So I finished Ninefox Gambit last month, and immediately jumped into Raven Stratagem. I just couldn’t wait! The first book ended on a bit of a cliffhanger, and I had to know what would happen next. As a sequel, it is difficult to say much about the plot without spoiling, but I will say that it was (almost) just as amazing as the first one.

I don’t think that this series is for everyone, but for those who loved the first book, this second installment does not disappoint. I have grown so attached to Jedao, and I find him to be endlessly fascinating. The world building continued in Raven Strategem, and seemed to make a lot more sense. Overall, I would highly encourage that scifi/fantasy lovers check this series out!

Rating: ★★★★

Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit was one of the most immersive, original and engaging science fiction books of 2016. It, deservedly, ended up on a number of award shortlists and heralded the arrival of an exciting new voice in the genre. But for all that, Ninefox Gambit felt a little like table setting for a much larger story. The heart of Ninefox Gambit was a military campaign around a particular station that had been captured by the enemy Hafn. This focus left a feeling of so much more of the universe and its various factions and races left to explore. But it was necessary table setting and while it takes a while to get accustomed to the Yoon Ha Lee’s universe in this first book it is an essential primer for the second.

Raven Stratagem starts straight after the action of Ninefox Gambit. In the first book, Kel General Cheris was bonded with the disembodied personality of a crazy but extremely effective long dead general Jedao. At the start of Raven Stratagem, Jedao, on the run from his superiors, is fully in control of Cheris’s body and uses his rank to take over a battle fleet. It appears that he wants to use the fleet to continue to battle against the Hafn, but his superiors do not trust him and for good reason. There are a number of layers at play.

While Cheris and Jedao formed the centre of Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem has a number of points of view. In fact none of them are Jedao and much of the narrative revolves around how people react to him and respond to his actions. The larger and broader cast allows Lee to explore more corners of his universe from the high position of the ruling Hexarchate to the lowest shoplifter.

Raven Stratagem is still built around the unique calendrical and mathematical universe of different races and classes with differing abilities that were introduced in Ninefox Gambit. And much of the action and plot is built around understanding if not how they all work then at least the significance of these systems to the characters. Yet despite all of this strangeness there is a deep humanity in Yoon Ha Lee’s work and in his characters.

Raven Stratagem does not stun like the first book, the concepts are at least a little familiar and it is a little easier to anticipate how some of the action will play out. But it is in many ways a deeper book and fulfils the promise that Ninefox Gambit showed. While there are military engagements and this is in some ways more a political thriller, but one that only works with an understanding of the system. And just when you think you understand this universe, the finale shakes everything up enough to leave the reader wondering where this series will go next and excited about the prospect.

You'll likely on find glowing reviews from Raven Stratagem; readers either loved the depth and intricacy of this wholly unique world introduced in Ninefox Gambit or they gave up in confusion and never got to the second book. Because what we have here is one of the rarest of sci fi books: one that actually feels like a futuristic society. Trying to understand what is happening in The machineries of Empire series from our 2017 perspective is akin to a Victorian trying to navigate 21st century society and technology. Even now, I don't feel I have a full understanding of the intricacies of this worldbuilding; fortunately, I don't need to to enjoy the story.

Synopsis: Jedao/Cheris deftly takes control of a fleet - and everyone is wondering just what he plans to do with it. As he ostensibly fights the heretics, the leaders of the empire soon recognize that he can and likely will turn their fleet on them as well. But in a time of ever shifting loyalties, just how will they manage to control him?

Author Lee chose an interesting tact here with book 2: the story is told completely from outside perspectives on Jedao's actions. Jedao doesn't have a POV chapter until the end. The twist at the end makes perfect sense to do this but it also gives us interesting windows on Jedao's personality and motivations. The charisma and decisiveness that drives him forward but also the weaknesses (e.g., he is a tactician and not a strategist - a trait the Shuos leader plans to use against him). Interestingly enough, the three POVs are two Kel officers (one who sides with Jedao and one who sides against him), and Mikodez, the leader of the crafty Shuos. So we have an orbit of sorts for the action: close to him (Kel Kiruev, leader of the fleet), on the periphery (Kel Brezan - who was forced out of command of the fleet when Jedao took over and is now on an assassination mission), and then from far away (Shuos leader Mikodez - who has an intimate knowledge of Jedao from the past but not the present). Jedao will surprise all of them with him moves.

There are layers upon layers upon layers of significance here. From a throwaway folklore in Kel Cheris' past that gives us the book's title to how the main characters are juxtaposed, connected, and disconnected from Jedao, his actions, and his past. It's beautifully and brilliantly written in every way.

