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The Machineries of Empire #3.5
Hexarchate Stories
The essential short story collection set in the universe of Ninefox Gambit.
An ex-Kel art thief has to save the world from a galaxy-shattering prototype weapon...
A general outnumbered eight-to-one must outsmart his opponent...
A renegade returns from seclusion to bury an old comrade...
From the incredible imagination of Hugo- and Arthur C. Clarke-nominated author Yoon Ha Lee comes a collection of stories set in the world of the best-selling Ninefox Gambit. Showcasing Lee’s extraordinary imagination, this collection takes you to the very beginnings of the hexarchate’s history and reveals new never-before-seen stories.
An ex-Kel art thief has to save the world from a galaxy-shattering prototype weapon...
A general outnumbered eight-to-one must outsmart his opponent...
A renegade returns from seclusion to bury an old comrade...
From the incredible imagination of Hugo- and Arthur C. Clarke-nominated author Yoon Ha Lee comes a collection of stories set in the world of the best-selling Ninefox Gambit. Showcasing Lee’s extraordinary imagination, this collection takes you to the very beginnings of the hexarchate’s history and reveals new never-before-seen stories.
334 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2019
218 people are currently reading
1736 people want to read
About the author
Yoon Ha Lee
206 books2,055 followersYoon Ha Lee is an American science fiction writer born on January 26, 1979 in Houston, Texas. His first published story, “The Hundredth Question,” appeared in Fantasy & Science Fiction in 1999; since then, over two dozen further stories have appeared. He lives in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 252 reviews
June 19, 2019
This is the first work I have read by Yoon Ha Lee. This is important, as it significantly affects my review. I have seen references to his series, “The Machineries of Empire”, which begins with “Ninefox Gambit”. I thought choosing a collection of short stories might be a good way to decide if I wanted to pick-up that series. In hindsight, this was a mistake, as this collection is more appropriate for fans of that universe and I think the enjoyment from this collection would be greatly enhanced by completing the trilogy first.
This collection is an eclectic set of stories. Some stand alone, while others feel like maybe they were sections that were cut from the trilogy. They all appear to be from that same universe that began with “Ninefox Gambit”. The collection ends with a very good novella which accounts for most of the word count.
I thought about not leaving a review, but this was a Netgalley pick and I decided that my review might help others who also had not read Yoon Ha Lee but were still considering picking up this collection. First off, Lee is a talented writer. There is little exposition here, and he has a knack for blending familiar, every day (things like food, or shopping or clothing) into a strange, complex setting. I’m guessing in any of his works, the reader must do a great deal of work, which I consider a good thing. However, in this collection, I think it’s a challenge that really limited my ability to enjoy the stories. There was just too much missing about the characters, the background of the setting, for me to appreciate them. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy parts of this. The first story, which is basically a museum heist was fun, and I ran into others such as “The Robot’s Math Lessons” that were fun little self-contained stories. I also enjoyed the author notes that accompany these stories. I read the entire collection, and I did find many spots of enjoyment, and an appreciation of the writing and hints of the complex world-building behind these stories. However, for me, this collection doesn’t really stand up on its own.
I’m giving this collection three stars, but it’s important to keep in mind that’s influenced by my lack of experience with the trilogy. I highly recommend reading the “The Machineries of Empire” trilogy first, and then picking this up as a supplemental work if you enjoyed the trilogy.
This collection is an eclectic set of stories. Some stand alone, while others feel like maybe they were sections that were cut from the trilogy. They all appear to be from that same universe that began with “Ninefox Gambit”. The collection ends with a very good novella which accounts for most of the word count.
