Status
Available
Call number
Collection
Publication
Hodder & Stoughton (2020), 352 pages
Description
"Combining the social commentary of The Handmaid's Tale with the white-knuckled thrills of Red Rising, this epic space opera follows a comfort woman as she claims her agency, a soldier questioning his allegiances, and a non-binary hero out to save the solar system. First Sister has no name and no voice. As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars-the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister's hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain-Saito Ren-whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren by the Sisterhood, but soon discovers that working for the war effort is so much harder to do when you're falling in love. Lito val Lucius climbed his way out of the slums to become an elite soldier of Venus, but was defeated in combat by none other than Saito Ren, resulting in the disappearance of his partner, Hiro. When Lito learns that Hiro is both alive and now a traitor to the cause, he now has a shot at redemption: track down and kill his former partner. But when he discovers recordings that Hiro secretly made, Lito's own allegiances are put to the test. Ultimately, he must decide between following orders and following his heart. A stunning and sweeping debut novel that explores the power of technology, colonization, race, and gender, The First Sister is perfect for fans of James S.A. Corey, Chuck Wendig, and Margaret Atwood"--… (more)
Media reviews
"Lewis’s lush prose creates an immersive, richly textured world with complex social dynamics and solid LGBTQ and multicultural representation."
User reviews
LibraryThing member Verkruissen
When I read the description that said for fans of Red Rising and The Handmaid's Tale I knew I would have to read it. These are two of my all time favorite books. The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis did not disappoint! If I could throw a third book that I saw similarities to it would be Dune by
I really enjoyed everything about this book. The characters were unique, the world building was all encompassing and I truly found the book hard to put down. I need the next book in the series ASAP!
The story is told from two different points of view. The first being that of the First Sister. A woman in the service of the sisterhood who has achieved rank of First Sister on the star ship she has been assigned to. The sisterhood takes girls at a young age, removes their ability to speak, gives them no name and trains them in the ways of the sisterhood. The second point of view is that of Lito val Lucius a boy from the poorest population who worked his way up to being a duelist in an elite military force. He is paired with Hiro, a non-binary character with whom Lito is in love.
The story is immersive and thought provoking and definitely leaves you with a cliff hanger. I highly recommend this book.
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Frank Herbert, who was my first love in science fiction. I really enjoyed everything about this book. The characters were unique, the world building was all encompassing and I truly found the book hard to put down. I need the next book in the series ASAP!
The story is told from two different points of view. The first being that of the First Sister. A woman in the service of the sisterhood who has achieved rank of First Sister on the star ship she has been assigned to. The sisterhood takes girls at a young age, removes their ability to speak, gives them no name and trains them in the ways of the sisterhood. The second point of view is that of Lito val Lucius a boy from the poorest population who worked his way up to being a duelist in an elite military force. He is paired with Hiro, a non-binary character with whom Lito is in love.
The story is immersive and thought provoking and definitely leaves you with a cliff hanger. I highly recommend this book.
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LibraryThing member muddyboy
This is a well constructed science fiction yarn about a future when there is habitation on Mercury, Venus, Earth and Mars. The novel has intrigue and a plot to assassinate an important leader know as mother. The first sister (main character) is a title in the hierarchy under mother in which there
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is a second sister and third sister. Not much in the area of romance here but there is a good deal of plotting to achieve each character's goals.Many recent fantasies I have reviewed make little sense but this one does and is well worth reading. Show Less
LibraryThing member Dokfintong
Do we need this?
I was finished with books about female sexual slavery in Science Fiction way back with John Norman and Gore. This recent spate that began with "The Handmaid's Tale" dramatization never piqued my interest and this book certainly did not rouse me out of my apathy. Does anyone ever ask
So here we have a culture where space ships need sex slaves so much that a caste of sex slaves is developed. I think it is nonsense. How can the economy afford dead weight on the ship? These slaves do nothing useful toward running the ship. Sex bots that could wield a wrench would be more sensible.
Then there is the bit about these slaves being mute so that they can't tell secrets. How effective do you think that would be? Read Garp? Nonsense.
I received a review copy of "The First Sister" by Linden A. Lewis from Skybound Books through NetGalley.com.
I was finished with books about female sexual slavery in Science Fiction way back with John Norman and Gore. This recent spate that began with "The Handmaid's Tale" dramatization never piqued my interest and this book certainly did not rouse me out of my apathy. Does anyone ever ask
Show More
any more, as we did of Margaret Atwood in 1985, and later with "Children of Men", how the cultural details arose? Not the overall idea that something has disrupted reproduction, but how the rest of it came about?So here we have a culture where space ships need sex slaves so much that a caste of sex slaves is developed. I think it is nonsense. How can the economy afford dead weight on the ship? These slaves do nothing useful toward running the ship. Sex bots that could wield a wrench would be more sensible.
