Sadly this one wasn't for me. It felt silly, more middle grade than young adult, full of cliches and with an annoying habit of overexplaining the lore. Won't be reviewing.

'Victories Greater Than Death' by Charlie Jane Anders is a YA space opera in the theme of Crownchasers and Aurora Rising about the clone of a famed alien hero, left on Earth in a human disguise to give the universe another chance to defeat a villain with one seriously nasty ability.

Tina Mains, seemingly average teenager.. is also the keeper of an interplanetary rescue beacon that she knows will one day switch on, leading her to the heroic life she's always dreamed of among the stars. But when that day finally comes, things don't go at all as planned.

Those who know her secret identity expect her to actually be the legend she was born of.. and she only has limited access to the late Captain's knowledge and skills. War has taken a toll on the Royal Fleet meant to retrieve her when the time came. They're losing badly and resources are already low. They barely escape Earth with Tina and her best friend with the planet intact.

This story is a quick read full of lots of page-turning action and drama, but there are some things I had to adjust to. Initially, I thought the dialogue was incredibly awkward. Stilted in large part by a strange greeting ritual, which.. though I applaud what I perceive as the intent, just felt overly formal.

It becomes more likely, as the social interactions only get stranger from there, that this almost discordant social dance is an intentional representation of just how different things are from what we know. These are people from different worlds, and the most common ground between them is an organizational social structure likely devised by the Royal Fleet itself. Probably the only thing more universal between them is the hope for survival against the odds.

Relatively quickly, the group assembles what can only be called a collection.. of the Earth's best and brightest to be of assistance on their journey. A rag-tag band of talented misfits, who together.. just might have all the skills necessary to save the worlds.

Of course, most of them are prone to melodrama on some level. However, there are a couple of lovely potential love interests and the cast is beautifully diverse. I loved seeing that diversity framed of its strengths as an ideal in societies less concerned with labels and more focused on supreme happiness. Though the story is pretty wild and generally outrageous, it's definitely a lot of fun and well worth the read.

Tina is the clone of an intergalactic space hero. She's been left on Earth in the care of a human mother. Although she does not fit in, she truly desires to be the hero. Her skirmishes with bullies brings her to her BFF Rachael, an introvert with a heart of gold. When Tina's time comes to serve her mission Rachael goes with her. They are joined by 4 other teenagers from around the world: Damini from Mumbai, Keziah a physicist from Britain, Wang Yiwei a robotics specialist and Elza a hacker from Argentina.

Anders paints a colorful galaxy with a host of different types of creatures. As we are given backgrounds on their planets, the characters introduce themselves giving their names and their pronouns. In this galaxy there seems to be no sexism. I was tickled when we met the aliens with three genders. On their planet every argument has three sides and any war that is entered must have three nations willing to fight (Hence no war). The other interesting concept was that everyone on The indominatble was humanoid. The question was why is this the case? Do humans and other planetary species like us work together for advancement? Or do we destroy evryone and everything that is unfamiliar to us? As with the three gendered planet there are no two sides here.

Victories Greater Than Death was an action packed space odyssey that leaves you hanging over the precipice. Loved the premise behind this book! The characters were freakin awesome! You had action, drama, found family . . . this was a great start to a new series. I stand here with bated breath waiting to see what Anders has in store for us next.

YA Sci-Fi. Tina has always known she was not from the planet earth; she has been told that she has a ball of starlight inside that will burst out of her one day--then her real life will begin. Her best friend, Rachel, and she have been waiting for the moment when she becomes herself for the longest time. So, when the change does finally happen, and they rise up to the spaceship, only to find out that there are some kinks that need to be worked out, Tina and Rachel know they have some major work to do to save themselves, their new friends, and the planet. Overall, wonderfully written and unique.

I just don’t know what to think.

This books set up was super intriguing until we get to a part that just isn’t for me.

If your looking for a coming of age, all genders friendly science fiction Ya , this one is definitely for you.

***I received an uncorrected proof of this ebook from netgalley in exchange for an honest review***

“There are victories greater than death. I might not live to see justice done, but I can see it coming.”†

Nobody is more disappointed than me that this book didn’t work out for me. The blurb called out to my soul, the title is amazing, and the cover is absolutely stunning!

The initial premise is incredibly creative, but the writing and pacing were just not great. There were also a lot of moments that felt like they should have been bigger, grander, more heart-stirring. Instead, they were anticlimactic, and the scenes had an almost fast-forwarded feeling.

