So, so good! Tesh's clear, compassionate writing places the reader square in the action, pulls you along, never lets up. I read with my heart in my throat for the entire last half of the book. Kyr Marston is "a child of Earth," one of the last of her kind, waiting, training, honing herself to become humanity's vengeance against the aliens who destroyed her homeworld...or so she thinks. Devastating world-building and character development, an exquisite blend of moral questions and sci-fi end of the world scenarios.
Favorite quote: "What a waste it was, what a terrible waste, to take a person who dreamed cities and gardens and enormous shining skies and teach him that the only answer to an unanswerable suffering was slaughter."

This book had me feeling all sorts of things. And one of those things, like is typical for me, is whether I need to round this up or not. Because even though this took me a week to read, the good parts were pretty good. Almost great. But what keeps it from being actually great are the bits that if you look too hard at.. kind of fall apart. Maybe. Unless that’s just me.

I will say that the way this story went wasn’t remotely what I expected. Events take a turn that definitely shocked me and also very much intrigued me — even though the very presence of this element is part of what I’m trying not too look too hard at for fear of it all disintegrating.

In some ways what SOME DESPERATE GLORY offers isn’t anything particularly new. But through Kyr, our main character, we have what feels like such a painfully authentic character arc that somehow things do still feel fresh. Everything she experienced, and then re-experienced, felt true. Most of the time in these extreme perspective shifts, breaking away from the mentality or the indoctrination or the belief, whatever, it doesn’t always feel genuine. This one did. Because we see her work through it, re-evaluate, and own it.

I can’t really claim to have enjoyed any other character, though. Maybe that was hindered by the single POV and because of how Kyr looks at the world in the early chapters? When we finally do understand more of those around us, it’s a little too late to be invested in them. Yiso might be the exception. But that’s a gimme. I think we’re not given a choice on whether or not to like them.

While there was a lot I couldn’t picture — mostly the engines, the Wisdom, the shadowy jump things — I didn’t really let that be a stumbling block in the enjoyment of it all. Or I tried not to. Though it does go hand in hand with the bit I mentioned above about just not looking too hard at it all. I understood enough from context clues but the whole existence of them, and how little (really) gets explained, well. Maybe if I was a little smarter, a little more invested in the whys, one could pick some things apart, open up some literal and plot holes, but I just shimmied on by and let it all happen.

And I think it was easy to do so because of the writing. Tesh tackles a lot of topics and concepts but also does it with a really accessible kind of style. There was plenty of emotional resonance when required and there were some devastating stark realizations, too. It felt well balanced and compelling. Which makes the reality of the romance, or really lack thereof, a bit disappointing. But it’s hard to get into the why of it without being spoilery. Better reviewers than I could probably hint or explain this and I’ll leave that to them.

Overall, I did have a good time reading this and I will absolutely read this author again. I enjoyed so much of what this story was doing and can see myself revisiting this again in the future. So if this sounds like your thing, I would definitely give it a chance.

3.5 stars

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this novel that really expands the limits of what stories can be told in science fiction.

Space opera was always a subgenre of science fiction that seemed to relish in the fact that they were old school, and that the ideas hadn't really changed since the days of Perry Rhodan or Edmund Hamilton stories. Aliens, humans, let's get it on. And I am not putting on airs, my introduction to science fiction was comics Star Wars, which led to Flash Gordon one with Queen's soundtrack the other with Buster Crabbe. I liked space opera, but the stories could be limited. Recently as science fiction has, in some cases grudgingly changed and given more people of different voices and backgrounds a chance to play in the future, space opera has become as full of ideas as hard science fiction. I really do think it is the fact that there are less Lensmen based stores and more diverse authors. Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is a a big sprawling story that jumps time, pocket dimensions and shadowspace to tell a story of humans, aliens, accepting things that can't be changed, and accepting others for what they are, in all sorts of ways.

