4.5/5 stars!

I adored Nino Cipri's heartfelt and snappy first book "FINNA", and its sequel "DEFEKT" did not disappoint! Following an endearing found family of clones, you see a whole new side of how the deliciously eerie IKEA-parody operates where things are never as they seem. There are more relatable jabs at capitalism, a non-binary love interest that shines off the page, and furniture that comes to life (and you feel kind of sorry for). I can't wait to see where Cipri takes this world next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tordotcom for an e-ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is the speculative, anti-capitalist IKEA novella I didn't know I needed. So much fun! I loved Derek, and all his clones, as they fought the furniture that came to life around them.

This novella took some very interesting turns, and I enjoyed that we got a sense of really knowing the characters in such a short time. I love this strange world and the quirks within it.

I loved Finna so much and I was beyond excited to read Defekt. To my surprise, I liked Defekt even more, if that is possible at all?
It was queer, funny, and a very delightful read. I would recommend it to everyone!
Defekt took a different spin on furniture store but with more focus on clones this time, and I liked that very much. I found it interesting to read more about Derek and his adventures. My only question is when the hell are we going to get book 3?

Defekt is the companion novel to Finna, which I absolutely adored, so I was more than happy to read another story centering this weird and twisty furniture store. While Finna quickly leaves the store behind, entering parallel worlds, Defekt is firmly set at the store and I was excited to discover other absurdities this furniture store has to show us.

When I first met the character Derek in Finna, where we only get a very brief glimpse of him, I can’t say I thought I was ever going to like this character. The more curious I was about reading his very own story though, wondering if that could change. Turns out there is a lot more to Derek than one first thinks, like… a lot a lot.

Finna and Defekt are both very different yet also very much the same. At their core, both stories are about self discovery and self-reflection. Derek’s story was just extra special in that way and very much hitting the spot. I just loved how he learns his own potential, that he sees who he can be if he wants to, that there is a lot more in life for him. Through his clones who are all very different people, very different personalities and also genders, he gets a chance to really explorer his true inner self.

“DARKNESS WAS DEREK TURNED INSIDE OUT, ALL THE ALIENATION HE KEPT FIRMLY TAMPED DOWN AND CONTAINED WITHIN HIMSELF PULLED OUT AND PLASTERED ACROSS THEIR SKIN.”

I already loved the concept of this setting in Finna, the idea of an IKEA-like store with its labyrinthine hallways, its sometimes absurd products, with added wormholes for customers to get lost in. Not only does the setting make an excellent basis for an exciting story, but the added, not so subtle criticism of all things capitalism only makes it that much better.
While Finna was already a favorite, Defekt turned up with an added cuteness bonus. Yes, you read that right. Be ready to find out what exactly is cute about being stuck in such store were very weird furniture items turn to life, out to get ya.

“IT’S EASIER, ISN’T IT. TO CONFRONT THE THINGS THAT SCARE YOU WHEN IT’S, YOU KNOW, NOT YOU.”

Based on Derek’s first appearance in Finna I really didn’t expect to love him/this story so very much, but I’m glad it was the case. Protect at all costs is all I’m saying. Derek is the most precious and I’m glad we got to read his story too.
I was also very happy to see Defekt being directly linked to Finna not just through the setting but with a character appearance (especially as it was a favorite one) as well as subtle hints at Finna’s main plot. ( you *could* read this story as a standalone but I still very much recommend reading Finna first)

Defekt was a big hit for me, not just because Derek is the most precious and relatable character ever but especially because of its unique way of character growth and self-reflection/discovery.

LitenVärld is a pretty normal place to work, except that portals to other dimensions ocassionally open up and employees sometimes go in and never come back out. NBD.

Derek is the store’s most loyal employee. He’s great at his job. So what if he lives in a shipping container behind the store and can’t seem to make real human connections? LitenVärld is his home and that’s okay. After a strange evening of sickness, Derek is assigned to a special inventory shift to hunt up defective merchandise, and I do mean HUNT. His team? Four strangers who have his face. Never a dull moment in this universe.

