The Wings Upon Her Back

This is a deftly woven story of the protagonist's fall into conspiracy theory and the heinous actions they make because of it, and the difficulty of admitting to being wrong once they're so far inside--an all-too-relevant tale. It's well-told and deeply layered, with a protagonist you'll love even as you see them making wrong decisions again and again. I rooted so hard for Zenya to see the truth, but couldn't fault her for keeping to what she thought was the "proper and righteous way," even as I mourned for her, and hoped for an eventual realization of truth.

While the book was difficult to read at times (due to its relevance), it was gorgeously written with prose that flew like those gleaming wings of copper. Ultimately, though, it's a book of hope. Hope that one CAN see through the charade, that one CAN chose the correct path even after traveling so far down the wrong one. Yet it isn't blithely simplistic, either. Zenya doesn't get an easy path simply because she sees the truth; instead we're allowed to see that the satisfaction of doing the right thing, even so late in life, is the balm the soul needs to be at peace. The amazing ending is well worth the journey taken. A highly recommended read.

I received an ARC of this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

What do you do when the gods you worship, the gods whose love you crave, turn their faces away from you?

The Wings Upon Her Back is a fierce, aching battle cry of a book, both cinematically epic and painfully intimate. Samantha Mills has crafted a striking world of sleeping gods, disillusioned revolutionaries, and metal wings -- and from it, she wrenches equal amounts of love and pain.

The book is simultaneously a thrilling, action-packed tale of revolution and mecha-battles between warring factions -- but also, at its heart, a searingly raw look at how different people claw their ways out (or don't) from abusive relationships -- with a mentor, with a loved one, or even with a god. It's a story about disillusionment, about rationalizing terrible actions, and about finding the difference between love and loyalty, leadership and control. While reading, I felt as though my chest were constricted for much of the book, but ultimately found it deeply cathartic.

I would describe this book as a triumphant cocktail of Fonda Lee's Untethered Sky x the Divine Cities trilogy x Some Desperate Glory. A stunning debut.

THE WINGS UPON HER BACK is the debut novel by Hugo, Nebula, Sturgeon, and Locus Award winner Samantha Mills. Mills won all four of those awards last year for her short story "Rabbit Test". There was an itch at the back of my mind that needed to be scratched, so I did a bit of digging around and found that she had a story in "The New Voices of Science Fiction", edited by Hannu Rajaniemi and Jacob Weisman, published back in 2019. So, she's been around for at least a little while. Based on "Rabbit Test" and now THE WINGS UPON HER BACK, I believe she is going to be around for a very long time.

The setting for the story is the city of Radezhda which was founded by five gods, each of whom brought a different gift, a different discipline, to the city. Each god helped to bring prosperity and advancement to the people of Radezhda. As is the way of things, the five gods didn't always agree on things, but together they helped bring progress and improvements to the city. Until one day, the gods left the city, going high into the sky and falling into a deep sleep. The disciples of each of the gods all had something in common: the desire to determine why the gods had left them. Each of the five disciplines built skyscraper-like towers in an attempt to reach up to their god and bring them back home. The leader of each faction is called the Voice, and those leaders are the only ones that get to talk to their gods, and infrequently at that.

Eventually, and again as is the way of things, without the leadership of the gods conflicts arose, and the city came to war with itself. As each of the factions had different viewpoints, the city was being torn apart by violence. The Mechas, a warrior sect originally tasked with the job of protecting the city from outsiders, added the task of protecting the city dwellers from themselves. The Voice of the Mechas is the ruthless and power-hungry Winged Vodaya.

Zenya, the true focus of the story, is a teenager in a family that is in the scholar sect. She is unsatisfied and unhappy being a scholar. Her goal is to join the Mecha sect, get her wings, and become one of the protecters of the city. She runs away from her family and joins the Mechas, and soon shows enough aptitude that Vodaya takes Zenya under her wing (no pun intended). Eventually Zenya earns her Wings and becomes the Winged Zemolai. As time wears on, Zemolai gets weary of the constant fighting and battles and, in a rare (as in never) show of mercy, lets a spy who infiltrated the Mecha sect from the Scholar sect, go free after she discovers his treachery. This gets her Wings torn away, and she is cast out on the street with nowhere to go.

