about this book. This book only made me love Tesh as a writer even more. This is so different from the Greenhollow Duology but still so completely amazing. If you enjoy sci-fi, space opera reads that focus on what it means to be human in a crazy alien universe I would definitely pick this up. I think fans of Becky Chambers' book will find a lot here to love (although this is a bit more action-packed than Chambers' books). Highly recommended!
Thoughts: I absolutely loved this book from the very beginning to the very end. Previous to reading this book I had read Tesh's "Greenhollow Duology" and really loved it. This book was very
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different from the Greenhollow books, this is science fiction/space opera setting. However, it touches on many similar themes and was beautifully written.The book follows Kyr, a battle breed human born on Gaea Station. When Earth was destroyed by the majoda, Gaea Station stood as a last line of defense protecting the humans that were left from the aftermath. Kyr has trained all her life to command a dreadnought and attack the enemy; then suddenly she finds she's been regulated to Nursery duty. Command feels it is more important for her to use her battle breed gene pool to breed more humans than to use her hard-earned battle skills. Kyr starts to rebel against the Gaea Station doctrine and ends up taking things into her own hands to discover the truth behind Gaea Station.
I think the synopsis gives too much away. I didn't read it before I picked up this book and was seriously stressed about what assignment Kyr would get, although this does happen pretty early in the story. I loved watching Kyr grow throughout the book; she has to overcome a lifetime of brainwashing and really stretch her mind and beliefs to do what she needs to do.
This book is full of amazing characters trying to understand the huge worlds around them and make sense of their own militant upbringing. All of the characters are incredibly well done and engaging to read about.
The world-building here is phenomenal. Most of the universe is run by an entity called The Wisdom and all of the majoda are in sync with it. Although, things become much more complicated than that as Kyr starts to unravel the truth behind humanity's relationship with the rest of the galaxy.
There is quite a bit of action here and some visiting other worlds and meeting other species. I loved the creativity and description in these scenes; it was so much fun to meet these new alien races and visit these new worlds. Tesh did a fantastic job creating them and making them come alive for the reader.
This book was a wonderful balance of unique world-building, amazing characters, action, conspiracy, and mystery. This book does an excellent job of wrapping things up but I would love to see more books set in this world and see what the future has in store for Kyr.
My Summary (5/5): Overall I loved everything about this book. This book only made me love Tesh as a writer even more. This is so different from the Greenhollow Duology but still so completely amazing. If you enjoy sci-fi, space opera reads that focus on what it means to be human in a crazy alien universe I would definitely pick this up. I think fans of Becky Chambers' book will find a lot here to love (although this is a bit more action-packed than Chambers' books). Highly recommended!
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LibraryThing member FourOfFiveWits
Since the release of her novella Silver in the Wind in 2019, I've been a fan of Emily Tesh, so her debut novel, Some Desperate Glory, was high on my anticipation list for 2023. In this science fiction thriller, contact with aliens has happened, and it ends with the destruction of Earth. Now Valkyr
It should be noted, as far as trigger warnings are concerned, this book has many, and Tesh presents those warnings before the novel begins. This review will discuss some of those subjects. There will also be spoilers.
The truth is, Part I of the post, set on Gaea Station, is difficult to enjoy as its setting is utterly depressing. Kyr, likewise, is wholly unlikable. She is cruel, homophobic, xenophobic, glory hungry, ignorant, self-centered, closed off, selfish, obsessed with being the best, and as her closest rival, Cleo, puts it early on, a "horrible bitch” that "everyone hates." The only value Kyr sees in herself, and others is how useful they are to the cause. Unfortunately, the cause doesn't help. As far as Kyr knows, all that remains of humanity is military training, eugenics, and hatred, and where women's lives are reduced to whether they'd be better as soldiers or breeding stock. The combination of the two made sticking to the book, in the beginning, challenging, but as someone who advocates for stopping a book if you don't like it, I'm glad I stuck with it. Once Kyr has her assignment, everything begins to change. Once the setting moves on from Gaea Station, the book hits the ground running.
