tl;dr

A fitting conclusion to what’s been an unconventional space-opera trilogy.

opening remarks

Revenant Gun is the third, and, I believe, concluding volume in Yoon Ha Lee’s Machineries of Empire series.  I loved the first book, was less enamoured by the second which felt like a case of diminishing returns.  I ummed and ahhed about picking up the final novel, but I realised I was still intrigued by Yoon Ha Lee’s mathematical, calendrical universe.

knee-jerk observations

The novel’s title is explained in the first chapter.  Nine years have passed since the events of Raven Stratagem.  The Hexarch, who used to control the galaxy (or good chunks of it anyway), is now fighting a war against the Protectorate and the Compact. What remains of the Hexarch, in particular, the leader of the Nirai, has cloned or magicked up a version of the famous, brilliant and homicidal General Jedao.  While Jedao thinks he’s 17 and still a cadet, he has the muscle memory of a genius tactician.  He is… the Revenant Gun!

For whatever reason, publishers feel zero compulsion to include ”a previously on…” as a prelude to the second or third book in a series.  So, while it is a little lumpy, I’m grateful for the reminders of what transpired at the end of Raven Stratagem.  And I do quite adore the phrase ”unfuck the revolution”.

Newly resurrected Jedao’s response to the actions of his former self would have me spitting out of my tea in laughter if I was drinking tea or any warm beverage.

I appreciate that Young Jedao reflects on the fucked up power dynamics of the Kel.

Like Jedao, Brezan wants to be a generous and just leader.  He’s finding out, though, that good intentions have their limitations.

One of the plot threads from the previous two books is how the servitors (I keep imagining them all as R2D2) have begun empowering themselves.  Hemiola (also a servitor) has been stuck on a base out in the boondocks of space, so wasn’t aware of this change in ideology.

Young Jedao decides to check out some of the dramas about his past life in order to figure out who he was.  (He chooses fiction, rather than documentaries because he thinks it will be fun… little does he know).

Eventually, he does watch a documentary and it goes about as well as you’d expect (given Jedao is a mass murderer).

Identity, especially regarding gender, is an essential facet of Yoon Ha Lee’s world-building.  In the case of Cheris/Jedao, it’s less about gender and more about the merging of two very different personalities.

Young Jedao is disgusted to find out that the remembrances involve new and different ways to torture, publicly, so-called heretics.  While other characters throughout the series have been less than enamoured with the remembrances, this version of Jedao is the first to voice the horrified reactions of the reader.

The Gist Of It

Revenant Gun is a fitting conclusion to what’s been an unconventional space-opera trilogy. 

Elsewhere online I’ve commented on the ingenious world building – technology powered by strict observance to a calendar – the awesome space battles and the cat and mouse shenanigans between Cheris, Jedao and the spymaster Shuos Mikodez.  What I haven’t discussed in any depth is Yoon Ha Lee’s bold treatment of gender, sexuality and identity.  I say bold because having a trans character play a prominent role in the overarching narrative of a far future SF novel or series still feels like something unique and exciting.  I know that gender transition isn’t new to SF, but it’s often been presented as a neat facet of an advanced civilisation as if a switch in biology is like a change of clothes. (c.f. Varley, Banks and countless other examples).  Yoon Ha Lee, though, treats it for what is, a person embracing their true identity, their essence.  If I have a quibble, it’s that I could have had more of Brezan (the trans character) and less of Young Jedao.  I found Brezan’s attempts to establish a fair and just system of Government more compelling than the space-opera hijinks.

Having said that it’s an astute move on Yoon Ha Lee’s part to introduce Young Jedao.  As his memories predate the peak of Older Jedao’s power, which culminated with his decision to slaughter his crew during the massacre of Hellspin Fortress, younger Jedao can’t help but interrogate and be horrified by the actions of his older self.  This reveals another, more layered side to Jedao, especially his disgust at the remembrances, which in his time – four hundred years previously – didn’t involve such a public sacrifice of so-called heretics.  I fell in love with this version of Jedao. 

I also liked the drone Hemiola who, innocent to the news that his compatriots are seeking independence from humanity, again provides an interesting insight into the conflicting ideologies at play.  The revelation about the Moths (which I won’t spoil here) doesn’t just offer greater depth to the world building it also requires characters, in particular, Jedao, to reevaluate their worldview.

I was less enamoured with Cheris’ storyline.  She becomes less a character and more a plot token to be brought out when required, especially the novel’s climax.  It’s a shame because she was such a vibrant, fascinating person in Ninefox Gambit.  I suppose that version of Cheris really did die.  I also thought Revenant Gun was 20,000 too long, plodding, rather than hurtling headlong, toward the denouement.

All my criticisms aside, including my lack of love for Raven Strategem, the trilogy, judged as a whole, is smart, brilliantly imagined and, at times, very funny (I’ve said fuck all about Yoon Ha Lee’s wry sense of humour).  The Machineries of Empire sets a high bar for whatever Lee does next.  No pressure.