The story is told in two different timelines. One covers Zenya's story, her background, and how she came to be one of the Winged. The other is Zemolai's story after she gets cast out of the Mecha sect, and how she comes to find out that things are significantly different than she thought they were while she was one of the Winged. But there are two additional sides to the novel. One is that THE WINGS UPON HER BACK is a straightforward action adventure story, complete with a maniacal, single minded leader who is blinded by her ambition and who tries to take complete control of her domain. The other is a story of discovery, of a person learning who they are after they've achieved their life's goals, who their friends really are, and what really is going on in the world around them, the world they thought they knew well but really didn't know at all.

It's early in 2024, and there are a lot of books yet to come, many of which will be terrific. Many will come from authors that have been in the field a long time, and authors that are new. But for me, THE WINGS UPON HER BACK is the best book I've read in 2024 so far. Sure, Samantha Mills has been around a few years now, but it appears that her star is just now starting to take off. If THE WINGS UPON HER BACK is any indication, Mills will be providing us with great reads for a long time. I look forward to what she'll be bringing us in the future.

A shatteringly beautiful, harrowing, and glorious tale of faith and disillusionment, violence and redemption. Mills weaves a gripping tale about a place where mysterious beings, maybe gods or maybe something else, are worshipped, feared and adored by those in the city below. We follow Zenya who has spent her life serving what she thought was a just and righteous cause, but who now sees both her present and her past crumble. Zenya has been a loyal warrior, but now she has lost her way and more besides. Mills tells us the story of Zenya and her city by showing us both the past and present, connecting the pieces of a broken life, and a broken community. An exceptional book.

This gripping science-fantasy novel tells the story of Zenya, a loyal warrior who finds herself in a crisis of faith. Zenya must fight to regain her place and begin her life again while questioning the events of her past.
The world-building in this novel is truly exceptional. Set in the city of Radezhda, we are introduced to a society where five gods lie mysteriously sleeping above the city. These gods once bestowed great technologies and wisdom, each inspiring the devotion of their own sect. However, when the gods turned away from humanity, their followers built towers to the heavens to find out why. This collective grief eventually leads to desperation and war between the sects.
Zenya, our protagonist, is a strong and determined character. As a teenager, she ran away from home to join the mechanically-modified warrior sect, determined to earn her mechanized wings and protect her people and city. Under the strict tutelage of a mercurial and charismatic leader, Zenya becomes Winged Zemolai. However, after twenty-six years of service, Zemolai becomes disillusioned with her role as an enforcer in an increasingly fascist state. After one tragic act of mercy, she is cast out and loses everything she has worked for.
As Zemolai fights for her life, she begins to understand the true nature of her sect, her leader, and the gods themselves. This journey of self-discovery is both heart-wrenching and thought-provoking. The author does an excellent job of exploring the costs of zealous faith, brutal war, and unquestioning loyalty. One of the standout elements of this novel is the complex and diverse cast of characters. Each character, from the enigmatic leader to the other members of the sect, is well-developed and adds depth to the story. The relationships between the characters are also well-written and add an emotional layer to the plot.
Overall, this book is a must-read for fans of science-fantasy and would highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a unique and immersive reading experience.

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

A unique science fiction setting provides the backdrop for winged warriors and religio-political intrigues in Mills's fantastic debut.

Zenya is in her forties. Constant aches and pains plague her, but even more, she's left bitter and disillusioned by decades of war on behalf of her mecha sect. When she extends mercy to a worker with an illegal religious icon, she's caught and quickly persecuted, stripped of her beloved wings and her very identity. Her 'rescue' by a band of rebels seems more a curse than a blessing as she's asked to betray everything she hold dear. Chapters alternate between the present and the past, highlighting the heartbreaking contrast between a young, hopeful Zenya and her embittered present self.

I could praise the depth of worldbuilding here and the gorgeousness of the winged battle scenes, but the most brilliant aspect is the psychological manipulation and warfare that is depicted through the book. Zenya is, truly, taken in by a religious cult with a charismatic letter, and is groomed to be a war machine who commits truly horrific deeds. There are a lot of books that depict the redemption of someone young, but that difficult path feels more real, more tragic, more beautiful, when through the eyes of someone who is older and utterly broken.

This is a beautiful meditation on the nature of faith, the dangers of unconditional loyalty, and what it means to question your most basic understanding of reality. I loved Zenya and the writing strikes the exact right note.

*I received an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thanks for the free book*

I absolutely loved "The Wings Upon Her Back". While it is scifi-fantasy-ish (mechas!!!) it was mostly about disillusionment and a military member losing her faith after decades of service. It's also a tale of fascism, power struggles, and how it never helps to put people into boxes and expect them to stay there. The book was easy to read, the prose was compelling, the characters interesting even though I did not trust the golden general from the beginning. I would like a sequel now, please? Yes?