It's in Part Two and Three on Chrysothemis, the human colony planet first to surrender to the Majoda, the aliens humanity lost their war to, that my opinion of Valkyr began to change. Kyr's utter enthusiasm for the cause is a defense mechanism to ignore everything wrong about Gaea she doesn't want to see. Emily Tesh doesn't change Kyr to quite likable yet. Still, through her change in environment and interactions, it's easier to sympathize with Kyr and how brainwashed she is. She can rationalize her homophobia towards fellow Gaean, Avi, a technical genius, because she sees him as weak but has to come up with new rationales when her brother comes out to her that it's simply "sex stuff," not what is truly important; the mission. From Avi to her reunion with her so-called traitor sister, to the nephew whose age has implications Kyr doesn't want to think about, to the alien Yiso Kyr doesn't want to admit is a person, let alone accept their non-binary pronouns, red flags are littered about Gaea that make it harder and harder for Kyr to ignore. Kyr is not just a zealot but a sad teenager who has shied away from the truth her entire life because it would hurt too much.
Kyr feels like a lost cause in the beginning. It felt as if she'd never entirely break out of Gaea's brainwashing. By part three, Kyr is standing on the threshold of understanding the truth about her precious Uncle Joel and all the adults who have turned her into an extremist for the human race. In part three, there was a growing emotional tension, a desperation for her to make that final push. There is a likable character in Valkyr, but everyone's patience with her will vary, and I can't argue with them if it drives them away from the book. At this point, it's heartbreaking to see Kyr being on the verge of a revelation several times only for her to retreat into the safety of the mission, one given to her brother, not her, and one that'll result in her death. By the time Kyr finally has her breakthrough about what Gaea has done to her, her sister, Avi, her brother, and all of those other girls from her mess, it's too late. Everything goes completely wrong, and the book drastically changes the setting.
At the halfway mark, Emily Tesh takes the book in a bold direction. The Wisdom, the artificial intelligence that leads the Majo to what they see as the greater good, plays a pivotal role in this part. The civilization created by The Wisdom is reminiscent of Iain M. Bank's The Culture books, a mix of sentient races and technology living together. However, the Wisdom itself plays a much more significant role in Kyr's journey in the second half of Some Desperate Glory. Kyr gets to see the other side of humanity, the side that gave the Majo a reason to destroy the Earth. She also gets to see the other side of herself, which isn't so different from Avi or her brother Magnus. She learns what it's like to live where her sexuality, her training, her usefulness, or what her being a woman can do for the survival of humanity.
The book often feels at a point between a Young Adult and an Adult science fiction book. It has more nuance than is often seen in a YA book. Still, it is not quite as nuanced as science fiction can be, perhaps because the main character is a teenager, and it's mostly told from her perspective. Rather than being black and white like most YA books, it feels dark grey and light grey but not much more complex than that. Still, its climax is a satisfying conclusion that brings redemption and a new lease on life to Kyr and many of the young people of Gaea Station.
Yes, Some Desperate Glory is about the aftermath of a war humanity lost that cost them the Earth and led to the rise of a fascist terrorist cell hellbent on revenge. However, it's also about that what indoctrination can do to a person and the lengths to which one can lie to themselves to keep the protection that indoctrination provides for them: safety, a purpose, a meaning to their life, to feel useful, to feel needed, wanted, a place to belong, a mission that is bigger than oneself. Emily Tesh's debut novel delivers complicated characters and fascinating science fiction technology with maybe a less nuanced plot than the subject matter deserves. Still, I have no regrets about sticking with it or with Valkyr.
Check out No Page Unturned, a book podcast featuring this reviewer on the Geeklyinc network
Joshua was provided an advance copy of the book by Tor books.
If you liked this review, please consider buying the reviewer a coffee.
Follow Joshua MacDougall @FourofFiveWits on Twitter.
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is one of the few humans living in Gaea Station. The remaining human refugees have formed a militarized society revolving around surviving and getting revenge on the aliens who destroyed their world. Now Kyr, the girls of her mess she has trained and grown up with, and her brother are about to graduate and be given their mission assignments. Unfortunately for Kyr, this is when everything goes wrong. It should be noted, as far as trigger warnings are concerned, this book has many, and Tesh presents those warnings before the novel begins. This review will discuss some of those subjects. There will also be spoilers.
