The Machineries of Empire series is one of my (Shelbi) absolute favorite reading finds of the last few years so, dear readers, allow me to push this dark and fresh sci-fi series at you this weekend! I was introduced to Ninefox Gambit through a book podcast, and the description that had me racing to check it out went roughly like “this is about a disgraced space captain who is given a chance to redeem herself by allowing the ghost of a dead, possibly insane, mass-murdering general to co-habit her mind and coach her toward military victory.” Eh? Sounds pretty interesting, right? There’s a LOT more going on in this series, from a fascinating calendar system that also seems to dictate/manipulate physics and reality itself, to deep explorations of gender and identity, and of course, there’s lots of cool space sci-fi throughout. Read on for a fuller summary! Will you be sharing in my great taste and adding this to your TBR? 😊
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When Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for her unconventional tactics, Kel Command gives her a chance to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles from the heretics. Cheris’s career isn’t the only thing at stake: if the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.
Cheris’s best hope is to ally with the undead tactician Shuos Jedao. The good news is that Jedao has never lost a battle, and he may be the only one who can figure out how to successfully besiege the fortress. The bad news is that Jedao went mad in his first life and massacred two armies, one of them his own.
As the siege wears on, Cheris must decide how far she can trust Jedao – because she might be his next victim.
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