The highs of this book are absolutely enrapturing, and there were moments I found myself shocked with how much I had read in a short amount of time. The worldbuilding for the humid, sticky and ultimately doomed kingdom of Ashvi was fascinating, the politcs of their stretched out war the main stage for the charcters. There were three points of view: Hammer, Viri, and Naias. Hammer is the gruff soldier, Viri the innocent child, and Naias the scheming advisor who uses politics to gain her power. I found all three to have their moments, but only one was written in a first person perspective, which I did find to be a bit jarring to return to while the other two are in third.

That being said, there were a lot of times I unfortunately felt like this book was a bit of a slog. It isn't that I am someone who needs constant action to remain interested in a story, in fact constant battle scenes are the opposite of my favorite, so I don't blame the more political chapters of Naias and her experiences. Ultimatley, I think it is something that can be boiled down to this being a debut novel. I think some editing and rewrites could have solved the pacing issues, but at the end of the day this is still a very strong first novel from an author! While this book did struggle to maintain my full, devout attention in the end, I very much plan on reading Ho's future writing and I look foward to see how their craft devlops and the future worlds that will be written.

Overall, a very intriguing and immersive story. Cry, Voidbringer follows Hammer, a Faceless soldier with walls around her heart, Crescent, another Faceless who refuses to give up on love, Viridian, a child stolen from her home and imbued with powers of a god, Naias, formerly Faceless turned Commander and consort to the young queen of a dying kingdom. Elaine Ho brings questions of morality and duty to those without agency surrounded by the fickle and selfish desires of those in power. The relentless perpetuity of the cycle of violence inherent in war and colonialism is not an easy topic to tackle but Ho does a stellar job addressing this from different angles. I also appreciate the diversity of characters including queer MCs whose entire storyline isn’t defined by their sexuality.
I did have trouble following at times as point of view changed from chapter to chapter and sometimes within a single chapter. There also seemed to be some formatting issues, some of which can be blamed on sending the file to my Kindle, but others (including many sentences lacking capitalization) made it confusing.
I also really would’ve liked to have a map and a glossary of characters as I found myself having a hard time remembering which people worshipped which god and who those gods were.

I was blown away by this deeply emotional tale - it ripped my heart out! There were a few moments where it felt like there was a bit of a lull but it picked up, asking very important questions. Perfect characterisation and worldbuilding - definitely amazing.

This one was fine I just never really had a good time reading it and was just powering through to finish. The world building was good with the different regions and wars. I did like switching between the POVs that kept it a little interesting. I just didn't feel much of a connection between personality to any of the characters so I'm not invested enough to read the sequel.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was almost a DNF for me, but for some reason I kept reading and then things were getting more interesting as I turned the pages until I realized that I was halfway done, so now I couldn't possibly abandon it and, besides, I really wanted to know what was going to happen.

So, the start of the book is kind of slow at some points, but the exposition of the worldbuilding is one of its strong points. We get to meet our main characters through action and then we get so many questions that the only thing we can do is keep reading.

The thing is, there are three points of view: Hammer's and Viri's were my favourites, but we also get Naias' and this is where I felt the book dragged a little. Naias is focused on the political aspect of the story, and it was good, but I felt her chapters were too long and, honestly, at first I really didn't care about her at all, although this changes towards the middle of the book, from there on I was totally invested in seeing how things would progress for her at the end of the story, and it didn't disappoint.

One thing that for me wasn't done in the best way is the relationships between characters, I felt there could've been more moments where we could see them develop a relationship instead of being told that now they're like a family. I get that, and I love when characters end up in a found family, but here I would've liked it better if I could see how they ended up in it in the frist place. In these cases there was so much told by the narrative and so little showed.

Now, the THEMES. I absolutely loved how they were represented in the story. Do you like power corrupting characters, or perhaps betrayal, or destoying what you wanted to protect, or maybe characters being chased by a never ending grief? Well, do I have good news: this book has it all. And it was so well done that that alone is what made me give it four stars instead of three. One thing I especially loved was the breaking of the fourth wall in some chapters and it destroyed me in the best way possible.

So, all in all, the book has some flaws and a slow start, but I think in the end it's all worth it, if you keep that in mind I'd totally recommend it.

I DNF’d this book at 61%. I tried to push through to the end but was not able to.

The beginning of this book was very confusing as it dumped you in to a very detailed world with no background.

