Review: Raven Stratagem by Yoon Ha Lee

*THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR NINEFOX GAMBIT (THE MACHINERIES OF EMPIRE #1)*

Ninefox Gambit finished with an explosive (literally) and ambiguous ending, so I was dying to find out what happened next in Raven Stratagem. In a word, Raven Stratagem was unexpected. At every turn, I was taken completely by surprise. The main character doesn’t even have a POV in the entire book???? And it works really well???? WHAT IS HAPPENING?!

Raven Stratagem took everything I thought I wanted from a sequel and tossed it out the window, leaving me with epic space battles, assassinations and espionage, complicated political conflict, and an exciting new cast of characters. Jedao is finally free, and everyone is guessing what he might do next!

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Title: Raven Stratagem
Author: Yoon Ha Lee
Series: The Machineries of Empire #2
Genre: Sci-fi, space opera
Publisher: Solaris
Pages: 355
Audiobook length: 13 hrs 39 min
ISBN: 9781781085370
Content warnings: incest (between siblings), torture, genocide, death of parent, mentions of rape, mentions of forced body/phycological modification

Blurb

When the hexarchate’s gifted young captain Kel Cheris summoned the ghost of the long-dead General Shuos Jedao to help her put down a rebellion, she didn’t reckon on his breaking free of centuries of imprisonment – and possessing her.

Even worse, the enemy Hafn are invading, and Jedao takes over General Kel Khiruev’s fleet, which was tasked with stopping them.

Only one of Khiruev’s subordinates, Lieutenant Colonel Kel Brezan, seems to be able to resist the influence of the brilliant but psychotic Jedao.

Jedao claims to be interested in defending the hexarchate, but can Khiruev or Brezan trust him?

For that matter, will the hexarchate’s masters wipe out the entire fleet to destroy the rogue general?

Review of Raven Stratagem

• Format: physical copy
• Pacing: medium
• Plot or character-driven: plot
• POVs: third person multi-POV (3 main POVs)
• Representation: trans main character, sapphic main characters, multiple trans side characters and queer normative world

I just need to say this again because I can hardly believe it even after finishing the book.

THE MAIN CHARACTER DOESN’T HAVE A POINT OF VIEW.

So Jedao is loose, running around with his new Kel Swarm toy, and I spent the entire book trying to guess what he was up to and what the heck happened the Cheris!!! Because at the end of Ninefox Gambit wasn’t it Jedao that died, and Cheris consumed his broken memories and whatever else was left of him? What happened to her?

Not giving Jedao a POV made me pause and put down the book at first, because it was just so unexpected. I was ready to figure out what really happened at the end of Ninefox Gambit. Once I got over my initial disappointment though, I quickly fell in love with the new cast of characters: General Khiruev, Kel Brezan, and Hexarch Shous Mikodez.

Characters

General Khiruev reminded me the most of Cheris. She’s always been a loyal Kel, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t recognize the hexarchate’s corruption. Just that she never had any plans to do anything about it. I think it’s so interesting that Lee keeps giving us characters trapped in a controlling empire that are not trying to rebel. It feels much more realistic as most people are just trying to live their life without too much trouble. This allows the story to really explore what inspires people to go from passive discontent to rebellion.

Kel Brezan, one of several trans characters featured in Raven Stratagem, was a refreshing POV as the only character with an actual plan for how to make the hexarchate better to live in, even if it likely amounts to nothing. Brezan believes he can improve the empire by serving it justly. He has no plan to change structural injustices, so his work will amount to very little, if anything, but I liked getting another perspective on how people in the hexarchate justify serving it. Lee does not have his readers believe empires are run by masses of evil people with no morals, but by regular people that justify their work like anyone else.

Hexarch Shous Mikodai is a cunning and likeable antagonists. As much as I wanted to dislike him for his actions as the Shous Hexarch as well as other morally questionable decisions (like asking your sister to modify her body to become your double), it was hard not to see reason in many of Mikodai’s decisions. All of the characters in the Machineries of Empire have their preferences, idiosyncrasies, and ethical standards that make them human. One of the most interesting parts of Lee’s writing, is he let’s his characters be wrong and justify their actions. It makes the characters very human. You can’t help but understand and like them, even if they are objectively evil.

“He’s at war because it’s the world he knows, but he tells himself he’s putting something right in the process because he needs a reason for the butchery.”

Yoon (Ha Lee, Raven Stratagem, pg. 221) Hexarch Shuos Mikodez theorizing about Jedao’s motivations.

Not giving the main character of the series a POV was a bold choice. It would not have worked if the new characters weren’t just as interesting. And, without hearing Jedao’s perspective, I was guessing just as much as the other characters at what he was planning.

Throughout the story, we also catch rumors of Nirai Kujen, who I think is the scariest antagonist of the series. He’s immortal, has powerful connections, and has the mathematical ability to understand and change the calendar that effects everyone’s lives and freedom in the hexachate. He also finds entertainment in performing psychological surgery on people to modify their personalities. Yuck. Lee has only provided glimpses of this antagonist so far, building up tension for the third and final book in the series. I have no idea is Kujen will emerge as the main antagonist, or if the third book will surprise me as much as Raven Stratagem.

Worldbuilding

After reading Raven Stratagem, I feel like I have a much better grasp on how the hexarchate is organized and functions. I think this is partially me just being more used to the worldbuilding after the first book and the fact that we’re not as trapped in Cheris’s head. Cheris was always singularely focused on her mission, and provided fewer details about the world than the narrators of Raven Stratagem.

Raven Stratagem focuses a lot on how people exist in a controlling, militarized empire. I liked learning more about the Vidona faction, and how they worked to maintain calendrical compliance.

Conclusion

It took me a while to get into Ninefox Gambit, but I found Raven Stratagem entertaining early on (once I got used to the new POV characters). I ended up finding the characters in Raven Stratagem more interesting and memorable than in Ninefox Gambit. I also just appreciate all of the thought and planning that went into the plot of Raven Stratagem. There were so many influential characters and little side plots that contributed to the overall story. I didn’t want to miss a single line in case I missed an important detail. It’s so fun to read a book that expects you to pay attention and notice little things that clue you in to what’s happening off-page.

Raven Stratagem is a unexpected and clever follow up to Ninefox Gambit. Yet another series I am recommending to anyone who will listen to me! Go read it right now!

You’ll like this book if you enjoy…

• Morally grey characters… and morally irredeemable characters
• Epic plotlines
• Political conflict

Where to find Raven Stratagem:

Have you read Raven Stratagem? Let’s chat in the comments!