I applaud that every single character was introduced with their pronouns. However, I wish the way some of them were introduced was a little less clunky. It could have been mentioned organically, instead of throwing it in parentheses after a random character’s name. It really pulled me right out of the book each time I had to trip over all the punctuation. I appreciate what the author was trying to do with making pronouns a standard, but the execution was lacking.

Back to the writing...
This is a middle grade novel wearing a YA dress. The storytelling and simplistic prose were seriously lacking. The voice is a bit one-note, which should not be the case in the context of the “complex” sci-fi plot. The author repeatedly infantilizes the reader, especially with her awkward insertion of *science facts* every few conversations. They felt like something you would come across in the final 30 seconds of a children’s STEM television series. It didn’t help that the author focused on arbitrarily “strange” features on aliens instead of choosing a handful of species and exploring them with any sort of cultural depth.

“It’s just like Cousin Larry, except for a whole spaceship full of creatures and advanced scientific stuff.”†

^I don’t even have words... I’m not even going to get into “Best Planet Ever”, “the hair-eating monster”, the “Compassion” ships versus the “Indomitable”, not to mention the walking cliche supervillain with their super power of touching you and making your friends think you suck…. like…. Really? YA authors need to trust their fans’ intelligence and reading comprehension. We deserve more. We deserve better.

†must be checked against final text

Unfortunately I could not get into this book. The premise sounded really interesting and I have enjoyed several other books similar to this one, but not this one. I wish I would have been able to feel more attached to it.

Charlie Jane Anders has made a name for herself in the realm of genre fiction in recent years. Her novel The City In The Middle of the Night won the top prize at the 2020 Locus Awards. Her debut novel All The Birds In The Sky also won the same award, and both novels hit bestseller lists. Now Charlie Jane Anders makes the move to YA fiction with her new novel Victories Greater Than Death. It is the first book in a planned trilogy. Although it is designed for a teenage audience the novel deals with a lot of weighty subject matter. Let’s delve into Victories Greater Than Death, and discover why it’s a great read for genre fans of any age. 

A vividly imagined space opera that is perfect for fans of Doctor Who and Star Wars. Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders follows a teen girl who knows that she is an alien. Tina has long been told her origin story. She was dropped on her mother’s doorstep as a tiny purple-skinned baby. The aliens who delivered her to Earth needed somewhere safe to hide her until the day she could take up her birthright. Tina is actually the clone of a legendary alien war hero. That means there are some murderous aliens who will come after her as soon as her emergency beacon activates. Tina has spent her whole life waiting for this moment. But she'll soon discover that the reality is far different from what she expects.

The fast-paced novel departs Earth pretty quickly. Tina and her best friend Rachel are scooped up by an alien spaceship. They find themselves thrust onto the front lines of an intergalactic war. Soon they are joined by a group of other teenage Earthlings - the best and brightest young minds that the planet has to offer. This small group will band together to fight the genocidal group called the Compassion. Along the way they also fall in love and struggle to figure out their shifting identities. 

Anders does a great job of fleshing out the characters in a short span of time. Each of the Earthlings has a unique skill set, background, and knowledge that will be valuable in the fight to come. They are artists, musicians, and activists along with being brilliant engineers, hackers, and scientists. The friendships between the Earthlings provide a solid foundation for the story, as their relationships with one another are just as important as the fight they've undertaken. 

It would be easy for any member of this ensemble cast to get lost in the background. But each character gets their own moment to shine. The aliens are also a diverse assortment of races that we get to know pretty well as the story progresses. It is easy to follow the characters and story without getting bogged down in the history of each race, or their physical characteristics. This is an impressive feat considering that Tina turns into 'Space Wikipedia" after she remembers the knowledge of her predecessor, without gaining her personal memories. 

There are a number of difficult topics that Anders addresses in her story in a natural way. Happily one of the topics that is not so fraught is gender identity and sexuality. Gender identity is an important element of the language, with each character introducing themselves with their preferred pronouns. With a universal translator adapting the foreign languages of the Earthlings and the aliens alike, the need to be precise is tantamount. And so we have third-gender characters, genderqueer characters, transgender characters who are all part of the story. The universal translator helps to identify pronouns to prevent any misunderstandings. Sounds like something we need here on Earth.