As the book went on I just found it hard to get into the book and be invested in the characters. Even though high stakes events were happening I wasn’t feeling the impact.

Cry, Voidbringer is a compelling journey into a world of misfits and found family, where unexpected powers and hidden secrets intertwine. I was completely captivated by the dynamic between the characters, especially as their bonds deepened amidst the chaos and betrayal that surround them.

What really stood out to me was the blend of themes—politics, betrayal, belonging, and sacrifice—throughout the narrative. The story explores deeply human emotions and complex loyalties, making the moments of triumph and tragedy all the more impactful. The revelation of one character’s powers was a twist I didn't see coming, adding an exciting layer of intrigue and stakes to the story.

The ending was shocking and somber, leaving me reflecting on the cost of loyalty and the sacrifices made for the greater good. It’s a thought-provoking read that stayed with me long after I finished.

Overall, *Cry, Voidbringer* is a beautifully written, emotionally charged story about the importance of chosen family and the sacrifice required to protect those we love. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy with rich character development and intense themes.

Thanks to NetGalley and Bindery for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry, but I'm DNF-ing this book. I'm disappointed because I loved the concept and the messy political situation, and because I absolutely love grumpy, closed-off women warriors.

But I'm very annoyed that it did the thing where the ex-gf is evil and toxic and in a new, also toxic f/f relationship but the male love interest—WHO ISN'T MENTIONED ANYWHERE IN THE SUMMARY—is somehow the most perfect man on the planet. I don't want to waste my time on any more "the sapphics are bad and the m/f is good" nonsense. Please put these things in the summary.

In terms of critical feedback:
The writing was quite good and I enjoyed the complex characters. The combat sequences weren't awkward or belaboured, and information about the world was provided in a manner that made sense to the reader without holding their hand. I did think Khall's personality was over-simplified and she lacked depth compared to the others. However, in contrast, Viri's first person chapters were jarring and out of place. It was not well-written first person—I'm not a picky reader when it comes to POV as long as it's done well—and spent too much in her head and too much time re-treading events that already happened.

I really want to like Cry, Voidbringer. The world is fascinating and the prose is well written. But I struggled to emotionally connect to the characters.

The push and pull, complicated dynamic between Hammer and Crescent felt like it was missing the build-up. I wanted to delve into Naias's character, but her characterization read less as torn between opposing wants and more confused, especially her dynamic with the queen. Viri was the shining element of the story, and kept me reading through the issues with formatting.

I think the prose and worldbuilding show promise, and if you're able to connect with the characters in a way I couldn't, it'd be a fascinating read.

*Thank you Bindery Books and NetGalley for providing an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I had trouble deciding what to rate this one. It felt like a rollercoaster to me; one moment, I was invested and couldn’t put it down, but the next, it became dull, and I had to push myself to keep reading. Rinse and repeat for the whole book.

Ultimately, I decided on 3 stars because while I think the highs were better than the lows, this commits the cardinal sin of ending with most plot points unresolved or open-ended. This is clearly meant to be the 1st novel in a series despite not mentioning it anywhere.

This book is hard to review, as it's quite complex even with its tight pacing and straight-to-the-point descriptions. It's a story that really sucks you in, with imperfect characters and ugly dynamics. I really loved how power and love are portrayed, how isolation and discomfort interact with imbalanced relationships. Particularly, I find the relationship between Naias and the queen extremely compelling; it's a constant push and pull, but it's also, in my opinion, the most well-developed in the book. We read from different POVs, and while for Viri and Hammer this means a lot of plot and fast-paced action and little time to dwell on feelings, the political sections with Naias and Khall always ended up gravitating around their dynamic, making it feel much more fleshed out.
The worldbuilding is really well done and described with unique images and locales. There is enough to make sense and intrigue the reader with its unique takes, but it also has a limited scope and doesn't bloat an already quite complex story. The world isn't the usual middle-European medieval fantasy (it has guns!), and it shines and feels complete, a real backdrop to the events.
My only issue is that I would have liked even more time with the characters and the settings, having most of the main character's bond develop either very quickly or duiring time skips cheapens a little all the compelling interactions we do see, and as all the POVs are from self proclaimed loners we don't really get to see much interaction or society, especially in the first half.
This doesn't mean we don't get satisfying payoffs or interesting side characters, but I do think I would have enjoyed even more of them.
There is a trope that's not one of my favorites, but even that manages to be well done and feel earned by the character. <spoiler>I really liked that Hammer, a regulatr person, had been able to kill a godchild, and in general I rather prefer reading about that that a 3rd act surprise special power, but it does feel like yet another part of her heritage that she had been kept apart from and it does overall work, even if not my favourite.</spoiler>
This book is not light, it deals with manipulative relationships, loss of identity, colonialism, brutality, and abuse, but it manages to feel balanced and enjoyable, and I'm sure that it will leave you with characters and insights that will stay with you for a long time.