Then there is the bit about these slaves being mute so that they can't tell secrets. How effective do you think that would be? Read Garp? Nonsense.
I received a review copy of "The First Sister" by Linden A. Lewis from Skybound Books through NetGalley.com.
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LibraryThing member Andorion
An interesting sci-fi world, with good character work. Its a very well-paced story, though it did leave me with unanswered questions about the plot and the world, and hopefully they get answered in the sequels.
LibraryThing member rivkat
This was pitched as space opera with The Handmaid’s Tale, and that’s not inaccurate though it is aspirational. One main character is a silent Sister (they are silenced so that they can just listen to and support the soldiers who use them for confession and sexual access), while another is a
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fighter on the opposing side, whose own regime turns out to have its share of horrific tortures and injustices. It was a bit too crapsack world for me even though there is clearly some hope at the end. Show Less
LibraryThing member jakeisreading
The first thing that struck me about The First Sister was the dark sci-fi setting that Lewis has created. Between grey-clad priestesses in spaceship chapels and Ironskin battle-suits, this novel has a vaguely gothic atmosphere that I love.
The second thing was that I had absolutely no idea where the
This is partly down to the well-written blurb which (for once) doesn’t give too much away. It’s also a credit to Lewis’ flair for pacing and progressive worldbuilding. While The First Sister is more intimate and character-focused then I expected, Lewis’ imaginative and complex setting is slowly revealed throughout the book, adding further detail and scope.
The defining concept in this first instalment of The First Sister Trilogy is the Sisterhood and its representation of rape culture, which Lewis says was partly influenced by The Handmaid’s Tale and the #MeToo movement. It’s worth noting that there are no rape or sex scenes detailed in the book; the idea is portrayed more insidiously. Rather than focusing on individual perpetrators, Linden describes the unsettling control that government and religious organisations possess over individuals’ bodies, as well as the harm of a complacent society. This idea of a person’s body being violated by an institution is echoed throughout the story.
An interesting counterpoint to this theme is the fact that the Icarii, Geans and Asters are selectively inclusive – the queer characters in the story don’t face any discrimination for their gender or sexuality. This optimism perhaps makes this story a bit easier to digest, but also draws focus back to the idea of institution as villain, and tentatively suggests the possibility of social revolution.
The First Sister also draws focus to family relationships, the value we place on them, and the sacrifices we make for them. Among the several complex relationships in the book, I found the unique intimacy between Lito and Hiro particularly moving.
The First Sister is a relatively short sci-fi novel and I will admit there were a few aspects of the book that I wanted to continue learning about. However, it packs a punch, and I’m confident that these things will be further developed in subsequent books. It’s an impressive debut, and Lewis doesn’t shy away from challenges like writing a protagonist who can’t speak, or another who is developed mostly through a video transcript.
The second thing was that I had absolutely no idea where the
Show More
story was going. I don’t necessarily mean in a plot-twisty way (though there are a couple of corkers), more so that I didn’t know what direction the book was taking until very late in the game.This is partly down to the well-written blurb which (for once) doesn’t give too much away. It’s also a credit to Lewis’ flair for pacing and progressive worldbuilding. While The First Sister is more intimate and character-focused then I expected, Lewis’ imaginative and complex setting is slowly revealed throughout the book, adding further detail and scope.
The defining concept in this first instalment of The First Sister Trilogy is the Sisterhood and its representation of rape culture, which Lewis says was partly influenced by The Handmaid’s Tale and the #MeToo movement. It’s worth noting that there are no rape or sex scenes detailed in the book; the idea is portrayed more insidiously. Rather than focusing on individual perpetrators, Linden describes the unsettling control that government and religious organisations possess over individuals’ bodies, as well as the harm of a complacent society. This idea of a person’s body being violated by an institution is echoed throughout the story.
An interesting counterpoint to this theme is the fact that the Icarii, Geans and Asters are selectively inclusive – the queer characters in the story don’t face any discrimination for their gender or sexuality. This optimism perhaps makes this story a bit easier to digest, but also draws focus back to the idea of institution as villain, and tentatively suggests the possibility of social revolution.
The First Sister also draws focus to family relationships, the value we place on them, and the sacrifices we make for them. Among the several complex relationships in the book, I found the unique intimacy between Lito and Hiro particularly moving.
