Name: Escaping Exodus
ISBN: 9780062867735

Nicky Drayden

Harper Voyager Trade Paperback Original The Compton Crook award–winning author of The Prey of Gods and Temper returns with a dazzling stand-alone novel, set in deep space, in which the fate of humanity rests on the slender shoulders of an idealistic and untested young woman—a blend of science fiction, dark humor, and magical realism that will appeal to fans of Lauren Beukes, Ian McDonald, and Nnedi Okorafor. Earth is a distant memory. Habitable extrasolar planets are still out of reach. For generations, humanity has been clinging to survival by establishing colonies within enormous vacuum-breathing space beasts and mining their resources to the point of depletion. Rash, dreamy, and unconventional, Seske Kaleigh should be preparing for her future role as clan leader, but her people have just culled their latest beast, and she’s eager to find the cause of the violent tremors plaguing their new home. Defying social barriers, Seske teams up with her best friend, a beast worker, and ventures into restricted areas for answers to end the mounting fear and rumors. Instead, they discover grim truths about the price of life in the void. Then, Seske is unexpectedly thrust into the role of clan matriarch, responsible for thousands of lives in a harsh universe where a single mistake can be fatal. Her claim to the throne is challenged by a rival determined to overthrow her and take control—her intelligent, cunning, and confident sister. Seske may not be a born leader like her sister, yet her unorthodox outlook and incorruptible idealism may be what the clan needs to save themselves and their world.

A Novel

Escaping Exodus

This was also awful. The pacing in the beginning was good and it had so much potential, but then half way through it just fell apart. Plot points that were being developed throughout the book became abruptly irrelevant. Character development was poorly executed, there were so many plot holes, and loose ends all around. The main character is selfish and insufferable. Lastly, I just didn’t know what to do with all of the underlying racism, transphobia, misandry, classism, queer baiting, and poorly done polyamory ???? And the tentacle sex? I know there’s a second book, but I’m throwing in the towel now … this just wasn’t for me. 

TheLyd

The first book I've read in a while that made me feel things.

Samantha Hernandez

Such a beautifully written scifi/ fantasy book. The world that the author builds is literally out of this world. There are so many parallels that you can draw from this book to today's world. A really great read. 10/10 would recommend if your looking for something that draws you in and never let you go.

Lauren Sullivan

Content warnings: (view spoiler)[violent death, body horror (including tentacle pregnancy), racism, slavery, misandry (hide spoiler)]

First, this cover is gorgeous. Second, this book was recommended to me as basically a lesbian environmentalist story set on a space octopus, which, I mean, who can resist checking something like that out? And I would agree, it’s a sort of environmental manifesto, along with a complicated f/f relationship and lots of alien ship body fluids.

Seske is the epitome of the spoiled princess, heir to the Matris, ruler of the people on this particular beast. She can’t even comprehend how good she has it, and she’s absolutely awful at her job. Her best friend, Adalla, on the other hand, is a skilled bodyworker, one of the people whose job it is to maintain the beast. On this new beast, she’s finally getting a chance to be a heartworker, the most prestigious bodyworker job, and one of the most dangerous. It also means she has less time for Seske’s antics, which should be a positive as Seske needs to focus on finding a husband to help legitimize herself as a the heir. But something’s not quite right with their new beast, and Seske’s contrariness might just be the only thing that can save their society – or end it.

“Isn’t it odd that some of the things that we left behind in that other life are still here haunting us in this one?”

To start off with the good stuff: the world building is fascinating, confusing and utterly weird at times. The political and societal structure was well developed. Their society is matrilineal, with men being relegated to support positions, considered too emotional for serious jobs like political positions. Family lines – being able to trace your ancestors back quite far – are important, none more so than that of the Matris, and are signified through intricate hair braids. Though the main focus in on the f/f relationship between Adalla and Seske, there’s also a bit of a love triangle going on. And while polyamory is acceptable and expected, it’s within certain confines of an arrangement of heart-mothers and will-fathers and, well, it’s complicated. Everything is very structured, with almost no opportunity to move outside the caste one is born in, even if that person isn’t suited for the work. The entire idea of their entire civilization being inside a giant spacefaring creature was what originally caught my attention. It was unbelievably gross at times – bile ducts, anuses and all – but also unbelievably fascinating.

The rest of the book – the actual story – is where things fell apart for me. The pacing was uneven and at times the switch between perspectives was too jarring. That may have been the intent, but it did make it a little too easy for me to put down the book between chapters. There were several plot threads that were built up only to peter out halfway through. It felt like the end tied up too neatly and too quickly, especially after how slowly paced the first half of the book was. I find it hard to believe that everyone so readily accepted all of Seske’s changes, including (view spoiler)[installing Doka as Matris (hide spoiler)].

Overall, I’d give this 3.5 stars, rounded up to 4, and I’ll be picking up the next book to see if it addresses some of my criticisms.

SnarkByThePage

I enjoyed my time in this world. Would I have ever chosen this book on my own? No. When I read the description was I overwhelmed and confused? Yes. Am I anxiously awaiting the next book so I know more to the story? Oh hell yes! 

They live in a creature, they use it until its resources are no more, and they move on. The vivid imagery and raw appreciation for their world was amazing. I was drawn in to the sights, sounds and, above all, the sensations of their existence. Our female protagonist is spirited but genuine, and lacks all of the cliches that make me cringe. I enjoyed this read a bunch! 

Thanks to the author, the publisher and Net Galley for the chance to read it!

Escaping Exodus A Novel