This was a fun new romp in a world I enjoy visiting. It’s short and moves quickly. I loved the variations on Derek and how each had their own personality, and also how they were individual people. They even caution him to have a less self-centered universal view of things. They aren’t Dereks, they are Dahlia, Dirk, Darkness, and Dex. There’s some interesting commentary on our society here, but mostly it’s just fun. Also, I was in at multiverse, so there’s that.

Join all the Dereks as they hunt dangerous egg chair toilets and other items that might be trying to take over the store.

Defekt (LitenVerse #2) by Nino Cipri is the perfect sequel/ companion novel to Finna which was one of my favorite novellas of 2020. My expectations for this were needless to say sky high and I'm so pleased to say this one totally delivers. I've only read two of Cipri's books, but they're quickly becoming a favorite. At this point, I'm pretty sure I'll read whatever they care to write from here on out. It was so much fun to be back in the mysterious and weird world of LitenVärld, an IKEA-like store where portals to various dimensions of the multiverse sometimes appear, and sometimes things from the other side come through. There's so much to love about this, but I can't resist the brand of humor in this story. In this installment of the series, my favorite aspect were all of the Dereks from across the multiverse - they were so cool to get to know. Overall, I think this is going to be one of my favorite reads of 2021. If you haven't started in on this series, what are you waiting for?

Secrets Of The Force is a book for Star Wars fans who believe Greedo shot first.

One of the most notable changes made in the 1997 Special Edition release of the first Star Wars movie was that digital effects were added to make it clear that protagonist Han Solo didn’t kill bounty hunter Greedo in cold blood. In this revised telling, the bounty hunter shot first, so Han’s action was justified.

It’s an emotional beat that reversed one of the memorable character arcs of the first Star Wars movie; Han was no longer a lawless rogue who became a better person over the course of the story. He was always good, because in the re-telling Greedo shot first.

But the truth is more complicated. Early shooting scripts of the movie show that Greedo never got a chance to shoot.

Over the decades, George Lucas has changed Star Wars. He’s famously revised the movies themselves … but he also revised the story behind how the story was made.

Despite being described as ‘uncensored,’ Secrets Of The Force leans pretty closely into the orthodox Lucasfilm version of events, and fails to grapple with the complexities (good and bad) of the creator who first invited fans to a galaxy far, far away.

This is a book for fans who are comfortable believing that all along, Greedo shot first.

As the most recognizable and financially successful space adventure in popular culture, Star Wars is bound to generate a variety of non-fiction books written by people trying to grapple with its enduring cultural value.

Given the outsized impact of these movies on the public imagination, serious critical examination of the franchise is necessary and welcome.

But unfortunately the vast majority of these works inevitably reveal themselves to be either venal attempts to cash in on the popularity of the franchise, or turn out to be puff pieces created by wide-eyed fanboys.

Secrets Of The Force falls somewhat short of the critical examination this subject needs. The questionable quality of this book is surprising, given the credentials of the authors involved -- it’s written by Edward Gross and Mark A. Altman, who previously authored a The 50-Year Mission, which was a first-rate examination of Star Trek.

Perhaps because Gene Rodenberry’s passing had allowed Star Trek fandom to become less enthralled by their franchise progenitor’s mythmaking, The 50-Year Mission was more able to interrogate his flaws.

Told by way of a series of quotes from a rotating cast of people involved in the production, Secrets Of The Force is divided into roughly four parts: the inception of the franchise in the mid 1970s; the creation of the trilogy; the prequel movies; and finally the franchise after Lucas left active control.

Some sections of this book do provide interested readers with first-hand accounts of production details, the evolution of the script, and aspects of the casts’ lives that are interesting. Mark Hamill’s recollection of how he became involved is engaging. Carrie Fisher’s descriptions of Peter Cushing are quite winning.

But overall, the book focuses on George Lucas, and really centres his voice in telling this story, and as such Altman and Gross inevitably fall into the trap of the Lucasfilm myth making empire.

There are many other voices in the book; Altman and Gross have collected quotes from a vast majority of the people responsible for the movies. From special effects people like John Dykstra to editors like Paul Hirsch, and from obscure actors like Ray Morton to big stars like Peter Cushing.

What’s missing are voices of those whose contributions have been marginalized or demeaned. People like Marcia Lucas. What’s also missing is much attempt to question the veracity of accounts, or to point out when George Lucas has contradicted himself or has blatantly lied.

There are sections of the book where the quotes selected provide little but page upon page of fawning praise:
“One of Lucas’ great innovations was to give his space opera the feel and form of an old-time movie serial”
“I was struck by the incredible detail of George Lucas’ imagination. He could remember things and see what he wanted to do in such tremendous detail.”
“It was more than an action film, it was a personal quest; a story of self discovery.”
“Every shot, even if that shot was less than a second long, it was designed to the nth degree. It wasn’t that he put too much stuff in it, it’s just that it was wonderfully designed.

Secrets Of The Force gets a bit tiresome and repetitive, and might appeal only to the most hardcore Star Wars fan who wants to read justifications as to why their favourite franchise is the bestest franchise ever, and why George Lucas is just so great.

In Defekt, we return to the mysterious world of LitenVärld and it’s eclectic group of employees. Derek is a proud employee of LitenVärld, spending his days stocking merchandise and creating beautiful displays in the many showrooms. Derek appreciates the company’s devotion to it’s employees as LitenVärld provides housing in the extra cargo containers at the end of the parking lot and drafts detailed employee handbooks, answering any and all questions that employees may have. Derek is always receptive to feedback on his performance and routinely practices smiling at customers in the mirror while getting ready for work. When Derek becomes unexpectedly ill, the first illness he can ever remember, a call to the employee helpline and a chat with his manager leave him with more questions than answers. When a high-up human resources official makes Derek the point person for a special inventory team, Derek realizes that everything he has ever known about the world, and his very existence, is a lie. Because truly, isn’t life better with more Derek’s?

This is a smart, snarky, and witty novella that is brimming with humor and insight into the human experience. Nino Cipri crafts these darkly hilarious novellas that break down the horrors of capitalism and it’s effects on people in such a way that you are laughing when you really should be enraged and crying. If you’ve ever been inside an extremely large department store, like an Ikea, you can imagine how massive the place would seem without any people in it. Now, add in an overnight shift and furniture that comes to life. It sounds like the start of a horror novel. But what if we didn’t immediately believe that everything that is different is inherently evil? What if we initiated contact with the hopes of understanding and creating a new friendship? This was a fascinating take on a “first contact” story. I also really enjoyed how the team of “Dereks” were not only different in personalities and temperaments, but also genders and identities. While it’s not necessary to have read Finna before Defekt, the two genuinely compliment each other and I highly recommend both. If you like witty and snarky takes on current events, this is definitely up your alley.
Thank you to Netgalley and Tor for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

“Lonely, Derek thought. Loneliness so sharp that it felt like his throat would split from swallowing it.”

Defekt is in one word, brilliant. I did not know anything about the book while i started and honestly it was such a pleasant surprise for me!

I love, LOVE the writing style. Its so sombre and atmospheric, focussing on character voices that made me really invested with Derek right from the very beginning. All i have for the author regarding the writing is praise, because its so beautiful. I was in awe reading the prose and me, being a reader who values beautiful writing a lot, I enjoyed this book a lot.

The next great thing the author has done here is character work! A LOT OF THE ASPECTS ARE SO FUCKING RELATABLE IM SORRY DHDHDH. But EVEN at the start you get a glimpse of how monotone, mechanical work on the daily could exhaust people. The book does a fantastic job in portraying daily struggles just to make ends meet and how that takes a toll on people and just yes i love the characterization and personalities within this book and the author has done a very obvious and magnificent job in having distinct, different voices and personalities which truly adds to the entire reading experience.

I’ll also say that the world building here is phenomenal. One of the things i look the most in sci-fi stories; is world building and its safe to say that Defekt DELIVERED!!!.

Despite a very pleasant reading experience i think i should point out that recently I haven’t been enjoying much of this genre, and this reading mood definitely held a firm grip while i read Defekt as well, which made me not enjoy this book as much as i normally would have. While a lot of the plot was intriguing, i kept wanting more but thinking back it could very well have been me wanting something ‘other’ instead of ‘more’.

