When Shuos Jedao wakes up for the first time in Revenant Gun, several
things go wrong. His few memories tell him that he’s a seventeen-year-old cadet– but his body belongs to a man decades older. Hexarch Nirai Kujen orders Jedao to reconquer the fractured hexarchate on his behalf even though Jedao has no memory of ever being a soldier, let alone a general. Surely a knack for video games doesn’t qualify you to take charge of an army?
Soon Jedao learns the situation is even worse. The Kel soldiers under his command may be compelled to obey him, but they hate him thanks to a massacre he can’t remember committing. Kujen’s friendliness can’t hide the fact that he’s a tyrant. And what’s worse, Jedao and Kujen are being hunted by an enemy who knows more about Jedao and his crimes than he does himself… (via Goodreads)
I received an eARC of Revenant Gun via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Revenant Gun is the final book in a trilogy that has quite frankly blown my mind. I have been a fan of science fiction since before I can remember. The entire series has kept me on the edge of my seat. I reviewed Raven Stratagem last year. Even expecting all of that, Revenant Gun was a constant surprise.
Like both of the other books, Revenant Gun needs some really heavy content warnings for death of main character, suicide of important side character, death of many side characters, body horror, mind control, removal of memories, violence, broken limbs, suicidal ideation by MC, clones, dubious consent relating to mind control, mentions of genocide, mentions of sensory deprivation, sentient spaceships, sterility, and probably some more things that I’m missing. This is a very, very heavy read. Please take that into account when looking into this series.
One thing I love about Yoon Ha Lee’s writing is this. No matter which character he’s focusing on, they are all morally grey and they are all intensely human. In Revenant Gun, we get to see the world through several different perspectives including Cheris, Jedao 2, a servitor named Hemiola, and General Brezan. Each perspective offers an important piece of the puzzle that is this story and its background. So much happens in Revenant Gun, but I came out of it feeling like I know each and every one of the characters and their hobbies. It’s really astonishing.
The next thing I would like to talk about is Kujen. You will hate him with every fiber of your being AND you’ll probably want to borrow some fibers to hate him some more. If you’re looking, Mikodez probably has plenty you could borrow in his yarn stash. Kujen is The Worst™. And yet, you can almost understand why he is the way he is, from the history we learn through his archives and what he reveals to each character. While he was a monster, he was also entirely, horribly human.
Revenant Gun was a great finale to the trilogy. It was solid, it was blazing, and it was real. And most of all, it was satisfying for both Cheris and Jedao in their own way. If you loved the first two books in the series, Revenant Gun won’t let you down. Pick up a copy on Amazon or Indiebound!