The First Sister is a relatively short sci-fi novel and I will admit there were a few aspects of the book that I wanted to continue learning about. However, it packs a punch, and I’m confident that these things will be further developed in subsequent books. It’s an impressive debut, and Lewis doesn’t shy away from challenges like writing a protagonist who can’t speak, or another who is developed mostly through a video transcript.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jakeisreading
he first thing that struck me about The First Sister was the dark sci-fi setting that Lewis has created. Between grey-clad priestesses in spaceship chapels and Ironskin battle-suits, this novel has a vaguely gothic atmosphere that I love.
The second thing was that I had absolutely no idea where the
This is partly down to the well-written blurb which (for once) doesn’t give too much away. It’s also a credit to Lewis’ flair for pacing and progressive worldbuilding. While The First Sister is more intimate and character-focused then I expected, Lewis’ imaginative and complex setting is slowly revealed throughout the book, adding further detail and scope.
The defining concept in this first instalment of The First Sister Trilogy is the Sisterhood and its representation of rape culture, which Lewis says was partly influenced by The Handmaid’s Tale and the #MeToo movement. It’s worth noting that there are no rape or sex scenes detailed in the book; the idea is portrayed more insidiously. Rather than focusing on individual perpetrators, Linden describes the unsettling control that government and religious organisations possess over individuals’ bodies, as well as the harm of a complacent society. This idea of a person’s body being violated by an institution is echoed throughout the story.
An interesting counterpoint to this theme is the fact that the Icarii, Geans and Asters are selectively inclusive – the queer characters in the story don’t face any discrimination for their gender or sexuality. This optimism perhaps makes this story a bit easier to digest, but also draws focus back to the idea of institution as villain, and tentatively suggests the possibility of social revolution.
The First Sister also draws focus to family relationships, the value we place on them, and the sacrifices we make for them. Among the several complex relationships in the book, I found the unique intimacy between Lito and Hiro particularly moving.
The First Sister is a relatively short sci-fi novel and I will admit there were a few aspects of the book that I wanted to continue learning about. However, it packs a punch, and I’m confident that these things will be further developed in subsequent books. It’s an impressive debut, and Lewis doesn’t shy away from challenges like writing a protagonist who can’t speak, or another who is developed mostly through a video transcript.
The second thing was that I had absolutely no idea where the
Show More
story was going. I don’t necessarily mean in a plot-twisty way (though there are a couple of corkers), more so that I didn’t know what direction the book was taking until very late in the game.This is partly down to the well-written blurb which (for once) doesn’t give too much away. It’s also a credit to Lewis’ flair for pacing and progressive worldbuilding. While The First Sister is more intimate and character-focused then I expected, Lewis’ imaginative and complex setting is slowly revealed throughout the book, adding further detail and scope.
The defining concept in this first instalment of The First Sister Trilogy is the Sisterhood and its representation of rape culture, which Lewis says was partly influenced by The Handmaid’s Tale and the #MeToo movement. It’s worth noting that there are no rape or sex scenes detailed in the book; the idea is portrayed more insidiously. Rather than focusing on individual perpetrators, Linden describes the unsettling control that government and religious organisations possess over individuals’ bodies, as well as the harm of a complacent society. This idea of a person’s body being violated by an institution is echoed throughout the story.
An interesting counterpoint to this theme is the fact that the Icarii, Geans and Asters are selectively inclusive – the queer characters in the story don’t face any discrimination for their gender or sexuality. This optimism perhaps makes this story a bit easier to digest, but also draws focus back to the idea of institution as villain, and tentatively suggests the possibility of social revolution.
The First Sister also draws focus to family relationships, the value we place on them, and the sacrifices we make for them. Among the several complex relationships in the book, I found the unique intimacy between Lito and Hiro particularly moving.
The First Sister is a relatively short sci-fi novel and I will admit there were a few aspects of the book that I wanted to continue learning about. However, it packs a punch, and I’m confident that these things will be further developed in subsequent books. It’s an impressive debut, and Lewis doesn’t shy away from challenges like writing a protagonist who can’t speak, or another who is developed mostly through a video transcript.
Show Less
LibraryThing member jamestomasino
DNF. I didn't buy into the characters, the politics, or the combat. The narrative styles felt forced. I made it about 70% and just couldn't do it anymore.
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
2020-08
ISBN
152938690X / 9781529386905
Local notes
First Sister has no name and no voice. As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars—the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister’s hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain—Saito Ren—whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren by the Sisterhood, but soon discovers that working for the war effort is so much harder to do when you’re falling in love.
GSFF Book Club, August 2020. Signed by the author, limited to 700 copies. Exclusive black and star sprayed edges.
GSFF Book Club, August 2020. Signed by the author, limited to 700 copies. Exclusive black and star sprayed edges.