Kyr, short for the name Valkyr, is the best in her class, though what she does is not very nice. Kyr and her fellow Sparrows have been trained since birth to fight their alien enemy who have destroyed the Earth, killing over 14 billion people. Life for Kyr is hard, she is a perfectionist, always training, she is almost always hungry as supplies are short for the troops, but not command, her home is on a rock far in space, and her sister is considered a traitor for fleeing, something that drives Kyr on. Kyr does have a brother, who is the better soldier, but for the most part Kyr keeps to herself, using discipline and training as her outlet. Kyr is given the assignment of Nursery, meaning that her active life of soldiering is over before it began. Kyr is now to help supply and raise the next generation of soldiers, something she is not a fan of. At the same time her brother is assigned to what might be a suicide mission, or maybe not. Life is starting to not look as clear cut to Kyr as it once did, and many secrets seem to be coming to the surface.

A book that has a lot of plot, a very rich story and fascinating characters that really grow on the reader, and in fact almost all of them grow as people as the book goes on. The writing is very good, with Kyr starting off as a character that well, is annoying. However as the world is opened up to Kyr, Kyr does change a lot, and becomes the hero she always wanted to be. The supporting characters are very diverse, and a few of them I really would like to know more about, even the less savory characters. Aliens are alien, with some very good ideas, and why they developed the way they did. The universe is worthy of more exploration, and the technology and some of the uses of it are quite unique. Plenty of oh wow moments, thought the middle does seem a little over long, but that is a minor quibble. There is a lot of time jumping and moving through dimensions, but Tesh has a firm grasp of where things are going, and doesn't lose its way. A very good science fiction novel, with a lot of great ideas.

There is a trigger warning page, so readers should look at this first, if that is their thing. Some situations might lead to uncomfortable thoughts, but everything fit the story and what the author was trying to tell. Hopefully this will be the big book of the season, and I can't wait to see what the author has planned for the future.

This is going to be one of my favorites of the year!

Fantastic main character with palpable growth; incredible moral dilemmas that keep you on your toes; a powerful mechanic to subvert our expectations multiple times... I loved every bit of this book. I'm honestly obsessed with characters who are so strongly convinced of their convictions and who slowly learn to see other perspectives before turning their lives around. Every time I thought I could predict the ending, it changed! I couldn't not put this book down.

My review is a mess if only because I loved the book so much.

In this hauntingly good science fiction novel we are following a female warrior, aptly named, Valkry, who is a genetically designed human built and trained to defeat the omnipotent and omnipresent AI that MURDERED Earth. Having come of age and assigned her position on the floating spaceship she was born to, we follow her journey as she delves deeper and deeper into the society she was born into. It quickly becomes apparent that not all is what it seems.

This book is incredible, one of the best science fiction books I’ve read. Firstly, this book is such a readable science fiction book, I’d recommend this to any reader, it is HIGHLY accessible. Then, following Kyr through her journey as a character was thrilling. Each and every plot twist and revelation we got to experience by the side of Kyr. Funnily enough, Kyr is not a likable character, it’s through her journey and development that I fell in love with her. The subtlety of her character growth was beautifully done, honestly, it was perfection. Finally, there were so many quotable and poignant moments in this book that I could’ve annotated and dissected every interaction between characters and plot development.

This was top tier.

An amazing work of art that should be considered a modern classic of the genre. This book is what science fiction was born to be; using tomorrow's ideas to reflect today's world and how it might trace its way to the future.

In the first few chapters I was worried I was going to have trouble with this book because I need to be able to like the characters I read about. I was really interested in the world building, which is excellent, but initially I was not a fan of Kyr, our protagonist, at all. But the speed with which Tesh flipped me into a complete 180 on that was astounding and after that I was all in, ride or die, for all of the characters.

The structure of the book was also fantastic, constantly keeping me guessing and throwing up new possibilities and revealing galaxy-brain twists I never would have seen coming in a million years.

The emotional core of the story was as intense as molten rock, and extremely cathartic. Simply cannot be recommended highly enough.

