This was such an incredibly heart wrenching book with deeply complex characters. I don't often feel what characters are feeling as deeply as what I felt with these characters. I'm counting down the days for this release so I can put this book on my shelf and force all my friends to read it as well

This book absolutely blew me away. I can not stop thinking about the intricacies of this story, the way everything plays out and how well planned and thought out the storylines are.

The characters in the book are amazing. I absolutely adore Hammer and Crescent, and how different they are despite being dealt the same circumstances. I love how the author depicted hope in these characters, and showed how painful hope and love can be to those who have none. Naias is also an extremely complex character and I love that I’m not exactly sure how I feel about her. I want to like her, because she has good intentions, but I also feel so angry with her because of her choices. I can’t stop thinking about how every little decision that she made had such a huge impact in the end, and how there were no real plot twists or major reveals, it all just climaxes into this huge explosion of an ending and it’s all because of each individual choice that was made throughout the book. And Khall, oh my gosh. What an incredible depiction of what it must be like for those in power to let fear rule them and the ultimate consequences of that fear. I can’t get over how complex and intricate each character is, and how none of them are inherently bad, yet you can’t help but not like some of them. This was just an amazing work of character development.

The world building also felt so absolutely complete and real, I can totally imagine this world that these characters are in, and the relationships between all of the different lands and rulers and Gods was so well thought out and easy to keep up with, while still maintaining complexity. I never once felt like I couldn’t keep up with what was going on or who was where, and I loved all of the lore behind the different Gods and Godchildren.

I also loved the narrative style of this, we go from 3rd person to 1st person and even 2nd person in a few cases, breaking the fourth wall at one of the most impactful points of the book. And it all flowed so seamlessly and had such a huge effect on how I viewed these characters. And it made the conclusion so much more devastating. I just can’t stop thinking about that ending!

I truly enjoyed every moment of reading this book, I will absolutely be purchasing a copy when it becomes available and I’ll definitely be reading this one again. I don’t see myself forgetting these characters or this story for a long time.

I adore this book! It had a bit of a slow beginning but the build up of the story from all the characters points of view was so worth it at the end. It's not often I read of the realities of what life is like in a broken society but Cry, Voidbringer embodied what I would expect and more.

MIND BLOWN.

Multiple POV Fantasy. Badass women taking control best they can of the completely out of control political system.

The gods used to rule. Their love and love lost resulted in the ending and rebuilding of a scorched, dead earth. The ruling Kings and Queens have quarreled ever since, using the conquered as their armies in constant battles of power.

Hammer and Crescent are part of the Faceless Army that support the Khall's takeover efforts. Fate intervenes as they come across Viri, a "godschild" possessing some serious power that she has yet to come into. Little do they know that Viri's love and devastation brings them together just as strongly as it tears empires apart.

Oh my lord was this book good. This work that Eliane Ho has built is flawless. There are so many facets to the characters, the empires, and the gods but you never feel like you're being lectured in history or flashbacks. And the ending. FUCK ME THE ENDING! I did NOT see that coming! I did not see ANY OF IT COMINT!

6/5 stars. This book makes me want to re-think how I've rated all my books that have come before it.

This book had me hooked from the very first page! What an instantly captivating start! The cast of characters is phenomenal; I couldn’t get enough of them and wanted to know more about every single one. The bond between Rafeis and Hammer absolutely wrecked me in the best way, it was so well written, emotional, and intense.

The worldbuilding is strong, though I did find the geography and political climate a bit vague at first, which made it hard to orient myself. A map and character list would’ve gone a long way in helping keep everything straight. That said, the creativity behind the weapon-based names and their significance was incredibly well done and added a unique layer to the story.

I was completely immersed, even though the characters occasionally felt emotionally distant. When Elera and Viri were apart, the pacing slowed and felt a little too predictable.
Until the narrative literally called me out for it, and I was shocked. That moment was brilliant, and showed amazing insight in pacing from the author.

The religious aspects of the world were intriguing as well, but I wish they had been explored with a bit more depth to fully grasp their impact.