Those who became confused with the world building in the first book will be relieved that this story is more about the interactions of the characters rather than space battles. In all the hard sci fi trappings, Lee has kept a very human beating heart in all the characters. So even in this very foreign world, there is still some humanity there that we can recognize.

I give highest praise for these two books - and appreciate where the story will go from here. There are plenty of twists and turns and so much more hinted to come. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.

Where do I even begin with this review (without massive spoilers for the first book in the series)? By saying that if you haven't picked up
The story of the raven general who sacrificed a thousand thousand of his soldiers to build a spirit-bridge of birds to assault the heavens.


When I first read that quote, I saved it because I really enjoyed the lyricism of it, but now so much of it makes sense, in hindsight. I didn't initially clock that (view spoiler), though I did suspect it and I do wish that I had put more faith into my reasoning skills. This is exactly why I would be an Andan, my brain never cared for all that mathematical stuff. Which segues nicely into the other thing I really liked about Raven Stratagem: that we move from the very narrow focus on Cheris' perspective to several characters, among them a crashhawk (a Kel with no formation instinct to speak of) and Mikodez, hexarch of the Shuos faction. I feel that after very neatly setting everything up in the first book, this sequel is really Yoon Ha Lee's time to shine, where he really gets you invested in the politics of the hexarchate, where you get to see the seedy underbelly that's only hinted at in the first book.

All of a sudden, you also have to tackle questions of immortality (and what that looks like, considering the two examples we get are Nirai Kujen and Jedao himself) and whether the price is worth paying. On top of that we have to deal with plans to overthrow the calendar, something that can be best and most charitably described as heresy. If Ninefox Gambit set the stage for that sort of thinking, then this book takes it to the next level. There are plots within plots and games within games, there is suspicion and betrayal and manoeuvring for power and what I like most is that, as its core, this book is about choice and the freedom to even be allowed one in the first place. With the revelations from the end of the first book still fresh in my mind, I was fully on board for this premise.

I don't want to spoil a lot of the plot here, because so much of the tension relies on you going into this blindly and trusting that Lee will show you the way, which he does. It really also made me want to read the two related short stories (naturally featuring Jedao), The Battle of Candle Arc and Extracurricular Activities. Because once I was hooked by Jedao's story, I was ready to read as many books, stories and novellas that feature him as possible. Beyond this, I was also surprised by how much I already want to re-read the books; I was captivated from the start, but now that I've got the actual plot out of the way, I could go back and focus on the small hints of what was to come. It definitely is the kind of book (and series) I would gladly return to.

Overall, I can see this series going far (and indeed the first book was awarded the Locus Prize for Debut Novel, a very deserved award). It's got a great cast of characters, a very intriguing setting and it manages to strike that balance between action and politics. Its protagonists are all diverse and interesting individuals and the battles are pulse-racing affairs, so reading these books never felt like a dull moment at all. Honestly, I really hope that he's planning to add more than a third book into this series, because at this point in time, I seriously cannot see myself ever being by the Machineries of Empire.

Raven Strategem is the sequal to Yoon HaLee's Ninefox Gambit. This second novel was much more traditional in its style and pacing, than Ninefox Gambit was. It made it a slower read for me. Although, at times in in Ninefox I wasn't sure I completely understood what was happening, the fast-paced action kept me reading. With Raven Strategem, it seems that HaLee took a different approach, and slowed things down. There was more politicking and debating in this second novel.

Although, it was slower paced, I did still enjoy Raven Strategem. It answered many of the questions that were left open in Ninefox Gambit. I like the world that Lee has created in these two books, and will certainly be reading more.

This was easily better than the first book. I think knowing a bit about the world systems (even if i'm still confused by most of it) really helped. There were some twists that still managed to shock me, and I am really looking forward to the continuation of this series.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This review will contain spoilers for Ninefox Gambit, but not for Raven Stratagem.

War. Heresy. Madness.

Shuos Jedao is unleashed. The long-dead general, preserved with exotic technologies and resurrected by the hexarchate to put down a heretical insurrection, has possessed the body of gifted young captain Kel Cheris.

Now, General Kel Khiruev’s fleet, racing to the Severed March to stop a fresh incursion by the enemy Hafn, has fallen under Jedao’s sway. Only Khiruev’s aide, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, appears able to shake off the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao.

