Every Sky a Grave

I love Sci Fi and I love Fantasy, but where they intersect I often struggle. Every Sky a Grave is very much in the Science Fantasy subgenre. We have a galaxy spanning empire, ruled over by a carefully balanced power intersection between the military and a quasi-mystical group who can destroy a planet with a word.

Here we follow an agent of the word, someone who can bring a collapse in planet with a phrase. She is sent on missions to excise planets which are deviating from the plan of the ruling authorities. Usually she is given a chance to refresh and recuperate between missions, but this time she is rushed out on a new mission personally sanctioned by the leader of her organization. This breach in protocol is just the start and we end up questioning the entire basis for the society that is being presented.

The space opera scope is undeniable, but I struggled a bit with the balance between our agents awesome power and her struggles on the ground. The political dimension is intriguing, but ultimately very convoluted. A lot of the motivations ended up confused. The concept and scope are brilliant - the execution ended up a little lost in its own grandeur. Ultimately this isn't a bad book. The fantasy elements of this however left me struggling with the more science fiction aspects and vice versa. I am quite picky with my science fantasy novels!