5 stars

Once there were five Gods, each with their own following. A god for the workers, the farmers, the engineers, the scholars, and the warriors. Several centuries ago the Gods returned to Heaven, entering a mysterious sleep, and leaving man to fend for themselves. In their absence the five sects have struggled to work together, breeding suspicion, resentment, and war.

For as long as Zemolai can remember, she’s dreamed of flight. To be a member of the Winged, the mechanically-modified soliders of the warrior sect. However, after over two decades of battle, drugs, and her role as an enforcer, she finds her faith flagging. For these reasons, she is driven to an act of mercy, one that gets her cast out of her sect and stripped of her wings. Left to die, she is rescued by members of the resistance, and with their help she begins to uncover the truth about her religion, her leader, and the Gods themselves.

This was such a unique story and I had such a great experience reading it. The concept itself is original and the world building is fantastic. I loved that the author tended to be very vague on physical characteristics and descriptions, the only exceptions being if these things added to the characters back story. It left you free to imagine them as you will, and for me it gave them more life.

𝘈𝘵 𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘵, 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵. 𝘐𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘢𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘯𝘦’𝘴 𝘪𝘥𝘰𝘭𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘢𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.

This book is narrated from two different points in the MC’s life: as Zenya, the girl who wanted to fly, and Zemolai, the warrior who fell. Both narratives were so relatable. I recognized a younger version of myself in Zenya as she finds her faith and pushes away any doubts for the joy of belonging, and again when my heart broke with Zemolai, as the reality of her world is laid before her and she has to learn to forgive herself for her past. I was honestly inspired by her, and only hope I can be that brave the next time I’m forced to accept a truth that hurts.

There are so so many layers to this book, from religion to faith, that I could honestly talk about it all day. This story is so so powerful and I know will be with me for a long time. I really hope you, if you’ve read this far, you’ll give it a chance ❤️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Pub Date: April 22, 2024

Thank you NetGalley and Tachyon Publications for this free e-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

Amazing!! This book is really entertaining it has everything to keep you entertained, Well written the story line keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next , every chapter is a new surprise, I will definetly recommend to everyone!

The Wings Upon Her Back weaves a highly personal, powerful story of disillusionment and redemption with the grand scale of a society under a theological crisis. A people built a city for its gods, and then the gods went to sleep. Did the gods abandon us?. What would you give to feel the reciprocation of an unrequited love? Who do you become once meeting your heroes disillusions the path you have followed and you must make your own choice to find your own? Mills answers (or sometimes doesn't answer) with a masterful story grappling with faith and addiction and abuse, and shows us hope and optimism and the exhilarating freedom of choice. The writing quality stands atop a solid story foundation augmenting its strengths and polishing the few rougher parts. This is an early contender for one of my favorite reads of the year and I really hope to see some buzz!

I finished this and then just had to stare at the wall for a moment. I keep meaning to write a review and just struggling to put together my thoughts.

I absolutely loved this. The writing is just beautiful. There are so many lines that I stopped and highlighted, because I absolutely loved them. The world building is fascinating and I love how it is trickled in as necessary instead of given upfront or info-dumped. This book follows the main character through two different storylines (similar to Witch King by Martha Wells) and is a deep examination on faith, fascism, and the power of indoctrination. every single character is so flawed and yet you really understand why they are making the absolutely awful decisions that they are making (similar to The Unbroken by CL Clark). It's emotional, it's full of pain, it's got TWO absolutely gripping storylines, and I couldn't put it down.

Just, wow.

I really enjoyed this book. The characters and the complexity of the world is fascinating. 5 societies dictated by their desires, scholar, engineering, farming, labor, and the winged. Which are those who have had metallic wings attached to their back to defend the people, but what if the corruption finds its way into those societies. The societies are also split by the gods they follow.

Zenya is the main character of the book, she is a member of the winged who was raised in Milar as a scholar. She is torn between family and her duty. More so she dreamed since she was young to fly. But in one moment her whole world is flipped upside down.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review

The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills is a sci-fi where humans worship a mecha god and have wing attachments on their back to fly. Winged Zemolai has spent decades rising through the ranks of those devoted to the mecha god, following every order, until she commits an act of mercy by letting a man with an idol go free. As punishment, she loses her wings and is forced back down to the lower levels.