The rogue general seems intent on defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev – or Brezan – trust him? For that matter, can they trust Kel Command, or will their own rulers wipe out the whole swarm to destroy one man?*


I recently read and reviewed Ninefox Gambit, the first in the Machineries of Empire trilogy. It has been getting great press, was nominated for some of the top honours in science fiction, and had a stunning cover. I picked it up despite it not being my usual taste in sci-fi -- I'm more of a space opera reader and struggle to wrap my head around some of the mathematical and engineering concepts in heavier sci-fi books. I ended up unexpectedly loving Ninefox Gambit, but couldn't say the same for Raven Stratagem. I ended up DNF-ing it at around 30%.

I really loved the dynamic between Cheris and Jedao, however that tension and interplay is completely gone in Raven Stratagem. Cheris is, at least at the point I got to, no longer a character in the story. Jedao has taken her form and we no longer get her perspective. Nor do we get Jedao's perspective -- all his actions are seen through the eyes of newly-introduced characters. For me, the wonderful characterization of Cheris and her struggle to complete her mission and work with Jedao balanced Ninefox Gambit's difficult technologies and concepts, making the book more readable.

If you enjoyed Ninefox Gambit as a whole, you're going to love Raven Stratagem. It picks up right where Ninefox leaves off and the tension does not diffuse. I may pick this one up again another day, but I really struggled without the wonderful characterization seen in the first book.

Rating: 3/5

*Copy courtesy of Goodreads

Well we are back to this crazy series this week. For those of you unfamiliar with The Machineries of Empire series, by Yoon Ha Lee, it is a ridiculous military science fiction in a confusing and exciting universe. For those who have not read the first book (The NineFox Gambit), I highly recommend you just go read my review instead of lingering around here - nothing is going to make sense otherwise. For those of you who are still here, let's talk about the brand new second book in the series, Raven Stratagem.

If I had to distill my experience with The Ninefox Gambit down to one sentence, it would be: I have no idea what is going on - but it is so fast and exciting that I am fine with it. In Raven Stratagem, things are still confusing as all hell - but Yoon Ha Lee spends time making events noticeably more clear than book one. This does, however, come at the cost of some speed and excitement. I think it is a good trade off, especially for a middle book in a series, and in the long run is of service to the story. As a result, Raven Stratagem didn’t keep me on the edge of my seat quite like book one, but I feel like I have a much better understanding of the players in the story and the direction the plot is going. One of the major changes to the story is a narration change from a central POV to multiple POVs. When we had last left our intrepid heroes (Cheris/Jedao) their health was a bit unclear and they fell off the grid. Raven opens with their reemergence onto the scene and the theft of a new fleet of ships in order to wage war. To add mystery and intrigue to their plan, the POV shifts away from them to the displaced general of the stolen fleet, Kel Khiruev, and the hexarch of the Shous, Mikodez. These two POVs allow for a much bigger 360 degree look into Cheris/Jedao’s plans and allowed for a lot more world building that was present in the first novel.

The result is a lot less brilliant strategic executions, though they still litter the book, and a lot more small stories adding depth and emotion to the characters. Both of the new POVs are good, but I really got behind the hexarch. He gives tons of insights into how the hexarchate works, and was just a blast to read about as a character. His hilarious dialogue and strange personality go a long way to adding some levity to this mostly sad story, and he is just a fun person to read about - even if he is trying to inconvinence our protagonists. The other POV, Khiruev, is fine but just didn’t resonate on the same level for me as the hexarch. While I think the trade off of excitement for structure was good, I will say that Raven does occasionally slow down a bit too much for my taste. Cheris and Mikodez both have small quirks that I found to be nice breaks from the action, but Khiruev’s sections could occasionally feel like they were dragging on a little bit. Finally, one thing I loved about Raven was how it fleshed out and spent more time with all of the orders of the hexarchate, and I am hoping that the next POVs might be from one of the four other factions we have not got a detailed look into yet.

Raven Stratagem might not have the speed and excitement of The Ninefox Gambit, but that doesn’t mean it wasn’t a great time. The second book in this series grounded me in the world, introduced new and exciting characters, and still had a good helping of the excitement and twists that made the first novel so powerful. This is shaping up to be one of the best science fiction series in recent memory, and I highly recommend you check it out.

