I love Veronica Roth, so I was excited for this! A sort of futuristic take on the classic Antigone, it was really well written, I thought. However, I didn’t remember enough of the original tale to follow this, so I was a little lost in some places. I might reread the original and then give this another shot, because otherwise I enjoyed it.

I was given an advanced reader's copy via NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own

As a big fan of Veronica Roth and someone who both enjoyed Greek Civilization courses in college and generally loves moden reimaginings of classics and myths, I had high hopes for Arch-Conspirator. Unfortunately, I just didn't get into this book, though I admit I initally mixed up the stories of Antigone and Medea, which likely contributed to my overall dislike of the book.

I did not like this book as much as I wanted to. It has a great story but I guess it was a miss for me even though I love her writing.

I was just recommending Veronica Roth's new novella and realized I had forgotten to review this one last year, but as always I love that she's an author who continues to try different things and isn't afraid to take risks, as with this science fiction retelling of Antigone.

Roth keeps getting better and better—more nuanced characters, more innovative world-building, more fresh and distinct voice—and I absolutely adored this latest.

The premise is very strong and in keeping with the lines of persevering in an environment of government control and tyranny. BUT it also came across as trite in places. Overall, was rooting for the underdogs in this one. IT was also a very slight read, not as meaty as it could have been for the topic

I have not read Antigone since high school. It was interesting reading this retelling how much came back to me! I love the way Roth writers dystopia and weaving it with a mythical tale was very clever and engaging!
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Thank you #macmillan #tor and ..#NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review

I loved Divergent but have not been impressed with any of the author's other books so I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. The story is so interesting and her writing is wonderful.

Arch-conspirator is a futuristic take on the Athenian tragedy of Antigone, it's well written and fairly well plotted out. The only problem is, you need an intimate knowledge of the play otherwise this novella is likely to feel confusing and like parts have been skipped.

It's told from multiple POV's, allowing the reader to embrace Antigone's defiance from all angles. Most character viewpoints are 'well written' but unfortunately I had zero inclination to sympathise with any of them because each person's part is so short, I couldn't really get a well fleshed idea of the characters.

Honestly it comes down to required knowledge and the fact that retellings should be able to stand on their own without source material. f you're a fan of ancient literature and want a good spin on the classics, this is for you. If you're not, I would probably either do some research or skip it because it has no legs without prior knowledge

Arch-Conspirator is a really interesting re-telling of Antigone. It's set in what seems to be a dystopian future. It jumps right into the story, but doesn't feel like you're missing any information. The characters are well-developed, especially considering how short this novel is, and you can feel the conflicts between everyone, and see the tragedy of what is coming. The ending is not quite what I expected, knowing that it was a retelling of Antigone, but I really liked it. Highly recommend, especially to anyone who enjoys Greek myth/literature. This would be a great introduction to Greek literature, too, as it's very accessible.

I am always a fan of retellings and this is no different. A quick look into the story of Antigone - while it took some time to get rolling, it is something that you will definitely stick with to the end.

This dystopian science fiction tale is time reminiscent of the ancient Greek tragedy "Antigone".

Antigone is the niece of the ruler of the last city on Earth, outside of which all is radioactive wasteland. Her parents were killed in the coup that brought her uncle Kreon to power. He now keeps her and her siblings in a gilded cage.

The story alternates between many characters' viewpoints. After violence erupts and Antigone disobeys her uncle, she demands a public hearing. Her punishment proceeds but the story ends on a cliffhanger.

I’ve enjoyed other Veronica Roth’s post-Divergent saga works and this one is no exception. For a novella, it had a lot of depth! Though I have not read the original Antigone, I enjoyed the story but can’t say if it’s similar or not. My only qualm was the entire book I was wondering was kind of book this is: it’s based on a classical Greek story, was part dystopian, part fantasy? Whatever it is, it worked!
Also I could have done without the rocket ship exile.

Arch-Conspirator is a dystopian retelling of the classic Antigone with a futuristic twist. Antigone's parents are gone and all that she has left are her brothers and the uncle that took her in after claiming her fathers throne. Antigone believes herself and her siblings to be cursed but with rebellions continuing and an arranged marriage in her future Antigone must make a decision on how to respect her remaining families wishes.

Arch-Conspirator is a novella and does not take much time to read/listen. The story has a slow start but once you are into the story you'll stay until the end. The story goes feel slightly unfinished with ideas not fully worked out and may have been a better story in a longer format where more details could be provided.

I really enjoyed the narrator on the audio version.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review, all thoughts and opinions are my own

I'm not sure exactly what I was expecting but this was definitely a unique read! For such a short book it had a well formed plot and characters. I'm usually hesitant to read novella length stand alones, but I'm glad I gave this one a try. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Book Summary:

There's only one surviving city left on Earth. If you were brave (or dumb) enough to step outside the walls of this, you would find an endless wasteland. If not for the Archive stepping up, none of humanity would have survived to this point.

The Archive is responsible for storing away the genes of all humans who pass. So, in theory, Antigone should be celebrating her parents being added to the vault. Unfortunately, they were murdered, so celebrating is the last thing on her mind.

My Review:

If you love the story of Antigone, you will likely appreciate this retelling. That or you'll hate Arch-Conspirator because not all retellings hit fans the same way. Personally, I hope it's the former.

The science fiction elements and world crafting were certainly the highlights of Arch-Conspirator, at least for this reader. Admittedly it's been a hot minute since I read the original material, so I will not be making direct comparisons.

I loved Veronica Roth's writing style and how she built up certain elements. I think this is the first novel I've read by her (I just double-checked, and nope! I read Divergent. Forgot about that!), and I'm impressed by her writing style. Can't wait to see what she comes up with next.

Highlights:
Retelling of Antigone
Legend and Lore

The premise of this was a little too opressive for me. I would have DNFd it, but realized it was a pretty short book, so decided to finish it. Being a short book, there wasn't enough time to fall in love with the characters, so I wasn't emotionally connected to what happens to them. I did actually really like the ending though. I'm a big Roth fan, and love that she isn't afraid to end a book against the norm.

While I didn't like this one, she's still a go -to author for me, and look forward to more books from her in the future.

Miss Divergent tried her hand at a mythology adaptation and I just found it to be tremendously boring. An interesting premise with lackluster execution, like it was rushed. I'm sad bc I'm rooting for you Veronica😞

This felt like it was meant to be connected to A Handmaid's Tale somehow with its discussion of reproductive rights. It felt very short, like more plot should have happened beyond the world-building. Shocked at the ending.

It probably would have been better for me to read the original and then read this book, because I just felt like I was missing things. Interesting story, I just don't think I got maximum impact of the story.