This said the plot itself wasn’t a very well detailed, filled with sequences and sequences of events kinda plot; rather this was a fairly slower paced, a bit minimal, but to the point plot. The sci-fi trope wasn’t something unique or never seen before, but the details and world building adds more layers to it, making Defekt a fairly well written and a good short read!

All in all, i think sci-fi readers would enjoy this a lot! Thank you to Tor for granting me an eARC in exchange for an honest review via NetGalley.

Defekt is the second novella in Nino Cipri's Finna series, and it was such a delight to read! If you're a fan of fast-paced and humorous science fiction, then this is absolutely a series that you need to check out.

When it comes to loyal employees, you won't find anyone better than Derek. His entire life is LitenVärld. No, really – he even lives in a shipping container set up in one of the back parking lots. His dedication can not be questioned.

Or rather, once upon a time, it could never have been questioned. Then Derek dared to take a sick day – he really did need one. Suddenly, the management and company started seeing Derek through new eyes. Who would have thought that this would be enough to throw him into a world where furniture comes to life and tries to eat him?

“When “Don't Be Evil” Fails, Try “Don't Be Boring”: It's worked for us since 1958.”

As a huge fan of Finna, I just knew that the sequel was going to be amazing. I went into this novella with high expectations – and was blown away. What I got was SO much better than I expected. Defekt may just be my favorite of the series (so far – please let there be more).

Where Finna is an entertaining novella full of portal jumping pirates, Defekt is more of a Cronenberg/science fiction horror tale with a humorous undertone (and overtones, for that matter). I love both novellas, but for completely different reasons.

The series is centered on a science fiction version of a Scandinavian superstore (go ahead and guess which one). The company has found lots of neat hacks to get the job done fast and quickly, including other dimensions and their resources. That sometimes results in...let's say, oddities.

Having all of that introduced in Finna allowed for Defekt to dive right into the world. As well as all of its glorious chaos. I really enjoyed that we kind of got to see a different side of things, though management, HR, and corporate BS is still a major factor (and it is perfect).

“Derek looked back at the table only to see it staring up at him.”

I can't even begin to tell you the number of times this novella got me to burst out laughing. The quote above had me crying; I was laughing so hard. Nino Cipri and I are on the same wavelength when it comes to humor, I think. And I love it.

If you don't believe me, here's a testimonial for you: My husband is not much of a reader (I know, I know), but even he wants to read both Finna and Defekt after seeing how much enjoyment I've gotten out of them. Okay, the fact that I read a few key quotes didn't hurt any.

Follow the rules, make the customers happy, and report any signs of hemorrhaging to corporate. To Derek, the job is easy enough. It's almost as if he was made to do it. He doesn't remember anything before November, doesn't really have any friends, and lives in a shipping container behind the store.

The store is like an upscale IKEA, selling $3000 egg chair toilets that, coincidentally, later becomes a character in the story. Yes, the furniture comes alive and rearranges itself in LitenVärld. The store keeps losing customers through wormholes. And it turns out that the members of the night crew are all variations on Derek.

I think perhaps I wasn't in the mood for a bizarre, absurdist book when I dug into this one. I also didn't realize it was #2 in a series when I agreed to review it for Netgalley. However, it does stand alone pretty well. It just wasn't my full cup of tea. However, I did appreciate the message of not being willing to sacrifice your all for a crappy job that really doesn't care about you.

*Defekt* is Nino Cipri's follow up novella to *Finna*, which I read, enjoyed, and [reviewed here](https://librarycryptid.wordpress.com/2020/05/03/review-finna-by-nino-cipri/) last year. If you read *Finna*, you'll recall that the only reason Ava was working when a wormhole opened up in their LitenVärld furniture store was because she was covering for "fucking Derek," who had called out sick. Well folks, I'm pleased to introduce you to Fucking Derek: the model employee who practices his customer service voice in front of a mirror, struggles to interact with coworkers, and isn't entirely sure of his place in the LitenVärld ecosystem. When he's called in to do a special inventory one night, he meets four other people who look just like him—who are here to track down rogue furniture pieces.