Rating: Raven Stratagem - 8.0/10

This book is a revelation on so many levels. Firstly, the key component of the world building is maths, which is so far out of my comfort zone it isn't worth mentioning. I have to confess that a lot of the minutiae and nuance of this novel has gone completely over my head. What is wonderful to me is that this doesn't matter in the slightest. Yoon Ha Lee has somehow constructed a narrative that works perfectly as a sci-fi space opera for those of us who aren't university level mathematicians. The plot focuses on General Jedao/Cheris as they continue to fight against the hexarchate. Like the first book in the series, 'Ninefox Gambit', we have a wonderful collection of characters that are really well drawn and have idiosyncrasies and foibles completely integrated into the narrative. Plots within plots abound, back stabbing and betrayal and fantastic use of gender fluid and LGBTQ characters make this a truly remarkable book. I hope that there are more outings to come in this series and I will read them with great interest.

Yoon Ha Lee's universe is dense and complex, with a bewildering civilization at its heart. I read SF to be bamboozled by new ideas, to leave my head spinning, and Lee delivers this quality in spades. Yes, it is baffling at times, and you're thrown in at the deep end of calendrical law, hexarchate relations and exotic weapons, but there's also plenty of treachery, backstabbing and massive space battles - all the good stuff in other words. Okay, you need to read this book carefully, but it'll reward you. This series (and you really should read Ninefox Gambit before attempting this) could well turn out to be some of the best SF of the decade.

So, Ninefox Gambit was an amazing military science fiction, quite dense but ultimately rewarding to finish. I was unsure whether to read the sequel but when I saw it on netgalley I though “eh, why not!” because the ending was incredible and did made me want to know more.

What a good decision I made here. It seems Yoon Ha Lee has decided here that we suffered enough and is now explaining things a bit further, or maybe the details given are more easily understandable now that we got through Ninefow Gambit. While it took me months to read Ninefow Gambit, because it demanded full attention, I read Raven Stratagem in a week and a half, barely. Saying I flew through it would be an exaggeration, but since I was working while I read it, it’s actually quite fast for me.

This book contains political intrigue, military action, almost magical warfare science and weapons, a myriad of characters… There are four but the two main ones are Brezan – a trans man – and Khiruev – a dark skinned seventy-two years old woman with a lot of scars on her face. I grew super fond of Khiruev, and Brezan was also super interesting to follow, his path taking unexpected turns. Yoon Ha Lee know how to introduce us to characters, make us care for them, by showing us everything about them. Either by getting to know their day to day life, quirky habits and hobbies, and past traumas.

When I say that it’s more understandable than the first book, I’m not saying that suddenly we are explained everything about the technology or hierarchy, but we get to follow characters from different backgrounds and get a wider look at this world.

Raven Stratagem is set right after Ninefox Gambit and Cheris/Jedao’s escape. While we don’t get to follow them as much, it was a joy to meet them again. I grew to care for them A LOT in Ninefox Gambit and I would have miss them more if not for Brezan and Khiruev who were amazing sequel characters.

This book was amazing, as sequels go, this might be one of the bests. Second books are sometimes weaker, slower, a disappointment, but Raven Stratagem exceeded all my expectations. I was impressed by Ninefox Gambit, confused and left wondering about a million things, and Raven Stratagem delivered a great many answers, more questions, and a more in-depth approach to this complicated world. We learn more about Jedao and what happened at Hellspin Fortress, we get to follow characters higher up, kind of the behind the scene of what we witnessed previously. I’m awed really, at how much this book managed to add to Ninefox Gambit.

Still, a few things left me a bit uncomfortable. The main one being that Mikodez (one of the main characters we get to follow) seems to be asexual (he states clearly that he has no interest in sexual activities) and is characterised by the fact that he keeps eating and eating A LOT at all times. He also engages on sexual activity with his brother (who used to be his sister but changed his body to become his twin and maintain an appearance of being at several places at once or never sleeping) While this was also… weird (I mean, it’s incest!) I’m left kinda meh about the fact that a character who says he has no interest in sex is the one we most see performing sexual acts. It didn’t sit well with me. He might me demi or grey-ace, but then there is the fact that this is happening with his “twin brother”. So, yeah. Not my fave parts.
One could argue that this is to show how mentalities have evolved, this could disturb many readers.

Before wrapping this up, I’ll say another positive things so as to not end on the negative one above. There were SO MANY twists! One of them made me yell and pump my fist in the air because it was exactly what I was hoping for and waiting for. I’m still grinning just thinking back about it.
If you’re wondering whether I’ll buy this sequel and reread both these books, the answer is a big fat YES.

There is A LOT to say about Raven Stratagem. Super fun dialogues, great diversity of characters, amazing quotes (there are more than a dozen I wish I could put in here), complex and interesting use of pronouns… I’ll have to stop here because this review is already way too long. I’ll just stick with the fact that this was an amazing sequel that I highly recommend. If by any chance someone who had not read Ninefox Gambit was reading this: please read Ninefox Gambit so you can read this amazing sequel next.

