Synopsis
For most of her life Sabira is treated as less than. Although she is forced to remain ignorant of the circumstances, Sabira is biologically engineered and mistreated by a society and systems that dictate the classes and “necessary order.” She enters the fighting pits in order to work towards a life of “glory” as a servant and live up to the honor earned by those in her bloodline, specifically her grandfather. When Sabira sets forth on a mission to prove herself, the direction of her life and what she knows of the world drastically changes.
Review
Before the Shattered Gates of Heaven is a fast-paced, beautifully written, sci-fi story. Glosemeyer tackles many difficult topics and the growth of his characters with immense thoughtfulness. I was especially appreciative of the way that this book depicted the main character, Sabira, and her journey to greater understanding. I found the symbolism throughout the novel to be extremely well done and also felt that the author didn’t shy away from writing about the questioning of systems, colonialism, consent, and the emotions of his characters.
Certain parts of this novel can be pretty hard to read. There is a lot of violence depicted and I also found parts of the third act to be really heavy. However, I think that these moments are absolutely necessary to the progression of the characters and the novel. Glosemeyer also does a great job developing secondary characters that are exciting and interesting to read about. I would love to learn more about some of them, especially Maia, who was a great addition to the story and really helped to expand the world that Glosemeyer created.
Overall, I would highly recommend Before the Shattered Gates of Heaven. This book is wonderfully crafted and sets itself up perfectly for future additions to the series. Science fiction fans will love this book, but I think that the topics explored open the book up to a wider audience.
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