A thrilling and twisting space opera with one of the most likeable unlikeable narrators I’ve ever encountered. I loved the plot twists and the character development. An excellent addition to the sci-fi genre.

The sci-fi space epic started off slowly for me, but I love a good space colony misfit, so I persevered.

Brought up on a starving outpost after the human world has been destroyed, Kyr's life is all training and no fun. She has a war wounded uncle, a group of mess mates that are some of the best fighters on the station, and a burning desire to destroy the enemy.

Of course things go sideways immediately, and that is where the story improved. A classic case of who is really your enemy, and who are you fighting for?

2.5 stars but I'll round up. I have previously really enjoyed some books by this author, so I was really excited for this new sci-fi novel, much different from the paranormal/fantasy novellas I'd previously read. This doesn't quite settle-- it always feels like it doesn't quite know what it's trying to do or be.

The book's description (even if I had read it beforehand, which I totally did not) doesn't adequately prepare the reader for the arc of the story-- which really is three arcs. So, reading the first part and feeling like the story was about to wrap up but seeing the book was only 30% done felt unmooring.

The main character was dislikeable to start, but experienced some growth in the second and third portions of the book. It doesn't seem to be marketed as such, but the feel is more YA. Although the character is early-20s in the second section, she's 17 throughout the rest of the book. Strong themes of "the adults lied!" and general self-discovery make this more appropriate for young or younger adult audiences.

The couple of things I've seen about this seem to emphasize "queer space opera" descriptions, but that isn't really supported by the story. The main character's brother and one other character are gay ("queer" throughout the book) but it's not a major plot point. The main character is disinterested in sex and relationships and I was hoping for some Ace representation, but she's later revealed to also be gay. It isn't a significant aspect of her identity, though, so labelling the book this way feels a little bit like overselling. I defer, though, to the opinions or interpretations by readers who are LGBT++!

eARC from NetGalley.

Absolutely brilliant and emotionally devastating! Fascinating and terrifying, the end of Earth and the future of humanity plays out in a grim, authoritative enclave known as Gaea, where children are groomed for warfare and breeding. Kyr, one of the best up and coming recruits, knows she's destined for glory and battle, but is instead given a post in the Nursery, where she will face a lifetime of childbirth, child rearing, and sexual servitude. With her future upended and betrayed, and her brother sent on a suicide mission, Kyr chooses the only path forward - stealing an alien hostage and breaking free with the aid of her brother's longtime crush. All of that in and of itself is exciting and action packed, but the story only continues to expand, encompassing alternate timelines, space manipulation, and alternate realities. Throughout the book, Kyr is forced to see past the lies, manipulation, and indoctrination she grew up with, and seek the answers she never wanted to know. Every bit of this book felt profoundly real to me, and by the time I was done I felt like I had lived many lifetimes with the characters. It's one of the most thought provoking, engaging, and hopeful books I've read.

I loved Emily Tesh's novellas, so I had high hopes for this (even though sci-fi is a far cry from her Greenhollow work). In the end, I liked but did not love this book, primarily for pacing reasons in the middle that many other reviewers have pointed to.

You know some books that you read that you know pretty much immediately is going to be a five-star read?

Yeah, this is the one.

Despite Kyr being a little fuckhead, I...really related to her. Because I was her once (and could very easily be again if I don't watch it). And yet despite Kyr being one of the most punchable protagonists I've read in a long time, I kept reading because I couldn't stop reading for some reason.

And like other reviewers here have said, just when you think you know where the book is going, it delivers an out of right field punch (yes I'm mixing sports, whatever) that hits you out of nowhere.

And then it does it again.

And again.

And again.

It's military-ish space opera at its best, and I really, really loved it. It's about the end of humanity and the end of the world, and revenge and growth and mostly just learning to be an empathetic human in a world determined to strip you of all empathy.

