Review: Infidel

Infidel by Kameron Hurley

My rating: 4 of 5 stars



Book Info: Genre: Dark fiction/science fantasy
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: fans of dark fiction, deep thoughts.
Trigger Warnings: killing, biological warfare, murder and torture (including of children)

My Thoughts: This is the second book in the Bel Dame Apocrypha series, following God's War (review linked here where formatting allowed). The third book was recently released, and it is called Rapture.

This book is very dark, but there were rare moments of humor that brought a laugh out of me, like this one: “Nyx had finished off a fifth of vodka for breakfast, since she'd sworn off whiskey.” I really enjoy Kameron Hurley's descriptions, too, such as, “...Suha spit and mutter and bang around the hub like a woman possessed by gun-loving angels.”

At its root, I am starting to believe this book is very much about a world at war with itself and unable to find a way to stop fighting. As Nyx says, “All you do is learn how to fight a war... Nobody ever teaches you how to stop.” As such, the story is very dark, and very intricate, since there are several disparate groups of people involved at different levels. Definitely a book that needs to be read at its appropriate point in the series; not to be read on it's own. If you like a dark story that will make you think, then definitely check out this book, and this series.

Disclosure: I bought this e-book for myself. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Nyx is a bodyguard in Mustallah, the capital city of Nasheen. The centuries-long holy war between Nasheen and Chenja is taking its toll, with shortages and rationing causing the Queen to lose power and popularity. While protecting the daughter of a Ras Tiegan Diplomat, Nyx is attacked by a group of assassins. Nyx survives, but begins to suffer from a strange, debilitating condition that nobody can identify. Caught up in a whirl-wind of intrigue involving Bel Dame Assassins plotting against the Queen, Nyx must learn who the rouge Bel Dame is, and find a cure for her illness, while avoiding the wrath of the queen she is trying to protect. The danger that swirls around her may have finally become to much, and Nyx's colleagues and friends began to die. Will Nyx be next?



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