I thought about not leaving a review, but this was a Netgalley pick and I decided that my review might help others who also had not read Yoon Ha Lee but were still considering picking up this collection. First off, Lee is a talented writer. There is little exposition here, and he has a knack for blending familiar, every day (things like food, or shopping or clothing) into a strange, complex setting. I’m guessing in any of his works, the reader must do a great deal of work, which I consider a good thing. However, in this collection, I think it’s a challenge that really limited my ability to enjoy the stories. There was just too much missing about the characters, the background of the setting, for me to appreciate them. That’s not to say I didn’t enjoy parts of this. The first story, which is basically a museum heist was fun, and I ran into others such as “The Robot’s Math Lessons” that were fun little self-contained stories. I also enjoyed the author notes that accompany these stories. I read the entire collection, and I did find many spots of enjoyment, and an appreciation of the writing and hints of the complex world-building behind these stories. However, for me, this collection doesn’t really stand up on its own.
I’m giving this collection three stars, but it’s important to keep in mind that’s influenced by my lack of experience with the trilogy. I highly recommend reading the “The Machineries of Empire” trilogy first, and then picking this up as a supplemental work if you enjoyed the trilogy.
May 2, 2019
Let me come right out and say that this is definitely a book for uber-fans of the Machineries of Empire.
Most of the stories are little snippets or even flash-fiction giving us every-day glimpses of Jedao and Cheris either in the deep past or the in-between bits of the trilogy or -- my favorite part -- AFTER Revenant Gun.
Most of the stories are great for closing plot points and deepening the un-tortured figure of Jedao and are NOT action filled except for a few instances. I do not consider most of these stories to be complete in themselves, but they are definitely good for the fans. The author gives us neat notes about every story and how they relate to him as an author.
The one big story that blew me away happens to be the novella at the end, written new for this collection. "The Glass Cannon" was extraordinarily good.
It may only be conceived as a "what-if" following the events of the third novel, but MY GOD I would CHEER if I had a full series started up from this. :) It had everything. Funny, action-filled, mind-blowing SF ideas, and all the brilliance of the characters we're obsessed over doing fantastic new things.
Cheris, Jedao as *spoiler spoiler* and both of them taking on the whole galaxy with *spoiler* and *spoiler* in tow? HELL YES.
Please, please! Make it Happen!
Most of the stories are little snippets or even flash-fiction giving us every-day glimpses of Jedao and Cheris either in the deep past or the in-between bits of the trilogy or -- my favorite part -- AFTER Revenant Gun.
Most of the stories are great for closing plot points and deepening the un-tortured figure of Jedao and are NOT action filled except for a few instances. I do not consider most of these stories to be complete in themselves, but they are definitely good for the fans. The author gives us neat notes about every story and how they relate to him as an author.
The one big story that blew me away happens to be the novella at the end, written new for this collection. "The Glass Cannon" was extraordinarily good.
It may only be conceived as a "what-if" following the events of the third novel, but MY GOD I would CHEER if I had a full series started up from this. :) It had everything. Funny, action-filled, mind-blowing SF ideas, and all the brilliance of the characters we're obsessed over doing fantastic new things.
Cheris, Jedao as *spoiler spoiler* and both of them taking on the whole galaxy with *spoiler* and *spoiler* in tow? HELL YES.
Please, please! Make it Happen!
June 29, 2019
4.5 stars. Much of the flash fiction didn't do anything for me, but the longer ones ("Battle of Candle Arc", "Extracurricular Activities") and the brand new novella sequel to Revenant Gun were great. *Please* tell me we'll get an interspecies war novel from Mikodez's perspective someday?? I need more of him!
May 8, 2021
4.0 Stars
This was one of the most entertaining science fiction short story I have ever read. Normally I don't connect with SFF in this shorter format so I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this collection. These stories read like fanfiction (often the eroctic kind), but I mean that in the most positive way. A lot of these stories came from the author's writing exercises so they were episodic and often humourous tales. The final story, Glass Canon, also added some good additional conclusion to the end of the trilogy. I really appreciated the inclusion of the author's notes at the end of each story, which added more context and backstory to the pieces. I highly recommend this collection for anyone who read and loved the Machineries of Empire trilogy.