At times, *Finna* struggled to find its footing; though entertaining, it had some pacing issues, and was a bit too ambitious for a short novella. With *Defekt*, Cipri has really found their groove in longer fiction—they have an [extensive short story bibliography](https://ninocipri.com/fiction/), and what I've read from it has been great—and I hope that what they've learned from writing these two novellas is going to eventually culminate in a full-length novel. *Defekt* is perhaps not as ambitious, but I think this really works for the novella format: the setting stays in the LitenVärld store rather than world-hopping, but with the store's ever-changing rooms and wormhole potential, it's far from boring. Although this novella also features the theme of self-discovery, we're able to focus entirely on Derek rather than the Ava and Jules duo we had in *Finna*. The anti-capitalism messaging is there, but it's more subtle and woven into the story than in *Finna*. In short, we have all of the puzzle pieces that made *Finna* good, but refined to the point that they fit the novella format really well and turn *Defekt* into a stand-out story.

*Defekt* is a sequel and it does spoil the storyline for *Finna*, but it can be read as a standalone. The beginning has excerpts from Derek's employee manual, which was a welcome addition and also serves to orient the reader to the LitenVärld setting, so that you don't need to have read *Finna* in order to understand the setting. Also, we follow entirely different characters—as I mentioned, Derek was out sick in the previous book—so it really acts as a companion novella rather than a direct sequel.

I really loved this book and it was the perfect palate cleanser in between my horror reads. It's funny and heart-warming, but Cipri doesn't slack on the antagonist and the high stakes. If you're looking for a fun little story where someone who's not so sure of himself and doesn't have any friends finds a found family and understands himself a little better, this is it. *Defekt* is a short little adventure that's sure to please readers of all sorts.

** Note: review at provided link will go live on April 20, 2021 at 7am EST.

Ahoy there me mateys!  I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.  So here be me honest musings . . .

"When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958."

The first novella in this series answered the question about what would happen if a wormhole opened up in Ikea, I mean, LitenVärld.  I thought it was fun even though I wanted more world building.  I was so excited when I heard about this installment.

Derek is the perfect employee and dedicated to the company.  But the one day he calls out sick, a wormhole attacks his store.  Derek is assigned to help clean up the mess.  He finds out his perfect company might have flaws after all.

I adored this one and thought the length was perfect.  I loved the nod to the prior book.  I loved all the internal memos and policy manual tidbits.  I loved the characters and the consequences of Derek's choices.  I love the #ownvoices rep.  I loved the ending

I know the author didn't originally plan to write more set in LitenVärld but I am super happy to have gotten this one.  I also know I didn't discuss the plot.  That's cause ye should read the first book and this one too.  Arrrrr!

So lastly . . .

Thank ye Tor.com!

I liked Finna much better, but this was cool, too. Didn't find Derek particularly likeable, and the plot didn't really seem to go anywhere except to explore Derek's development -- which was fine, too. Just not as much adventure as in Finna.

Content warning: bleeding (mild), doppelgangers

This unexpected sequel to Finna starts off with the backstory of why Derek couldn’t come into that fateful work day when Jules and Ava fall into a wormhole. What continues is an unexpected shift to tame homicidal toilets with a team of Derek’s own doppelgangers.

With fantastic dynamics, characters that leap off the page, and the cost of company loyalty, Defekt is a wonderfully weird sequel which leaves the reader wide-eyed at the strangeness and grinning with delight.

This book was a ton of fun. I feel like the tone went from scary-weird to funny-weird with clever uses of character introductions. Derek, as a person, is relatively harmless, albeit annoying as far as coworkers go. He’s senselessly loyal to LitenVäld, including details like how he lives in a cargo trailer near the store and seems to not know how to interact with other humans. He feels suddenly ill one day and takes a sick day, leading him to sleep for 30 hours which accidentally causes the relationship tension in Finna.

To make up for his absence, Derek gets assigned to a special inventory unit to deal with defekta, or mutant furniture. In true LitenVäld form, however, his coworkers are also his clones. I enjoyed how Cipri pulled this off. Each doppelganger definitely feels like they’re cut from the same cloth as Derek. It was also super exciting to see him interact with being that aren’t all LitenVäld all the time. It’s really funny from the end, and the inclusion of company handbook advice between the chapters to remind the reader of the capitalist horror that is this future brand.