Samantha Mills writes the impact of facism, religious zealotry and religious trauma brilliantly. The way she explores how Zemolai still clings to old beliefs and the hope that maybe she could get her wings back was extremely well-done as was the exploration of the need to justify bad beliefs. It felt real, it felt relevant, and it resonated.

From a young age, Zeomlai wants to become a warrior despite coming from a scholar family, she desires wings of her own and to serve the mecha god despite the gods having left their world alone. The Voice of the gods was very analogous to religious leaders. The mecha elements were woven in a way that felt natural with the religious parts. The five man unit, five limbs with the four limbs and the head analogy, felt reminiscent of 1980s Voltron while also feeding into that greater narrative.

Zemolai is perhaps not the most likable character, but she feels like someone who does exist and is probably in your own life. She didn’t choose to give up her beliefs, she was forced to see that things are wrong and she’s struggling because of it. Many people have their world views upended and struggle to let go.

I don’t think I can say enough positive things about this book. From the brilliant use of prose, to the use of mecha elements, to the things that felt so connected to our world and the trials so many face, I could write an essay on how Mills reflects the world we live in while also creating something wholly new and alive. It’s a fabulous debut.

I would recommend this to fans of secondary world sci-fi, readers looking for explorations of religious trauma in a sci-fi/fantasy context, and those looking for conversations surrounding learning and unlearning dangerous beliefs in a secondary world

I really enjoyed reading this book. Oddly it paralleled junk going on in my life right now and due to that I felt closer to Zenya/Zemolai than was expected. Usually I find time period flitting back and forth annoying but in this case it actually worked well and flowed naturally. The author writes with a strange clarity that paints a great mental image of everything in the book. Bravo.

What an incredible pleasure to sink into a book that's compellingly written and crafted. I had hit a little bit of a slump of books that weren't doing it for me, but this one had me from the first page.

I love the worldbuilding here, the purposeful claustrophobia of it—towers that climb into the sky, but very little sense of a wider world. A class system within and across devotion to different specialized gods. The larger structures of facism, and the smaller, more personal structures of control and abuse. It's a very tense book, but in a great way where I was anxiously rooting for Zemolai to find her way out, not anxiously waiting for something terrible to happen.

And Zemolai! I loved her. I loved the flashbacks to her youth, and I loved her in the present—deeply flawed and hurting and scared, and I wanted the best for her. There were some other lovely characters too, young people around Zemolai who she was leaving behind or drawing nearer to; there was also Vodaya, an explosive and almost irresistible force of control. All of these characters, and others populating this world, were relayed with such delightful nuance and reality!

This book was a real gem, I'm glad to have spent an otherwise stressful week of my life reading it and cathartically crying about it.

I have always wanted to fly. I don't think the rush of it would compare to anything else. Zenya was the same, longing for the skies and wishing to protect and serve the people of her city. Now, almost three decades later, she is tired, despite the glorious wings upon her back. Who is she serving? And what are they all striving towards, in their god-abandoned city? The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills absolutely blew me away and has already become my favourite book of 2024! Thanks to Tachyon Publications and NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Imagine a city, your city, above which your gods sleep. Each god has its own followers, who strive for contact by building ever higher towers. You yourself follow one of these gods and you have modified your body and mind so you can carry wings in their honour and in defense of your city, following your fearless group-leader. And then, almost three decades later, you can't help but be disillusioned. What has it all been for? Were all the sacrifices along the way worth it? And, most importantly, were all the things you did really done for the good of all? Or did you perhaps go horribly awry on your path? These questions and more echo throughout The Wings Upon Her Back and made it a read which really sank its hooks into me. It is a novel that asks us to question what and who we put our faith into, to investigate the structures of our societies, and so much more. Mills also deftly handles the personal aspect of these major questions by tracking her protagonist's growth, which prevents any of this from sliding into "easy" answers and solutions. The Wings Upon Her Back

