Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
Tom Doherty Associates
Description
Tired of hiding in obscurity on Earth, Tina, the human clone of a brilliant alien tactician, pursues her destiny in space, but success is elusive until Tina and her best friend Rachel assemble a ragtag crew of humans and set out to save all the worlds.
User reviews
LibraryThing member astults
Over 15 years ago, I submitted an essay to an anthology Charlie Jane and her partner worked on. I never received a response (my essay was truly horrid because it was too general) but at some point Charlie Jane followed me on twitter and I followed her back. She's undoubtedly one of the nicest and
I came to Victories Greater Than Death knowing it would probably be pretty great. And it is! A friend's son is really into books with characters who have more than binary pronouns and I think in a year or two he will really enjoy this. (He's nine.) Some cranky people might say this novel is "politically correct" because people ask for consent before touching another person and each character introduces themselves with their preferred pronouns. I think this is respectful and helps give readers some guidelines on how to behave towards others. I mean, it's really timeless to ask someone if you can hug them, whether you're at school/work, in a global pandemic, or millions of miles away from home on a starship.
This has a LOT of world building thanks to so many species in the galaxy. The nuggets of information are sprinkled throughout the book without sounding like an infodump. Tina has encyclopedic knowledge without the corresponding memories of the legendary space hero. Because Tina is the main character and this book is told from her point of view, she has the most characterization. She thinks like a teen with the feelings of a teen and sometimes doesn't say what she wants. But she's learning how to speak up.
This is Tina's first foray into embracing her destiny and I'm sure this book does a fine job setting the tone for the remaining books in the planned trilogy. Tina may not do everything by the Royal Fleet handbook but that's part of finding out who you're meant to be!
There's a villain who is sure to make more appearances. Tina's best friend, Rachel, an introverted artist isn't going anywhere. I would love to see Rachel's artwork! A handful of earthlings, a non-earthling movie star, a second-in-command with predatory killer instincts, and a little bit of space ship hijacking come together to make a delightful space romp.
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smartest people around. I mention our tenuous connection in case anyone happens to see our twitter exchanges even though I'm set to private. This is getting a lot of buzz as it approaches its April 13th publication date so you'll be able to check out readings, blog posts, and such for the book over the next month or two.I came to Victories Greater Than Death knowing it would probably be pretty great. And it is! A friend's son is really into books with characters who have more than binary pronouns and I think in a year or two he will really enjoy this. (He's nine.) Some cranky people might say this novel is "politically correct" because people ask for consent before touching another person and each character introduces themselves with their preferred pronouns. I think this is respectful and helps give readers some guidelines on how to behave towards others. I mean, it's really timeless to ask someone if you can hug them, whether you're at school/work, in a global pandemic, or millions of miles away from home on a starship.
This has a LOT of world building thanks to so many species in the galaxy. The nuggets of information are sprinkled throughout the book without sounding like an infodump. Tina has encyclopedic knowledge without the corresponding memories of the legendary space hero. Because Tina is the main character and this book is told from her point of view, she has the most characterization. She thinks like a teen with the feelings of a teen and sometimes doesn't say what she wants. But she's learning how to speak up.
This is Tina's first foray into embracing her destiny and I'm sure this book does a fine job setting the tone for the remaining books in the planned trilogy. Tina may not do everything by the Royal Fleet handbook but that's part of finding out who you're meant to be!
There's a villain who is sure to make more appearances. Tina's best friend, Rachel, an introverted artist isn't going anywhere. I would love to see Rachel's artwork! A handful of earthlings, a non-earthling movie star, a second-in-command with predatory killer instincts, and a little bit of space ship hijacking come together to make a delightful space romp.
