A thrilling and twisting space opera with one of the most likeable unlikeable narrators I’ve ever encountered. I loved the plot twists and the character development. An excellent addition to the sci-fi genre.

The sci-fi space epic started off slowly for me, but I love a good space colony misfit, so I persevered.

Brought up on a starving outpost after the human world has been destroyed, Kyr's life is all training and no fun. She has a war wounded uncle, a group of mess mates that are some of the best fighters on the station, and a burning desire to destroy the enemy.

Of course things go sideways immediately, and that is where the story improved. A classic case of who is really your enemy, and who are you fighting for?

2.5 stars but I'll round up. I have previously really enjoyed some books by this author, so I was really excited for this new sci-fi novel, much different from the paranormal/fantasy novellas I'd previously read. This doesn't quite settle-- it always feels like it doesn't quite know what it's trying to do or be.

The book's description (even if I had read it beforehand, which I totally did not) doesn't adequately prepare the reader for the arc of the story-- which really is three arcs. So, reading the first part and feeling like the story was about to wrap up but seeing the book was only 30% done felt unmooring.

The main character was dislikeable to start, but experienced some growth in the second and third portions of the book. It doesn't seem to be marketed as such, but the feel is more YA. Although the character is early-20s in the second section, she's 17 throughout the rest of the book. Strong themes of "the adults lied!" and general self-discovery make this more appropriate for young or younger adult audiences.

The couple of things I've seen about this seem to emphasize "queer space opera" descriptions, but that isn't really supported by the story. The main character's brother and one other character are gay ("queer" throughout the book) but it's not a major plot point. The main character is disinterested in sex and relationships and I was hoping for some Ace representation, but she's later revealed to also be gay. It isn't a significant aspect of her identity, though, so labelling the book this way feels a little bit like overselling. I defer, though, to the opinions or interpretations by readers who are LGBT++!

eARC from NetGalley.

Absolutely brilliant and emotionally devastating! Fascinating and terrifying, the end of Earth and the future of humanity plays out in a grim, authoritative enclave known as Gaea, where children are groomed for warfare and breeding. Kyr, one of the best up and coming recruits, knows she's destined for glory and battle, but is instead given a post in the Nursery, where she will face a lifetime of childbirth, child rearing, and sexual servitude. With her future upended and betrayed, and her brother sent on a suicide mission, Kyr chooses the only path forward - stealing an alien hostage and breaking free with the aid of her brother's longtime crush. All of that in and of itself is exciting and action packed, but the story only continues to expand, encompassing alternate timelines, space manipulation, and alternate realities. Throughout the book, Kyr is forced to see past the lies, manipulation, and indoctrination she grew up with, and seek the answers she never wanted to know. Every bit of this book felt profoundly real to me, and by the time I was done I felt like I had lived many lifetimes with the characters. It's one of the most thought provoking, engaging, and hopeful books I've read.

I loved Emily Tesh's novellas, so I had high hopes for this (even though sci-fi is a far cry from her Greenhollow work). In the end, I liked but did not love this book, primarily for pacing reasons in the middle that many other reviewers have pointed to.

You know some books that you read that you know pretty much immediately is going to be a five-star read?

Yeah, this is the one.

Despite Kyr being a little fuckhead, I...really related to her. Because I was her once (and could very easily be again if I don't watch it). And yet despite Kyr being one of the most punchable protagonists I've read in a long time, I kept reading because I couldn't stop reading for some reason.

And like other reviewers here have said, just when you think you know where the book is going, it delivers an out of right field punch (yes I'm mixing sports, whatever) that hits you out of nowhere.

And then it does it again.

And again.

And again.

It's military-ish space opera at its best, and I really, really loved it. It's about the end of humanity and the end of the world, and revenge and growth and mostly just learning to be an empathetic human in a world determined to strip you of all empathy.

