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Lancers #1
Moonstorm
In a society where conformity is valued above all else, a teen girl training to become an Imperial pilot is forced to return to her rebel roots to save her world in this adrenaline-fueled sci-fi adventure—perfect for fans of Iron Widow and Skyward !
Hwa Young was just ten years old when imperial forces destroyed her rebel moon home. Now, six years later, she is a citizen of the very empire that made her an orphan.
Desperate to shake her rebel past, Hwa Young dreams of one day becoming a lancer pilot, an elite group of warriors who fly into battle using the empire’s most advanced tech—giant martial robots. Lancers are powerful, and Hwa Young would do anything to be the strong one for once in her life.
When an attack on their boarding school leaves Hwa Young and her classmates stranded on an imperial space fleet, her dreams quickly become a reality. As it turns out, the fleet is in dire need of pilot candidates, and Hwa Young—along with her brainy best friend Geum, rival Bae, and class clown Seong Su—are quick to volunteer.
But training is nothing like what they expected, and secrets—like the fate of the fleet’s previous lancer squad and hidden truths about the rebellion itself—are stacking up. And when Hwa Young uncovers a conspiracy that puts their entire world at risk, she’s forced to make a choice between her rebel past and an empire she’s no longer sure she can trust.
Hwa Young was just ten years old when imperial forces destroyed her rebel moon home. Now, six years later, she is a citizen of the very empire that made her an orphan.
Desperate to shake her rebel past, Hwa Young dreams of one day becoming a lancer pilot, an elite group of warriors who fly into battle using the empire’s most advanced tech—giant martial robots. Lancers are powerful, and Hwa Young would do anything to be the strong one for once in her life.
When an attack on their boarding school leaves Hwa Young and her classmates stranded on an imperial space fleet, her dreams quickly become a reality. As it turns out, the fleet is in dire need of pilot candidates, and Hwa Young—along with her brainy best friend Geum, rival Bae, and class clown Seong Su—are quick to volunteer.
But training is nothing like what they expected, and secrets—like the fate of the fleet’s previous lancer squad and hidden truths about the rebellion itself—are stacking up. And when Hwa Young uncovers a conspiracy that puts their entire world at risk, she’s forced to make a choice between her rebel past and an empire she’s no longer sure she can trust.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2024
About the author
Yoon Ha Lee
178 books2,005��followersYoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction writer born on January 26, 1979 in Houston, Texas. His first published story, “The Hundredth Question,” appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1999; since then, over two dozen further stories have appeared. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
May 17, 2024
2024 API Month
Apparently this style of book isn't new if you're not new to mecha, or YA sci-fi, but my first experience with either of those things was Iron Widow, which I didn't love. This started slightly better.
I've been meaning to try this author for a while, as he was born in Houston (rep) and is a trans man. Continuing the pronoun talk, which will discourage many readers, the non-binary characters in this book use ze/zir pronouns.
Hwa Young was born a rebel, "rescued" by the empire and forced to work for them. She becomes a lancer pilot and merges with one of the advanced giant martial robots. The Chosen One trope is overused.
I didn't love best friend Geum or classmate Seong Su. I wanted the rivalry with Bae to go elsewhere. The command staff was mostly bland. By the time we make it to the twist, I found myself not caring.
This is one of those books where the beginning holds more promise than the end. That's not to say I didn't enjoy myself. However, I don't think this is my genre, but I won't write it off just yet.
📚 Buddy read with Zana
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press
Apparently this style of book isn't new if you're not new to mecha, or YA sci-fi, but my first experience with either of those things was Iron Widow, which I didn't love. This started slightly better.
I've been meaning to try this author for a while, as he was born in Houston (rep) and is a trans man. Continuing the pronoun talk, which will discourage many readers, the non-binary characters in this book use ze/zir pronouns.
Hwa Young was born a rebel, "rescued" by the empire and forced to work for them. She becomes a lancer pilot and merges with one of the advanced giant martial robots. The Chosen One trope is overused.
I didn't love best friend Geum or classmate Seong Su. I wanted the rivalry with Bae to go elsewhere. The command staff was mostly bland. By the time we make it to the twist, I found myself not caring.
This is one of those books where the beginning holds more promise than the end. That's not to say I didn't enjoy myself. However, I don't think this is my genre, but I won't write it off just yet.
📚 Buddy read with Zana
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press
June 29, 2024
I'm always excited when we get YA sci-fi, and I really love Yoon Ha Lee's writing so I was very excited for him to venture into YA with Moonstorm. I will say, this isn't my favorite book from him, even though I think there's a lot to like.
The ideas and the world are cool, I kind of wonder if this might be loosely tied to the universe of his Hexarchate books for adults, but I'm not sure. Hwa Young is your classic outsider protagonist- taken from her rebel family as a child and now loyal to the empress with dreams of being a Lancer pilot. But things go sideways.... I think this is a nice blend of hard sci-fi as a backdrop, with the first person POV of a teenager in a training academy that you expect from YA. I do think the author might have leaned into the YA elements a bit too much at times, because there were parts of the story that dragged when they should have been faster paced. But overall, I'm invested in the series and interested to see where things go!
It's worth noting that while on its face this seems to be a story about the main character being loyal to a colonizing empire that harmed her family and becoming deeply integrated in the military of that empire, the entire novel is slowly poking holes in what she believes the empire to be and revealing its seedy underbelly so to speak. And the ending spins things in an interesting way. This is also the first book in a series, and the author is always interested in questions of power, empire, and resistance. It's just that this doesn't spell things out for the reader. Rather it trusts that teens can put the pieces together themselves- recognizing the problems with the empire and what it's doing, and what that means about the choices our main character is making.
I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
The ideas and the world are cool, I kind of wonder if this might be loosely tied to the universe of his Hexarchate books for adults, but I'm not sure. Hwa Young is your classic outsider protagonist- taken from her rebel family as a child and now loyal to the empress with dreams of being a Lancer pilot. But things go sideways.... I think this is a nice blend of hard sci-fi as a backdrop, with the first person POV of a teenager in a training academy that you expect from YA. I do think the author might have leaned into the YA elements a bit too much at times, because there were parts of the story that dragged when they should have been faster paced. But overall, I'm invested in the series and interested to see where things go!
It's worth noting that while on its face this seems to be a story about the main character being loyal to a colonizing empire that harmed her family and becoming deeply integrated in the military of that empire, the entire novel is slowly poking holes in what she believes the empire to be and revealing its seedy underbelly so to speak. And the ending spins things in an interesting way. This is also the first book in a series, and the author is always interested in questions of power, empire, and resistance. It's just that this doesn't spell things out for the reader. Rather it trusts that teens can put the pieces together themselves- recognizing the problems with the empire and what it's doing, and what that means about the choices our main character is making.
I received a copy of this book for review via NetGalley, all opinions are my own.
June 9, 2024
3.5 Stars
I adore this author's adult novel so I was eager for the opportunity to check out this author's newest release.
This is a piece of young adult science fiction that manages to avoid the dreaded tropes of the age category. The story is technically sci-fi but leans into the fantastical side of speculative fiction.
I like this one, but my challenge here is that I found this one a little safe. I love the humor the author brings to their adult novels, which often stems from adult themes. As a YA novel, this one was understandably clean, but it also made it a bit dry. I thought it was still objectively fine in terms of writing and plot, but I missed the “spark” I have found in the author's other work.
All that being said, I would still read more in this series once it is available.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I adore this author's adult novel so I was eager for the opportunity to check out this author's newest release.
This is a piece of young adult science fiction that manages to avoid the dreaded tropes of the age category. The story is technically sci-fi but leans into the fantastical side of speculative fiction.
I like this one, but my challenge here is that I found this one a little safe. I love the humor the author brings to their adult novels, which often stems from adult themes. As a YA novel, this one was understandably clean, but it also made it a bit dry. I thought it was still objectively fine in terms of writing and plot, but I missed the “spark” I have found in the author's other work.
All that being said, I would still read more in this series once it is available.
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 15, 2024
That feeling you get when you read someone new and you are suddenly excited by the form and pop of someone doing something a little bit different. Ninefox Gambit was a space battle space opera, but had big ideas and a lot of maths and was perfect for me. Moonstorm - as its title might suggest - isn't quite so radical. Infact if it weren't for my previous knowledge of their work, I'd put this down as a competent but green young adult debut. It is still a space opera, set in a glorious Empire that our protagonist has been adopted into after her rebel moon is taken by the military when she was a child. But it comes off like an overeager fanfic adjacent run at Ender's Game, our orphaned lead Hwa Young ends up in military academy, firmly number two in her class behind the perfect, rich bully. She dreams of being a Lancer pilot, and a few coincidences and war escalation along, that's exactly what she becomes. There is a very YA sequence where the sentient Lancer ships have to bond with their possible pilots, Hwa Young goes last and just after another candidate has died in the process. Will she get a ship, will she bond with the mysterious but most powerful one? The thing is, this isn't a book big on surprises. If it teases something unusual, hard or exceptional, it will probably happen to Hwa Young.
