Book review: Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh

Book links: Amazon, Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: EMILY TESH, a two-time Astounding Award finalist, is the author of the World Fantasy Award-winning Greenhollow Duology, which begins with the novella Silver in the Wood and concludes with Drowned Country.

Publisher: Length: 448 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, hardcover, paperback 

Some Desperate Glory by Emily Tesh is a fast-paced, character-driven space opera that won the 2024 Hugo Award for Best Novel. Not too shabby.

The story combines high-stakes action with deep emotional and political arcs. It follows Kyr, a fiercely loyal (and brain-washed) soldier on Gaea Station, whose entire life revolves around avenging Earth’s destruction by alien forces. Her intensity and single-mindedness make her difficult to like, and her initial arrogance is frustrating. Like, you rarely meet someone so resistant to counter-arguments or logic. That changes, obviously, when spoilerish events shake Kyr’s worldview.

I liked how Tesh approached the transformation of a soldier so fiercely committed to the cause but faced with painful truths about her society and herself. Her radical unlearning and moral reappraisal packs a punch. With that said, some parts of Kyr’s arc feel repetitive, especially in the middle sections.

The novel’s world-building is ambitious, but not fully explained or logical. The multiverse mechanics and reality-altering technology play a key role in the narrative. I had the impression these elements sometimes felt overly convenient, particularly near the climax, where a deus ex machina resolution (of sorts) weakens the otherwise strong narrative tension. I won’t lie, I felt that the stakes, built up so well throughout the story, were undercut by the ultimate solution.

While its fans praise the book for its critique of militarism and patriarchy, the intensity of its political messaging felt somewhat heavy-handed to me. Tesh’s writing is sharp, and she delivers a strong commentary on systems of oppression, but the characters can feel more like vehicles for these ideas than fully fleshed-out individuals. That said, I understand those who appreciate Some Desperate Glory’s subversive edge and rather fresh take on classic space opera tropes.

Overall, Some Desperate Glory is a bold, energetic novel with plenty of thought-provoking ideas, but its flaws—unlikable characters, a somewhat repetitive middle, and a too-neat ending—decreased my enjoyment. Still, it’s a noteworthy entry in modern sci-fi that combines thrilling action with larger social critiques.