A number of queer characters also make up the ensemble cast of Earthlings. And it is refreshing to see queer teenagers living their lives (albeit in space) and falling in love without a dramatic struggle over their sexuality. Instead the struggles that they face are tied to the larger war they are fighting, along with their own personal conflict about becoming soldiers in this war. Tina struggles with her own identity a bit. But that is due to the fact that she is a clone, and expected to live up to the great legacy of the woman whose genetic structure she shares. 

In Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders the antagonists are a group called The Compassion. A bit of a misnomer since they don’t really have any compassion for others. This group is a collective of aliens who are dedicated to wiping out races that do not appear humanoid. They draw inspiration from another group of aliens who meddled in planetary development in the distant past. That group helped boost humanoid races, while trying to eradicate any races with too many arms, tentacles, or who were just shaped differently. The real-world parallels with genocide, racism, and xenophobia are very clear. Fortunately all of the Earthlings in the group are teenagers who are open-minded and accepting of the weird and wild space they’ve entered. They are all horrified by the genocide of these non-humanoid races and dedicate themselves to the fight for alien autonomy and equality.

Despite the heavy themes, Victories Greater Than Death by Charlie Jane Anders is brimming with hope and optimism. The space battles are fast-paced and extremely fun to read. The characters are all compelling, with unique personality traits that make them stand out on the page. The story never gives into darkness and despair. Instead the Earthlings keep each other sane, and still manage to have some light-hearted fun along the way. 

The writing style of Victories Greater Than Death is also extremely visual. Anders goes to great lengths to describe the aliens, along with the sophisticated spaceships and diverse worlds. The story draws a lot of influence from comic books, along with other genre media. In fact it seems like this story would be ideal as a graphic novel. And the story is just ripe for adaptation on-screen. I would love to see a television show come from this story. The ensemble cast and the highly visual nature of the story would lend itself perfectly to the screen.

Victories Greater Than Death is the first book of the Universal Expansion trilogy by Charlie Jane Anders. It is out from Tor on April 13, 2021 wherever books are sold. We are definitely looking forward to seeing what will come next for Tina and her friends in future installments.

Charlie Jane Anders' work is always fantastic, and her YA debut is equally so. I can't wait to share this book with everyone I know.

This is a great sci-fi novel, it's just not entirely for me as I prefer more grounded sci-fi, but the cover was so gorgeous I had to give it a try!

Giving it 4 stars because the writing is great, and this is a case of good book wrong reader.

This book is an excellent niche read for hard sci-fi fans. I enjoyed the normalization of pronoun use and hope that life will imitate art with this. I liked how the last mission changed who the hero was while reminding the characters every person matters. The villain's weapon of choice, killing both the body and the reputation, is very appropriate in our hyper social media age. Well done.

Charlie Jane Anders has written the super-fun, out-there fantasy sci-fi space opera adventure that we all need to lose ourselves in right now.

I think my rating for this book is 100% due to the fact that I might be outgrowing YA sci-fi a bit, and I'm just not exactly the perfect audience for this anymore. While I still love my YA, I just notice more and more that there are some books that are definitely just aimed at a younger audience, and don't always work for me anymore. I feel like I would've loved this when I was still in high school.

I honestly loved the pretense and concept of this book, and I loved that this sci-fi has actual variations of aliens that are diverse in how they view the world. Ever since reading books like Becky Chambers' Wayfarers series, I just always notice when aliens are just, off-brand humans. It always kills sci-fi books for me because it seems so unrealistic that aliens would look and think close to how we do, so I enjoy when a book thinks about how other societies and species may have developed and evolved, and how their customs might be different. (It's also always a plus when those aliens aren't forced to conform to the same binary gender standard humans do, because once again, it's very unlikely they'll all have the same ideas on that as us).

I also enjoyed where the plot went, and how it explored why this world was the way it was, and what hands (metaphorically or literally) may have played a role in the way it was shaped and formed. While I do feel the villains were a bit too obviously evil at points (yes, we get it, you think everyone that is unlike you is inferior, you don't have to say it every two seconds), the discussions that were brought up in terms of what do we recognize as equal to us, in terms of alien life, were interesting.

Unfortunately, even though there was so much alien stuff going on, there was still an annoying focus on humans. While our main character herself isn't necessarily human, she mainly spends time with other humans, even on board her alien spaceship. More characterization was given to these human characters as well, making them feel like fully fledged characters, while the aliens felt more like oddities, instead being described by what made them different as a species from humans instead of their individual personalities and traits. The human characters almost all received romances between each other, hopes and dreams for the future, while when it came to aliens, all we got was wikipedia style facts. It made it feel like there was a clear division between humans and aliens, instead of them feeling like a single crew or family.