5/5 Stars -- Perfect for TLT and Dune fiends out there looking for something to sink their necro-fangs into while we wait for Alecto. This is a world full of fascinating disaster bi-sexuals and morally grey politics against the backdrop of a dying cosmos and should not be missed. I cannot wait to own a phsyical copy of this book and for readers to fall in love / love to hate Kyr. Tesh is now an auto-buy author for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Tor for this advanced copy.

Some Desperate Glory was a fine book. A perfect combination of Space opera and dystopian. However, at some parts, this book was hard to follow because all of those things that already mentioned in Trigger Warnings. And Tor was really did a good job with their trigger warning pages.

This was a ton of fun -- Kyr's character development over the course of the story is really lovely to see, and the whole cast of characters is a lot of fun. I think this would be a great rec for people who love epic-y space stories like Red Rising, the Wayfarers series, and anyone who loves a found family story. I would certainly urge all readers to read content/trigger warnings.

This one is difficult for me to review personally because the trigger warnings at the beginning were meant for me, a queer nonbinary person, who found themself and their trans family belittled and misgendered throughout. This is why, as a reader, I could not finish the book.

As a bookseller, I can absolutely say without question that I can recommend this book to folks looking for big, epic space operas like Red Rising or Ancillary Justice, Seven Devils or The Expanse.

I just wish that it didn't have to stomp all over and punch down on some of the most marginalized people right now in our society in order to do so.

This intriguing space opera seems to be a cross between Groundhog Day and a dystopian universe. The story starts with Valkyrie, a young girl who grows up on Gaea, a space station with the remnants of the human race after Earth has been blown up by aliens known as the majo. Her training with her cohort, known as Sparrow, is rigorous and harsh, augmented by the virtual reality known as the agoge, which replays the last days of Earth in an effort to change the outcome.
When an alien ship is captured, piloted by Yiso, the initial hatred towards the alien unleashes unexpected consequences and tragedy. And yet, in a parallel universe, the circumstances play out very differently. And Kyr, or Val as she's known in the alternate world, must uncover the true meaning of family, morality, and the limits of rage and revenge.
This story was fascinating as it explored existential questions such as what is true and what is propaganda, what are the limits and costs of power, what role should control and violence play in society toward marginalized groups, and how do you define civilization? While this was a very thought-provoking story, there seemed to be some key ingredient missing. Maybe it was just Kyr's perspective through the book, but I felt that rage all too often overwhelmed the compassion. I'd say this was a good book, but it just missed being great.

From the premise alone, Some Desperate Glory intrigued me. A universe in which Earth has been obliterated and now humanity is on a crusade to enact justice? Count me in. But nothing is as it seems and this 'noble cause' that Kyr is raised to believe in, begins to show cracks. Tesh does not allow easy answers or uncomplicated decisions in Some Desperate Glory. Deeply focused on Kyr's emotional and character journey, it's a story about ethics, technology, and family.

About humanity, survival, and existence. Look, at times you might not like Kyr, but Kyr's story is one that examines responsibility and ideas. We can be taught, brought up, raised, to believe in something so earnestly that when things begin to fall apart, we can try anything to hold on. To cling to what we know even if there are forces which question, people we love which break away from us. And Some Desperate Glory manages to balance an action packed story about rebellion with Kyr's personal growth.

A fast-paced story that leaves readers with a lot to think about and will appeal to fans of "The Forever War" by Haldeman or "The Light Brigade" by Hurley. I had a great amount of sympathy for the main character, while actively hoping that she would fail in her goals. Some readers will absolutely not enjoy going on that journey of character growth.

it's only february but this is absolutely going on my best books of the year shelf. i loved it so, so much. it's a challenging read at times, because it deals with challenging topics, but it deals with them well and also acknowledges that sometimes there are no easy answers. kyr, the main character, starts off life in a space station being trained for a cause she believes in with all her heart. however, the universe is not so simple and there are so many shades of gray and watching her learn and grow and change over the course of the book was so good. and avi!! my favorite character whether he deserves it or not, is such a good example of how escaping something on the outside doesn't mean we've escaped it internally, and how difficult that can be to face. ugh, this was just so good. i highly recommend. many thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

I'm mad. I think I may have read my favorite book of 2023... IN FEBRUARY.