There is something bigger bubbling underneath after all. Our orphan is desperate for the acceptance of her new side, and has so happily accepted that the Empire are the good guys that its quite clear that they probably aren't (its an Empire you idiot). So this sets up an easy reading trilogy, which I think I can safely map out from here. Its YA, you can happily play with some of the oldest tropes in the book. But I'm not YA, and I wanted something a little bit more like Ninefox Gambit.
There is something bigger bubbling underneath after all. Our orphan is desperate for the acceptance of her new side, and has so happily accepted that the Empire are the good guys that its quite clear that they probably aren't (its an Empire you idiot). So this sets up an easy reading trilogy, which I think I can safely map out from here. Its YA, you can happily play with some of the oldest tropes in the book. But I'm not YA, and I wanted something a little bit more like Ninefox Gambit.
June 17, 2024
On my blog.
Rep: Korean coded cast, sapphic mc, nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
Yoon Ha Lee is easily one of my favourite sci fi authors simply on the strength of Ninefox Gambit and its sequels. However, I also think nothing novel-wise he’s written since has perhaps reached those heights for me (probably just because of the expectations I have — and actually when I’ve read his adult short fiction, it has done so). As such, I spent most of Moonstorm wishing it was an adult book.
This is not to say it wasn’t a fun book in itself. I feel like I preface a lot of YA reviews these days with the disclaimer that I don’t read and enjoy a lot of it anymore, which is true! So, a 3-star YA book is pretty good for me. Okay, yeah, I thought the story was a bit simplistic and was, as mentioned, wishing it was adult a lot of the time, but on the whole it was fun and I’m excited to see where it’ll go. (Also worth noting I rated Ninefox Gambit only 3 stars when I read it and that was only because of the ending. Yet now? Favourite series!)
Moonstorm is about a young girl who wants to become a pilot: only it so happens she belongs to a people that said pilots want to colonise as part of the empire. After the moon which she calls home is destroyed (and her whole family killed), she finds herself “adopted” by a pilot and sent to join the empire.
It’s honestly not hard to see where the plot in this one is going (hence why I called it simplistic above), and in a sense that did impact my enjoyment. It was a little predictable, although maybe that’s to be expected. You have to set the groundwork for later moments of shock, right? This is my thesis for why books two and three are going to be that much better!
Plus, it’s got the kind of characters and relationships you want to root for (cough, cough, the developing thing between Hwa Young and Bae). This is just the start of it all and it’s clear that there’s a lot more to explore. Not least the impact of the book’s ending on all of these characters who have, in some way, linked their identity with the empire.
So really, it’s the promise for more that’s going to mean I pick up book two of this, but it’s still a book I would recommend on its own. I know my review has sort of been dithering on that point, but. It’s Yoon Ha Lee. Of course I’ll recommend it.
Rep: Korean coded cast, sapphic mc, nonbinary side characters
Galley provided by publisher
Yoon Ha Lee is easily one of my favourite sci fi authors simply on the strength of Ninefox Gambit and its sequels. However, I also think nothing novel-wise he’s written since has perhaps reached those heights for me (probably just because of the expectations I have — and actually when I’ve read his adult short fiction, it has done so). As such, I spent most of Moonstorm wishing it was an adult book.
This is not to say it wasn’t a fun book in itself. I feel like I preface a lot of YA reviews these days with the disclaimer that I don’t read and enjoy a lot of it anymore, which is true! So, a 3-star YA book is pretty good for me. Okay, yeah, I thought the story was a bit simplistic and was, as mentioned, wishing it was adult a lot of the time, but on the whole it was fun and I’m excited to see where it’ll go. (Also worth noting I rated Ninefox Gambit only 3 stars when I read it and that was only because of the ending. Yet now? Favourite series!)
Moonstorm is about a young girl who wants to become a pilot: only it so happens she belongs to a people that said pilots want to colonise as part of the empire. After the moon which she calls home is destroyed (and her whole family killed), she finds herself “adopted” by a pilot and sent to join the empire.
It’s honestly not hard to see where the plot in this one is going (hence why I called it simplistic above), and in a sense that did impact my enjoyment. It was a little predictable, although maybe that’s to be expected. You have to set the groundwork for later moments of shock, right? This is my thesis for why books two and three are going to be that much better!
Plus, it’s got the kind of characters and relationships you want to root for (cough, cough, the developing thing between Hwa Young and Bae). This is just the start of it all and it’s clear that there’s a lot more to explore. Not least the impact of the book’s ending on all of these characters who have, in some way, linked their identity with the empire.
So really, it’s the promise for more that’s going to mean I pick up book two of this, but it’s still a book I would recommend on its own. I know my review has sort of been dithering on that point, but. It’s Yoon Ha Lee. Of course I’ll recommend it.
June 24, 2024
2.75 ⭐️
May 10, 2024
2 Stars
This was... so incredibly disappointing? You have no idea how much I wanted to love this. I've been looking for some good sci-fi, and this just wasn't that. Oh, the worldbuilding ideas here are solid, but the execution just left me with absolutely nothing to care about. This book is too short for the amount of information repetition, both worldbuilding and character-wise, that happened, and everything just felt undeveloped. I guess I'm supposed to care about the characters by the end (i.e. there are some plot points that require you to care about the characters by the end), but I just didn't. Nothing here really came together, and that's more disappointing than I can express.
Will some people like this book? Undoubtedly. There isn't a lot of new sci-fi, especially in YA. Anyone craving something new will be happy just for this offering. But there really should be so much better out there. Anyway, there's time for more of that when my full review goes live on June 7, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Do stop by if you get the chance.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
This was... so incredibly disappointing? You have no idea how much I wanted to love this. I've been looking for some good sci-fi, and this just wasn't that. Oh, the worldbuilding ideas here are solid, but the execution just left me with absolutely nothing to care about. This book is too short for the amount of information repetition, both worldbuilding and character-wise, that happened, and everything just felt undeveloped. I guess I'm supposed to care about the characters by the end (i.e. there are some plot points that require you to care about the characters by the end), but I just didn't. Nothing here really came together, and that's more disappointing than I can express.
Will some people like this book? Undoubtedly. There isn't a lot of new sci-fi, especially in YA. Anyone craving something new will be happy just for this offering. But there really should be so much better out there. Anyway, there's time for more of that when my full review goes live on June 7, 2024 at Gateway Reviews. Do stop by if you get the chance.
Note: I was provided with an ARC by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.
June 4, 2024
Moonstorm starts a new Lancers YA sci-fi series by Yoon Ha Lee. It’s set in New Joseon, an empire inspired by the Korean past. It’s a collection of moons and artificial planets orbiting together in Moonstorm, what seems to be a vast asteroid field of sorts filled with ether where people can survive for a moment, instead of void. The empire is held together by gravity that is created by peoples’ adherence to rituals and respect for the empress.
But Moonstorm has rogue moons and planetoids in random orbits too. They belong to clanners who hold their gravity with different rituals and don’t bow to the empress. The two different gravities don’t mix and the two sides are at constant war.
Hwa Young is ten when her clanner moon is destroyed by the empire. As the sole survivor, she’s taken to New Joseon and given an education as the ward of the empress. She’s made a conscious decision to become a good citizen of the empire and hide her clanner past, because she wants to become a lancer in the empire’s military, a pilot of huge mechas that operate in space.
At sixteen, she’s unexpectedly given a chance to enter the lancer program. And that, inevitably, leads to her going to a battle against the clanners. It’s all very abstract to her, until it turns out that it’s her former home she’ll be attacking against.
The war isn’t going as well for the empire as the news propaganda gives to understand. Hwa Young is forced to consider the possibility that the empire isn’t entirely right. And it turns out, there’s such thing as too much devotion.
This is a great start to a series. Lee has once again created a world that is unique and interesting, and which has an integral role in the story instead of being a mere prop, although the Korean elements could’ve been brought out more clearly. The mechas with their sentience are more interesting than usually too.
Hwa Young is a fairly typical YA heroine, a headstrong loner who makes emotional decisions at wrong moments. There’s no romance; a good decision, although she seems to be eyeing someone in that light. I hope it doesn’t lead anywhere, as I didn’t really feel the pairing. Side characters were interesting with lives of their own.
The ending leaves Hwa Young in a completely new place in the world. It’ll be interesting to see where that’ll lead.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
But Moonstorm has rogue moons and planetoids in random orbits too. They belong to clanners who hold their gravity with different rituals and don’t bow to the empress. The two different gravities don’t mix and the two sides are at constant war.
Hwa Young is ten when her clanner moon is destroyed by the empire. As the sole survivor, she’s taken to New Joseon and given an education as the ward of the empress. She’s made a conscious decision to become a good citizen of the empire and hide her clanner past, because she wants to become a lancer in the empire’s military, a pilot of huge mechas that operate in space.
