The Last Hero (out today) wraps up the First Sister trilogy, one of my favorite works of recent years. For those who have already read the first two volumes of this fantastic space opera: good news! Its ending did not disappoint. For those who have waited to start because they wanted the series to finish before they picked it up: dive in! For those who haven’t heard of this series, have I got a rec for you! For those who know of this series and have decided not to start/continue it: your opinions are bad and you should feel bad!
(Kidding, of course, but I really cannot say enough good things about this series.)
Lewis has continued to apply their trademark of “shocking twists that, while jaw dropping, actually make perfect sense in retrospect.” This time, though, we get them early on instead of at the climax. Our protagonists have expanded again: everyone you would expect from The Second Rebel, plus Castor. Other new editions include the not-unexpected Pollux and the entirely-unexpected [REDACTED]. The conflicts among the Icarii, the Gaens, and the Asters continue, as well as the internal conflicts within each faction. Looming over everything, though, is the Synthetics. We learn so much more about them, what they’re up to and what and why they want it. The nigh-omnipotent post-singularity AI isn’t a new trope in science fiction by any stretch, but this is a take on it I greatly enjoy.
One thing I particularly want to commend Linden on is their portrayal of the different kinds of loving relationships that are possible. Loving relationships in art are, in general, either romantic or familial, though there are plenty of deeply explored relationships that aren’t either. What’s very rare is for a relationship to be neither familial or romantic and still identity-defining. What I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever seen before is for a non-romantic relationship to be passionate. The love that Lito, Hiro, and Luce share among the three of them is exactly that, despite Lito and Luce being siblings and there never being even a hint of sexual tension with either of them and Hiro. It’s an impressive, and deeply affecting, thing.
I feel a little bit possessive of this series. I’d like to think that my pre-publication “ZOMG THIS IS AMAZING!” review of the first book, and my booking Linden to do an /r/Fantasy AMA, helped this series along at least a little bit. (Plus I am totally justified in indulging my inner hipster and boasting that I was into this series before it was cool.) I’m just delighted in how this ended, and can’t wait to see what the author is coming out with next.
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