Okay, it's too early to call it. I know it. But dang it, I finished this book on Monday night and I still feel like I'm living in it.

So, the gist is, this is a book about cult kids learning empathy. It's about deeply damaged people and how they perceive the world. It's about second chances, and it's about being a terrible person learning to maybe be... not so terrible. It is a deeply queer book, but there isn't a lot of romance in it, so keep that in mind. There's yearning though. LOTS of yearning.

It's a space opera that is more concerned with character than plot, and that's a compliment because the plot is good and the characters are *excellent*. I loved Kyr, I hated Kyr, I rooted for her and I laughed when she fell on her ass. The side characters are brutally engaging. I was incredibly moved as Kyr learns just what she has been lied about her whole life, and what is expected of her in the future. It's just such a good, good, book - well-paced, thoughtful, ultimately hopeful even when it's bleak. I loved it.

Thank you netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for my honest thoughts!
Wowww TLT fans? Space opera fans? Fans of horrifying dystopia novels? Here you go 😂 Kyr starts us off honestly (purposefully) not on a great foot. She is mean, she has horrible biases due to her wartime upbringing. And it continues to get worse! CW for forced pregnancy (there is a whole assignment for this but our MC’s aren’t involved directly), SA otherwise, and homophobia.
As time goes on, Kyr (unfortunately I think, she thinks) because an empathetic human and comes to understand a little more about what happened in her world. There are really incredible Scenarios, some of your faves will die (will they?) and you’ll just be really rooting for this little group of misfits. I will say, I think Cleo has my heart the most out of the bunch and I would absolutely love her POV. Also, I absolutely will be starting a Loathing Jole Hate Club ™️ he is a horrendous evil being. Yiso also gets a fan club but in a positive way because I love them so much 🥺 let’s face it. Each character pulled at my heart. I wish I could more eloquently say—please read this book. I loved it so much and I cannot guarantee you won’t cry at the ending 🖤🥰🥺
🛰️👽🚀
𝙿𝚛𝚘𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚜𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗’𝚝 𝚖𝚎𝚊𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍, 𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚕𝚎𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞.

𝗛𝗶, 𝗜 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗸𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂, 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗜 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝘂𝗻 𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲𝘀, 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆. 𝗔𝗹𝘀𝗼, 𝗶𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗜 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗱, 𝘀𝗼 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗶𝗿𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘄. 𝗕𝘆𝗲!

“𝗬𝗶𝘀𝗼’𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝘁,” 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗞𝘆𝗿 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗽𝗹𝘆. “𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗯𝗶𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗳𝘂𝘀𝗲𝗱, 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗹.” “𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗱 𝗺𝗮𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱,” 𝘀𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗬𝗶𝘀𝗼.

𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘌𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘩’𝘴 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘌𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘯’𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘠𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘪 𝘓𝘪𝘯’𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘜𝘳𝘴𝘢’𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘸𝘦𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘣𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵 𝘶𝘯𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰’𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳.

I liked this author's Greenhollow novellas and I absolutely loved this one! Its entirely different than what I've read from her in the past.

In this book, you're in the head of Kyr (short for Valkyrie). Kyr has been raised in a society that is militaristic, authoritarian, and focused entirely on vengeance against the rest of the universe. Humans are a small part of a very big cosmos and there are many other species, many of whom have entered into an alliance. Humans did not fare well when they reached into space and discovered that they were not alone. There was a war, humans lost, and most of humanity has been absorbed into the alliance. Kyr's world is the inside of a hollowed out asteroid where ancient warships serve as the source of power for all life support, everything. Kyr has been raised in a creche with other age mates and all she wants is to be the best. She's rather insufferable but if you've ever been an academic overachiever you might recognize a bit of yourself in her. She's also pretty clueless about how to be a person and get along with other people. The only person she truly loves is her twin brother Magnus, but she does not see how much of a teddy bear he truly is for someone raised in this Spartan society. Both Kyr and Magnus are warbred, people who were genetically manipulated before their birth for exceptional strength, agility, intelligence, in order to become supermen and women. Yes, there is very much an Ubermensch aspect to this and a racist and sexist one too. Kyr and Magnus are the last of the warbred in their home because no one understands the technology necessary in order to make these genetic tweaks anymore.

