The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis

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.

Reviewed by shannonmiz on

4 of 5 stars

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You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight

4.5*

First Sister is one hell of a space adventure, no question about it. We get two stories in one for most of the book, in First Sister's perspective and that of soldier Lito. While their paths start off separately, we can assume from the start that they'll converge at some point, so I don't think that's particularly a spoiler. But at the start, these two couldn't be farther apart (physically and mentally speaking).

First Sister is, well, as the title suggests, a quasi-nun. The Premier Quasi-Nun, if you will. She's earned some favor among the powers that be, and as such, she's tasked with spying on new captain Saito Ren. Only, she finds that perhaps the Sisterhood isn't what she has thought it was, and maybe Saito Ren isn't the villain they're making her out to be.

Lito is having a rough time soldering on (pun absolutely intended) without his partner and incredibly close friend Hiro. Hiro's been missing since a big battle ensued, and Lito has basically been ordered to kill Hiro if he encounters them. I'm sure that will go well. The reader also gets little morsels of information from Hiro themselves, as they've left behind an audio recording for Lito to try to explain what has happened to them.

As you can see, the book is full of twists and excitement, and nothing is as it first appears. Therefore, I'll tell you no more. Best to go into this one not having any preconceived notions, just a basic understanding of who's who at the start. Then, you'll be in for quite the treat as the stories unfold and you begin to fall in love with the characters as I did.

There will be incredibly difficult choices, and a ton of character growth, and I loved watching it play out! My only minor qualms were a bit of a lull in the beginning-middle bit, but it was certainly not a huge deal considering I was already quite invested in the characters.

Bottom Line: I adored the characters and adventure in this wonderful first installment. Exciting and meaningful, The First Sister is a win all around.

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 12 July, 2020: Finished reading
  • 12 July, 2020: Reviewed