Review: Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders

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Author: Charlie Jane Anders
Edition: eARC
Publisher: Tor Teen (April 13, 2021)
Genre: Science-Fiction

Synopsis

Victories Greater Than Death Charlie Jane Anders Book Cover

THE UNIVERSE IS CALLING—and time is running out.

Tina has always known her destiny is outside the norm—after all, she is the human clone of the most brilliant alien commander in all the galaxies (even if the rest of the world is still deciding whether aliens exist). But she is tired of waiting for her life to begin.

And then it does—and maybe Tina should have been more prepared. At least she has a crew around her that she can trust—and her best friend at her side. Now, they just have to save the world.

My thoughts

I received a free digital ARC from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

Victories Greater Than Death is a vibrant and action-packed space adventure about choosing your own destiny, the ethics of being a hero and the value of friendships. The premise immediately caught my eye because I too would’ve loved to find out that I was actually an alien as a teenager. This book allows us to experience a version of what that might actually look like.

TW: transphobia, eugenics, racism, mentions of past abuse, violence

Plot and Pacing

Victories Greater Than Death is a wild and chaotic ride. There is a lot happening all the time, we are thrown from one plot element to the next with little explanation; you definitely have to just be open and along for the ride to enjoy this book. But if you do lean back with curiosity, you might be rewarded. But be sure you buckle up because Victories Greater Than Death moves at a breakneck speed.

At its core, Victories Greater Than Death is a story of found family, legacy and making the right choices, even when it’s hard. What makes it special, however, is the world-building. Charlie Jane Anders throws us into a universe that makes the weirdness of Doctor Who pale in comparison. The amount of different alien species we meet is astonishing, I couldn’t keep up 80% of the time. This world is so vibrant and weird, the best way I can describe it is this: Anders’ world feels like all our childhood imaginations and crayon drawings of aliens and space heroes rolled into one. It is colourful and vibrant and absolutely insane, in the best way possible.

There’s weird and gross alien food, lots of new space tech and a lot of alien names to remember. A detail that brought me a lot of joy: everybody introduces themselves with their pronouns!

Like I said, you definitely have to be open to a messy plot and way too much information to take in. It’s not about remembering everything, it’s about experiencing it. I felt that I was right there with Tina and her friends, in this new and confusing but equally exciting world. However, I wished that every once in a while the book had slowed down just a little to let its story (and me) catch a breath. The fast pacing is a lot at times and definitely has the potential to make you just check out because it’s all too much. I wanted to linger in moments, so I could get to know the characters better.

The book also touches on more serious issues like racism, transphobia and eugenics. Sadly, I feel like because of the pacing and the general speed of the story, there was little room to give these issues the attention I think they deserve.

Characters

The characters were definitely my favourite aspect of Victories Greater Than Death. I am a sucker for found family dynamics and immediately fell in love with the Earthlings, as the human teenagers refer to themselves at some point.

Again, I would’ve liked to spend more time with them but nevertheless, they’re very close to my heart. I am especially fond of Rachael, Tina’s best friend and artist extraordinaire. I relate a lot to her quiet nature (even though I don’t seem like a quiet person, I know) and she provided a sense of space and breath to Tina’s more chaotic and impulsive character.

Speaking of Tina, her character development surprised me! She easily could’ve just been exactly the kind of hero we expect her to become. Instead, she is more complicated and nuanced than that because the world around her doesn’t need a cookie-cutter hero – it needs a Tina. And as someone who never feels they’re enough and always strives to be something more, her struggle about her identity and legacy hit close to home.

Additionally, her relationship with Elza was incredibly cute. Like everything in this book, it’s messy and complicated but unlike some other threads, we actually get some quiet moments between the two. I especially appreciated how respectful they are with each other’s boundaries. They communicate clearly and most importantly: they always ask for consent. Those interactions sadly aren’t as common in most fictional romances I have encountered, which made me even happier I found them in this book.

Overall, Victories Greater Than Death was a very fun book that was just slightly too fast for me.

This book is for you if…

…you are looking for a creative sci-fi story reminiscent of Doctor Who
…you enjoy books that have an ensemble cast and found family vibes
…you are willing to suspend your disbelief and just enjoy the ride

Review: Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders

Synopsis