The truth is, Part I of the post, set on Gaea Station, is difficult to enjoy as its setting is utterly depressing. Kyr, likewise, is wholly unlikable. She is cruel, homophobic, xenophobic, glory hungry, ignorant, self-centered, closed off, selfish, obsessed with being the best, and as her closest rival, Cleo, puts it early on, a "horrible bitch” that "everyone hates." The only value Kyr sees in herself, and others is how useful they are to the cause. Unfortunately, the cause doesn't help. As far as Kyr knows, all that remains of humanity is military training, eugenics, and hatred, and where women's lives are reduced to whether they'd be better as soldiers or breeding stock. The combination of the two made sticking to the book, in the beginning, challenging, but as someone who advocates for stopping a book if you don't like it, I'm glad I stuck with it. Once Kyr has her assignment, everything begins to change. Once the setting moves on from Gaea Station, the book hits the ground running.
It's in Part Two and Three on Chrysothemis, the human colony planet first to surrender to the Majoda, the aliens humanity lost their war to, that my opinion of Valkyr began to change. Kyr's utter enthusiasm for the cause is a defense mechanism to ignore everything wrong about Gaea she doesn't want to see. Emily Tesh doesn't change Kyr to quite likable yet. Still, through her change in environment and interactions, it's easier to sympathize with Kyr and how brainwashed she is. She can rationalize her homophobia towards fellow Gaean, Avi, a technical genius, because she sees him as weak but has to come up with new rationales when her brother comes out to her that it's simply "sex stuff," not what is truly important; the mission. From Avi to her reunion with her so-called traitor sister, to the nephew whose age has implications Kyr doesn't want to think about, to the alien Yiso Kyr doesn't want to admit is a person, let alone accept their non-binary pronouns, red flags are littered about Gaea that make it harder and harder for Kyr to ignore. Kyr is not just a zealot but a sad teenager who has shied away from the truth her entire life because it would hurt too much.
Kyr feels like a lost cause in the beginning. It felt as if she'd never entirely break out of Gaea's brainwashing. By part three, Kyr is standing on the threshold of understanding the truth about her precious Uncle Joel and all the adults who have turned her into an extremist for the human race. In part three, there was a growing emotional tension, a desperation for her to make that final push. There is a likable character in Valkyr, but everyone's patience with her will vary, and I can't argue with them if it drives them away from the book. At this point, it's heartbreaking to see Kyr being on the verge of a revelation several times only for her to retreat into the safety of the mission, one given to her brother, not her, and one that'll result in her death. By the time Kyr finally has her breakthrough about what Gaea has done to her, her sister, Avi, her brother, and all of those other girls from her mess, it's too late. Everything goes completely wrong, and the book drastically changes the setting.
At the halfway mark, Emily Tesh takes the book in a bold direction. The Wisdom, the artificial intelligence that leads the Majo to what they see as the greater good, plays a pivotal role in this part. The civilization created by The Wisdom is reminiscent of Iain M. Bank's The Culture books, a mix of sentient races and technology living together. However, the Wisdom itself plays a much more significant role in Kyr's journey in the second half of Some Desperate Glory. Kyr gets to see the other side of humanity, the side that gave the Majo a reason to destroy the Earth. She also gets to see the other side of herself, which isn't so different from Avi or her brother Magnus. She learns what it's like to live where her sexuality, her training, her usefulness, or what her being a woman can do for the survival of humanity.
The book often feels at a point between a Young Adult and an Adult science fiction book. It has more nuance than is often seen in a YA book. Still, it is not quite as nuanced as science fiction can be, perhaps because the main character is a teenager, and it's mostly told from her perspective. Rather than being black and white like most YA books, it feels dark grey and light grey but not much more complex than that. Still, its climax is a satisfying conclusion that brings redemption and a new lease on life to Kyr and many of the young people of Gaea Station.
Yes, Some Desperate Glory is about the aftermath of a war humanity lost that cost them the Earth and led to the rise of a fascist terrorist cell hellbent on revenge. However, it's also about that what indoctrination can do to a person and the lengths to which one can lie to themselves to keep the protection that indoctrination provides for them: safety, a purpose, a meaning to their life, to feel useful, to feel needed, wanted, a place to belong, a mission that is bigger than oneself. Emily Tesh's debut novel delivers complicated characters and fascinating science fiction technology with maybe a less nuanced plot than the subject matter deserves. Still, I have no regrets about sticking with it or with Valkyr.
Check out No Page Unturned, a book podcast featuring this reviewer on the Geeklyinc network
Joshua was provided an advance copy of the book by Tor books.
If you liked this review, please consider buying the reviewer a coffee.
Follow Joshua MacDougall @FourofFiveWits on Twitter.
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LibraryThing member ablachly
This book promised to rip my heart out, and it delivered! Some Desperate Glory is not only the queer space opera you've been looking for, but also a fantastically character driven story. It's smart, unrelenting, surprising, emotionally-gutting, and glorious.
LibraryThing member oceancat
it's only february but this is absolutely going on my best books of the year shelf. i loved it so, so much. it's a challenging read at times, because it deals with challenging topics, but it deals with them well and also acknowledges that sometimes there are no easy answers. kyr, the main
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character, starts off life in a space station being trained for a cause she believes in with all her heart. however, the universe is not so simple and there are so many shades of gray and watching her learn and grow and change over the course of the book was so good. and avi!! my favorite character whether he deserves it or not, is such a good example of how escaping something on the outside doesn't mean we've escaped it internally, and how difficult that can be to face. ugh, this was just so good. i highly recommend. many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dianekeenoy
An amazing debut space novel by Emily Tesh. "Since she was born, Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth." She is one of the War Breed soldiers that are bred and trained to fight against the Wisdom, the reality-shaping weapon that gave the majoda their victory over
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humanity. The world building in this book is just incredible. If you have any interest in space opera novels, this is one you don't want to miss! Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Superb. Thoroughly enjoyed Emily's debuet fantasy novellas, and this her debuet novel is a fully fledged mil-sf Space Opera standalone social SF that works incredibly well despite featuring one of my least favourite tropes of time travel. There's a strong trigger warning given at the opening, but I
The story opens with Kyr (Valkyr) anticipating her commission - she's the leader of an all-female squad on humanity's last rebellion enclave. They're about to be assigned to their permanent sections, and all desire the honour of the fighting wings, although Nursery isn't glamourous it's still serving the cause furthering the continuation of humans in space after the alien compact destroyed Earth. the alternative is to become traitors like her elder sister and flee the fight. But the aliens can cheat - they have the Wisdom, a machine that can manipulate the universe for the best possible outcome - however it was very explicitly developed without intelligence as such, and doesn't make the choices involved in determining this. And so Kyr ends up having influence over it, and chooses a universe where Earth wasn't destroyed. Which is the start of Part2 where she's Val (still Valkyr) and living a happier life. However some actions are still inevitable and the Wisdom remains.
It's all very well done, Kyr is great, and even better when she's learned a few home truths, and has her classmates and contacts to keep her in check. There's some interesting relationships that work well, the technology is wisely not explained except where necessary. The villainy of the leaders is kept to believable bounds, and the aliens are suitably enigmatic. I'm not a big fan of mil-SF where humans are the best/fiercest/determinedist in the galaxy, but this is deftly handled.
There's some great social commentary - explicitly as excerpts at the start of each part, but throughout when you think of it. Defining utopia, the value and cost of war, and what's worth fighting for. Really great SF - what it should be, makes you think. Very much looking forward to seeing what she's going to write next.
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felt this was much stronger than the events portrayed, especially compared to many similar works that don't have such warnings. The story opens with Kyr (Valkyr) anticipating her commission - she's the leader of an all-female squad on humanity's last rebellion enclave. They're about to be assigned to their permanent sections, and all desire the honour of the fighting wings, although Nursery isn't glamourous it's still serving the cause furthering the continuation of humans in space after the alien compact destroyed Earth. the alternative is to become traitors like her elder sister and flee the fight. But the aliens can cheat - they have the Wisdom, a machine that can manipulate the universe for the best possible outcome - however it was very explicitly developed without intelligence as such, and doesn't make the choices involved in determining this. And so Kyr ends up having influence over it, and chooses a universe where Earth wasn't destroyed. Which is the start of Part2 where she's Val (still Valkyr) and living a happier life. However some actions are still inevitable and the Wisdom remains.
It's all very well done, Kyr is great, and even better when she's learned a few home truths, and has her classmates and contacts to keep her in check. There's some interesting relationships that work well, the technology is wisely not explained except where necessary. The villainy of the leaders is kept to believable bounds, and the aliens are suitably enigmatic. I'm not a big fan of mil-SF where humans are the best/fiercest/determinedist in the galaxy, but this is deftly handled.
There's some great social commentary - explicitly as excerpts at the start of each part, but throughout when you think of it. Defining utopia, the value and cost of war, and what's worth fighting for. Really great SF - what it should be, makes you think. Very much looking forward to seeing what she's going to write next.
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LibraryThing member spiritedstardust
I read 300 pages and could not continue, I only pushed that far as I had the illuminate edition.