Kyr must learn to look beyond her narrow parameters for excellence and gain the perspective to look past the indoctrination that she's had all her life. There's a lot more to the universe than she has imagined. Through Kyr, this book explores how damaged, fascist societies breed warped damaged people who are used as tools to further the will of those truly in power. This may sound rather grim, but I loved this book. I loved Kyr as a character- she's too smart not to observe the difference between what she's been told and reality. She's too frightened to be able to move past what she's been taught, at least at first. Terrible choices are made by others warped by the same forces that shaped Kyr. Some of the people in her society cannot live within it because they can't live with themselves if they do.

This is a book about how one can compromise oneself in order to fit in perfectly, only to find that there's no way that they will ever be rewarded for their sacrifice. It's a book about growing beyond what you've been taught and learning how you truly feel about what's right and wrong. It's also some pretty cool science fiction with world-buster gadgets, fascinating and terrifyingly powerful aliens, and high stakes. I may have made it sound a bit grim, but I zoomed through this book, loved Kyr in all her flawed, desperate glory, and would love to see what this author manages to pull off next.

This is one of those books that I will probably not make it justice in my review but I shall try. To start with, it is hard to review Some Desperate Glory as it's better to go blind so I will try my best to not give too much away. I will be honest, two days ago I was fully prepared to DNF, it was taking me too long to read it, I was feeling myself not fully into the characters and the story. But I wanted to trust the narrative so even when I was almost halfway through it and still not sure I pushed and it was so rewarding. You will know when you get there. This is probably one of the few cases that the marketing line "for fans of x" truly works: if you enjoy The Locked Tomb I think you will really like this. It is a book that I'm sure will do great on reread, it has morally grey characters, there are mean powerful women, and there's also a weird unexpected found family that you can't help but love. But in the end what I loved the most about Some Desperate Glory is that it is a story about finding humanity even when you were raised for vengeance.

This whole book was a surprise 😭 I mean I had an idea I would like it, yes. But somehow I didn't know just how much it would affect me and throw me in a roller coaster through space.

I love the world-building and all the details the author put in this story. Those passages from books/journals/accounts about human race, the wars, even the insertion of philosophy and humanity? They all helped build and set the tone of the story, as well as the history and foundation.

I love the both the familiarity and surprise of the storytelling and the plot. Like it got me feeling I know what's going to happen next and that I've seen it before (naive soldier realizes how fucked up the system is and realizes not everything is what is seems). But then the author throws you into some sort of deep end and suddenly you're caught unawares. Several times I wanted to rip my hair out because of the plot twists and details, but oh I loved it.

And perhaps one of the best parts of the book is the main character herself, Kyr. She's so annoying. Well, I guess, not anymore. Because in those 400+ pages, she has annoyed me, frustrated me, confused me, made me sympathize with her, made me understand her, touched my heart, made me root for her. She made me love her. Kyr is such a complex and compelling character, and I just loved being on this journey with her.

Overall, Some Desperate Glory was an incredible and expansive book. If you give it a try you might like it too. 🥹

CW: death, genocide, murders, mentions of rape/sexual harassment, homophobia, transphobia/queerphobia

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Tor for allowing me to read this incredible book early! This book has simultaneously filled a hole that has been left from waiting for updates in the Red Rising series, while also just making me want even more speculative fiction and sci-fi that focus on the strength and resilience of women. Having read Tesh’s novellas previously, I knew that I would enjoy this novel just as much. But I was not expecting the whirlwind of emotions this book brought out in me. When I say I have never read anything like it, I mean it. You go into it expecting it to be one thing and exactly what it says in the blurb, but it was so much more. The characters were incredible and complex. The story felt both heartbreaking and empowering. I absolutely cannot wait to see what Tesh does next!
For fans of Red Rising, who perhaps wanted more women front and center, please enjoy!