Favourite Stories include:
Extracurricular Activities
Gloves
Birthday
Vacation
The Robot's Math Lessons
Glass Canon
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Rebellion Publishing.
This was one of the most entertaining science fiction short story I have ever read. Normally I don't connect with SFF in this shorter format so I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed this collection. These stories read like fanfiction (often the eroctic kind), but I mean that in the most positive way. A lot of these stories came from the author's writing exercises so they were episodic and often humourous tales. The final story, Glass Canon, also added some good additional conclusion to the end of the trilogy. I really appreciated the inclusion of the author's notes at the end of each story, which added more context and backstory to the pieces. I highly recommend this collection for anyone who read and loved the Machineries of Empire trilogy.
Favourite Stories include:
Extracurricular Activities
Gloves
Birthday
Vacation
The Robot's Math Lessons
Glass Canon
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher, Rebellion Publishing.
May 27, 2019
4.5 stars
Hexarchate Stories is a collection of stories – from flash fiction and prose poems, both pre-existing and new, to a sequel novella – set in the universe of the Machineries of Empire series.
While many of these stories develop the worldbuilding, give a PoV to characters that were only minor in the trilogy, and give you some insight into how this series came together, they’re not necessary to understand it. Nor – I think – would mean a lot to someone who isn’t familiar with the main trilogy. I would recommend this mostly to those who loved this universe and want more.
As I’m part of said those, I’m glad these stories exist, and I’m glad that I can find most of them in only one place now.
This collection starts with The Chameleon’s Gloves , following Rhehan, an alt (non-binary person) who is trying to pull off art theft and gets roped into something much more dangerous instead, something that will make them question their loyalties. This was interesting mostly because of its worldbuilding, as it’s set before everything we saw in the series came into being.
Of mostly historical significance is also Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam , snapshots about a faction then gone heretical, which made me realize just how much the Hexarchate misunderstands its own history.
And I can’t not mention the gorgeous prose poem How the Andan Court. I’ve always been intrigued by the Andan faction, mostly because a) pretty and b) we see a lot of the inner workings of the Shuos, but not of the Andan, but from the little we see of actual Andan in the series they’re equally terrifying.
And now I want them to court me instead
There are also stories following Jedao’s childhood and family (Omens, Honesty, Bunny, Silence) and one about Jedao and his boyfriend in Shuos Academy (Black Squirrels). They’re bittersweet, especially if you know what happens later, and really interesting, because Garach Ledana is a very fascinating person and because foreshadowing. The one in Rodao’s PoV was especially heartbreaking, as I can’t help but wonder about all the what ifs.
(Also, of course kid!Jedao cut class to play jeng-zai)
Then there’s Extracurricular Activities, the novelette that introduced me to this series. It has all the humor of the series, but it's much lighter in tone; I’ve read it probably more than ten times by now, and every time I catch some new detail that makes me laugh. (The part about eating utensils and Jedao’s thoughts about knives never fail.)
It’s just – Jedao. He’s a charming, murderous bisexual disaster?
Also, here you’ll get more details about his mother, about the Gwa Reality, and you’ll get to read probably the closest thing to a (m/m) romance there is in this series, apart from the Brezan/Tseya storyline, maybe.
Far less romantic is Gloves , in which Jedao visits a brothel, feat. forbidden Kel uniform kink. Basically PWP, but as I suspected, there was some seriously ugly context, because my experience told me that when this author takes the time to describe a sex scene instead of just mentioning it – at least in this universe – there’s always some seriously ugly context.
And I mean, that was one messed up ending.
Another story I read before the actual trilogy is The Battle of Candle Arc , about of one of Jedao’s most well-known battles, in which he was outnumbered eight to one. I’ve read it a lot of times by now, and every time, my favorite parts are the ones about cross-faction bickering and the Jedao/Menowen dialogues.