Trigger warning: incest (consensual), death of children

Classic second-book-in-a-trilogy syndrome. Feels like it's all about setting up the final book rather than doing anything significant on its own. And I really wasn't expecting that considering how pitch perfect Ninefox Gambit was. Conversation of Shadows didn't have a single weak story in it, either. Huh.

Anyway, CherisJedao (or JedaoCheris? or just Jedao at this point?) use formation instinct (military mind control) to take over a major Kel (warrior caste) fleet that's trying to fight off a Hafn (heretics from book one) incursion. Once she has control of the fleet, she... continues the campaign against the Hafn to everyone's befuddlement. Meanwhile the Shuos (assassin caste) hexarch is watching events unfold from a distance and... mostly watering his office plant and eating cookies. Oh, and maybe removing any kind of tension the reader could get from wondering what the rest of the hexarchate is up to.

So remember all the things that made Gambit great? Like the Cheris / Jedao mindgames? Well, she's not even a PoV character for most of the book, and the new characters are not of the same caliber. Discovering an exceptional setting without having it spoonfed to you? Pretty much nothing new gets revealed here. The tension of the 'pitched' battle to take back the fortress? This one is mostly fleets long-range chasing each other around space. The mystery of why Jedao went genocidal and the flashbacks? Some reflections on history, but nothing that really grabs you. The behind the scenes intrigue? Office plants. I mean, don't get me wrong, that's a cute bit of character building right there, but Gambit had that *and* then the characters actually did Interesting Things at the same time... all the time, where Raven has them treading water for long stretches.

And what's left? There's still the excellent worldbuilding, JedaoCheris is plenty badass even from the outside, glimpses of an epic revolution, deft writing with the occasional flourish and something does actually happen at the end. Still, where Gambit was a solid four stars, this one only barely makes the cut and that only by riding Gambit's momentum. Fingers crossed that Revenant Gun pulls it all back together again. The series deserves it.

Ninefox Gambit was one of the best books I read in 2016. Raven Stratagem might be even better. This whole series is utterly, gloriously, astoundingly brilliant.

Welcome to the world of the hexarchate, where total participation in rigid ritual not only keeps control of the population; it also warps the topology of reality to create "exotic effects" that keeps the hexarchate in power. The hexarchate is ruled by six factions: the Rahal, who make the rules; the Vidona, who enforce them with torture; the Andan, who control the culture; the Nirai, who provide mathematical and scientific technology; the Shuos, who act as spies, assassins, and bureaucrats; and the Kel, who are the military wing of the hexarchate. All but the Shuos depend upon an exotic effect to remain in power, from Rahal scrying and mindreading to the Nirai spacefaring mothdrive to the overwhelmingly powerful Kel military formations. Heretics are therefore a tangible, literal threat to the hexarchate: not only do they threaten to disrupt the loyalty of the populus; they also weaken the hexarchate's exotic effects that drive the hexarchate's technology, military, and society.

Raven Stratagem starts where Ninefox Gambit leaves off. It introduces a cast of highly empathetic characters and explores the perspectives of several of the antagonists of the previous book. The story also expands its powerful exploration of gender fluidity. While the last book was told almost entirely from the Kel perspective, Raven Stratagem provides quite a bit more of the Shuos and even the Nirai perspectives. Our previous Shuos experience was almost entirely limited to the crazy undead mass-murdering General Shuos Jedao, who is occasionally let out of his immortal unrest in the Black Cradle to possess a Kel "volunteer" and use his scheming brain to win their wars. I adore the Shuos; it turns out they're not just assassins and spies; they're also the bureaucrats and administrators because
"A properly guided bureaucracy is deadlier than any bomb."
The Shuos are renowned for turning everything into a game and are charmingly unexpected; for instance, the leader of the Shuos faction has a tendency of knitting during scheming sessions.

As with Ninefox Gambit, one of the main themes of the novel was agency. Kel are imbued with "formation instinct" that irresistibly compels them to unquestioningly obey their superiors. The few "crashhawks" with weak formation instinct are constantly under suspicion by their superiors because they can choose not to obey. The hexarchs are increasingly out of touch, off planning new sadistic "remembrances" and chasing immortality even as their people are being invaded by the savage Hafn. As one character thinks:
"At some point you had to ask yourself how much legitimacy any government had that feared dissension within more than invasion without."
The world of the hexarchate is brutal and unfeeling, the people kept under martial law and in constant fear of the Vidona. But overthrowing the hexarch also means destroying all of the technology built upon its exotic effects, and what if it is replaced with something even worse? As one character says:
"You know what? It is a shitty system. We have a whole faction devoted to torturing people so the rest of us can pretend we're not involved. Too bad every other system of government out there is even worse. [...] If you have some working alternative for the world we're stuck in, by all means show it to us without spelling it in corpses."