5/5 Stars -- Perfect for TLT and Dune fiends out there looking for something to sink their necro-fangs into while we wait for Alecto. This is a world full of fascinating disaster bi-sexuals and morally grey politics against the backdrop of a dying cosmos and should not be missed. I cannot wait to own a phsyical copy of this book and for readers to fall in love / love to hate Kyr. Tesh is now an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor for this advanced copy.

Some Desperate Glory was a fine book. A perfect combination of Space opera and dystopian. However, at some parts, this book was hard to follow because all of those things that already mentioned in Trigger Warnings. And Tor was really did a good job with their trigger warning pages.

This was a ton of fun -- Kyr's character development over the course of the story is really lovely to see, and the whole cast of characters is a lot of fun. I think this would be a great rec for people who love epic-y space stories like Red Rising, the Wayfarers series, and anyone who loves a found family story. I would certainly urge all readers to read content/trigger warnings.

This one is difficult for me to review personally because the trigger warnings at the beginning were meant for me, a queer nonbinary person, who found themself and their trans family belittled and misgendered throughout. This is why, as a reader, I could not finish the book.

As a bookseller, I can absolutely say without question that I can recommend this book to folks looking for big, epic space operas like Red Rising or Ancillary Justice, Seven Devils or The Expanse.

I just wish that it didn't have to stomp all over and punch down on some of the most marginalized people right now in our society in order to do so.

This intriguing space opera seems to be a cross between Groundhog Day and a dystopian universe. The story starts with Valkyrie, a young girl who grows up on Gaea, a space station with the remnants of the human race after Earth has been blown up by aliens known as the majo. Her training with her cohort, known as Sparrow, is rigorous and harsh, augmented by the virtual reality known as the agoge, which replays the last days of Earth in an effort to change the outcome.
When an alien ship is captured, piloted by Yiso, the initial hatred towards the alien unleashes unexpected consequences and tragedy. And yet, in a parallel universe, the circumstances play out very differently. And Kyr, or Val as she's known in the alternate world, must uncover the true meaning of family, morality, and the limits of rage and revenge.
This story was fascinating as it explored existential questions such as what is true and what is propaganda, what are the limits and costs of power, what role should control and violence play in society toward marginalized groups, and how do you define civilization? While this was a very thought-provoking story, there seemed to be some key ingredient missing. Maybe it was just Kyr's perspective through the book, but I felt that rage all too often overwhelmed the compassion. I'd say this was a good book, but it just missed being great.

From the premise alone, Some Desperate Glory intrigued me. A universe in which Earth has been obliterated and now humanity is on a crusade to enact justice? Count me in. But nothing is as it seems and this 'noble cause' that Kyr is raised to believe in, begins to show cracks. Tesh does not allow easy answers or uncomplicated decisions in Some Desperate Glory. Deeply focused on Kyr's emotional and character journey, it's a story about ethics, technology, and family.

About humanity, survival, and existence. Look, at times you might not like Kyr, but Kyr's story is one that examines responsibility and ideas. We can be taught, brought up, raised, to believe in something so earnestly that when things begin to fall apart, we can try anything to hold on. To cling to what we know even if there are forces which question, people we love which break away from us. And Some Desperate Glory manages to balance an action packed story about rebellion with Kyr's personal growth.

A fast-paced story that leaves readers with a lot to think about and will appeal to fans of "The Forever War" by Haldeman or "The Light Brigade" by Hurley. I had a great amount of sympathy for the main character, while actively hoping that she would fail in her goals. Some readers will absolutely not enjoy going on that journey of character growth.

it's only february but this is absolutely going on my best books of the year shelf. i loved it so, so much. it's a challenging read at times, because it deals with challenging topics, but it deals with them well and also acknowledges that sometimes there are no easy answers. kyr, the main character, starts off life in a space station being trained for a cause she believes in with all her heart. however, the universe is not so simple and there are so many shades of gray and watching her learn and grow and change over the course of the book was so good. and avi!! my favorite character whether he deserves it or not, is such a good example of how escaping something on the outside doesn't mean we've escaped it internally, and how difficult that can be to face. ugh, this was just so good. i highly recommend. many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.