At sixteen, she’s unexpectedly given a chance to enter the lancer program. And that, inevitably, leads to her going to a battle against the clanners. It’s all very abstract to her, until it turns out that it’s her former home she’ll be attacking against.
The war isn’t going as well for the empire as the news propaganda gives to understand. Hwa Young is forced to consider the possibility that the empire isn’t entirely right. And it turns out, there’s such thing as too much devotion.
This is a great start to a series. Lee has once again created a world that is unique and interesting, and which has an integral role in the story instead of being a mere prop, although the Korean elements could’ve been brought out more clearly. The mechas with their sentience are more interesting than usually too.
Hwa Young is a fairly typical YA heroine, a headstrong loner who makes emotional decisions at wrong moments. There’s no romance; a good decision, although she seems to be eyeing someone in that light. I hope it doesn’t lead anywhere, as I didn’t really feel the pairing. Side characters were interesting with lives of their own.
The ending leaves Hwa Young in a completely new place in the world. It’ll be interesting to see where that’ll lead.
I received a free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
April 24, 2024
3,5 stars
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW Colonisation | Mass Death | Death of a Parent
One of the things that I always appreciate about Yoon Ha Lee's work is that it has such big ideas with a variety of cultural additions. This book also has that. If it always hits the mark I sometimes wonder.
We meet Hwa Young when her planet is attacked by the empire. She is picked up as an orphan and taken in by the empire. She's being schooled and trained. She wants to be a lancer for the empire. But when the rebels attack this planet, her dreams move up quite a bit. She becomes a lancer. But that isn't nessecarily all its cracked up to be.
To start right of the bat with what I think missed the mark is that Hwa Young was already 10 when she was taken in by the empire. Yet when we meet her at 15, there is no hesitation. She is completely in support of the empire. While I understand 10 is still a child, one would have expected some negative notes here or there. They killed her family. She is very aware of her standing still. There is no suggestion of brainwashing at any point. It could have been a means of surival of course, but there is no critical note until the very end, and only for an action in that moment. And that made the impact of the ending not as hard.
Despite that I did enjoy reading this story. I did like Hwa Young as a character. She knows what she wants and will do anything to achieve that. She is desperate for approval (which is a little jarring in places because of the above.) It is very much young adult with the stereotypical rich girl bully. Yet Yoon Ha Lee manages to show things underneath the surface with her. I also appreciated the friendship Hwa had with another person, with its awkward teen communications yet they always managed to come back to their friendship.
Overal Moonstorm is not at all perfect. But I did find it an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to its sequel.
Thank you to Solaris and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
TW/CW Colonisation | Mass Death | Death of a Parent
One of the things that I always appreciate about Yoon Ha Lee's work is that it has such big ideas with a variety of cultural additions. This book also has that. If it always hits the mark I sometimes wonder.
We meet Hwa Young when her planet is attacked by the empire. She is picked up as an orphan and taken in by the empire. She's being schooled and trained. She wants to be a lancer for the empire. But when the rebels attack this planet, her dreams move up quite a bit. She becomes a lancer. But that isn't nessecarily all its cracked up to be.
To start right of the bat with what I think missed the mark is that Hwa Young was already 10 when she was taken in by the empire. Yet when we meet her at 15, there is no hesitation. She is completely in support of the empire. While I understand 10 is still a child, one would have expected some negative notes here or there. They killed her family. She is very aware of her standing still. There is no suggestion of brainwashing at any point. It could have been a means of surival of course, but there is no critical note until the very end, and only for an action in that moment. And that made the impact of the ending not as hard.
Despite that I did enjoy reading this story. I did like Hwa Young as a character. She knows what she wants and will do anything to achieve that. She is desperate for approval (which is a little jarring in places because of the above.) It is very much young adult with the stereotypical rich girl bully. Yet Yoon Ha Lee manages to show things underneath the surface with her. I also appreciated the friendship Hwa had with another person, with its awkward teen communications yet they always managed to come back to their friendship.
Overal Moonstorm is not at all perfect. But I did find it an enjoyable read and I am looking forward to its sequel.
June 11, 2024
Удивлена, что автор, написавший такой клевый "Гамбит девятихвостого лиса", написал такую _стандартную_ ЯЭ космооперу. Наверное, за такое хорошо платят)
Но дотянула оценку до 4 ради пары твистов, которые понравились.
Но дотянула оценку до 4 ради пары твистов, которые понравились.
May 28, 2024
big yikes. i was not expecting the MC in a YA story about an empire colonizing and destroying other worlds....to denounce her identity and side with the empire? and like... that's it. that's the whole story. 🫠 Hwajin's family is murdered by the empire, she's kidnapped by the empire and taken to an orphanage, and all she can think is how cool the spaceships that killed her family are and how bad she wants to fly one? the whole book is about her embedding herself deeper in the empire and participating in murderous colonizer activities against her own people (who she no longer claims and constantly refers to as "the enemy"). i thought surely there would be some redeeming character arc where the clanners (Hwajin's people) are humanized and Hwajin realizes that empire is evil...lol nope. just colonizer nonsense from cover to cover, the end.
Also, the synopsis on here/the jacket copy is misleading. The clanners are NOT rebels..?? They are people who fled to the Moonstorm to escape the Empire's tyrannical rule, and they live peacefully. It's almost like the publisher intentionally mismarketed it this way because they knew the story arc was hot garbage...
Also, the synopsis on here/the jacket copy is misleading. The clanners are NOT rebels..?? They are people who fled to the Moonstorm to escape the Empire's tyrannical rule, and they live peacefully. It's almost like the publisher intentionally mismarketed it this way because they knew the story arc was hot garbage...
March 11, 2024
Oh my God. I got the chills so many times toward the end of this book. It completely blew my mind. It managed to surpass my high expectations AND be nothing at all like I expected. I've followed this author's work since the start and am excited to see what else they conjure in the future.
Shelved as 'abandoned'
April 7, 2024There's an early moment here that's very reminiscent of Lee's excellent, underappreciated Machineries Of Empire series, where it's mentioned that the Clanners among whom we open, and their enemies the Empire, have different laws of gravity in their territories, each maintained by different rituals. But the way that this leaves the supposedly more independent Clanners just as conformist as the Empire is only barely subtext, and the very fact that the Empire is called the Empire, and not something more interesting like Machineries' Hexarchate, feels disappointing. It's a disappointment which mounted through the third of this I managed, rivalries and divided loyalties that should have festered into something as delectably twisted as I know Lee can create instead proceeding along the most obvious Hollywood (by occasional way of fanfic) lines. Orphaned by the Lancer mechs that killed her Clanner family, Hwa Young is now a ward of the Empire and dreams of piloting one, but her spoiled queen bee nemesis - she's even called Bae - wants the same thing, and has all the social capital. Again, ambitious leads are familiar from those fabulous early novels, but here there's not much of Hwa Young on show beyond ambition, and as in real life, that's quite dull. The only time I was surprised by a development was when the Lord Of The Flies in space interlude was cut short sooner than I expected, which relieved me, because I couldn't decide whether to call it Space Lord Of The Flies or Lord Of The Space Flies; the former was giving me a Monster Magnet earworm, but also I do like that song. Alas, when the next phase of the story still failed to offer anything that hooked me, I concluded I should probably cut my losses. I'm sure there are satisfactions, creative and/or commercial, to this more straightforward YA SF approach, as against the gloriously niche Cordwainer Smith meets 40K deviations of Machineries, but I don't think they're for me.
(Netgalley ARC)
(Netgalley ARC)
May 20, 2024
Buddy read with Mai!
This was a decent read. Mai and I enjoyed it for the most part.
I think this could be a pretty good intro to YA sci-fi for newbies looking to dip their toes in this genre. But if you're a veteran of sci-fi, this isn't anything to write home about.
I did love how the author incorporated Korean culture into this story. I thought that was unique and different from the run of the mill Eurocentric sci-fi stories that flood this genre.
The prayers/gravity aspect was also pretty cool and unique, although it did raise some questions for me. If people pray to the Empress, but they're doing it out of habit instead of sincere belief, does that still count? Who knows.
The story was filled with familiar tropes in YA sci-fi: chosen one, rebels vs. empire, overpowered MC, etc. The plot twists were pretty predictable if you're familiar with this genre. There was nothing to keep me on my toes. I was waiting for an actual plot twist, and while the ending did deliver a taste of a decent twist, it wasn't really all that exciting for me. Maybe if I was younger and less well-read, I might've loved it.
In the end, it felt like everything came much too easily for the MC. The narrative kept saying that she worked hard to achieve her goals of becoming a lancer pilot, but we don't actually see this happening. I would've liked to see her struggle and experience some setbacks. But sadly, even major setbacks were overcome so easily.
I haven't read the author's The Machineries of Empire series yet, which I've heard is a lot better than this one. But I'll definitely give that one a try since I don't see myself continuing with this one.
Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this arc.
This was a decent read. Mai and I enjoyed it for the most part.
I think this could be a pretty good intro to YA sci-fi for newbies looking to dip their toes in this genre. But if you're a veteran of sci-fi, this isn't anything to write home about.
I did love how the author incorporated Korean culture into this story. I thought that was unique and different from the run of the mill Eurocentric sci-fi stories that flood this genre.
The prayers/gravity aspect was also pretty cool and unique, although it did raise some questions for me. If people pray to the Empress, but they're doing it out of habit instead of sincere belief, does that still count? Who knows.
The story was filled with familiar tropes in YA sci-fi: chosen one, rebels vs. empire, overpowered MC, etc. The plot twists were pretty predictable if you're familiar with this genre. There was nothing to keep me on my toes. I was waiting for an actual plot twist, and while the ending did deliver a taste of a decent twist, it wasn't really all that exciting for me. Maybe if I was younger and less well-read, I might've loved it.
In the end, it felt like everything came much too easily for the MC. The narrative kept saying that she worked hard to achieve her goals of becoming a lancer pilot, but we don't actually see this happening. I would've liked to see her struggle and experience some setbacks. But sadly, even major setbacks were overcome so easily.
I haven't read the author's The Machineries of Empire series yet, which I've heard is a lot better than this one. But I'll definitely give that one a try since I don't see myself continuing with this one.
Thank you to Delacorte Press and NetGalley for this arc.
June 1, 2024
~~Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the ARC!~~
I know it's cliché to compare any and all sci-fi to Star Wars, but there are too many similarities that it distracted me, the girl with the SW fixation (i.e., young protagonist who dreams of being a space ship pilot, the bad guy regime is called the Empire, and its people are called Imperials, theEmperor Empress is building a secret world-destroying weapon that the rebels clanners got the plans of, etc.). Normally, I wouldn't mind this heavy comparison if I enjoyed the work and/or found that it something unique with those elements, but this book really didn't.
Firstly, Hwa Young is both incredibly confusing and bland simultaneously. The whole point of her character seemed to be built up to directly confront the moral of the Empire and the fact she literally has to go out to fight/kill her own people as an Imperial pilot; the repetitive inner monologues refuses to let the reader forget that. But all of that moral dilemma is thrown out the window in comparison to her desire to be a lancer and praying to the Empress. She flip flops so much between the two extremes, but it never seems like she's seriously questioning it, considering She also thinks of her people as the enemy, even giving notions (that she knows are false) that imply clanners are savages. This isn't her giving into Empire propaganda because she wants to fit in and survive, nor is it making her a complicated/conflicted character. Hwa Young is too one-dimensional and inconsistent for what should have been an intriguing character arc. Hell, the fact she was so eager to become a colonizer just so she could drive the shiny mecha just shows how shallow her motivations are as a whole.
It is because of Hwa Young's inability to serious challenge the Empire that the story stumbles so badly on what it's trying to accomplish. The Empire is so obviously, in-your-face evil that it's laughable. From purposely abandoning colonies, and its citizens, when they're deemed no longer useful to having their people constantly pray to the Empress, the whole story hinges on the reader knowing the Empire is bad. And yet whenever Hwa Young and co. are confronted by this obvious fact, it is immediately brushed aside until their beloved regime's next crime against humanity is revealed a couple pages later. It was so obnoxious and tiresome to see such unintelligence amongst characters who we're told are smart. But the characters are too stereotypical and depthless to make the argument of indoctrination; that should be saved for characters who have personalities in more than one dimension.
The only thing I can really give this book is that the worldbuilding had potential. The struture and culture of the Empire laid down some ground work, and the mechs themselves are very much along the lines of Evangelion almost. The use of neopronouns in regards to nonbinary people was interesting, too. There are a lot of prominent nb side characters, including Hwa Young's best friend and her commander, which is nice to see. I saw some reviews saying that there was too much of it, seeing as zie/zir is used for every nb character. I don't know if I agree with that necessarily, but I do think it would have been better if they/them was used, too. Lee implemented the sci-fi version pronoun pins in his other works, but I don't know why he didn't here.
All in all, I felt like this book didn't really do what is was trying to do, and I don't feel the need to return to this world when the next book comes out.
I know it's cliché to compare any and all sci-fi to Star Wars, but there are too many similarities that it distracted me, the girl with the SW fixation (i.e., young protagonist who dreams of being a space ship pilot, the bad guy regime is called the Empire, and its people are called Imperials, the
Firstly, Hwa Young is both incredibly confusing and bland simultaneously. The whole point of her character seemed to be built up to directly confront the moral of the Empire and the fact she literally has to go out to fight/kill her own people as an Imperial pilot; the repetitive inner monologues refuses to let the reader forget that. But all of that moral dilemma is thrown out the window in comparison to her desire to be a lancer and praying to the Empress. She flip flops so much between the two extremes, but it never seems like she's seriously questioning it, considering She also thinks of her people as the enemy, even giving notions (that she knows are false) that imply clanners are savages. This isn't her giving into Empire propaganda because she wants to fit in and survive, nor is it making her a complicated/conflicted character. Hwa Young is too one-dimensional and inconsistent for what should have been an intriguing character arc. Hell, the fact she was so eager to become a colonizer just so she could drive the shiny mecha just shows how shallow her motivations are as a whole.
It is because of Hwa Young's inability to serious challenge the Empire that the story stumbles so badly on what it's trying to accomplish. The Empire is so obviously, in-your-face evil that it's laughable. From purposely abandoning colonies, and its citizens, when they're deemed no longer useful to having their people constantly pray to the Empress, the whole story hinges on the reader knowing the Empire is bad. And yet whenever Hwa Young and co. are confronted by this obvious fact, it is immediately brushed aside until their beloved regime's next crime against humanity is revealed a couple pages later. It was so obnoxious and tiresome to see such unintelligence amongst characters who we're told are smart. But the characters are too stereotypical and depthless to make the argument of indoctrination; that should be saved for characters who have personalities in more than one dimension.
The only thing I can really give this book is that the worldbuilding had potential. The struture and culture of the Empire laid down some ground work, and the mechs themselves are very much along the lines of Evangelion almost. The use of neopronouns in regards to nonbinary people was interesting, too. There are a lot of prominent nb side characters, including Hwa Young's best friend and her commander, which is nice to see. I saw some reviews saying that there was too much of it, seeing as zie/zir is used for every nb character. I don't know if I agree with that necessarily, but I do think it would have been better if they/them was used, too. Lee implemented the sci-fi version pronoun pins in his other works, but I don't know why he didn't here.
All in all, I felt like this book didn't really do what is was trying to do, and I don't feel the need to return to this world when the next book comes out.
July 14, 2024
I am giving Moonstorm three stars on the basis of my experience rather than its intrinsic merits, because it is really good young adult fiction and I was expecting adult scifi. The cover and blurb of the edition I borrowed are misleading, as they do not mention that the sole protagonist is 16 years old. Having read Yoon Ha Lee's excellent Machineries of Empire series, which is also military scifi, I had a direct point of comparison. Moonstorm has a single point of view, less complex plot, simpler writing style, and less weird world-building. The space empire has a futuristic Korean culture and fighter ships that bond with their pilots, which are both fun. I found the detail about faith in the Empress generating gravity, sometimes to catastrophic effect, very intriguing. The protagonist Hwa Young is engaging and has perfectly reasonable motivations. Thus I enjoyed what was there, although it was not as substantial as the Machineries of Empire series being evidently written for a teenage audience. That's fine, but should be made clear on the cover so readers know what to expect. As it was, I could appreciate that Moonstorm is a great example of YA scifi while still feeling disappointed. I'd hoped for the start of another series as complex and strange as Ninefox Gambit and sequels, which I definitely recommend. I think Moonstorm would be ideal for a teenager who is getting into science fiction.
May 21, 2024
A romp in space with mecha leanings (they start rather late in the book though, and our MC Hwa Young and the rest of them are whirlwind expert pilots). I thought there was great tension in certain scenes - the opening, the fall of Serpentine, and Hwa Young’s first lancer battle - but otherwise we pretty much skated along the surface. We couldn’t really get a handle on how Hwa Young felt about much of anything, even though we do get her thoughts from the first person narration. She doesn’t dig into any complicated feelings about her origins or her rivalry with Bae or the very transactional nature of her friendship with Geum.
The bones of a REALLY GOOD story were there, but we just didn’t go deep enough to really get it. I have enjoyed other books by Lee, so I will probably continue the series as it comes out, if only to see if we do take the dive into deeper and messier territory.
{Thank you Delacorte Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
The bones of a REALLY GOOD story were there, but we just didn’t go deep enough to really get it. I have enjoyed other books by Lee, so I will probably continue the series as it comes out, if only to see if we do take the dive into deeper and messier territory.