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LibraryThing member Citizenjoyce
This is my first Charlie Jane Anders book. Judging from the title you can assume it's pretty melodramatic, which it is, but even more than that it's very, very YA. Had I read the book instead of listening I wouldn't have had an aversion to the characters, but here's the problem. Anders is thrilled
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that she got Hynden Walch to play all the characters. Some of the monstrous aliens sound like Glinda the Good Witch or Munchkins, so that's fun, but the main character, who, after all, is supposed to save the universe, sounds like she's 13 years old. Walch is the voice of Princess Bubblegum and many, many more cartoon and video characters. I assumed she was about 18. She's 51 and still sounds like a perky 13-year-old, or rather, like no 13-year-old I ever knew. The book is interesting with pertinent social commentary, but that voice. I just can't believe she thinks the voice is a good thing. Maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe teenage girls who love sci-fi would relate, but I don't see how. Show Less
LibraryThing member sennebec
Wow, players from all over the gender spectrum, both human and non, blend together to make an irresistible cast that is dropped into a nearly non-stop stream of action. A page turner par excellence with more to come. Can I hop into a time machine so I don't have to wait so long for the next book?
LibraryThing member quondame
It's great that there are more books where the standard introduction is "My name is ...., my pronoun is....", but that doesn't mean that a book with the jerkiest stop start flow and a pretty standard kick ass heroine leads a group of teens plot is a good story. It wasn't much fun to read without a
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complete need for its gender presentations. Show Less
LibraryThing member reading_fox
Not my cup of tea. Concept is sort of ok. Wide range of diverse characters, works well. Actual plot and worldbuilding - fail miserably. I'm not sure if it's just trying too hard, or whether the whole 'gang of kids saves the day' theme hasn't worked for me. Such things need a carefully contrived
Tilly is apparently a teenaged human girl. But she's known from an early age that in reality she's the clone of a famous alien, carefully hiding on earth until she's old enough to come into her powers and face the forces hunting her. Various teenage angst happens until she triggers her beacon and she's whisked into space just in the nick time as her enemies are hot on her tail. Her new crewmates are all humanoid aliens with weird heads. But they're seriously understaffed so Tilly suggest calling up some more clever humans - all teenagers for no particular reason. And so the 6 Earthlings have to go and save the galaxy.
There's no consideration given to the alien biology, just descriptions. There's no thought given to physics. The partial explanation, and even the final reveal of the dominance of humanoid forms make no sense at all. It's a very heavy metaphor hammer used repeatedly, but it would help if the underlying rational was reasonable. The worlds are just thrown where they need to be. etc etc.
There are some good points, the collection of greeting phrases and appropriate response is so much entertaining than just 'hello'. The character diversity and respect for bodily autonomy is welcome. But it isn't enough to overcome the rest.
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scenario where it's possible, but instead this just throws endless madcap schemes around, with a very bizarre and unnecessary crowd of aliens for ever increasing imagery and no substance.Tilly is apparently a teenaged human girl. But she's known from an early age that in reality she's the clone of a famous alien, carefully hiding on earth until she's old enough to come into her powers and face the forces hunting her. Various teenage angst happens until she triggers her beacon and she's whisked into space just in the nick time as her enemies are hot on her tail. Her new crewmates are all humanoid aliens with weird heads. But they're seriously understaffed so Tilly suggest calling up some more clever humans - all teenagers for no particular reason. And so the 6 Earthlings have to go and save the galaxy.
There's no consideration given to the alien biology, just descriptions. There's no thought given to physics. The partial explanation, and even the final reveal of the dominance of humanoid forms make no sense at all. It's a very heavy metaphor hammer used repeatedly, but it would help if the underlying rational was reasonable. The worlds are just thrown where they need to be. etc etc.
There are some good points, the collection of greeting phrases and appropriate response is so much entertaining than just 'hello'. The character diversity and respect for bodily autonomy is welcome. But it isn't enough to overcome the rest.
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LibraryThing member ladycato
I read this book as part of the Norton Award ballot. I checked it out as an ebook from my local library.
Victories Greater Than Death is a fun young adult space romp that turns around the idea of being a destined hero. Tina is a high schooler on Earth who has always known she is different--she's an
The voice of the book engaged me from page one. It felt realistic and fun. However, when they went to space and the action picked up, and I felt strangely less engaged. I had to mull it over to figure out why. A supporting cast of other earthlings comes aboard, and they never felt as realized and vivid to me as the initial characters. I actually would love a book from the viewpoint of the best friend, Rachel. That said, it's still a fun and fast read, and I'd be up for reading the next book in the series because there were some big questions left unanswered at the end.