The Wings Upon Her Back tells us the story of how Zenya became the Winged Zemolai, yet also how Zemolai became unwinged. The narrative is split across two timelines, one following Zemolai now, cast out from her sect and needing to figure out where she stands in a world marked by discord. The other timeline shows us a younger Zenya, only fourteen, who moves into this warrior sect and is trained by the charismatic Vodaya to become a winged warrior. This latter storyline, taking place almost three decades earlier, also shows us how the city Radezhda changes and develops. The two storylines are very occasionally interupted by "Interludes", which seem to present excerpts from a treatise on Radezhda itself, on its nature as a city, and its place below the gods. The way Mills weaves together the stories of the younger Zenya and the older Zemolai was brilliant, especially in the final few pages it hit me hard. While it may seem that The Wings Upon Her Back is highly thematic, it is utterly driven by the development of its main character. Zemolai/Zenya's growth is what carries the novel and this growth is supported by the characters around it, who each seem to represent or speak to different aspects of Zemolai. I also adored the world Mills created, from the gods to the traditions of each sect to Radezhda itself. Aspects of The Wings Upon Her Back could have felt a little YA, such as, for example, the city's division into five factions based upon basic character traits. (Think Divergent, for example.) However, because of the age of her protagonist and the themes Mills is working with, it becomes so much more. The contrast between passionate youth and weary adult works incredibly well in this respect, because Zemolai herself is forced to consider these harsh divides, the politics behind them, the reasons why some grab for power, why some refuse to share, etc. At no point does it feel immature or like an easy way out. On top of that, Mills explores how a religion arises, what happens when history is changed or lost, and with abuses of power. The way Mills builds up the mentor-mentee relationship between Vodaya and Zenya may be triggering to some, but I believe it's absolutely vital to the story.

The Wings Upon Her Back is Samantha Mills' debut novel, although she has won awards for her short stories already. In her afterword she describes how this book was something of a labour of love, which she repeatedly shelved and picked back up over the years. The only way in which this is noticeable is in how sharp and precise the novel is, meaning that I felt I could see how Mills had sharpened her own focus and scope of the work. All the details of the world come at the right time and the back and forth between time lines never interrupts the thrust of the plot. Something I adored about Mills' writing is how, from the first page, there was a certain narratorial tone, which I find hard to describe except through example. We are told Zemolai just had an argument with someone which did not matter, except that within brackets we are told that of course it mattered and that of course it affected everything. I don't know what to call it, but these little asides somehow elevated the personal tragedy to something slightly epic, as if we were looking at a story already completed and could pick out the moments where someone made a choice, lied, missed something, etc. Maybe at a later moment I will have a better way of describing this, but for now I can only say that I loved it. I did not really expect much more from The Wings Upon Her Back than an exciting Fantasy story with wings and so the complexity but also nuance of the actual story blew me away. The writing was beautiful, the ideas were big but always grounded, and Zemolai has won a spot in my heart. I can't wait to read more by Samantha Mills and The Wings Upon Her Back is a definite favourite.

As I said, The Wings Upon Her Back blew me away. It was so much more than I had expected and it touched upon themes I found resonating within myself very strongly. I cannot wait to read more by Samantha Mills, as her debut novel is my favourite read of the year so far.

The Wings Upon Her Back by Samantha Mills

I first encountered Samantha Mills when her story, Rabbit Test, was nominated for a Hugo Award. I loved that story so much - it was incredibly well written and was number one on my ballot. (Regardless of what we later learned about how the 2023 Hugo nomination was hijacked, that story was amazing and it will always be a Hugo winner in my mind.)

After reading that story, I was excited when I found out that Ms. Mills had a first novel coming out, and I was even more excited when NetGalley and the publisher gave me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

The book starts when the protagonist, a member of a fascist warrior caste, goes easy on someone in possession of forbidden material, after which she is caught, her bio mechanical wings are stripped from her, and she is cast down. She then ends up connected with a bunch of young dissidents committed to bringing about positive change through violence.

The book alternates between this present time frame and the past, explaining how the protagonist left her scholar household to join the warrior caste.

The entire story is set in a city state organized by a caste system in which each of the five groups worships one of five gods that may or may not be alien visitors in suspended animation.

The world building is intriguing and tell you just enough to leave you wanting more.

The split narrative didn’t work for me exactly as intended - I loved the past timeframe so much that the present time frame felt boring and shallow by comparison. But maybe that’s just me.

In any event, I really enjoyed this book and I cannot wait to read more from Samantha Mills in the future!

This book is a five star read! I went into it like I do all fantasy books - a little skeptical to see if the world building would be good and it was so engrossing, I felt annoyed every time I had to put the book down.

The writing is superb, I love the way every story line had an end - nothing was forgotten, and you really get the dichotomy from Zemolai of wanting to be a dutiful warrior and worshipper, while also wanting to seek the truth and not following with blind faith.

