So being non-binary is something I’ve spoken a little about on my blog and it’s something I’m becoming more open about. So when I saw a giveaway for an adult sci-fi book I hadn’t heard of before that sounded good and was only open to non-binary bloggers? I decided to put my name in.
And I was lucky enough to get a copy!
The First Sister follows the stories of three characters: Lito, an Icarii soldier who is being sent to kill his former partner, The First Sister, a Gean woman who serves as a comfort in all forms to the soldiers and Hiro, the former partner of Lito who pops in recordings that have been left for various people. This book is their adventures as they all work towards a clash on the moon of Ceres as the war between Icarii and Gean goes on.
I really enjoyed the characters in this book. There were so many different characters and you couldn’t always tell where they stood or what their motives were. My favourite was Hiro who was also the non-binary character. Now, this is own voices for the author and it’s never specified what their gender under the non-binary umbrella is. They could be anything and that means as a non-binary person you can see yourself in them somehow. I like how Hiro shows their gender through clothes like I do but they also choose to use their/them pronouns rather than sticking to a defined gender at any point. It’s also hinted that they haven’t always loved themself and there’s a sad scene where they admit that it took until the events of the book for them to do so. And that…that really hits home. There’s no focus on their gender and their feelings around it but as someone who is still figuring things out for herself, who is learning how to be open about being non-binary. It really meant something to me.
The world-building in the book was also excellent. I could go into detail about the planets and the war and all the events leading up to the book But I think you’re better off exploring the world for yourself. But I love how it was built. It did feel a little limited in places though and there were definitely parts of the world that I would have liked to explore more. But the limits were also good. It meant places weren’t being randomly mentioned and then abandoned. It was a great example of how to write sci-fi in space without overdoing it.
This book was filled with adventure and intrigue. There is a little bit of romance but I didn’t care much for the couple. I was more a fan of Hiro and Lito then I was the actual couple but even if their relationship isn’t romantic…it’s my favourite. It was such a sweet and fun dynamic and I loved them so much.
I’m definitely considering this book my favourite so far this year. It was so unexpected but so good.
5 stars
BUY LINKS:
Lace and Dagger Books 
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