{Thank you Delacorte Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review}
June 11, 2024
2024: 4.0
NB
NB
January 16, 2024
Mira que me apetecía que me gustara, ¿eh? Una pena.
July 22, 2024
Neat YA mech story about a young aspiring pilot who sees herself as acting in the interest of all, but slowly learns about the motives of empire. Interested to see where the next book goes.
February 23, 2024
I'll say it up front: I'm an easy sell for this writer because I love his Machineries of Empire trilogy, so I was quite happy to request this one as soon as it turned up on Netgalley. I also liked the sound of the premise as well, even if it doesn't particularly do lots that's all that new - then again, a significant proportion of books (not just YA ones) don't really do anything new, so I'm not really sure why some reviewers are giving this book a kicking on that basis.
We first meet our protagonist, Hwa Young, when she's living with her mother on a small moon on the periphery of an ever-expanding empire. When she's orphaned, then taken in by an imperial orphanage, Hwa Young gets sucked into the imperial military and effectively brainwashed into wanting to serve as a lancer pilot (think mecha, much like Pacific Rim but with sentient mecha rather than co-pilots). Her biggest fear is that people will find out where she's from, doubly so when she gets her wish but then finds out the current enemy are her former people.
It's a solid YA book, full of teenage angst and (thankfully) to my great relief, no desperate insta-love subplot. This is the first book of a trilogy and starting to set up elements of the remainder of the books: the empire is testing a mega-weapon on innocent civilians, everyone now knows who Hwa Young really is, and so on. One small part of the world-building I particularly liked was the idea of faith as a mechanism for generating gravity, which plays a significant part in the mega-weapon subplot but also just seems like quite a clever idea.
I enjoyed reading Moonstorm, liked the pacing and the majority of the characters, and look forward to picking up the rest of the trilogy in due course.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.
We first meet our protagonist, Hwa Young, when she's living with her mother on a small moon on the periphery of an ever-expanding empire. When she's orphaned, then taken in by an imperial orphanage, Hwa Young gets sucked into the imperial military and effectively brainwashed into wanting to serve as a lancer pilot (think mecha, much like Pacific Rim but with sentient mecha rather than co-pilots). Her biggest fear is that people will find out where she's from, doubly so when she gets her wish but then finds out the current enemy are her former people.
It's a solid YA book, full of teenage angst and (thankfully) to my great relief, no desperate insta-love subplot. This is the first book of a trilogy and starting to set up elements of the remainder of the books: the empire is testing a mega-weapon on innocent civilians, everyone now knows who Hwa Young really is, and so on. One small part of the world-building I particularly liked was the idea of faith as a mechanism for generating gravity, which plays a significant part in the mega-weapon subplot but also just seems like quite a clever idea.
I enjoyed reading Moonstorm, liked the pacing and the majority of the characters, and look forward to picking up the rest of the trilogy in due course.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.
December 30, 2023
While I am, on the whole, a fan of fast-paced books, Moonstorm would have benefited from applying the brakes now and again.
Life in the Moonstorm is a chancy thing. Gravity is mercurial and the moons’ orbits erratic. It’s home to two very different groups: the Empire of New Joseon and the Clanners. New Joseon’s colonial ambitions threaten the autonomy of the various clans that remain outside of the imperial domain. The Empire and the clanners each have developed rituals to summon gravity. Imperial citizens pray to the Empress and generate gravity via their piety, while clanners … huh. Yeah, that’s one of the things that could have been more fully developed—how, exactly, do the clanners summon gravity?
Anyway! Hwa Young, born Hwajin, is the heart-daughter (clone) of Mother Aera, a clanners, and lives with her family on the moon of Carnelian. When she is ten years old, the Empire attacks the moon, disrupting gravity and killing the clanners. Hwa Young is the sole survivor, rescued by the pilot of one of the machines that orchestrated all of this destruction: a Lancer.
Lancers are mechas: machines piloted by humans via a neural bond. Each Lancer has a consciousness and a personality, and they select their human pilots. Ever since her rescue, Hwa Young has coveted the power that comes from being a Lancer pilot. Raised as a ward of the Empire, she’s striven to excel in every way so that she might be considered as a pilot candidate. She has a rival named Bae who is rich (of course), snobby (required), and beautiful (natch). Her only friend is the hacker Geum, and honestly, with what you see of Hwa Young’s personality? I’m shocked she has Geum.
There are unlikeable main characters and then there are unlikeably unlikeable main characters, and unfortunately Hwa Young is the latter. She ditches Geum and then gets mad that zie’s made new friends. She manipulates Geum into committing multiple crimes with little care for the consequences. She is repeatedly and willfully insubordinate, but then has the gall to be shocked that her superiors aren’t too pleased with her actions. That’s her whole personality. The book tries to set up an inner conflict between her loyalty to her clanner upbringing and her devotion to the Empire that took her in, but really, there’s never truly a question of which side she’ll choose.
The side characters are flat archetypes that add nothing to the story. We have Eun, the brooding and cold-hearted veteran Lancer pilot. Commander Ye Jun is the brilliant, renegade squadron leader with a penchant for unorthodox maneuvers. Seong Su is the kind-hearted giant. Bae is the snide and aloof nemesis. I pegged one of them instantly for “first squad mate to be killed off” and was vindicated about halfway through the book. Sigh.
The main missed opportunity here are the Lancers themselves. We get a brief description of them in the first chapter: three-story tall humanoids with armored plating in bright colors. Later, we learn that they choose their pilots and form a neural bond with them. Pilots physically reflect the characteristics of their Lancers. Hwa Young, for example, gets a cool white streak in her hair that’s mentioned once and then just … dropped. We hear snippets of her Lancer’s voice but it never becomes a true character. I can’t truly visualize how her Lancer works, how it moves in space, how it fights.
Don’t get me wrong—I did enjoy this. It’s a good book, but it could have been great had more time been taken fleshing out all of the characters and fine-tuning the world building.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
Life in the Moonstorm is a chancy thing. Gravity is mercurial and the moons’ orbits erratic. It’s home to two very different groups: the Empire of New Joseon and the Clanners. New Joseon’s colonial ambitions threaten the autonomy of the various clans that remain outside of the imperial domain. The Empire and the clanners each have developed rituals to summon gravity. Imperial citizens pray to the Empress and generate gravity via their piety, while clanners … huh. Yeah, that’s one of the things that could have been more fully developed—how, exactly, do the clanners summon gravity?
Anyway! Hwa Young, born Hwajin, is the heart-daughter (clone) of Mother Aera, a clanners, and lives with her family on the moon of Carnelian. When she is ten years old, the Empire attacks the moon, disrupting gravity and killing the clanners. Hwa Young is the sole survivor, rescued by the pilot of one of the machines that orchestrated all of this destruction: a Lancer.
Lancers are mechas: machines piloted by humans via a neural bond. Each Lancer has a consciousness and a personality, and they select their human pilots. Ever since her rescue, Hwa Young has coveted the power that comes from being a Lancer pilot. Raised as a ward of the Empire, she’s striven to excel in every way so that she might be considered as a pilot candidate. She has a rival named Bae who is rich (of course), snobby (required), and beautiful (natch). Her only friend is the hacker Geum, and honestly, with what you see of Hwa Young’s personality? I’m shocked she has Geum.
There are unlikeable main characters and then there are unlikeably unlikeable main characters, and unfortunately Hwa Young is the latter. She ditches Geum and then gets mad that zie’s made new friends. She manipulates Geum into committing multiple crimes with little care for the consequences. She is repeatedly and willfully insubordinate, but then has the gall to be shocked that her superiors aren’t too pleased with her actions. That’s her whole personality. The book tries to set up an inner conflict between her loyalty to her clanner upbringing and her devotion to the Empire that took her in, but really, there’s never truly a question of which side she’ll choose.
The side characters are flat archetypes that add nothing to the story. We have Eun, the brooding and cold-hearted veteran Lancer pilot. Commander Ye Jun is the brilliant, renegade squadron leader with a penchant for unorthodox maneuvers. Seong Su is the kind-hearted giant. Bae is the snide and aloof nemesis. I pegged one of them instantly for “first squad mate to be killed off” and was vindicated about halfway through the book. Sigh.
The main missed opportunity here are the Lancers themselves. We get a brief description of them in the first chapter: three-story tall humanoids with armored plating in bright colors. Later, we learn that they choose their pilots and form a neural bond with them. Pilots physically reflect the characteristics of their Lancers. Hwa Young, for example, gets a cool white streak in her hair that’s mentioned once and then just … dropped. We hear snippets of her Lancer’s voice but it never becomes a true character. I can’t truly visualize how her Lancer works, how it moves in space, how it fights.
Don’t get me wrong—I did enjoy this. It’s a good book, but it could have been great had more time been taken fleshing out all of the characters and fine-tuning the world building.
I received an ARC of this book via Netgalley.