There are a lot of thought-provoking themes in Raven Stratagem, but they don't get in the way of the character development or the action. I was utterly captivated by the story's twists and turns, and I'm only a little ashamed to admit that I fell for one of them. (view spoiler) If you were a bit overwhelmed by Ninefox, then you'll be relieved to hear that Raven is much less math-heavy, focusing more on characters and worldbuilding. We get a view of the inner workings of the hexarch from Shuos Mikodez, we finally get a glimpse of the mysterious and somewhat horrifying Hafn, and the ending is utterly satisfying while leaving me desperate for more. I absolutely cannot wait to get back to the world of the hexarchate.

Yours in calendrical heresy,
Carly

War. Heresy. Madness.

Shuos Jedao is unleashed. The long-dead general, preserved with exotic technologies as a weapon, has possessed the body of gifted young captain Kel Cheris.

Now, General Kel Khiruev’s fleet, racing to the Severed March to stop a fresh enemy incursion, has fallen under Jedao’s sway. Only Khiruev’s aide, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, is able to shake off the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao.

The rogue general seems intent on defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev—or Brezan—trust him? For that matter, can they trust Kel Command, or will their own rulers wipe out the whole swarm to destroy one man?
I received an eARC of Raven Stratagem from Netgalley courtesy of the publisher, Solaris, in exchange for an honest review.

I need to put this up top - there should be trigger warnings for suicide and consensual incest for Raven Stratagem.

I have a confession to make: I went to download this novel and realized it was the second in a series and I hadn't read the first one, so I clicked over to amazon and bought Ninefox Gambit.

Well, I fell head over heels in love with the mathematical space opera that was Ninefox Gambit. I actually wound up buying it on ebook and audiobook, because I didn't want to put it down, but needed to do my day job. How annoying, right?

Ninefox Gambit throws you into the middle of a mission and keeps you guessing with every turn of the page. Raven Strategem is when we finally start getting some answers, but not nearly enough of them, since he added even more questions to my brain.

If I were to compare this series to anything it would be the Warhammer 40K books and the Binti series.

We learn so much more about the hexarchate in this novel, and it really shows how the group works, while showing why Jedao is trying to take it down. This is hard sci-fi, yet also brings us to care about each of the characters, and even the servitors.

The incestual relationship is between two brothers, and is pretty unavoidable. If this is a trigger for you, I highly recommend you avoid the book.

Yoon Ha Lee has a mystical power that made me fall in love with a story that is so mathematically based, yet has math that we literally never see. It was amazing.

If you get a chance, I loved Ninefox Gambit on audiobook, and hope we'll get a chance to have Raven Stratagem as one as well.

This was a four star book for me, and if it sounds like a series for you, I hope you enjoy it and come talk to me about it! You can pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound!



Disclaimer: All links to Indiebound and Amazon are affiliate links, which means that if you buy through those links, I will make a small amount of money off of it.

I'll be the first to admit that for most of the first book, I wasn't enjoying this series. Then the last 40 pages happened and suddenly everything ramped up a notch. So, going into this book, I was so much more excited.

Raven Stratagem picks up where Ninefox Gambit left off, except from a different point of view. Instead of being from the point of view of Cheris, we see everything through the eyes of a new Kel swarm - specifically Khiruev and Brezan, interspersed with the points of view of the Shuos hexarch, and one or two others along the way. While it was nice to see the old characters from a new angle, I did miss Cheris' voice as a narrator.

In this book, everything is higher stakes. Cheris (once you read it you'll understand why that part is kind of spoilerish) was not intended to survive the destruction of the Kel fleet in the first book, and as a result is persona non grata to Kel Command. At the same time, the Hafn are attempting to invade, and Khiruev's Kel swarm is the only one within distance of the Hafn fleet.

As with Ninefox Gambit, I found this a slow read. The difference between the two books was that I didn't get exasperated by the slowness of this one, partly because I knew what to expect in terms of writing style, and partly because the end of the first book had me hooked into this universe.

Perhaps I'm being stingy about my 5-star ratings all of a sudden because, while this book was very good, it didn't quite merit one of those from me. I did love the characters, and certain scenes had me so excited, but there was just something missing (maybe how good I felt the action scenes were? I'm not sure). But that doesn't detract from how desperately I'm needing book three now.