One of the things I loved about Finna was that it was imminently familiar to anyone who's ever worked retail for a chain/corporation. Whether that particular chain was good or bad. Mostly because of the different people you encounter: those who are there because mom said they needed a part-time job, the people who accepted a job there as a last resort, people who love working there but know it's not their permanent goal, and the lifers.

In the acknowledgments of Defekt, Cipri brings up the idea of a coworker who doesn't do anything wrong but somehow manages to irk you. And thus we have Derek's story. I loved getting to see Jules again, if only briefly, and the dynamics of the special inventory team made for a very interesting overall plot with some important self-reflecfion. However, we spent so much time locked in Derek's head that it felt like we didn't really give the rest of the team time to shine, which was something that Finna (with its main duo) was able to do a bit more effectively.

That being said, it was still fun and I would absolutely visit LitenVärld again if given the opportunity.

This has to be one of the weirdest books I have ever read in my life, and I enjoyed it immensely! For a novella it is simply astounding the amount of craziness and bonkers things that are packed into this book. Between the furniture wandering around on its own, the random wormholes opening, and the other Derek’s (in slightly different forms) this book really keeps you on your toes and you have to pay close attention to what’s going on. But it all works and it all makes sense (or as much sense as a speculative fiction can). Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley & Macmillan-Tor/Forge for this advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

A stand alone fantasy/sci-fi satire with a heart-searching core. Derek works (and lives) at a big box Scandi furniture store, but a few things are wrong. When an all night inventory turns into a search and destroy mission for "Defekt" furniture that has come to life Derek meets some people who might understand what he's been going through. Sweet and sad, somehow it is clear this was written during Covid-19 when we all feel a little bit alien(ated). Lovely ideas and heart.

When "Don't Be Evil" Fails, Try "Don't Be Boring": It's worked for us since 1958.


Derek is LitenVärld's most loyal employee—he lives and breathes the store. He practices customer service mantras in the mirror. He even lives in a shipping container graciously provided by the company in the back lot. So what if the other employees think he's weird. He only cares what his boss Trisha thinks—until he disappoints her by calling in sick after the the wormhole opens up. Suddenly, something weird is growing in Derek's throat, and higher management wants to talk to him...

Anytime there's a problem, throw the least convenient people overboard.


I really, really enjoyed this!

I don't really want to spoil too much of it, although the blurb does mention that he's assigned to the special inventory team to hunt down defective toys, and he meets four strangers who look exactly like him. However, the main plotline is the Island of Misfit Toys meets Send in the Clones meets hyper-capitalism.

Derek was a fascinating main character, and I want to say autistic-coded? From his stimming to hyperfocusing to his struggles on social cues (hard same dude, I mean, how do people just inherently get social cues and shit), it seemed that way? Although he never outright says it, but I really, really enjoyed the representation. He's always felt distant and different because he is different, and while there are reasons for that that he can't control, he also discovers there are other things he can control—and influence. And that family and friends can be found in many different places.

I really wish that it was longer, but what I got was pleasant, incredibly queer, and so much fun—while also being an insightful take-down of capitalistic, dehumanizing big box stores and upper management and hyper masculinity, and in a way, while also being a beautiful response to everything that happened in 2020?

By that I mean—how when the pandemic first started (and to today, over a year later), non-disabled or immunocompromised people basically threw every vulnerable person under the bus and blatantly disregarded or callously swept-aside marginalized, vulnerable communities because those communities weren't convenient to the Greater Society.

In a sense, this feels like a love letter to those who have disabilities, visible or invisible, or those who are neurodiverse or just don't fit in to whatever MainStream (*ahem* whyte, cisallohet society) deems acceptable.

And it is fantastic.

From the author's note, which seems like a perfect ending for this review:

If you're reading this book, and have gotten this far down in the acknowledgments, I'm grateful for you too. It means that we survived 2020, despite its best efforts. Fuck yeah.


I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review