BOOKCLUB: Week One of Cry, Voidbringer

It will come as no surprise to any of you that I am loving my read-through of Cry, Voidbringer. Because...well...I published it. lol. This is one of the best fantasies I have read this year. Hell, read EVER. So I cannot express how exciting it is for me to be reading it alongside my bookclub! And I can't wait to have some detailed conversations with all of you about your experience with the book.

With that said, we are one week into our group read, so let's talk about the first chunk of the book!

DISCLAIMER: The remainder of this blog will be discussing, in detail, the first 14 chapters (117 pages) of the book. If you are not caught up to that point in the story, consider catching up before reading any further.

I knew by the end of the first chapter that I would be making an offer on this book. The way that Hammer is equal parts badass warrior with no fucks to give and compassionate toward the helpless.. I was floored immediately. Because what do you mean you are eager to cave in as many skulls as possible but also willing to risk everything to let a defenseless boy live, knowing there is every chance you will be punished if anyone ever finds out? The math isn't there...and yet, I understand completely.

As you know, there are multiple point of views in this book. And I wouldn't say that any of them come second, in importance, to the others. But for me, personally, Hammer stands out as the center of this story. Not necessarily because I think she is more interesting than the other two POVs, but because I think it is through her story that we find the necessary context to piece together how all of their perspectives are working together to say something devastating, and honest, about the world they live in... and the one we do.

There is a moment where Crescent is explaining just how important it is to hold onto the love of the people we have lost, and he says:

"The Faceless aren't allowed to love...When we get captured, there isn't anyone who's willing to protect us. We die or get ransomed. And the loneliness turns people. They drown it in drink and blood. I see that they're doing it to you...They're making you forget who you were." Page 116

This moment was so incredibly impactful for me because, while it asked us to really consider the depth of Viri's suffering, it did so through the context of already knowing who Hammer had become. After decades of fighting for a crown that saw her as nothing but an expendable weapon, Hammer has become a shell of herself. When you look past the undeniable strength, the power, the fearlessness, the immovable courage... you realize that the reason she is able to move through life with that kind of bravery is because everything that we are afraid to lose... s he has already lost. A reality made even sadder when you think about what she, herself, had to say about it:

"Remember what your parents looked like, the place you lived, the books you read, the food you ate. Sear it into your head. These coming days will force you to forget, because your past is dangerous to them." - Page 79

Hammer, for me, serves as the anchor of this story. It is both through her suffering and her resilience that we are able to understand how high a cost the Queen is demanding from Viri, and how much danger Naias is truly in.

Let's talk about Naias...

Naias is a character that is not easy to like. We know from the jump that Hammer is willing to burn everything to ground for what she believes in, even as we watch her comply. She does what she has to in order to survive, but we see a familiar spark in her. We know that when the right circumstances hit, she is ready to be our hero.

Naias, however, is harder to see that spark in. Her compliance goes beyond following orders and accepting the role she has been assigned. She is ambitiously climbing the ladder. Fighting to create space for herself that no one else in their position could have ever dreamed of. And that is harder to admire. But there is something so beautiful, and haunting, in the cost she is paying for freedom. And despite the appearances she gives, not just her own freedom.

There is a moment in the seventh chapter where Queen Khall is overwhelmed after her very first attempt at diplomacy--which failed spectacularly--and the instructor shows up to speak with her about Hammer's insubordination. Naias immediately rushes to intercept him and to deal with the issue on her own. At first, it almost feels like she does so in an effort to protect the fragile Queen from having any additional stress put on her. But as the chapter progresses, we see a deeper motive within Naias. She is not just leveraging her relationship with the Queen to secure her own freedom. She wants to save her people, and she is playing a very dangerous game to pursue that objective.

But does that mean we--and the other Faceless--are supposed to excuse the evils she has a hand in as she works her way toward influence? That is a question we are forced to wrestle with as we explore the world through her eyes. Do her motives (and the possibility of a good outcome for the Faceless) justify the weapons she wields on behalf of their oppressors as she positions herself to free them?

Complicated motives & characters

Elaine Ho is a genius. You cannot convince me otherwise. Because there was not a moment in these chapters where I was not struggling to figure out how I felt about what I was reading. Yes, there are characters I love and characters that leave a bad taste in my mouth. But ALL of their choices are complicated, confusing, and a perfect marriage of noble and contestable.

• Naias takes great care to protect Queen Khall from herself. But does she do so because their relationship is, in some part, real? Or is it solely in order to manipulate her toward her own freedom? And how do I feel about that? Her objectives are liberation for herself and her people. And while Khall is sympathetic toward that objective, she continues to enslave them anyway because her primary focus is restoring a kingdom she thinks she has some right to. There is nothing about this relationship that is admirable or enticing. It is messy and cloudy and... wrong? And yet, am I upset that she's doing it? I can't be sure.

• Viri is a victim. There is not a moment of any of this that is her fault, and yet, it is so painful to watch as she is positioned to cling to and learn to love her captors. Not wrong of her. She is a child. And in the midst of her captivity, there are a few people--also victims--who hold her close and attempt to shield her. How could she not learn to love them? And yet, from the outside looking in, we know that, to an extent, they are also complicit. They have no power, and yet... as I watch their little family form, I don't know how to feel about it. I want her to take their advice and to hold onto her memories so strongly that she cannot possibly learn to love them, while also bawling my eyes out as I watch her fall deeper into their arms.

• Hammer... do you need an example? She is the definition of complicated. Is she brave and rebellious or blood thirsty and complicit? Does she love Viri or resent her? Does she love Naias or Crescent? Is it all of the above?

And don't get me started on Engalle. I know we are supposed to hate her...a re we? But I don't. I love her. I want her to have the world. She is a victim as much as Viri is. The most powerful enemy they have, and someone our central character is DESPERATE to kill, and yet somehow also the clearest picture of Viri's future if her story is allowed to play out the way Khall intends for it to. She is what it looks like when an empire finds a way to chain a god. And she is exactly what Hammer and Crescent are being asked to turn Viri into.

Y'all, I hope that after these chapters, you are 100% convinced that I made the right choice in choosing this as our first release. Because WOW.

Some things to consider:

• Is there a perspective/POV that resonated with you more than the others? Why do you think you relate to, or take interest in, that specific character's voice more?

• Hammer and Naias both resent the position their people are in. However, their response is very different. Hammer pushes back where she can, inching toward more open rebellion, while Naias leans into her compliance, trying to earn the necessary influence to create change from the inside. Who do you think has it right, or do you see value in both (or neither) of their efforts?

• Queen Khall is sympathetic toward the plight of the most vulnerable, and even seems open to their situation improving one day. But if we look honestly at her story, she has the power to free them, but knows it would cost her everything. She would lose the army she feels she needs so that she can restore her father's kingdom. It would cost her the ability to protect herself from Tevu, who could retaliate at any point. And, realistically, it would mean forfeiting the support of her people and laying down her crown. Looking through this lens, do you think it is possible to dismantle oppression from the top? And more interestingly, do you think it is even possible for those who govern to truly do so selflessly? And what role do the people play in creating checks and balances for their rulers?

I am looking forward to seeing all of the discourse and I can't wait to dive into the second quarter of this book with you! This week, we are reading chapters 15 - 30! Happy reading!