This is a really interesting start to a series. The world building was beautifully done and the fact that a lot of the political aspects reflect the real world made it more tragic. I loved learning about the world and the set up. I will have to say Naias' viewpoint was probably my favorite because of how she had to maneuver in the world and how frustrating it was to read what she had to do and the mistakes she was making. Her world was very psychological manipulation and seeing her edge that line and trying to figure out her next move was the best part of the book. I liked Hammers view point it just was not as interesting and at parts got boring. Overall a really good start to a series 100% would recommend.

I'm not sure I'm able to give a spoiler free review of this book. The summary describes most of the book well, but it transforms so much within the last third. The book for the most part is focused on colonialism and its effects, but I can't tell if that will be the focus of the next one. More than anything, it is a story about loneliness and the effects indoctrination has on the mind. The author clearly had a clear vision of this book, so I am hopeful the sequel is able to deliver as strong of a message as this one.
I think my biggest issue with the book was the world not feeling as fleshed out as it could have been. The countries we do not have much insight into like Tevurian and the one Viridian is from would probably make the world feel more lived in and also clarify Ashvi's place in the world. The summary states Tevurian is Ashvi's imperialist oppressor, but I think more info on how the empire has harmed them would be useful history as the whole book is focused on Khallen and Ashvi's war crimes than Teru. Teru is also quite passive in this book, which feels inconsistent with what the characters know about the empire. I hope the future books are able to go deeper into this and maintain this combined focus on colonialism and psyche without neglecting one. This book has the potential to be even better as part of a series so I am excited for future books, whenever they come out. I am especially hopeful for Naias's future. Her political machinations were some of my favorite and very realistic, so her uncertain future that is still wrapped in politics has so much potential.
Well-paced, engaging, and brutal.
4.5/5

This book is an incredible fantasy novel that touches on politics, grief, love and loneliness in a powerful way. The three perspectives were so well done and connected me to the characters immediately. There were times where I was nearly talking to the pages because I disagreed with a character’s actions or I knew what a character would do next. As a reader, once you’re hooked by this book, you’ll begin rooting for the characters despite the crazy things they do. They are complex, none are perfect, they suffer in every way possible and they feel so human.

A big contribution to this book’s success was the worldbuilding. I was able to enter this world and learn these characters quickly, which is not always an easy task for an author. Ho used two literary point-of-views to emphasize character development and the overarching message of this book. At times, the book is directly speaking to the reader, driving home the point of how colonialism corrupts and destroys lives in any possible way. The characters are direct products of this brutality. For this reason, this book is a crucial read today and I can’t wait for it to be officially published.

I’m super excited for Elaine Ho and her killer debut novel! Thank you Bindery Books for the digital ARC!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Bindery, and Left Unread Books for an e-ARC copy of this book

The fact that this is a debut blows my mind. The political intrigue alone feels masterful, then with the added elements of the character work and the emotional depth of the story, I'm left reeling and needing a sequel IMMEDIATELY. For fantasy readers, this has everything: a unique magic system, betrayal, Queer love, found family, snarky FMC matched against her scheming ex-love interest, people trying to change the tyrannical system they are trapped in, and so, so much more. If you enjoyed books such as Godkiller, Blood Over Bright Haven, or the Poppy War, you'll want to pre-order this EXPEDITIOUSLY.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! The characters are vivid and well written. They have depth, and the emotional roller-coaster is highest of highs to lowest of lows. Slight spoiler- the author breaks the 4th wall, and it is incredible!! Love it!

Holy shit.
This is good. So damn good.
It is not a comfortable read, it is harsh and cruel. It is truthful. It is beautiful.

I 100% recommend this book. It is not an easy read, but I could not put it down.

Devastating, visionary, and fiercely human, Cry, Voidbringer delivers the kind of speculative fiction that doesn’t just rip open the world—it guts you emotionally while doing it.