This book was amazing and I will be recommending it to everyone I know. I’ll be following this author as well because I so enjoyed their writing.

One woman, two turning points in her life. As a child Zenya dreams only of joining the Winged, elite flying warriors who protect her city and serve the mecha god who's Voice is a stern but seductive fighter herself. As a battle scarred veteran of 26 years of endless fighting Winged Zemolai has given everything to her god but is stripped of everything that gave her purpose after one moment of misguided mercy. Will the child choose the ill fated path that takes her to the sky but away from everyone and everything she loves? Will the woman find the strength to open her eyes to truth and forge a life where she chooses what to believe for herself?

This is a beautiful, harsh examination of the dangers of blind faith and the ultimate power of redemption. That Samantha Mills should write a book of such stunning, blistering beauty as a debut novel is nothing short of amazing. She is one to watch.

Wow! What an epic read!

Worldbuilding, characters, plot, themes pacing - all outstanding in this debut novel! This is definitely an author to watch!

I'm not sure if it's fantasy or speculative fiction, I don't think I care because i loved the storytelling and it made me think while enjoyed a well plotted story and fleshed out characters.
Cannot wait to read other books by this author
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

Told in two timelines set twenty years apart, we follow Zemolai as she grapples with the choices that she makes in good faith coming back to firmly disillusion her. Leaving her scholarly family behind, Zemolai trains to be a mecha--a warrior with mechanical wings -- charged with protecting the citizens of Radzedha. She is mentored by Vodaya, a charismatic mecha leader who brooks no opposition or independent thought.

This is a wrenching, beautifully written tale of understanding and growth, and loss of faith. It is about learning the hardest lessons from your choices, and understanding how those choices shape you. It is also about learning that you do, indeed, have choices, even when you don't think that you do, or you lack enough information to make good choices.

This is a book about learning resilience the hard way. It's not emotionally easy, but the characters are compelling, and the worldbuilding is interesting and engaging. Highly recommended.

4.5 stars - Smart, layered and excellently written

Samantha Mills is mostly known for her short fiction, "The Wings Upon Her Back" is her debut novel. The premise sounded intriguing and I was very curious how it would unfold and what kind of world the novel is set in.

The story is told in two timelines but always from the perspective of Zemolai (nicknamed Zenya while she is still young). She grows up in the city-state of Radezhda with a religion that is divided into 5 sects, each of which is devoted to one God. What is special in this case is the fact that these gods are actually living beings that used to interact with the people of Radezhda but stopped doing so generations ago and instead went to sleep. It is still possible for the high clerics of the sects to visit the gods through portals but they cannot get any support, advice, no nothing.

In this world that leads to much speculation and of course also conflict. Whose fault is it that the people of Radedzhda are not being loved by their gods any longer? What can be done to wake the gods again? Is it a matter of not being pious enough?

And as things go when religion gives individuals plenty of power to wield... there are those who are quite willing to use that power for their own means.

One of the sects is those of the mecha, basically the police force in this society - just with a lack of control from the outside as there is no functioning governement. And when young Zenya enters the mecha sect she is so very motivated and her leader Vodaya is the one to take her under her (literal) wings. Vodaya is a prototype of a charismatic, self-righteous and abusive personality and Zenya never has a chance. It is quite chilling to see how easily she gets manipulated into absolute, unquestioning commitment and how abusive her relationship with Vodaya actually is.

The other timeline follows adult Zemolai, after decades of serving in the mecha sect and events that end up making her question her absolute commitment and the trustworthiness of Vodaya. 

The progress of the plot is well balanced and chapter by chapter leads us deeper into the fascist structures and the manipulations and mindsets that make them possible. 

The writing here is the absolute star of the show, it's just so good! Actually, I was not quite in the mood for such a dark and gritty story but the writing ended up pulling me in - sharply observed and spot on.

The only thing I really wished to find out more about was whatever the deal with the gods was. Who were they, where did they come from? So, I was kind of left just as unsatisfied as the people of Radezhda, which is kind of fitting I guess.

In any case though, if you like your sci fi with a dark and smart flavour with plenty of grit and not so comfortable insights into the dynamics of power, you are going to like this one. Absolutely recommended!

I have received an advance review copy from Tachyon via NetGalley and voluntarily provide my honest opinion. Thank you very much!

My review is in the November December issue of Analog Magazine, available on line now and in the print edition this month. Here is the link:
https://www.analogsf.com/current-issue/the-reference-library/