B. R. Sanders

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.… (more)

In short, Resistance is about a bisexual elf and her girlfriend overthrowing the government. Now there’s an elevator pitch that grabs my attention!

Last year I read and loved Ariah by B.R. Sanders, so I decided to check out more books by the author. Resistance is their debut novel, which is set in the same world as Ariah. I had fun with it, but it never struck me the way Ariah did.

Shandolin is an elf in a city ruled by Qin. Although the majority of the city’s population is elfin, the vampire-like Qin retain tight control over the city. Shandolin is a rebel who runs an underground revolutionary press. She and her friends have managed to stay out of reach of the Qin… until Shadolin (Doe) finds one of her friends murdered in the street. The Qin have hired assassins to take out Doe and other elves who are resisting their rule. Luckily, Doe has the help of her friends and her girlfriend, Rivna, who is herself an assassin. The only way that they’ll ever be able to live openly again is if they organize the city to destroy the Qin’s strangle hold on power.

At a certain point while reading Resistance, I had a realization. This is the book I’ve always wanted to write. My senior year of high school, I started trying to write a novel length story about a bi elvish conwoman in a trading city filled with a number of different species, where she, her girlfriend, and her friends were trying to overthrow the local tyrant by means of a heist. I ultimately didn’t get even a third through the story. I may love reading, but that doesn’t always translate into writing fiction. So I am incredibly happy that B.R. Sanders wrote the sort of story I’ve always wanted – a queer, female led heist with amazing world building.

But for all that, I kept finding myself putting down Resistance and going to do other things. My best guess is that the heist and plot let me down. It’s relatively uncomplicated, without any of the twists and turns I love those sorts of plots for. On a more nebulous note, Resistance just wasn’t enough. I left it wanting more from the characters and story.

While I think Resistance is decent for a debut novel, it pales compared to the author’s later work. That said, I think it’s still a fairly enjoyable story. If the basic premise appeals to you, you might as well give it a go.

The Illustrated Page.… (more)

Ariah is an interesting book, and it was very little like I expected upon reading the synopsis. What is presented on the surface as a sweeping, magical, romance, with a plot to drive it forward, is quite another thing entirely. Ariah is instead the coming-of-age story of a man (well, elf) who learns that he is nothing at all like he thought he was, and that the world outside of his sheltered upbringing is colorful and beautiful, with much to offer that he once was happy to live without.

The romance is a bittersweet thing, pulling at your heartstrings at moments when you least expect it, and the plot of the book is really just a thin vehicle to move that along. This isn't necessarily a bad thing, depending on the kind of reader you are. The story is incredibly character driven, and wouldn't have functioned any other way. I personally wouldn't have had it any other way even if it could have. A character driven novel gives you an opportunity to really dig deep into the hearts of the characters and ferret out all their secrets. You get the chance to see them truly grow and change, and in this instance it was beautiful to watch.

The style of story and the writing put me strongly in mind of Katherine Addision's The Goblin Emperor, and the carefully laid out, alluded to without being hammered over your head world-building reminded me of Elizabeth Bear's fantasy novels. Since these are two of my favorite authors, I was absolutely delighted to come across someone else who fit in with them. It's a rare breed that can paint you a beautiful fantasy world in bits and pieces, letting it unfold without dumping exposition into your lap, while leaving you enchanted and mesmerized just watching it exist.

The breadth of gender and sexuality so carefully explored in this book was also a joy to read. Never was I made to feel like characters were token representations of their labels. It was a part of them, not what defined them, and that's something that doesn't come up often in novels, much less in the fantasy genre.

It was superb, and I am glad to have read it. I wasn't ready to leave Ariah, Sorcha, and Shayat for a long time yet, but sadly, the book is done and read. I look forward to reading more by Sanders in the future.

* I was provided a review copy of this title in exchange for an honest review. *… (more)