annieb123's Review of The First Sister (The First Sister, #1)

by Linden A. Lewis

'Wonderfully imaginative and gripping . . . I couldn't put it down' R.F. Kuang, author of The Poppy War

FIRST SISTER HAS NO NAME, AND NO VOICE.

As a priestess of the Sisterhood, she travels the stars alongside the Gean soldiers of Earth and Mars, who own the rights to her body and soul. When her former captain abandons her, First Sister's hopes for freedom are dashed and she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no status, and a new captain - Saito Ren - who she knows nothing about.

But Captain Ren has a secret, and First Sister is commanded by the head of her order to find out what it is. What starts as a simple task quickly grows more complicated as First Sister and Ren grow closer, and she realises that sacrificing for the war effort is so much harder to do when your loyalties are split.

LITO VAL LUCIUS HAS NO FAITH, AND NO LOYALTY.

He climbed his way out of the slums to become an elite Icarii soldier of Venus, but was defeated in combat by none other than Saito Ren, resulting in the disappearance of his partner, Hiro. Then Lito discovers that Hiro is both alive and a traitor to the cause.

If Lito hunts down and kills his former partner, he will be offered a shot a redemption. But to do so, Lito must decide where his allegiances lie, and choose between following orders and his heart.

As the war between the Geans and the Icarii reaches a head, Lito and First Sister must decide what - and whom - they are willing to sacrifice in the name of duty, or for love.

Originally posted on my blog: Nonstop Reader.

The First Sister is the first book in a grand space opera trilogy by Linden A. Lewis. Released in 2020 by Simon & Schuster on their Gallery Books imprint, it's 352 pages and is available in most formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links throughout. I've really become enamored of ebooks with interactive formats lately; it makes it so easy to find information with the search function(and this is a big complex book and I needed to check back several times to find earlier info).

This is classic science fiction on a grand scale. It hearkens back to old school SF, unafraid to explore social themes such as power, loyalty, humanity, body autonomy, conflict, and grace. I've seen this book being compared to The Handmaid's Tale, but I got much more of a Frank Herbert Dune vibe with shadings of Shari Tepper. One thing I really liked about the book was the LGBTQ+ friendly writing with positive portrayals of a variety of gender identities and sexualities.

The writing is sublime and it held my attention and engagement throughout. Thematically it's not always easy reading and readers should be aware that the author explores uncomfortable themes such as nonconsensual sexual exploitation, child abuse, loss of body autonomy, PTSD, violence, and gender dysphoria. I was glad to see, however, that there was -no- glorification or positive spin on abuse or sexism - but more of an expository examination of what could be changed to make a better outcome. There is very little on-page abuse - it's implied, but it is there.

The author has a deft and sure voice and it certainly doesn't feel like a debut novel at all. The adult themes, although not explicit in the narrative, would make me hesitate to recommend this book to YA/NA readers.

Four stars.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

The First Sister (The First Sister, #1)

by Linden A. Lewis

Reviewed by annieb123 on Sep 15, 2021

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