Favorite quote: *“The white sun dissolved behind a blurry cloud of ash.”*

All in all, this is a standout fantasy read, and I’m absolutely committed to reading anything this author writes next.

My heart is already in pain thinking about how long I will have to wait to read the sequel on this.

A sparkling tale filled to the brim with political intrigue and fascinating world building you’re thrust into from the very start. I must say, the political aspects weren’t as captivating to me as the character dynamics and grey area they operate in, in terms of morality. I’m a sucker for a story that gives us makeshift families forged out of loneliness, and Elera, Rafeis, and Viri kept me reading on when other perspectives didn’t have the same draw. The last hundred pages of this book will leave you wanting more of this vivid and invigorating world before you’re forced to contend with the fact that you’ve finished. Cry, Voidbringer is one of the books you finish and have to really sit with for a while in marveling at how the writer accomplished what they did. This is a stellar debut on Ho’s part and I can only hope we get to see more of her work in the future.

The found family themes send this novel over the top! When the world around you is crumbling and you have to fight to survive, its the people around you that make the fight worth it. The romance wasn't always believable but I appreciated the LGBT inclusion. Also the politics were very well done, albeit slow at times. gah such a good book with epic scope that I'll surely think about for some time to come.

A tender sapphic novel with longing and a little too much political drama. This story had a ton of potential but fell short due to some of its lackluster POVs. I really enjoyed some and struggled with others. But I have never been someone to enjoy multi-POV stories, so maybe this one's on me. teh worldbuilding and southeast asian influences were definitely the novels strong points and I really enjoyed the book when those were present. Overall, not for me but not a bad book.

My new obsession, I can barely put into words the way that this book has made me feel. I was absolutely blown away. This is high fantasy, high stakes, political intrigue, and it was so refreshing to be in such a new world but it be so well developed. The world building was out of this world. so immersive. I appreciated the book being written from not only multiple character point-of-views, but two literary point-of-views as well, and how well executed it was. This book was a reminder of everything that I enjoy about story telling, and truly reminded me of the work of my absolute favorite author N. K. Jemisin, this was reminiscent of both The Broken Earth and Inheritance trilogies, highly recommend. I cant wait for more readers to get this book in their hands.

Despite its lulls, I had a good time with this book. But sadly, it didn't really turn out to be as memorable as I was hoping it would be.

This novel's strong points were definitely its worldbuilding and the storylines with Elera, Rafaeis, and Viri. Those kept me reading when the court politics POVs were putting me to sleep.

I loved how the author incorporated Southeast Asian influences into the worldbuilding without making it feel so forced. Reading about the food that the characters were eating, the places that the characters were traveling to, and the religions and mythologies felt like they all naturally belonged together. It was all very lived in instead of shoehorned in just for the rep.

I also loved the found family aspect of Elera, Rafaeis, and Viri's storylines. It was very Witcher (young girl who's the Chosen One + world weary antihero warrior + equally as capable love interest), but make it Southeast Asian and reverse some gender roles.

Sure, the gruff antihero with a heart of gold is an overdone trope, but this didn't read like the author went to the Build a Trope store and wrote it to market. Elera felt like a real person who was forced to do things she had no control over, and is now trying to do her best with what little power she has.

The court politics storylines with Khall and Naias weren't my favorite. While I liked seeing the behind the scenes scheming and ruling, their romance and couples' problems read like a roller coaster of YA feels to melodramatic soap opera and distracted me from the story. If this were kept to a minimal, or if there hadn't been any romance between them (just a will they? won't they? trope would even work), then I would've given this book a higher rating.

Despite my complaints, I had no regrets picking up this book and I'll gladly read more from Elaine Ho in the future.

Thank you to Left Unread and NetGalley for this arc.

Cry, Voidbringer is a standout debut that offers a gripping narrative filled with emotional depth, political intrigue, and complex, multidimensional characters. The book unfolds through three distinct and engaging perspectives: Hammer, a soldier struggling to survive; Viridian, a child with god-like powers; and Naias, a commander determined to prevent history from repeating itself. These intertwined stories explore themes of resistance, loyalty, and the cost of sacrifice.