I hated this so much - being in a brainwashed bigot, homophobic, xenophobic bully for over half the book is not fun. This book is full of heavy themes and doesn’t do them well. This book just made me
I hated this so much - being in a brainwashed bigot, homophobic, xenophobic bully for over half the book is not fun. This book is full of heavy themes and doesn’t do them well. This book just made me
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feel angry and heavy - there was nothing fun or entertaining about it. The queer romance was also lacking. Show Less
LibraryThing member KittyCunningham
I got tired of the do-overs.
LibraryThing member quondame
This imaginative reworking of several standard SF tropes mostly moves well enough through the convolutions of it's time bending plot, but takes its time getting everything established and then bogs a bit when going into the final action. Still, the characters, while always, often, or sometimes
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unpleasant are a more rational set than is often encountered and there is a lot of action. Show Less
LibraryThing member Verkruissen
I got pulled into this story by discovering the first 3 chapters were available on Tor.com's website. I definitely got pulled in by this original story about Valkyr, a young girl raised on a dead rock in space known as Gaea station. Kyr, as she goes by has been raised to believe that they in Gaea
Overall this was an excellent story, I did have a hard time at first feeling any sort of empathy for Kyr, she was a very unlikable character. I had to keep in mind that the children raised here had been pretty much brainwashed into believing that they would be the founders of a new Earth and that the aliens were out to get them all.
Definitely a good story to read, unique plot and interesting characters. I'm not sure if this was intended as a standalone novel or not but it works as one.
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Station are the last hope of humanity against an alien race that destroyed earth. When her brother refuses an assignment and can no longer be found she breaks the rules and follows him on what she believes is a suicide mission. What she finds out will shake her beliefs to her very core.Overall this was an excellent story, I did have a hard time at first feeling any sort of empathy for Kyr, she was a very unlikable character. I had to keep in mind that the children raised here had been pretty much brainwashed into believing that they would be the founders of a new Earth and that the aliens were out to get them all.
Definitely a good story to read, unique plot and interesting characters. I'm not sure if this was intended as a standalone novel or not but it works as one.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
Some Desperate Glory starts off as kind of a routine dystopia but gets better as it goes along. I listened to the book so I had no idea where I was in it. About halfway through I thought it was about to have a pleasant ending so was very surprised to check my phone and see there was so much left.
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I'm a sucker for books about human growth or lack of it, so I have to join the fan group singing its praises. Show Less
LibraryThing member rivkat
Kyr is a happy fascist, proud to be the best girl in her cohort. But when that doesn’t bring her the combat assignment she expects, she disobeys—she knows she has more to give the fight against the aliens who destroyed almost all of humanity. Very rapidly, she learns about the other abuses that
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shape her existence. She’s a reflexive homophobe—sex without reproduction is unhelpful to the human cause—though she’s willing to work with her brother’s gay friend. Her attitudes change over the course of the book, including for spoiler reasons, but the spoilers are possible because, while Kyr likes being strong and powerful, she also wants to do good—and as her definition of good changes, her concerns widen. Tesh upends the game several times during the book, which helps speedrun Kyr through her development, and I ended up having a good time. Show Less
LibraryThing member macha
wow. 4 and a half stars. everyone needs to read this one. it builds with all the momentum and the gumption of the very best of space opera adventures, so you can read it just for the frantic pace. at the same time, remarkably, it's very much in the spirit and with the mastery of Le Guin's greatest
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books of social science fiction, while at the same time remaining very much its own thing. it's also a ruthless dissection of military cultures and what they're built for, demonstrated by way more show than tell. oh, and don't be put off by the unlovable narrator Kyr as you begin to read, because she's got a major explosive arc to run from beginning to end, and we've all got to start somewhere. Show Less
LibraryThing member mojomomma
The last outpost of earth tries to keep their species alive. Eventually they discover they are not the only earthlings and are in fact the slaves of an evil man. Too many convenient "time slips" allows the characters to have do-overs.
Awards
Hugo Award (Nominee — Novel — 2024)
Libby Book Award (Finalist — Science Fiction — 2023)
NPR: Books We Love (2023)
Locus Recommended Reading (First Novel — 2023)
LibraryReads (Monthly Pick — April 2023)
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2023-04-11
Physical description
448 p.; 8.55 inches
ISBN
1250834988 / 9781250834980