December 27, 2023
*An advanced digital copy was received from Netgalley in return for an honest review*
Preface: After reading a quick synopsis of this book, I was super excited to get a chance to read it early. A sci-fi based Korean society with giant mechs: it is a little outside of my comfort zone regarding genre, but I was pleasantly surprised with the book. I think this book is great for fans of Aurora Rising and Iron Widow.
Quick Synopsis: An orphaned teenage girl is training to fulfill her dream of becoming an Imperial pilot for the empire that took her in, but because of an unexpected attack on her academy, her world is uprooted. She is plunged back into the world of her rebel roots and unlocks secrets and hidden truths that puts the entire world at risk.
I want to start the review by saying that I think the world building is very strong and captivating. We start the book learning about the two sides of this world, the Imperials ruled by the Empress, and the rebels. Both sides do rituals that summon gravity, which is important because the gravity is unstable. Naturally, both sides can't mix (regarding their rituals), so the Imperials main aim was to replace the rebels (clanners') rituals with their own.
As the story progresses we also get to see more of how the technology works and adapts to each user. I think this is really quite interesting, and love how this sci-fi is society being mixed with Korean. There's still so much to explore, and I'm particularly interested in learning more about the Empress and New Joseon.
Characters:
The main character is Hwa Young, a sixteen year old girl. She is very ambitious in that her goal is to become a lancer pilot. Lance pilots are elite warriors who fly lancers - advanced technology in the form of giant martial robots. She doesn't want to be weak anymore and wants to be the strong one. As we progress with her through her adventure we really get the chance to see her relationships with other characters, and herself.
What I really liked about this book, was that it was written in her point of view, as a sixteen year old girl. She's not perfect, but rather is learning things just as we all had to do when we were that age. I think it was really refreshing to read a character that had flaws, and didn't completely know what she is doing. The cast of lancers really is a ragtag group trying to navigate how they work together all while trying to morally choose a side in the fight.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
I really think the characters and their development is the strongest aspect of this book, as well as the world building. The author had a very unique writing style, and stayed true to the main character's sixteen year old personality. The action sequences were really exciting to read and kept me on my toes.
One thing I do wish was that the book was a little slower paced at the beginning. There were the parallels between chapters 1 and 5, which gave us a great chance to see Hwa Young's ten year growth. However, it felt a bit too abrupt and perfect when she was selected to train as a lancer pilot. It just felt like the ball was rolling very quickly for me in those first few chapters.
I also think the book had some cliche elements that I've seen in other sci fi books and movies. Leaning more into the Korean culture might be a more interesting way to make this stand out a bit more.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and felt refreshed with the author's writing and character building. It really is a perfect book if you're a fan of Iron Widow and the Aurora Rising series. Excited to see where the next book might go!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
Preface: After reading a quick synopsis of this book, I was super excited to get a chance to read it early. A sci-fi based Korean society with giant mechs: it is a little outside of my comfort zone regarding genre, but I was pleasantly surprised with the book. I think this book is great for fans of Aurora Rising and Iron Widow.
Quick Synopsis: An orphaned teenage girl is training to fulfill her dream of becoming an Imperial pilot for the empire that took her in, but because of an unexpected attack on her academy, her world is uprooted. She is plunged back into the world of her rebel roots and unlocks secrets and hidden truths that puts the entire world at risk.
I want to start the review by saying that I think the world building is very strong and captivating. We start the book learning about the two sides of this world, the Imperials ruled by the Empress, and the rebels. Both sides do rituals that summon gravity, which is important because the gravity is unstable. Naturally, both sides can't mix (regarding their rituals), so the Imperials main aim was to replace the rebels (clanners') rituals with their own.
As the story progresses we also get to see more of how the technology works and adapts to each user. I think this is really quite interesting, and love how this sci-fi is society being mixed with Korean. There's still so much to explore, and I'm particularly interested in learning more about the Empress and New Joseon.
Characters:
The main character is Hwa Young, a sixteen year old girl. She is very ambitious in that her goal is to become a lancer pilot. Lance pilots are elite warriors who fly lancers - advanced technology in the form of giant martial robots. She doesn't want to be weak anymore and wants to be the strong one. As we progress with her through her adventure we really get the chance to see her relationships with other characters, and herself.
What I really liked about this book, was that it was written in her point of view, as a sixteen year old girl. She's not perfect, but rather is learning things just as we all had to do when we were that age. I think it was really refreshing to read a character that had flaws, and didn't completely know what she is doing. The cast of lancers really is a ragtag group trying to navigate how they work together all while trying to morally choose a side in the fight.
Strengths and Weaknesses:
I really think the characters and their development is the strongest aspect of this book, as well as the world building. The author had a very unique writing style, and stayed true to the main character's sixteen year old personality. The action sequences were really exciting to read and kept me on my toes.
One thing I do wish was that the book was a little slower paced at the beginning. There were the parallels between chapters 1 and 5, which gave us a great chance to see Hwa Young's ten year growth. However, it felt a bit too abrupt and perfect when she was selected to train as a lancer pilot. It just felt like the ball was rolling very quickly for me in those first few chapters.
I also think the book had some cliche elements that I've seen in other sci fi books and movies. Leaning more into the Korean culture might be a more interesting way to make this stand out a bit more.
All in all, I really enjoyed reading this book, and felt refreshed with the author's writing and character building. It really is a perfect book if you're a fan of Iron Widow and the Aurora Rising series. Excited to see where the next book might go!
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!
May 27, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
—
First of all, thank you so much to Delacorte Press, Yoon Ha Lee, and Netgalley this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved sci-fi, space operas in particular, and this book certainly did not disappoint. With everything that it has, interesting characters, being set in space, and a writing style that I found myself loving more and more by the time I was done reading, it was clear that I was going to love this book more than I thought I was.
The setting of this book is really interesting, and I found myself wanting to know more about it than I thought I would. It’s essentially a reimagined modern day/futuristic Joseon-era Korea, but set in space. Think the Korean Drama, The Last Empress with 장나라, where there’s still a royal family in Korea, but set in a time that’s familiar to us. All that, but in space. It’s fantastic! There’s also a system where obedience to the Empress assures that there’s adequate gravity on the planets? It’s really, really cool.
There’s also two different groups of people, the Imperials, who are loyal to the empire of New Joseon and the Empress, and live on planets and moons that are under her rule. Then there’s the clanners, who are somewhat akin to a rebel group. It hasn’t been explained why they have such disdain for the Imperials and the Empress, and I’m very interested to find out, hopefully in future books in the series. They’re doing whatever they can to maintain their own rule and way of life, actively fighting against the influence and invasion attempts of the Imperial military.
Our main character, Hwajin, is a clanner. At the age of ten, her homeworld was decimated by the Imperials, and she was saved by one of the Empress’s own children in a lancer, which is essentially a mecha, a la Neon Genesis Evangelion. From then on, she’s a ward of the Imperial state, and her one dream is to become a lancer pilot just like the person who saved her.
We follow Hwajin, who since being rescued goes by Hwa Young, which is the Imperial version of her name (we never got confirmation on why exactly they changed her name, but I’m assuming maybe Hwajin is an “older” form. I’d like to know for sure, though), on this journey to become a lancer pilot, despite the opposition she faces from her peers, who look down on her for being a ward of the state, instructors, who think she’s unlikely to amount to anything because of it, and herself, because deep down, she still wrestles with the feelings of being loyal to the people and empire that killed her family.
The characters in this book are really well written, and I found that I got quite attached to them over the course of the book. I’m not going to lie, I was expecting an enemies/rivals to lovers side plot between Hwa Young and Eun, and I still am. I will not give up hope. I also really liked Bae, and while she starts out as the stereotypical rich, mean girl, she ends up becoming so much more, and we see why exactly she acts the way she does. Geum was a bit of a hit or miss for me at times, but at the end of the day I did really grow attached to zir, especially because of the friendship that Geum and Hwa Young had.
All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book and will be 100% looking forward to the next books in the trilogy??? Series??? I’ll have to wait and see, but I am incredibly invested.
—
First of all, thank you so much to Delacorte Press, Yoon Ha Lee, and Netgalley this eARC in exchange for my honest review.
For as long as I can remember I’ve always loved sci-fi, space operas in particular, and this book certainly did not disappoint. With everything that it has, interesting characters, being set in space, and a writing style that I found myself loving more and more by the time I was done reading, it was clear that I was going to love this book more than I thought I was.
The setting of this book is really interesting, and I found myself wanting to know more about it than I thought I would. It’s essentially a reimagined modern day/futuristic Joseon-era Korea, but set in space. Think the Korean Drama, The Last Empress with 장나라, where there’s still a royal family in Korea, but set in a time that’s familiar to us. All that, but in space. It’s fantastic! There’s also a system where obedience to the Empress assures that there’s adequate gravity on the planets? It’s really, really cool.