Ho’s writing is immersive and evocative, creating a world where the personal and the political collide in a series of intense and emotionally charged moments. The world-building is intricate, portraying a society on the brink of change, filled with nuanced moral dilemmas that force characters to confront their values and their roles in a war that is more than just black and white.

The pacing is steady, allowing for deeper character development and giving readers the time to fully connect with each narrative thread. The emotional depth of the characters—particularly their struggles with identity and loyalty—adds a richness to the plot, making this more than just a typical fantasy tale. The book also incorporates queer relationships in a natural and meaningful way, adding to its authenticity and depth.

While the novel deals with dark, heavy themes, it’s also full of hope and resilience, leaving readers with a sense of anticipation for what’s to come in future installments. The conclusion, while satisfying, opens doors for further exploration, making this the kind of book that stays with you long after you've turned the last page.

Cry, Voidbringer is an outstanding read, offering a perfect balance of intrigue, character growth, and world-building. It will appeal to fans of character-driven fantasy and those who enjoy books with emotional weight and moral complexity.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

As I read and read and read, so many books, my taste gets broader, there is so much to read. But there is one thing I'm always looking for, no matter the genre or subject. I want to read an author who is trying to SAY something. "Zee," you may say, "all authors are trying to say something." Well, yes, sort of, but I mean an author that isn't just trying to entertain you. While there's nothing wrong with that, I want an author who wants to rock my world, shake my foundations, they have a point and they're going to MAKE IT.

Elaine Ho didn't say something here...she said like 30 things. Or something, I don't even know. Did you ever read Animal Farm and the teacher said "you can read this on many levels, it's like an onion, you can read it again in college and study it more in depth each time." That's this book. So, what does Elaine say?

Let's do a quick plot summary. Two soldier slaves, Hammer and Raf, kidnap a girl named Viri with god powers from the group they are at war with, who have already kidnapped the girl once. She's chained and in bad shape. And she grows on these two soldiers, at least one of whom thought they had no heart left to give. Found family. The queen without her kingdom, whom the soldier slaves belong to, is Khall. She's in a relationship with Naias, who was a slave like Hammer and Raf but has wormed her way to the queen's side as her lover, trying to abolish the enslavement of children into war (the way both she, Hammer and Raf became soldiers.) The queen uses Viri, the queen uses Naias, Hammer and Raf try to protect Viri, and the cycle of oppression goes round and round.

Hammer, Raf and Viri try to fight the system from the bottom, while Naias tries to fight it from the inside, closer to the top, but she is never at the top. And she ignores and gives up too much trying to stay up high, betraying the very people she tries to help.

Now just a handful of the many lessons.
1. Found family - the interactions of these characters should be studied at length. While the chose each other in a way, their traumas and situations shoved them together forcefully, in a way that makes you question whether we actually choose our found family, or if our traumas choose them for us, and if that's the case, are they any better for us than our original family was?
2. No matter how high you rise in an oppressive system, you are still oppressed, you are simply now also the oppressor. The system is designed to be a ladder in which you must hurt the people under you more and more the higher you rise. So in your attempt to rise inside the system to help your fellow oppressed, you're doing much more harm. You cannot fix this, because it's the system working as it was designed. It must be completely dismantled, broken, burned.
3. Oppression doesn't exist just from the outside. Hammer accepts it into her soul, loses her joy, gives everything and hardens her heart. Raf rebels in his own way, he won't let them take his joy, his ability to love, his ability to still be hurt, and that itself is a kind of victory. Hope is rebellion.
4. There are tribes in this book that come in later, and the adoption of the oppressor's ways in order to fight the oppressor, and the damage it does to the societies of the tribes is discussed.

I could go on all day but I don't want to spoil anything. Read this with a friend or your book club. Discuss this. Study it, annotate it, read it again.

Can't wait to read the sequel.

I really enjoyed the world building and the magic in this book. I really loved the idea of it all but I found myself wanting more. It felt like there was so much backstory that could be brought to light but maybe that’s just me wanting more.

Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho
Rating: 2.5/5

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read this book early.