Through the eyes of Hammer—a conscripted soldier forged by war and disillusionment—we’re dropped into a brutal empire where magic has withered and power is now wielded through colonization, manipulation, and generational trauma. Hammer is a hardened survivor, but the quiet, dangerous arrival of Viridian cracks something open in her: duty colliding with conscience, survival twisted up with love.

This book feels like it was created by an artist in every sense. The prose is sharp and muscular but rich with visual detail—like battlefields painted in ash and fire, or cities trembling under the weight of history. The story doesn’t shy away from moral ambiguity, and it refuses to let you look away from the consequences of power—how it’s hoarded, stolen, misused, and mythologized.

Viridian herself is a revelation: a child born into a system that only wants to weaponize her, but whose presence forces everyone around her to confront what they’ve accepted as “necessary.” And as the war machine lurches on, Hammer is left questioning whether liberation is truly possible—or just another face of conquest.

If you loved The Broken Earth trilogy by N.K. Jemisin or The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang, this belongs on your shelf yesterday. Cry, Voidbringer is not just about fighting back—it’s about who we become in the fight, and what we’re willing to lose to win.

One of the most interesting things about this book is the style and how perspective is portrayed. We step into the through the eyes of Hammer, Naias and Vidi. The perspective of the former two is through third-person narration, making the reader step back and see the world holistically. It’s also a great way to offer exposition without it feeling too forced. Vidi’s perspective is told through first person narration at first - drawing in the reader and offering more emotion and introspection - before switching to third (and later, second) person half way through, revealing an almost dissociative trance. Each perspective is unique, making it easy for the reader to remember who’s narrating at any given time.

The author also uses poetic technique such as repetition, using lowercase even for proper nouns, and removing punctuation to place the reader in the same stream-of-consciousness as the narrator. This is usually used when memories or flashbacks are presented. The character focused narrative means the plot is quite slow. However, it does quicken during action scenes and with the use of shorter chapters. That said, there lulled moments - with some feeling intentional and beautiful with the use of poetic technique, while others drag on. This is because it felt like the book was trying to say too much and go in too many different directions, rather than focus on one central thesis.

Even though this novel is character-driven, some of the relationships feel underdeveloped. Vidi and Rafaeis’ connection is beautiful and tender from the start, but Hammer starts off loathing Vidi and having to take care of her then sudden cares for her intensely. The tension between Hammer and Naias was delicious, you could feel their history stitched into every interaction, but Hammer and Rafaeis went from “there is something brewing here” to co-parents who love and trust one another implicitly in what felt like a small amount of time. This would be fine in plot-driven novels, so readers who prefer stories driven by plot may not find issue with this at all. However, as a person who loves character-driven story, it felt like the characterisation that had been established was often neglected when it cane to forwarding certain plot points.

All that said, I did enjoy the plot. The world-building felt tangible and the godchild aspect was an intriguing way to have characters hold godlike powers while also being deeply and humanly flawed. I liked the political nuances across the different kingdoms(?) and Khall felt like a political type one would see in our own world today: self-centred and unable to empathise with others outside her own class and ethnicity. The anti-colonialism messaging was strong - particularly around Naias’ storyline and her trying to win over her oppressors and fight ‘from the inside’ - and the theme of resistance - whether it was outright rebellion, malicious compliance, or playing the game to achieve results - was multifaceted and realistic. That said, many of these plot points felt rushed, such as how quickly powers are manifested and understood; how easy recovery from intense wounds are (i.e., recovering from lashes super quickly); and how abruptly the battles and action scenes seem to end.

And yet, with all this, I’m keeping my rating high because, even with the issues I had, this book still felt fresh and exciting. As I mentioned earlier, I really enjoyed the use of poetic technique, and the strong narrative voice helped novel the story forward. I liked the fact that most (if not all?) the characters were queer and even when you despised them, their queerness was never related to their flaws; it was a natural and integrated part of characterisation and story. I also think this novel carries a helpful message of hope and shows the reader that, while one person can’t change the world, a collective might have a fighting chance. This is something that is really needed right now. That said, the ending does set the scene for a sequel and I’m not that invested in any continuation of this story if that were to happen.

I found this book to be an enjoyable read. The story kept me engaged from start to finish and had some moments that really stood out. Overall, it offered an entertaining reading experience.