Then there’s Calendrical Rot , which started out as the prologue of Ninefox Gambit but was then removed. It's just a fragment about one of the many places in which the story began, and now I have questions, and is it weird that unanswered questions just make this world feel more real?
The following stories (Birthdays, The Robot’s Math Lessons, Sword-Shopping, Persimmons) are about Cheris, her Mwennin upbringing, and her relationship with servitors. I love how Cheris is simultaneously a math lesbian and a sword lesbian, this is the kind of representation we need
The servitors have never been my favorite part of this series, but reading about how they see humans and how they interact with them, especially with Cheris, is always interesting.
Then there are two stories following some of my favorite characters: Irriz the Assassin Cat , of course, which is probably my favorite of the flash pieces, because it’s about Zehun and cats and Shuos parenting, and Vacation , about Brezan and Tseya, featuring questionable Nirai experiments.
The last short story is Gamer’s End . I’m not sure where it’s placed timeline-wise, but it’s a really interesting piece in second person about Shuos Academy’s new ethics curriculum. This is probably the most unethical way to have a test about ethics anyone has ever come up with, but what can you expect from the Shuos?
Also: a medical unit decored with knitted lace? Mikodez, why. (No, seriously, half of the reason I like this series are this kind of details.)
And then there’s the sequel novella, Glass Cannon, in which Jedao Two escapes the Citadel of Eyes to get his memories back from Cheris, and the two kind of reconcile in the process. I have some mixed feelings about this, because it has an exposition problem. I think there was an attempt to make this novella accessible to those who haven’t read the main series or don’t remember it that well, but it… really didn’t flow smoothly the way the rest of the series does. (How many times did you need to directly tell me that Kujen liked luxury?)
Also, I’m not sure if there are going to be more stories in this universe, but reading a very open-ended sequel novella after the trilogy had a pretty satisfying conclusion is… somewhat disappointing? However, there were some things left open in the third book, and this novella started to deal with them (servitor rights! moth rights! Seriously I love the Harmony), and Jedao Two was in a terrible place mentally when we left him - at least seems to have made that better. Also, Cheris now knows more details about what happened with Dhanneth, which is something I had hoped would happen in Revenant Gun, and I’m glad that was addressed, if somewhat obliquely.
I realize that so far what I’ve said about this novella sounds mostly negative, but I actually really liked reading it – it's hilarious. As Cheris/Jedao and Jedao Two are both Jedao to a level but not fully, and as no one alive hates Jedao quite as much as Jedao himself does... well, it goes exactly as messily as one could think. It reminded me of Extracurricular Activities, as it has all of the humor and some of the darkness of the main series but none of the heaviness.
(My favorite parts were the ones in which Jedao was described as “the regenerating menace from outer space” and “what did the void vomit forth”.)
And I have to say that I’m always here for mirroring, so the fact that these two characters .
Also: Niath cameo (I’m so glad he seems to be doing ok, even though I hadn’t really met him before), Hemiola cameo, and poor Mikodez.
Hexarchate Stories is a collection of stories – from flash fiction and prose poems, both pre-existing and new, to a sequel novella – set in the universe of the Machineries of Empire series.
While many of these stories develop the worldbuilding, give a PoV to characters that were only minor in the trilogy, and give you some insight into how this series came together, they’re not necessary to understand it. Nor – I think – would mean a lot to someone who isn’t familiar with the main trilogy. I would recommend this mostly to those who loved this universe and want more.
As I’m part of said those, I’m glad these stories exist, and I’m glad that I can find most of them in only one place now.
This collection starts with The Chameleon’s Gloves , following Rhehan, an alt (non-binary person) who is trying to pull off art theft and gets roped into something much more dangerous instead, something that will make them question their loyalties. This was interesting mostly because of its worldbuilding, as it’s set before everything we saw in the series came into being.
Of mostly historical significance is also Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam , snapshots about a faction then gone heretical, which made me realize just how much the Hexarchate misunderstands its own history.