There’s also two different groups of people, the Imperials, who are loyal to the empire of New Joseon and the Empress, and live on planets and moons that are under her rule. Then there’s the clanners, who are somewhat akin to a rebel group. It hasn’t been explained why they have such disdain for the Imperials and the Empress, and I’m very interested to find out, hopefully in future books in the series. They’re doing whatever they can to maintain their own rule and way of life, actively fighting against the influence and invasion attempts of the Imperial military.
Our main character, Hwajin, is a clanner. At the age of ten, her homeworld was decimated by the Imperials, and she was saved by one of the Empress’s own children in a lancer, which is essentially a mecha, a la Neon Genesis Evangelion. From then on, she’s a ward of the Imperial state, and her one dream is to become a lancer pilot just like the person who saved her.
We follow Hwajin, who since being rescued goes by Hwa Young, which is the Imperial version of her name (we never got confirmation on why exactly they changed her name, but I’m assuming maybe Hwajin is an “older” form. I’d like to know for sure, though), on this journey to become a lancer pilot, despite the opposition she faces from her peers, who look down on her for being a ward of the state, instructors, who think she’s unlikely to amount to anything because of it, and herself, because deep down, she still wrestles with the feelings of being loyal to the people and empire that killed her family.
The characters in this book are really well written, and I found that I got quite attached to them over the course of the book. I’m not going to lie, I was expecting an enemies/rivals to lovers side plot between Hwa Young and Eun, and I still am. I will not give up hope. I also really liked Bae, and while she starts out as the stereotypical rich, mean girl, she ends up becoming so much more, and we see why exactly she acts the way she does. Geum was a bit of a hit or miss for me at times, but at the end of the day I did really grow attached to zir, especially because of the friendship that Geum and Hwa Young had.
All in all, I really, really enjoyed this book and will be 100% looking forward to the next books in the trilogy??? Series??? I’ll have to wait and see, but I am incredibly invested.
May 31, 2024
I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
I previously read one of Yoon Ha Lee’s middle grade books, and my interest was piqued when I saw that he was releasing a YA book. And with comps like Iron Widow and Skyward, I was sure I would enjoy Moonstorm. While it is a tad rough in places (some of which hopefully will be fixed in the final copy), I did mostly enjoy it.
The world building here is the book’s greatest strength. There’s two different sides of the world, the Empire, ruled by the Empress, and the rebels. The power structures are fairly well-conveyed, and while the themes are what you’d expect about colonialism and resistance, Yoon Ha Lee’s take on it is still very much his own. Gravity also plays a role in the world, being very unstable, each has their own rituals to summon and manage it. I enjoyed how there were very obvious Korean influences in both the world and magic, which set it apart from a lot of sci-fi.
The characters were a somewhat weaker point, but I enjoyed some aspects of them nonetheless. Hwa Yong as a protagonist is fairly easy to root for as the reader follows her in her journey to become a lancer pilot. A big part of her arc is wanting to gain strength to fight, due to her childhood being torn apart by the imperials and her being too weak at the time.
While I can’t say anyone else stood out super well, I did like the diversity in queer representation. Hwa Yong is sapphic, and her best friend Geum, is non-binary and uses zie/zir pronouns. It’s very cool to see that slowly becoming more and more normalized in fiction from major publishing houses.
The prose was occasionally a tad choppy, but that is one of the things that hopefully won’t be a factor in the final copy. And while the pacing was at times a tad uneven, it leans toward being action-packed and fast-paced, keeping my attention throughout.
This was a solid first-in-series, and I’m not opposed to reading more. I would recommend this book if you’re interested in a YA sci-fi with strong world building and a focus on pilots and mechas in particular.
I previously read one of Yoon Ha Lee’s middle grade books, and my interest was piqued when I saw that he was releasing a YA book. And with comps like Iron Widow and Skyward, I was sure I would enjoy Moonstorm. While it is a tad rough in places (some of which hopefully will be fixed in the final copy), I did mostly enjoy it.
The world building here is the book’s greatest strength. There’s two different sides of the world, the Empire, ruled by the Empress, and the rebels. The power structures are fairly well-conveyed, and while the themes are what you’d expect about colonialism and resistance, Yoon Ha Lee’s take on it is still very much his own. Gravity also plays a role in the world, being very unstable, each has their own rituals to summon and manage it. I enjoyed how there were very obvious Korean influences in both the world and magic, which set it apart from a lot of sci-fi.
The characters were a somewhat weaker point, but I enjoyed some aspects of them nonetheless. Hwa Yong as a protagonist is fairly easy to root for as the reader follows her in her journey to become a lancer pilot. A big part of her arc is wanting to gain strength to fight, due to her childhood being torn apart by the imperials and her being too weak at the time.
While I can’t say anyone else stood out super well, I did like the diversity in queer representation. Hwa Yong is sapphic, and her best friend Geum, is non-binary and uses zie/zir pronouns. It’s very cool to see that slowly becoming more and more normalized in fiction from major publishing houses.
The prose was occasionally a tad choppy, but that is one of the things that hopefully won’t be a factor in the final copy. And while the pacing was at times a tad uneven, it leans toward being action-packed and fast-paced, keeping my attention throughout.
This was a solid first-in-series, and I’m not opposed to reading more. I would recommend this book if you’re interested in a YA sci-fi with strong world building and a focus on pilots and mechas in particular.
July 17, 2024
Fun mecha story! It takes some time, lots spent in training until the "real" battle starts up, but the last 20% or so of the book I literally had to keep getting up and walking around because I was so excited by the way things turned out. For the most this plays pretty close to classic mecha/space academy stories--you can kind of predict who will die and what various twists will be--but it's well executed and had me riveted for that final section.
The worldbuilding was fun and interesting, with a focus on gravity as a result of loyalty/unity? It opens up some cool mechanics and metaphors. There was creativity in the mechanics of various systems, and great detail on foods and cultural practices. The contrasting values, practices, and homelands/structures of Clanners and Imperials are fun to compare, and the protagonist is able to do so as she straddles both worlds. Though the story is pretty familiar/predictable, these cultural elements drawn from Korea are things I was unfamiliar with and so really enjoyed reading about and gave this something unique compared to other mecha stories.
This is a great story if you enjoy action sci-fi, though I'll warn that the mecha take some time to show up. I kind of wish we'd gotten a little more time detailing the bond between Hwa Young and Winter's Axiom, though there are some cool descriptions, I feel like I can't really characterize what the relationship between a pilot and lancer truly is, much less what her unique relationship with her lancer is. The characters and relationships in general also are fairly cursory and predictable. They're certainly likable, but there's not a ton of time spent on exploring them, so I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for deep complex characters or relationships--it's truly much more about the action and mecha.
After finishing the book, all I can think is that it had me on the edge of my seat towards the end. Though it takes a bit of time to warm up, the book itself isn't crazy long so it's an easy investment. I'll probably check out the next book when I can, as I want to see where it'll go after that cliffhanger ending!
The worldbuilding was fun and interesting, with a focus on gravity as a result of loyalty/unity? It opens up some cool mechanics and metaphors. There was creativity in the mechanics of various systems, and great detail on foods and cultural practices. The contrasting values, practices, and homelands/structures of Clanners and Imperials are fun to compare, and the protagonist is able to do so as she straddles both worlds. Though the story is pretty familiar/predictable, these cultural elements drawn from Korea are things I was unfamiliar with and so really enjoyed reading about and gave this something unique compared to other mecha stories.
This is a great story if you enjoy action sci-fi, though I'll warn that the mecha take some time to show up. I kind of wish we'd gotten a little more time detailing the bond between Hwa Young and Winter's Axiom, though there are some cool descriptions, I feel like I can't really characterize what the relationship between a pilot and lancer truly is, much less what her unique relationship with her lancer is. The characters and relationships in general also are fairly cursory and predictable. They're certainly likable, but there's not a ton of time spent on exploring them, so I wouldn't recommend this to someone looking for deep complex characters or relationships--it's truly much more about the action and mecha.
After finishing the book, all I can think is that it had me on the edge of my seat towards the end. Though it takes a bit of time to warm up, the book itself isn't crazy long so it's an easy investment. I'll probably check out the next book when I can, as I want to see where it'll go after that cliffhanger ending!
Shelved as 'dnf'
May 9, 2024I don't generally like to leave reviews for books that I didn't finish, but I want to mention why I don't want to finish it and tell people why they may be interested in it.
So, I initially picked this up because I love mecha books. I loved Iron Widow and growing up I watched Gundam with a fervor that was probably unhealthy, however, this didn't quite recapture the magic of those moments for me as an adult and nothing probably ever will. This book I think is going to be excellent for young adult readers who love space operas and mecha like I did growing up, however, this is not going to be a crossover darling. The characters are not nuanced enough. Hwa Young is a fine protagonist, but I feel like she should be more conflicted from the very beginning of the story. I know the idea of survival and what you will do for it, but I still feel like she was old enough when she was orphaned that she should have a more rebellious streak. Bae felt very much just like a mean popular girl and most of the other characters felt quite flat.
