I had been looking forward to this book for some time, based on a personal recommendation from someone whose judgement on these things is usually sound. What I found was some impressive world-building, though I got the feeling that the narrative stalled a bit when the actual plot kicked in - hey, we're on a war-torn alien desert planet settled 800 years ago by mainly Islamic populations but of all things we get a car chase! - but it pulled itself back and I finished it with a better impression that I'd thought I was going to have. Having said that, I'm probably not going to seek out the rest of the series, but I'll happily acquire them if I happen across them.

As I said, we are on a desert planet that has been settled for a good eight hundred years; but this isn't Dune. The world of Umayma wasn't settled because of unique resources, but instead because of religious politics. The settlers were all Muslims; centuries on and they have schismed and fallen into a savage war. Some Islamic traditions have survived; others have mutated - one nation has actually inverted the gender roles and now apply similar attitudes towards men and male roles that more fundamental strands of Islam apply to women in our world. But another holds to views and practices that we would recognise. Hurley identifies these, adding in overt racism and body horror. And a lot of insects. Biotechnology in this world has harnessed insects for a range of tasks, and a class of people - "magicians" - can manipulate these insects through biochemical means. (This is not magic as such but as Arthur Clarke would have said, to all intents and purposes it is indistinguishable from magic, so the coinage fits well enough.)

We are propelled into the life of Nyx, a female war veteran, former assassin (or 'bel dame') and now reduced to various bounty hunting and black courier jobs. Her career takes a number of bad turns, and we follow her and her team into increasingly perilous situations in pursuit of a wayward "alien" (actually a off-world human in pursuit of more bioweapon materials).

As I said, the world-building on show here is impressive. The manipulation of insects is convincingly portrayed; the Muslim faith and practice is painted sympathetically, although Hurley does not flinch from challenging some practices such as polygamy or (in passing) female genital mutilation. At the same time, Islam is shown to have adapted over eight hundred or more years in a range of different ways. And we are also shown a sub-culture of female boxing which is fairly unique in contemporary science fiction.

As I said, the female assassins in the book are referred to as 'bel dames'; I got the reference, but there's no clues anywhere in the text or the world-building itself to point less knowledgeable readers in the right direction. (And I had to stop myself thinking of Michael Flanders gloriously mis-translating it as "the beautiful woman who never says thank you".) (http://www.donaldswann.co.uk/flanders.html)

So: a violent and unsettling tale for a number of different reasons, depending on the reader's own viewpoint. I suspect many might react badly to this, as "a novel or characters I cannot relate to". Well, one reason I read science fiction is to be shown something outside my direct experience; and this book certainly does that. ( )

I did not finish this. I won't rate it, because I don't think it is a bad book. It actually has some good points, but it is just not for me. In principle I like the non-western society, plus the turnaround of male-female roles due to the men being at the front. But for some reason, I find it a chore just to pick this up. Maybe it was my mood instead of the book, I don't know.

I'm not even sure where to start with this honestly. That's a good thing! This book surprised me and terrified me and rewarded me for moving past my initial distaste for a book dedicated to packing as many bugs per a page as GOD'S WAR seemed to be. I have a deep abiding fear of bugs that borders on paranoid delusions that they have a conspiracy to behead me.

I read elsewhere that Hurley describes this as 'bug-punk' which is an accurate description as any. Bugs make this world go round; they power the vehicles, are lanterns, medical helpers, food source and so entrenched in the magic system that the magicians have bugs constantly fluttering around their heads or crawling on their bodies. The descriptions made me itchy at times.

Beyond the bugs is the world mythology rooted in the Muslim religion, which I know practically nothing about (to be fair I know practically nothing about most monotheistic religions). There are two factions fighting a continuous religious War against each other. The Nasheen and the Chenja, both of whom pray the exact same way--in the same language, with similar wording and rituals--but who interpret the religious texts vastly different.

The Nasheen have a more liberal view of the religious texts; women are the driving force, with the men forced to serve on the front lines. The bel dames, sanctioned and funded by the government, are their bounty hunters pretty much. They track down draft dodgers, deserters, or other bel dames who have gone rogue. Nasheen women are much freer, more aggressive.

The Chenja are more like the conservative Muslims you hear about. Their women stay covered and are subservient to the men. Families must send all able-bodied sons to the front lines to fight, except for heirs to the family name. Heirs are only sent to fight if they have magic.

Rhys is a Chenjan male who left his home when it became apparent that he would be sent to fight on the front lines as a mage. Taken in by Yah Reza to be taught in a Nasheen magician's school, Rhys bided his time until he could go. But in a country where 'racist' is not a word, but practically a religious mandate, he finds himself trapped with Yah Reza.

Until Nyx. Nyx who was a bel dame, but who went rogue, came back and got caught for a hefty bounty. Sent to jail she emerges and carves out a life for herself, taking Rhys with her.

And that's about all I'm going to say on the matter.

Hurley doesn't shy away from heavy topics--religious morality, morals in the time of War, sexuality and human decency, these are all put into play along with violence and a dark twist of humor at times. There isn't innocence to be found in this book, just a shade of 'slightly better then you' amongst Nyx and Rhys. The book centers around Rhys and Nyx's hate/love relationship. Despite being in Nasheen for a decade or there abouts, Rhys is determined to live his life as close to the way his people (the Chenjans) worship as possible. He can't leave Nyx though. And Nyx, who alternately wants to punch Rhys and clings to him out of a desperate need for some constant in her life, is never quite certain why she wants him around.

The book is filled with complex plots and schemes. No one, and I do mean no one, is without some sort of endgame idea. They dance around each other, offering only small bits of themselves, because its safer. Whether you die in an explosion or because you piss off the wrong person at the wrong time by living, Nyx's crew is made up of outcasts to their society. They're a loyal group to each other, when it serves their interests at least.

This is closer to a 4.5 and I'll be honest a whole lot of my problems stemmed from the fact Hurley did too good of a job describing all the critters in the world. The world used bugs for everything--food, lighting, magic, transportation--and thus Hurley seemed to take almost gleeful delight in describing all the different beetles and centipedes and such. Which made it difficult for me to read since I constantly felt like they were crawling all over my skin. ( )

Good. And Bleak. The characters each are the product of a broken world, all horribly broken in their unique ways and still pull you in. The story may not be fore everyone, but you should give it an honest go before passing judgement. ( )

Well written story about a very unpleasant world in perpetual holy war. I was unhappy throughout with the fact that there is little clue about what was going on to drive the main action of the plot, the search for a missing alien. Though all was revealed more or less abruptly toward the end. I need more information to keep me going. Probably won't follow this series. ( )