On the same subject of describing aliens, I also just didn't vibe with how we were given information about different alien species and the history of this connected universe. I feel like again this is where I made comparisons with Becky Chambers, as both authors give us a wealth of information about the aliens in order to build a fuller picture of the world the story takes place in. However, Chambers delivers the information in a more lasting way, connecting it more to the story itself, where in this story, it was more Tina spouting out whatever information came to her head when faced with an alien. It didn't usually have anything to do with the characterization of that particular alien or the ongoing plot. It meant most of the information didn't really stick beyond a specific scene, and I left the book still not being able to really name species or their specific customs.

There was also a lot of repetition for such a short book, and I felt like Tina kept having the same conversations in her head and with her friends. It made the short book feel quite long, and it honestly started dragging a lot by the end.

Overall, I didn't hate the book at all, but it just wasn't for me. I did like what it was trying to do, but it didn't fully work for me.

BOOK REPORT for Victories Greater Than Death (Unstoppable #1) by Charlie Jane Anders

Cover Story: Pretty Big Face
BFF Charm: Yay
Swoonworthy Scale: 7
Talky Talk: Hitchhiker's Guide
Bonus Factors: LGTBQ+ Representation, Smart Kids
Anti-Bonus Factor: Genocidal Warmongerers
Relationship Status: Crewmates

Content Warning: Victories Greater Than Death features scenes of death, violence, and gaslighting.

Cover Story: Pretty Big Face
Although it was overused there for a while, a good example of Big Face isn't something I'm going to complain about. Especially when it's this pretty, with that gorgeous space-y hair. This cover yells "this is a science fiction book," and I'm here for it.

The Deal:
Tina Mains has known for her entire life that she's not a typical human girl. And not in the "I, myself, am strange and unusual" sense, but in the "I was planted on Earth by an alien species and have a literal rescue beacon in my chest that will someday light up when they come to take me back" kind of way. Tina's ready to leave, even if that means leaving everything and everyone she's ever known behind. Because she knows that she's meant for bigger things.

When the day comes, Tina learns that she's the clone of one of the galaxy's most famous and admired heroes. But the "bigger things" she's been waiting for are way more complicated than she'd ever imagined.

BFF Charm: Yay
Although she's an alien clone, Tina's grown up on Earth and therefore has lived a pretty standard life. She's a loving daughter, a dedicated best friend, and stands up for what's right and good every chance she gets. These aren't qualities of Tina's previous life coming through; they're her characteristics, and they make her very worthy of a BFF Charm. She occasionally pulls away from her friends and hides in her own head, but neither of those are dealbreakers since she eventually comes around and always apologizes when she's been in the wrong. The fact that Tina, thanks to technology, also becomes a sort of space Wikipedia—she can "remember" a lot of knowledge from her old life, helping the transition from Earthling to space farer quite a lot—is just a bonus.

Swoonworthy Scale:
When she meets [REDACTED], Tina's immediately intrigued. And the more she gets to know [REDACTED], the more she wants to get to know them. But is the timing right to start a new relationship with everything else that's going on? Especially when Tina isn't sure she really knows herself?

Talky Talk: Hitchhiker's Guide
Victories Greater Than Death is a delightful combination of contemporary and science fiction. It's a book that mixes the two genres to great effect; Anders has infused into the book a delightfully irreverent Douglas Adams-style sense of wit. (Tina is extremely a teenage girl most time, but is also a revered space hero—think a gender-swapped and de-aged Arthur Dent with hidden knowledge and skills.) Anders obviously did her homework on the science fiction aspects, too. The technology is unique and creative, and the various species Tina meets are varied and intriguing. I particularly love Anders's reasoning behind why most of the species are mostly humanoid (i.e., walk upright on two legs, have "standard" appendages and biological systems), but I won't spoil that for you. And her inventive and complex greeting system made me laugh every time. For example, when someone tells Tina "thrilling stunts and minor injuries," the appropriate response is "delicious meals and harness potions." I would love to have that much imagination!

Bonus Factor: LGTBQ+ Representation
As a trans person herself, Anders knows how important inclusion can be. And it only makes sense that a more advanced civilization will have moved past our notions of gender and sex or have completely different views that we couldn't begin to comprehend. There's so much diversity and inclusion in this book, and not just in the aliens. And, thankfully, it's never used as a major plot point; people are who they are and like who they like and that's all part of life.