Victories Greater Than Death is a fun young adult space romp that turns around the idea of being a destined hero. Tina is a high schooler on Earth who has always known she is different--she's an
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alien mixed with human DNA to survive here until her transponder awakens to summon aliens that will take her to her destiny. Problem: the transponder will also summon aliens who want her dead. Again. That's because Tina is a really a clone of a major military hero... but things are a lot more complicated than that. When the transponder goes off and major drama ensues, Tina and her best friend Rachael are hoisted into space, where they discover being a hero can seriously suck.The voice of the book engaged me from page one. It felt realistic and fun. However, when they went to space and the action picked up, and I felt strangely less engaged. I had to mull it over to figure out why. A supporting cast of other earthlings comes aboard, and they never felt as realized and vivid to me as the initial characters. I actually would love a book from the viewpoint of the best friend, Rachel. That said, it's still a fun and fast read, and I'd be up for reading the next book in the series because there were some big questions left unanswered at the end.
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LibraryThing member zeborah
When I picked this up to begin it I was briefly not in the mood for a young-adult book, but the character and story were compelling enough to quickly get me over that. I liked the premise of the main character readying herself to pick up her legacy as reincarnation of space superhero: the mixed
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success of how this worked in practice was in some ways a disappointment but ultimately a good balance between retaining genre requirements without throwing the premise completely out the window. Another ambitious aspect was the nature of how the Big Bad not only kills but destroys him victims' legacies, which is an absolutely diabolical concept but one whose full impact is very hard to render at the distance of fiction. The even Bigger Bad is convincingly creepy and while it would also be a delightful experience to read a YA novel that stood on its own, I'll definitely be looking for the rest of the trilogy. Show Less
LibraryThing member LisCarey
Tina Mains knows she doesn't have to worry about being ordinary. She's known since she was quite young that she's the clone of an alien war hero, hidden, disguised, on Earth, and when the time comes, the beacon implanted in her body will activate, and her life will change. In the meantime, she just
When it happens, though, suddenly she's being hunted by the enemies of the woman she was cloned from before the starship that will take her to her destiny even arrives. When it does, barely in the nick of time, she and her best friend, Rachel, are injured, and need the resources of the ship's sick bay before anything else.
But the ship is more battered, worn, and short of crew than it is a shiny, powerful battle cruiser, and it turns out that the Royal Fleet has been counting on the return of their late hero more than she had imagined possible. Tina, Rachel, and four more teenagers they recruit using video games, soon find they will need to learn fast, and start coming up with their own ideas, if they're going to face anything other than the defeat and destruction of the ship they're on.
The six Earthlings are getting acquainted with several alien species, life on a military ship, the politics and ethical system of the Empire. And that Empire has perhaps grown more rigid and inflexible since the death of the woman Tina was cloned from, due to almost two more decades of relentless and unsuccessful war against a breakaway political force that's frankly genocidal. These people need some loosening up, fresh ideas, and reminders of what they used to stand for.
Tina and her friends first have to figure out how to survive and thrive in this strange new environment, before they can save the rest of the galaxy.
This is a teen adventure in space, with really interesting characters, whether human, alien, or in Tina's case, a bit of both. They face dangerous challenges, painful losses, and the need to make real decisions about who they are, and who they want to be.
Enjoyable and satisfying.
I received this book as part of the 2022 Hugo Packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
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has to survive high school.When it happens, though, suddenly she's being hunted by the enemies of the woman she was cloned from before the starship that will take her to her destiny even arrives. When it does, barely in the nick of time, she and her best friend, Rachel, are injured, and need the resources of the ship's sick bay before anything else.
But the ship is more battered, worn, and short of crew than it is a shiny, powerful battle cruiser, and it turns out that the Royal Fleet has been counting on the return of their late hero more than she had imagined possible. Tina, Rachel, and four more teenagers they recruit using video games, soon find they will need to learn fast, and start coming up with their own ideas, if they're going to face anything other than the defeat and destruction of the ship they're on.
