New Author Spotlight: Kameron Hurley

New Author Spotlight is a series designed to introduce authors with up to 3 books in the different SF/F subgenres.

Today's spotlight shines on Kameron Hurley!

She's written numerous short stories and the Bel Dame Apocrypha trilogy:

God's War won and was nominated for several awards, so if you haven't picked it up yet, maybe the synopsis will intrigue you:

Nyx had already been to hell. One prayer more or less wouldn t make any difference...

On a ravaged, contaminated world, a centuries-old holy war rages, fought by a bloody mix of mercenaries, magicians, and conscripted soldiers. Though the origins of the war are shady and complex, there's one thing everybody agrees on--

There's not a chance in hell of ending it.

Nyx is a former government assassin who makes a living cutting off heads for cash. But when a dubious deal between her government and an alien gene pirate goes bad, Nyx's ugly past makes her the top pick for a covert recovery. The head they want her to bring home could end the war--but at what price?

The world is about to find out.

This is where I'd mention books similar to God's War so you know if it's a book that would interest you (beyond what the synopsis gives away).  Unfortunately, despite having read the book and wracking my brain for months, I can't come up with anything even remotely similar to compare it too.  The book is fascinating but brutal and based loosely on middle eastern culture.  It's science fiction with bug based magic.  It's got a seriously kick ass heroine who's been to war and back.  It's unique.

If you've read it, what did you think of it?  And if you know a comparison title, please share it in the comment section.

Book Review: God's War by Kameron Hurley

Pros: unique, diverse cast, interesting world and politics

Cons: limited description, slow beginning

Nyx used to be a Bel Dame, a government sponsored assassin sent after deserters from the war with Chenja.  But after a bad job she's stripped of her membership and left doing dirty mercenery work.  Her team consists of misfits escaping one thing or another: a Ras Tiegan communications man, a Mhorian shape shifter, a gun loving local (poached from a former boss) and a Chenjan draft dodger, whose magical abilities of controlling bugs are limited.  When they're offered a well paying - but dangerous job, Nyx takes it, not realizing it would pit her against the toughest, most dangerous women in Nasheen.

Described by the author as being a book about "Bugs.  Blood.  Brutal women." and "bugpunk at it's best" this was a... unique read.  Heavily influenced by middle eastern culture, the book takes place on a planet colonized by several groups of people, all followers of the book.  Each group interprets the book differently though, which has led to a centuries long war among the Nasheenians and the Chenjans.  The politics, both between the nations and within Nasheen (where most of the book takes place) are fascinating.  

The characters themselves are interesting, each having their own reasons why they've left their homelands to live in Nasheen, and why they're working for Nyx.  There's a good balance between action and development, so you get the chance to really know what motivates each of her team members.

I would have appreciated more description and deeper world building.  I had to look up what a burnous was (a long cloak with a hood that everyone in the book wears) as there was no proper description of it (I got that it was worn over clothing and had a hood and pockets, but didn't know it was a cloak rather than a jacket).  Neither bug magic nor bug tech are explained at all, nor how this planet develped them.  The same goes for shape shifters, who you learn were created, but not why or how (though this didn't play into the novel as much as the bug magic and tech so I can understand why the author wouldn't want to focus on it).

I also found the opening a bit slow.  Not in terms of action (there's a LOT of action), but in terms of plot.  The opening scenes set up things for later, but you don't realize that until you're several chapters into the book.

There's a lot of violence, and a fair amount of gore (several people are tortured and replacing body parts is one of a magician's talents, which gets used a lot in this book).

If you're looking for something very different from what's out there and like kick-ass women, you've found it.  If you've got a weak stomach, look elsewhere.