Bonus Factor: Smart Kids
Love to see a book in which teens are seen for the (in some cases literal) geniuses they are and adults respect them for their talents, rather than making them feel othered or weird. As a smart kid myself—but nowhere near the level of the kids in this book, natch—I'm always going to root for the nerds.

Anti-Bonus Factor: Genocidal Warmongers
One of the unexpected things that Tina finds when she's rescued back into a life of space travel is that there's a war going on against the worst kind of people: those that think their way is the only way and that those who don't fit the "mold" should be killed. It's really unfortunate that we continue to have to deal with this kind of monster, even in situations in which we're supposedly so much more advanced ...

Relationship Status: Crewmates
You weren't quite what I expected, Book, but we quickly fell into a good rhythm once I let go of my preconceived notions. I think we make a really good team, and I'm excited to see what we can get up to—working together—in the future.

Ok, well, this didn't turn out as bad as I initially thought. When I started this book I really didn't get along with it, but it redeemed itself somewhat throughout.

It was an odd one. The plot was the main enjoyment for me in this, where usually its an equal balance between that and the characters. But I just didn't really care much for the characters - I didn't dislike them, but I just didn't love them either. I think it's because of the writing style. When I first started the book I really disliked it. Sarcasm and humour is thrown around constantly but in a way that seems forced.

I didn't end up hating it. I got sucked into the plot and couldn't wait to see what else happened, especially with there being so many characters for things to happen to. It definitely picked up the further you read, and the final few chapters were a wild ride. I think too that despite there being so many different characters and perspectives, there was a nice balance between them all. It seemed well rounded and even paced in that regard, and no one felt left behind - which is a mighty good thing.

I received an e-ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I LOVED SO MANY THINGS ABOUT THIS BOOK! First of all, it's overall vibe is just so full of adventure and joy and friendship that it's hard not to feel uplifted when reading it, even when things look rough for our found-family group of characters. If you're looking for a fun romp through space and destiny that doesn't take itself too seriously, this is for you. The characters are bold and larger than life without feeling ridiculous or cartoony. I was so enamored that I think I suspended my disbelief even harder than usual, so I even went along with things that may bother me in other books (e.g., newb characters being SO AWESOME at things they've never done before). I love that the book deals with genocide and injustice and what it even means to be fighting for what's right. Also, RACHEL IS THE FUCKING BEST AND IS THE INTROVERT REPRESENTATION WE'VE ALL BEEN NEEDING! Loved the fun array of alien species and all their unique quirks. The plot sagged a little for me in the middle, and I honestly wished Rachel had an even bigger presence in the book. The romance didn't wow me, but I enjoyed it enough and very much appreciated that it was not only f/f but also included trans rep. Overall, this was a delightful read and one that I will be telling all my friends to read. Boiling down to a 4.5 for me.

This is a story about a girl who is not a girl.

This one was really not for me, but I’m glad it exists! I love the individual components in theory- but the humor, tone & plot points felt like they were written for more of a MG audience. It felt like a fun animated movie.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️. 💫/5- but rounded to 4, because I think I just wasn’t the target audience.

Thank you so much Netgalley & Tor Teen for this eArc!

I started out excited for this book-the idea of a female protagonist worried she won't live up to what is expected of her is very relatable to young adults (heck, even us OLD adults!), and I was excited about the setting. Things also happen quickly, and I love a story with a fast pace.

That being said, I DNF this book. Even though this plot had a fast pace, I had difficulty following the plot because I felt as though the story jumped around a lot and the events were not connected. It was difficult to care about what happened to the character, even after something big happened her, because those connections hadn't been built. I didn't feel like I cared about her or her world being upended.

Victories is a good effort coming from Anders and boasts the diversity modern readers are looking for; sadly the book falls short with its awkward pacing. The book also seems to struggle to find its intended audience, reading as either young YA or older Middle-grade. The book does succeed in its quest to bring forth the energy and nostalgia of classic sci-fi, but not necessarily in a way, younger readers will understand.

This book has great LGBTQIA+ representation and I really enjoyed that aspect of it. I also liked the plot and how it was both fun, playful, and serious all at once. At first I wasn't sure if I would like the main character but then she really grew and found herself through the course of the book. This is a great sci-fi YA read!