However, one of the things that I think that Yoon Ha Lee does well is set up a world. I'm interested in the world and I want to know more, but I want to know about it in an adult science fiction type of way. I also want to give credit for Lee's queernormative worlds. Young non-binary readers will probably find some comfort here and in other works by Lee. Also, some of the non-binary characters use neopronouns, which are popping up more and more often in literature and that's great. It may take readers unfamiliar with them a little time, but this generally wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
So, I initially picked this up because I love mecha books. I loved Iron Widow and growing up I watched Gundam with a fervor that was probably unhealthy, however, this didn't quite recapture the magic of those moments for me as an adult and nothing probably ever will. This book I think is going to be excellent for young adult readers who love space operas and mecha like I did growing up, however, this is not going to be a crossover darling. The characters are not nuanced enough. Hwa Young is a fine protagonist, but I feel like she should be more conflicted from the very beginning of the story. I know the idea of survival and what you will do for it, but I still feel like she was old enough when she was orphaned that she should have a more rebellious streak. Bae felt very much just like a mean popular girl and most of the other characters felt quite flat.
However, one of the things that I think that Yoon Ha Lee does well is set up a world. I'm interested in the world and I want to know more, but I want to know about it in an adult science fiction type of way. I also want to give credit for Lee's queernormative worlds. Young non-binary readers will probably find some comfort here and in other works by Lee. Also, some of the non-binary characters use neopronouns, which are popping up more and more often in literature and that's great. It may take readers unfamiliar with them a little time, but this generally wasn't for me.
Thank you to Netgalley, and Random House Children's | Delacorte Press for providing me with an eARC of this novel, however, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
January 23, 2024
2.75
I was super excited to dive into Moonstorm as it is in a genre that I don't tend to read much of and while I did enjoy my time with Moonstorm, many aspects of it were a letdown.
To get started, we are introduced to our main character Hwa Young as her home, a rebel clanner moon is getting attacked by the Empire. Left the sole survivor of this attack, Hwa Young is taken in by the Empire where she dreams of becoming Lancer pilot. We then follow Hwa Young as she takes steps to achieve this goal.
The world-building was my favorite part of the book. We are introduced to two opposing sides in this universe, the Empire and the rebels (clanners) who are at war. Since our main character lives with both sides at one point or another we get an inside look at each culture which I found super interesting. This left me wanting to know more about the technology and customs of the Empire and clanners.
Moonstorm is incredibly fast-paced. Once it got started it did not look back. While I am all for a fun fast-paced book, Moonstorm could have benefited from hitting the breaks every so often (especially the beginning).
My biggest problem with this book was the characters. I am a big fan of well developed characters and Moonstorm did not deliver in this aspect. The main cast of characters felt like character archetypes to me which fell flat. Hwa Young as the main character was not very likable albeit it is nice to see her being very flawed.
Overall it was a fun read, but did not leave a big impression on me. I probably won't be picking up the second book, but for those who like space operas and mecha, this is down your alley.
I was super excited to dive into Moonstorm as it is in a genre that I don't tend to read much of and while I did enjoy my time with Moonstorm, many aspects of it were a letdown.
To get started, we are introduced to our main character Hwa Young as her home, a rebel clanner moon is getting attacked by the Empire. Left the sole survivor of this attack, Hwa Young is taken in by the Empire where she dreams of becoming Lancer pilot. We then follow Hwa Young as she takes steps to achieve this goal.
The world-building was my favorite part of the book. We are introduced to two opposing sides in this universe, the Empire and the rebels (clanners) who are at war. Since our main character lives with both sides at one point or another we get an inside look at each culture which I found super interesting. This left me wanting to know more about the technology and customs of the Empire and clanners.
Moonstorm is incredibly fast-paced. Once it got started it did not look back. While I am all for a fun fast-paced book, Moonstorm could have benefited from hitting the breaks every so often (especially the beginning).
My biggest problem with this book was the characters. I am a big fan of well developed characters and Moonstorm did not deliver in this aspect. The main cast of characters felt like character archetypes to me which fell flat. Hwa Young as the main character was not very likable albeit it is nice to see her being very flawed.
Overall it was a fun read, but did not leave a big impression on me. I probably won't be picking up the second book, but for those who like space operas and mecha, this is down your alley.
March 7, 2024
Embark on an exhilarating sci-fi adventure following the journey of a teenage girl, Hwa Young, determined to become an Imperial pilot. Formerly a resident of a rebel moon home, Hwa Young dreams of joining the elite group of warriors known as lancer pilots, who engage in battles using advanced technology. A sudden attack on their boarding school fast-tracks Hwa Young and her classmates into intensive lancer training, where amidst the chaos of combat preparations, layers of intrigue and secrets unravel.
As Hwa Young navigates this labyrinth of conspiracies, she becomes entangled in a web that threatens the stability of their entire civilization. The journey forces her to confront the remnants of her insurgent roots, weighing them against an empire whose loyalty she begins to question. This adrenaline-fueled story, perfect for readers of all ages, will captivate fans of "Iron Widow" and "Skyward."
My sincere thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book for an unbiased review.
In a world dominated by Imperial power, the central question emerges: conform or fight? In a captivating twist of the genre, Hwa Young, once born a rebel, now finds herself fighting for the Imperial forces. As she advances on her path to becoming a pilot, a startling truth threatens to upheave her entire life. Desperation guides Hwa Young's actions, yet the rebel-blooded girl is faced with unanswered questions that challenge her allegiance.
For those enchanted by galaxy-spanning battles for the greater good, coming-of-age narratives, and tales of rebellions, this is the book to delve into.
As Hwa Young navigates this labyrinth of conspiracies, she becomes entangled in a web that threatens the stability of their entire civilization. The journey forces her to confront the remnants of her insurgent roots, weighing them against an empire whose loyalty she begins to question. This adrenaline-fueled story, perfect for readers of all ages, will captivate fans of "Iron Widow" and "Skyward."
My sincere thanks to Netgalley for providing me with an advance copy of the book for an unbiased review.
In a world dominated by Imperial power, the central question emerges: conform or fight? In a captivating twist of the genre, Hwa Young, once born a rebel, now finds herself fighting for the Imperial forces. As she advances on her path to becoming a pilot, a startling truth threatens to upheave her entire life. Desperation guides Hwa Young's actions, yet the rebel-blooded girl is faced with unanswered questions that challenge her allegiance.
For those enchanted by galaxy-spanning battles for the greater good, coming-of-age narratives, and tales of rebellions, this is the book to delve into.
July 12, 2024
A YA novel that features an orphaned child who is absorbed into the society of her conquerors, and longs to be the best warrior for that empire. We pretty much know how this is going to go and that there will be a Reckoning (see: Emily Tesh's similar plot in 'Some Desperate Glory', or the saga of Ender Wiggins from 'Ender's Game', for a more well-known example).
A couple of things make this different. One, there is the manipulation of the laws of physics by human consciousness, specifically the harnessing of gravity by collective will (as expressed by prayers). Lee had a similar concept in his 'Ninefox Gambit' books with mathematics and calendar systems. The concept isn't dwelt upon so much here (perhaps because the YA characters aren't focused on it), but it's an interesting concept regardless. I expect it might come into play more importantly in later books in this series, of which this is the first.
The other thing that makes this different is that there is a seriously meaningful 'trolley problem' in the climax of the book that changes the fortunes of almost everyone we've come to know. Again, this will play out in later books. It's a nice hook to leave the story on.
In Lee's earlier book 'Phoenix Extravagant' I commented that it felt like a YA but wasn't marketed that way, and had f-bombs and gory stuff (which some YA can have, admittedly). This one has no swearing that we would recognize as such, and the gory stuff is minimal but alluded to. While 'Phoenix' was fantasy (there's a dragon), this book is science fiction. They feel somewhat similar though, and I going to pull the card that says 'if you liked that you'll probably like this'.
A couple of things make this different. One, there is the manipulation of the laws of physics by human consciousness, specifically the harnessing of gravity by collective will (as expressed by prayers). Lee had a similar concept in his 'Ninefox Gambit' books with mathematics and calendar systems. The concept isn't dwelt upon so much here (perhaps because the YA characters aren't focused on it), but it's an interesting concept regardless. I expect it might come into play more importantly in later books in this series, of which this is the first.
The other thing that makes this different is that there is a seriously meaningful 'trolley problem' in the climax of the book that changes the fortunes of almost everyone we've come to know. Again, this will play out in later books. It's a nice hook to leave the story on.
In Lee's earlier book 'Phoenix Extravagant' I commented that it felt like a YA but wasn't marketed that way, and had f-bombs and gory stuff (which some YA can have, admittedly). This one has no swearing that we would recognize as such, and the gory stuff is minimal but alluded to. While 'Phoenix' was fantasy (there's a dragon), this book is science fiction. They feel somewhat similar though, and I going to pull the card that says 'if you liked that you'll probably like this'.
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