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coolcurrybooks's review
3.0
Extraction is a loose sequel to B.R. Sanders earlier fantasy novel, Resistance. When I say “loose,” I mean it. You don’t need to have read Resistance first, since Extraction mostly focuses on new characters. It’s also set in the same world as B.R. Sanders’ most popular work, Ariah.
Rethnali is a young (and newly appointed) captain of a unit of elvish rebels. The war is not going in their favor. A brutal attack has just left much of her striker cell dead, and other cells are fairing just as poorly. Then her cell’s old captain, Li, shows up with new orders and new tactics. The rebel army is going to draw back and attack by sea, but Li wants Rethnali and her cell to go with him to the depths of enemy territory to extract some undercover operatives.
Unfortunately, Extraction had some of the same flaws of Resistance and some that were all it’s own. For one, the plot just wasn’t satisfying. We’re told that the mission Rethnali, Li, and the rest are undertaking is incredibly dangerous, but I never actually felt that, since the group encounters few difficulties. There’s one bandit attack, negotiating deals with pirates, and a whole lot of inter-group squabbling. In short, it feels like not much actually happens relative to the page count.
While the blurb made me think Extraction would be focused on just Rethnali, it actually had three major POV characters. Vathorem is an unknowing shaper, which might have been confusing if I hadn’t read Ariah. Basically, he has the ability to sense other people’s emotions but risks losing all self identity to other people’s feelings and desires. Sellior is the cell’s healer, who has feelings for Fenner, who in turn is mostly interested in Rethnali. Rethnali isn’t interested in Fenner most of the time, but she’ll sometimes sleep with him. Fenner will sometimes sleep with Sellior. Such is the complicated love lives of bisexual elves.
The queer representation is a major reason to pick up Extraction (or really any story by B.R. Sanders). Rethnali’s bisexual, and Sellior may be as well — I can’t remember whether or not he’s only attracted to men. I read Vathorem as sort of ambiguously asexual, and I don’t know how I felt about it. The narrative makes it clear that he doesn’t have sex, but is it because he’s not attracted to anyone or is it because as a shaper his self protection measures involve holding himself at a distance from other people? And if he is asexual, I’m not sure how I feel about the only asexual character being so isolated and apart.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters in Extraction, and I’d have the occasional moments of, “Who’s that?” long past where I should have learned their names. In my original notes for this review, I said I felt like there were too many characters and that I would have enjoyed the story more if it had only focused on one or two. It was only on further reflection that I realized there were only three main POV characters. Somehow it felt like more.
I think the reason Ariah‘s plot worked is because it was mostly about his own self discovery and coming of age. Extraction feels like an awkward mixture of trying to focus on characters and have a big plot. Is it an epic tale or war, rebellion and resistance or is it a slower paced story focused around characters?
Extraction is also clearly book one of an ongoing series… and I’m not sure I’ll stick around to read book two.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
Rethnali is a young (and newly appointed) captain of a unit of elvish rebels. The war is not going in their favor. A brutal attack has just left much of her striker cell dead, and other cells are fairing just as poorly. Then her cell’s old captain, Li, shows up with new orders and new tactics. The rebel army is going to draw back and attack by sea, but Li wants Rethnali and her cell to go with him to the depths of enemy territory to extract some undercover operatives.
Unfortunately, Extraction had some of the same flaws of Resistance and some that were all it’s own. For one, the plot just wasn’t satisfying. We’re told that the mission Rethnali, Li, and the rest are undertaking is incredibly dangerous, but I never actually felt that, since the group encounters few difficulties. There’s one bandit attack, negotiating deals with pirates, and a whole lot of inter-group squabbling. In short, it feels like not much actually happens relative to the page count.
While the blurb made me think Extraction would be focused on just Rethnali, it actually had three major POV characters. Vathorem is an unknowing shaper, which might have been confusing if I hadn’t read Ariah. Basically, he has the ability to sense other people’s emotions but risks losing all self identity to other people’s feelings and desires. Sellior is the cell’s healer, who has feelings for Fenner, who in turn is mostly interested in Rethnali. Rethnali isn’t interested in Fenner most of the time, but she’ll sometimes sleep with him. Fenner will sometimes sleep with Sellior. Such is the complicated love lives of bisexual elves.
The queer representation is a major reason to pick up Extraction (or really any story by B.R. Sanders). Rethnali’s bisexual, and Sellior may be as well — I can’t remember whether or not he’s only attracted to men. I read Vathorem as sort of ambiguously asexual, and I don’t know how I felt about it. The narrative makes it clear that he doesn’t have sex, but is it because he’s not attracted to anyone or is it because as a shaper his self protection measures involve holding himself at a distance from other people? And if he is asexual, I’m not sure how I feel about the only asexual character being so isolated and apart.
I didn’t get attached to any of the characters in Extraction, and I’d have the occasional moments of, “Who’s that?” long past where I should have learned their names. In my original notes for this review, I said I felt like there were too many characters and that I would have enjoyed the story more if it had only focused on one or two. It was only on further reflection that I realized there were only three main POV characters. Somehow it felt like more.
I think the reason Ariah‘s plot worked is because it was mostly about his own self discovery and coming of age. Extraction feels like an awkward mixture of trying to focus on characters and have a big plot. Is it an epic tale or war, rebellion and resistance or is it a slower paced story focused around characters?
Extraction is also clearly book one of an ongoing series… and I’m not sure I’ll stick around to read book two.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
I received an ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.
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