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A review by ddnreads
Fledgling by S.K. Ali
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The first book I finished in 2025 left me devastated (affectionate)
Dearest Madam S. K. Ali, with all due respects, YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN. Yes, please write more sff!!! The potential is there and it's well executed 👌🏾
The idea about toppling down tyrannical government, bodily autonomy, free will, freedom in general, and how the faults is in the system was well delivered.
I love the characters development(Raisa, especially!!! And I'm down bad for Musaid and Nayf corruption arc. You can never make me love Lein, tho.) . Loving how their train of thought differentiate how they will take actions. Characters with personality and SHORT CHAPTERS never goes wrong.
The world building is... probably is a bit hard to get into but once you do, it's not very hard to follow.
The story revolved around an abduction of the daughter from the Upper Earth's council member daughter, Raisa, who is about to be married with the son of Lower Earth's leader, Lein. This marriage will also seal the agreement in which people of the lower earth will be "knitted" and "scalplinked" in the name of civilization and modernization. The Enlightenment from the Upper Earth. The scalplink is able to control one's mind. Thus, the erasure of free will, free mind. Of course there is a rebellion organisation that opposed this agenda, that leads to the abduction. Turned out, it revealed more intricts, plays, hidden agendas, questioning trust and demand huge amount of sacrifices.
As a sci-fi debut, the story was great. It's hard but also gentle in it's writing. It doesn't shy away from the shitocery of the world. How it reflects what we're going through in reality.
The plot is neatly written, meanwhile, with that many characters and their alias, and who their fledge for, it might be hard to comprehend as a whole and borderline all over the place. For me personally, I enjoy this so much. But I can see how it may be a problem for some people.
However, it's been a long while I've read a good dystopian book!!! This is such a fresh air amidst the usual fantasy I'm reading. Love it!
If you're into a book about resistance, "the necessity of violence", revolution, freedom, political and kingdom intricts, laced with immersive world building and its unique invention, give this book a go!!!
Dearest Madam S. K. Ali, with all due respects, YOU'VE DONE IT AGAIN. Yes, please write more sff!!! The potential is there and it's well executed 👌🏾
The idea about toppling down tyrannical government, bodily autonomy, free will, freedom in general, and how the faults is in the system was well delivered.
I love the characters development
The world building is... probably is a bit hard to get into but once you do, it's not very hard to follow.
The story revolved around an abduction of the daughter from the Upper Earth's council member daughter, Raisa, who is about to be married with the son of Lower Earth's leader, Lein. This marriage will also seal the agreement in which people of the lower earth will be "knitted" and "scalplinked" in the name of civilization and modernization. The Enlightenment from the Upper Earth. The scalplink is able to control one's mind. Thus, the erasure of free will, free mind. Of course there is a rebellion organisation that opposed this agenda, that leads to the abduction. Turned out, it revealed more intricts, plays, hidden agendas, questioning trust and demand huge amount of sacrifices.
As a sci-fi debut, the story was great. It's hard but also gentle in it's writing. It doesn't shy away from the shitocery of the world. How it reflects what we're going through in reality.
The plot is neatly written, meanwhile, with that many characters and their alias, and who their fledge for, it might be hard to comprehend as a whole and borderline all over the place. For me personally, I enjoy this so much. But I can see how it may be a problem for some people.
However, it's been a long while I've read a good dystopian book!!! This is such a fresh air amidst the usual fantasy I'm reading. Love it!
If you're into a book about resistance, "the necessity of violence", revolution, freedom, political and kingdom intricts, laced with immersive world building and its unique invention, give this book a go!!!