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A review by plumpaperbacks
Seven Devils by L.R. Lam, Elizabeth May
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Though Seven Devils was my introduction to Lam’s work, I was excited to read it after reading and falling in love with May’s The Falconer trilogy. I’m not even a Star Wars fan, but I’ll read nearly anything if it’s sapphic. I haven’t read enough gay space books, and I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it wasn’t as good as I’d hoped it would be.
I will say that I quite liked all of the characters. A few took longer to grow on me than others, but ultimately I was interested in each person’s story. May and Lam did an excellent job developing each character. They also did the found family trope—one of my favorites—justice. The dynamics between the characters in this squad were top notch. I especially liked the way everyone treated Ariadne as a younger sister, and the sweet romance that blossomed between two of the women in the gang.
My favorites in the squad were Eris and Ariadne. Both had extremely rough childhoods but in different ways, for different reasons, and I felt so bad for them. I admired their perseverance, as well as their dedication to both missions and their friends. I really want to give Ariadne a hug.
I also liked the world-building. Or should I say galaxy-building, since this is set in space? Anyway, May and Lam created such an intricate galaxy for their story to take place in. I enjoyed learning about the planets and species and cultures, even if the last two were scarce due to the greedy, vicious Empire. There was no info-dumping or confusion; everything was explained well, and fit together like puzzle pieces. This can be difficult with just one world, one planet, so achieving it in a book set on multiple planets is, in my opinion, quite the feat. Kudos to the authors for that.
This book’s downfall, for me, was the plot. Although the pacing was consistent and the first half of the story intrigued me, that intrigue was absent for most of the second half. I was able to predict all of the major events and reveals, with two, maybe three exceptions. None of it felt very original.
I thought this would be a five star read,
but I was wrong. The plot’s predictability was quite disappointing. If this had been a contemporary or a romance, it wouldn’t matter so much,
given that some books within those genres are a bit formulaic. But a science fiction? That’s a genre I always want to keep me on my toes, as is fantasy, and that sadly wasn’t the case here.
I’m not sure whether or not I’ll pick up the sequel when it’s released. While I’m curious about what might happen, I don’t know if I’m curious enough to read another 400+ page book, no matter how much I like the characters.
Representation
I will say that I quite liked all of the characters. A few took longer to grow on me than others, but ultimately I was interested in each person’s story. May and Lam did an excellent job developing each character. They also did the found family trope—one of my favorites—justice. The dynamics between the characters in this squad were top notch. I especially liked the way everyone treated Ariadne as a younger sister, and the sweet romance that blossomed between two of the women in the gang.
My favorites in the squad were Eris and Ariadne. Both had extremely rough childhoods but in different ways, for different reasons, and I felt so bad for them. I admired their perseverance, as well as their dedication to both missions and their friends. I really want to give Ariadne a hug.
I also liked the world-building. Or should I say galaxy-building, since this is set in space? Anyway, May and Lam created such an intricate galaxy for their story to take place in. I enjoyed learning about the planets and species and cultures, even if the last two were scarce due to the greedy, vicious Empire. There was no info-dumping or confusion; everything was explained well, and fit together like puzzle pieces. This can be difficult with just one world, one planet, so achieving it in a book set on multiple planets is, in my opinion, quite the feat. Kudos to the authors for that.
This book’s downfall, for me, was the plot. Although the pacing was consistent and the first half of the story intrigued me, that intrigue was absent for most of the second half. I was able to predict all of the major events and reveals, with two, maybe three exceptions. None of it felt very original.
I thought this would be a five star read,
but I was wrong. The plot’s predictability was quite disappointing. If this had been a contemporary or a romance, it wouldn’t matter so much,
given that some books within those genres are a bit formulaic. But a science fiction? That’s a genre I always want to keep me on my toes, as is fantasy, and that sadly wasn’t the case here.
I’m not sure whether or not I’ll pick up the sequel when it’s released. While I’m curious about what might happen, I don’t know if I’m curious enough to read another 400+ page book, no matter how much I like the characters.
Representation
- sapphic protagonist with a prosthetic leg
- sapphic romance (f/f)
- queer characters (includes bisexual, asexual, and trans rep)
- some characters of color
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood, Gore, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, Child abuse, Genocide, Gun violence, Violence, and Torture
Moderate: Body horror and Drug use
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders