INITIAL THOUGHTS:
This author came highly recommended to me by a friend who’d read their Ahsoka novel, and I’ve been moved to offer up a spoiler-free review. Aetherbound by E. K. Johnston didn’t disappoint. I like very much how real and grounded living in space and on a space station was in this book. Technical jargon and your understanding of the science of space travel wasn’t an obstacle to enjoying this book. I really appreciate how the magic system in this book was a portal into a discussion on bodily autonomy and choice. The magic system wasn’t overly complicated. The people and the choices they made with their abilities drove the plot.
Things I Liked:
- The author discarded traditional gender roles.
- The author didn’t complicate the story with a burdensome magic system or overbearing technical jargon. This let me see clearly the characters behind the decisions.
- Choices drove the action of the book. The politics, economic systems, etc. in the book served as context not a feature.
- There wasn’t anything about the cruelty or the romance present in the book that was gratuitous
- The themes were hefty, however, the manner in which they were presented didn’t knock me on my heels.
Content Warnings:
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Graphic
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Child abuse
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Eating disorder
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Forced pregnancy
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Moderate
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Bullying
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Domestic abuse
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Trafficking
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- Minor
- Grief
- Child death
The characters begin their journey on a spaceship where the line between cruelty and survival blurs, sometimes disappearing entirely. There is a hyper-focus on food intake because of the manner in which they operate their ship. Survival requires strict adherence to a set of principles. Officers strictly control food rations. They control allotments to the gram and harsh punishments are exacted for hoarding, wasting or spoiling food.
There is plenty of time to pick up this book and join us for our book club discussion on August 3rd! You can find it here on our site or grab it at our local library.
MY RATING:
3.75/5.0