Yoon Ha Lee sorprendió a propios y extraños con su primera novela, la fascinante Ninefox Gambit, que ha conseguido nominaciones a muchos premios.

Para empezar, Raven Stratagem es mucho más fácil de leer. Ya estamos familiarizados con todo el sistema de calendarios, conocemos las reglas del juego y solo nos queda dejarnos llevar por la historia. En los primeros capítulos, sin tener que recurrir a resúmenes de lo ocurrido con anterioridad, el autor nos recuerda algo de lo que pasó en el segundo libro. Parece que a Yoon Ha Lee le han debido hablar sobre la curva de aprendizaje tan exagerada que exigía la primera novela y ha decidido suavizarla mucho en esta segunda entrega.

Sin embargo, esta facilidad no se aprovecha del todo. Como space opera se queda un poco a medio camino, la grandiosidad de las batallas espaciales que disfrutamos en Ninefox Gambit aquí se ve reducida a escaramuzas o al menos ese es el recuerdo que queda. Por contra, los personajes son más variados y tienen mucho más interacción. Parece que la narración ha evolucionado a un thriller político-espacial, si tal distinción es posible.

Me gusta mucho la idea de la "compulsión" de los Kel, que les obliga a obedecer las órdenes de los superiores. Me recuerda mucho a la manipulación que sufrían algunos personajes de Ender el Xenocida, pero corregida y aumentada. No estoy segura de que se aproveche en su totalidad, porque queda algún resquicio por el que escabullirse... pero por lo general influye mucho en el desarrollo de los acontencimientos y puede ser tanto una fortaleza como una debilidad.

Por desgracia, la trama es bastante previsible. El enfrentamiento a un enemigo del que se conocen pocos detalles y se desvelan aún menos solo sirve como pantalla para otros enfrentamientos que ocurren entre bambalinas. Me hubiera gustado que se hubiera profundizado más en las diferentes facciones de la "hexarquía" pero el protagonismo lo tienen fundamentalmente los Kel y los Shuos.

Hay algunas pequeñas alusiones humorísticas, algo de lo que el autor ya hizo gala en Extracurricular Activities y alguna que otra escena de sexo, pero parecen añadidos más que algo integrado en la trama.

Valorada como un conjunto, Raven Stratagem me parece una obra menor que Ninefox Gambit. Adolece del síndrome del segundo libro y no estoy segura de que prepare bien el terreno para un tercero. Aún así, es una lectura perfectamente disfrutable.

I'm still working on a full review. I like Raven Stratagem even more than Ninefox Gambit. Ninefox is an excellent contender for this year's Hugos.. I will be surprised if Raven Stratagem isn't in the conversation next year.

Picking up soon after the end of Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem continues the saga for Shuos Jedao's crusade against the hexarchate, but when it comes to the Immolation Fox, the plan is never what you expect.

Raven Stratagem follows three outside points of view (from the perspective of the General of Swanknot swarm who finds herself closely embroiled with Jedao's plans, a crashawk ejected from the swarm bent on killing Jedao, and from Shuos Hexarch Mikodez, who has been maneuvering the hexarchate according to his own schemes.) as Jedao seizes control of a new Kel swarm and begins fighting off the invading Hafn forces.

While I would have liked to see a POV from one of the original Ninefox Gambit protagonists, I still really enjoyed this book. My only criticism is that this story didn't have as many philosophical wordplay exchanges as we saw in the first one (eg between Jedao and Cheris)-- Alas. Otherwise, Yoon Ha Lee's writing style is crisp and engaging, the world is rich and interesting, and the pace is boots on the ground from the first page to the last. If you followed Ninefox Gambit then you should have no trouble dropping right back into the mathematical world of Raven Stratagem.

I would definitely suggest reading Ninefox Gambit before tackling its sequel otherwise you risk being extremely lost. For fans of the first book I highly suggest picking this one up. It does have a bit of a cliffhanger and reads like a second book insofar as the overarching series plot is not finished. I can't wait to see what Lee does with the rest of the series (my big question right now is: is this a trilogy or will there be more than 3 books?)

TL;DR If you enjoyed the first one I think you'll enjoy the second one. If you haven't read Ninefox Gambit and you love high octane, hard science fiction with an emphasis on philosophy, maths, minor dystopian civs, and scheming characters then definitely check this series out!