I started this book confused. The first half went by, and while things eventually started to come together, it still lacked emotion during that time. The pace was too fast, and I was often left thinking some moments and descriptions needed more care. The characters felt inconsistent — their actions didn’t always make sense, or I couldn’t make sense of them because there wasn’t enough explanation behind their choices.

I felt like Khal was the most unlikable of all. She was insufferable. The only connection that worked for me was between Hammar and Rafaeis’ romance. For the most part, we’re told that the characters had a relationship of some sort and a shared past, but it was never properly shown.

Yet despite all this, I still enjoyed the story. The action scenes were written well, and I was engaged. I’m still unsure about the fourth wall break — it was sudden and unexpected. The shifts between POVs also took a while to get used to.

I’m giving it 2.5 stars because the core idea was genuinely interesting. I loved the drama, the potential, and it entertained me. It’s still improvable, but it had its moments.

Gosh this book tried so hard to be an epic fantasy and still it wasn’t enough.

First of all, I loved Hammer as a character. I always enjoyed getting her POV and in my opinion she was the only character that had a minimum of depth and development. If it wouldn’t have been for her I probably would have dnf‘ed this book.

For the rest of the story I can only say I was underwhelmed. In my opinion there was an absolute lack in worldbuilding and lore. Especially during the middle of the book there was so much politics and stuff on the other hand that it ended up being well too slow paced since we as readers did not get enough input to actually find it interesting long enough.

Viri as a character had a lot of potential especially ethically. But why on earth did she have to be a child? That literally ruined the whole book for me because her POV was not written as the POV of a child. If she would have been 17 I could have seen her being grown up fast due to her past trauma. But she’s way younger while not sounding a tidbit different from for example Hammer.
For that exact same reason her development also failed to be as impressive as it could have been. Seeing a child becoming the monster in the end would have been much more dramatic if there would have been a change in tone during her POV. Or a different way to describe the experiences. I was completely missing that.

The ending was interesting and was giving an interesting preview- but I don’t think I can ignore the issues I had with this book enough to continue with a sequel.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

This was such a powerful story and the writing was great! I would definitely look into trigger warnings prior to reading if you’re sensitive to trauma and violence!

Thank you to NetGalley for an arc of Cry, Voidbringer by Elaine Ho. This book opens up at full speed and throws you in the elaborate world Ho has created. Both the world and the characters are complex, challenging, and powerful, and so each chapter brings a new layer to process.

Cry, Voidbringer is full of political intrigue, relationships that warm your heart as well as ones that chill you to the bone, and perspectives on war from all sides. Ho does an incredible job crafting a story that is both original and reminiscent of the world we know.

As a Bindery supporter for this book, I am thrilled to be connected even in a small way to this project. I believe the world needs stories like this because they show the patterns that destroy us individually and throughout the world. If we’re smart, we will learn how to recognize and avoid these pitfalls. Ho is a voice to watch out for and Cry, Voidbringer is not to be missed

I'm not really into fantasy but I enjoyed this book. I loved the world building and the characters with solid backdrops. Sometimes I felt it a bit mushy but overall it was a great book!!!

Thank you to bindery books for the arc. This book surprised me. I knew it had to be good because I trust a lot of people who have read this so far. And it really didn’t disappoint. Such a layered and dynamic read. At times it was tough to read more due to the trauma happening. I will definitely be rereading this once my physical copy comes in!

Oh my. I need this in my hands YESTERDAY. It's queer normative, Gods are real, all three main characters are compelling, the world-building is extensive without being info-dumpy. Honestly, I'm upset that I got this as an ARC because 1. the cliffhanger was ILLEGAL and 2. I don't know how long I have to wait to read the second book. If you love complex, complicated characters, this is for you. They're awful and doing what they can to survive and it makes the whole story breathe. The last third of the book absolutely flies by, but without making the first two thirds feel slow. This was so so complex without being confusing. Brutal but intimate. This is the kind of book that you don't just think about for hours after reading, it's the type of book you think about forever. There are so many themes present regarding oppression and the idea of trying to change the system from the inside, and the hope of revolution.

In short, this was incredible. I want to say more but I fear it'll spoil the plot. Fans of Black Sun, and anyone who loves fantasy with extensive world-building and complex characters, this is for you.