The six Earthlings are getting acquainted with several alien species, life on a military ship, the politics and ethical system of the Empire. And that Empire has perhaps grown more rigid and inflexible since the death of the woman Tina was cloned from, due to almost two more decades of relentless and unsuccessful war against a breakaway political force that's frankly genocidal. These people need some loosening up, fresh ideas, and reminders of what they used to stand for.
Tina and her friends first have to figure out how to survive and thrive in this strange new environment, before they can save the rest of the galaxy.
This is a teen adventure in space, with really interesting characters, whether human, alien, or in Tina's case, a bit of both. They face dangerous challenges, painful losses, and the need to make real decisions about who they are, and who they want to be.
Enjoyable and satisfying.
I received this book as part of the 2022 Hugo Packet, and am reviewing it voluntarily.
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LibraryThing member wyvernfriend
I have a sneaking suspicion that I'm too old for this book. The beginning was a bit of a slog but once I got over half-way there it flew past.
There are a lot of earth-himans captured in order to fight a galactic war against a group who believe symmetric humanoids are superior. They end up dealing
There are a lot of earth-himans captured in order to fight a galactic war against a group who believe symmetric humanoids are superior. They end up dealing
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with some ancient tech that leaves openings for new books in the series and new adventures. There's a lot about Tina finding her own way and the other characters finding a place in this new world. Not sorry I read it but not rushing to find the sequels. Show Less
LibraryThing member Glennis.LeBlanc
Some teens feel like they are destined for something more but Tina knows it. Tina is a clone of an alien commander that has been hidden on Earth with a rescue beacon implanted in her that will come to life and take her to the people she doesn’t know. Problems start as soon as the beacon goes off
Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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and her clone progenitor’s enemies come hunting her before her extraction can happen. Tina gets rescued and her artist best friend comes along for the ride. Problems quickly crop up when the crew of the ship tries to give her the memories of her previous life and they quickly find out it doesn’t work for any info that has significant personal meaning to her. She can operate a ship but she doesn’t know anything about how to be the leader everyone needs her to be. The book wraps up well but there are two more planned in the series. Tina does grow in the book and learns to make her own path instead of just continuing what her clone parent had started. Digital review copy provided by the publisher through Edelweiss
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LibraryThing member tornadox
Tina is a clone of an alien general, hidden away on Earth. Once activated, she eagerly accepts her destiny. However, that destiny doesn't quite work out as she (or anyone else) expected.
Queer coming-of-age story/space opera with major The Last Starfighter vibes. Very enjoyable. Lots of different
I heard Charlie Jane's voice in my head as I read it. I later listened to an excerpt from the official audiobook; its narrator is really good and makes different decisions than the Charlie Jane voice in my head. I liked it.
Queer coming-of-age story/space opera with major The Last Starfighter vibes. Very enjoyable. Lots of different
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aliens, both cute and horrific. I heard Charlie Jane's voice in my head as I read it. I later listened to an excerpt from the official audiobook; its narrator is really good and makes different decisions than the Charlie Jane voice in my head. I liked it.
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LibraryThing member jwilker
Overall an enjoyable read. Keeping in mind it's YA it just wasn't what I was hoping for.
The cast was pretty fun, but kind of shallow in some ways. We got a ton of details on this aspect or another and next to none on others.
If YA was my genre I'd likely be at least moderately excited for the next
The cast was pretty fun, but kind of shallow in some ways. We got a ton of details on this aspect or another and next to none on others.
If YA was my genre I'd likely be at least moderately excited for the next
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installment. Show Less
LibraryThing member lavaturtle
I loved this! Cool space adventures with lots of neat worldbuilding, queer and trans representation (and a bunch of other representation too, even just among the human characters), young people figuring out their personal stuff at the same time they have to deal with giant universe-threatening
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stuff, yes! And that ending... there's so much more story to tell and I'm super stoked for the rest of the series. Show Less
Awards
Andre Norton Nebula Award for Middle Grade and Young Adult Fiction (Finalist — 2021)
Locus Award (Finalist — Young Adult Novel — 2022)
Lodestar Award (Nominee — 2022)
NPR: Books We Love (2021)
Read Aloud Indiana Book Award (High School — 2023)
Original publication date
2021
Local notes
Unstoppable, 1
DDC/MDS
| Fic SF Anders |
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