It hasn’t even been a year since Ninefox Gambit came out and I already read it twice. The first installment in Yoon Ha Lee’s Machineries of Empire is brilliant, full of amazing ideas, original worldbuilding and gorgeous writing. It was even better as a re-read and let’s just say that I was extremely eager to get my hands on its sequel Raven Stratagem.

I am easily disappointed by sequels, usually I tend to enjoy first books more because they are the most surprising, you discover the world, the characters, the plot, everything feel way more original and new because you are introduced to something original. So, as much as I was anticipating Raven Stratagem, I was a bit scared. Well, I had absolutely no reasons to be since it was freakin’ awesome. Yoon Ha Lee perfectly managed to build on what he created with Ninefox Gambit, it never felt like a filler-book at all, it was captivating read and if I hadn’t been reading this slowly on purpose to savor everything, I could easily have devoured this in a few days.

If you haven’t picked up Ninefox Gambit yet, please do! If you read the first book and found it a bit too confusing, I would still highly recommend picking up the sequel since, I personally found it less complicated than the first book. Indeed since the world has already been presented to us in the first book and, even if some new elements are introduced, it is not as overwhelming and several things thatwere a bit complicated in Ninefox Gambit are explained a bit more in the sequel.



Spoilers for Ninefox Gambit

Shuos Jedao, the now resurrected mass-murderer, is in control of Kel Cheris’s body. His aim? Destroying the Hexarchate, the oppressive system that detained him for centuries and tried to turn him into a gentle puppet.

As the book opens, Jedao takes control of General Khiruev’s fleet to fight off the Hafn who are threatening the existence of the Hexargate. But what really are his intentions? Does he really want to defend the system he tried to destroyed centures ago or is it another scheme?

This book is fascinating in so many ways. First of all, as much as I missed Cheris and Jedao’s interactions, the new characters introduced were a real treat and seeing them interfere with Jedao was priceless. I especially enjoyed the fact that we get the chance to see much more of Shuos Mikodez who appeared only briefly in Ninefox Gambit. For some reasons, this character reminds me a lot of Varys, the Spider, in Game of Thrones.

In Raven Stratagem, Yoon Ha Lee teaches us a lot more about the Hexarchate and the way it actually work. If you don’t like politics-heavy novels, this series is not for you, it’s not as heavy with politics as Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer but Raven Stratagem definitely has its share of political intrigues. I could say the same for space battles though, I usually don’t like battle scene in books, I don’t mind a few of them but, after a while, I grow bored easily. However, I never felt bored while reading any of the battle scenes, they are so unusual, everything being based on maths that it trying to imagine how the battle actually enfolds is both complex, mindblowing and far from boring!

I also appreciated Yoon Ha Lee discussion on genders, it was already fascinating in the first book since Cheris and Jedao were both sharing the same body but it was even more so interesting in Raven Stratagem. Indeed, Jedao is now habiting Cheris body and it seems to upset several characters. The way they viewed Cheris’s body as “not Jedao” and Jedao as a “body-thief” was very interesting especially if we take in consideration that Yoon Ha Lee is himself a transgender man. I am sure that when I’ll re-read Raven Stratagem, I will see even more interesting themes and discussions. Those books are so layered that re-reading them is always a pleasure because you can discover so much more of what they offer.

Anyway, as you may have guessed, I love those books, I am extremely glad that Ninefox Gambit was shortlisted for the Arthur C. Clarke, I haven’t read all of the books nominated (I will!) but at least for now, I truly hope that it will win! I am sure that the Machineries of Empire will be a cult series and that it will inspire people for years.

Highly recommended. I read this book as an ARC kindly provided by Solaris through Netgalley but I preordered a copy as soon as I finished it. It is definitely something that I will re-read again and again and push in the hands of many.

Five stars. Obviously.

4.5 Stars

Ugh I'm going to miss this world till the next book comes out.
Just like in the first book, Ninefox Gambit, I'm amazed at the Yoon ha lee's character building. Every character in this book feels like a real person, no matter how minor an appearance. It makes it really hard to outright dislike any of them, despite motivations. They're what you'll care for most in these books, even as you enjoy the epic scale of them.

The plot now shifts between multiple points of view, and this works well for the pacing of the book. It's interesting to learn of events from somewhere else in the universe. The writing continues to be on an extremely personal level, a choice that works remarkably well for a series concerned with the machineries of empire. My only complaint is that the climax felt a little rushed and distant. I understand that there were consequences for the actions of our protagonist, but they didn't really have much impact because we didn't get to spend time with how it effected them.

Nevertheless, Raven Strategem is an amazing sequel in an imaginative and immersive series. It releases on June 13th 2017.