And I can’t not mention the gorgeous prose poem How the Andan Court. I’ve always been intrigued by the Andan faction, mostly because a) pretty and b) we see a lot of the inner workings of the Shuos, but not of the Andan, but from the little we see of actual Andan in the series they’re equally terrifying.
There are also stories following Jedao’s childhood and family (Omens, Honesty, Bunny, Silence) and one about Jedao and his boyfriend in Shuos Academy (Black Squirrels). They’re bittersweet, especially if you know what happens later, and really interesting, because Garach Ledana is a very fascinating person and because foreshadowing. The one in Rodao’s PoV was especially heartbreaking, as I can’t help but wonder about all the what ifs.
(Also, of course kid!Jedao cut class to play jeng-zai)
Then there’s Extracurricular Activities, the novelette that introduced me to this series. It has all the humor of the series, but it's much lighter in tone; I’ve read it probably more than ten times by now, and every time I catch some new detail that makes me laugh. (The part about eating utensils and Jedao’s thoughts about knives never fail.)
It’s just – Jedao. He’s a charming, murderous bisexual disaster?
Also, here you’ll get more details about his mother, about the Gwa Reality, and you’ll get to read probably the closest thing to a (m/m) romance there is in this series, apart from the Brezan/Tseya storyline, maybe.
Far less romantic is Gloves , in which Jedao visits a brothel, feat. forbidden Kel uniform kink. Basically PWP, but as I suspected, there was some seriously ugly context, because my experience told me that when this author takes the time to describe a sex scene instead of just mentioning it – at least in this universe – there’s always some seriously ugly context.
And I mean, that was one messed up ending.
Another story I read before the actual trilogy is The Battle of Candle Arc , about of one of Jedao’s most well-known battles, in which he was outnumbered eight to one. I’ve read it a lot of times by now, and every time, my favorite parts are the ones about cross-faction bickering and the Jedao/Menowen dialogues.
Then there’s Calendrical Rot , which started out as the prologue of Ninefox Gambit but was then removed. It's just a fragment about one of the many places in which the story began, and now I have questions, and is it weird that unanswered questions just make this world feel more real?
The following stories (Birthdays, The Robot’s Math Lessons, Sword-Shopping, Persimmons) are about Cheris, her Mwennin upbringing, and her relationship with servitors. I love how Cheris is simultaneously a math lesbian and a sword lesbian, this is the kind of representation we need
The servitors have never been my favorite part of this series, but reading about how they see humans and how they interact with them, especially with Cheris, is always interesting.
Then there are two stories following some of my favorite characters: Irriz the Assassin Cat , of course, which is probably my favorite of the flash pieces, because it’s about Zehun and cats and Shuos parenting, and Vacation , about Brezan and Tseya, featuring questionable Nirai experiments.
The last short story is Gamer’s End . I’m not sure where it’s placed timeline-wise, but it’s a really interesting piece in second person about Shuos Academy’s new ethics curriculum. This is probably the most unethical way to have a test about ethics anyone has ever come up with, but what can you expect from the Shuos?
Also: a medical unit decored with knitted lace? Mikodez, why. (No, seriously, half of the reason I like this series are this kind of details.)
And then there’s the sequel novella, Glass Cannon, in which Jedao Two escapes the Citadel of Eyes to get his memories back from Cheris, and the two kind of reconcile in the process. I have some mixed feelings about this, because it has an exposition problem. I think there was an attempt to make this novella accessible to those who haven’t read the main series or don’t remember it that well, but it… really didn’t flow smoothly the way the rest of the series does. (How many times did you need to directly tell me that Kujen liked luxury?)
Also, I’m not sure if there are going to be more stories in this universe, but reading a very open-ended sequel novella after the trilogy had a pretty satisfying conclusion is… somewhat disappointing? However, there were some things left open in the third book, and this novella started to deal with them (servitor rights! moth rights! Seriously I love the Harmony), and Jedao Two was in a terrible place mentally when we left him - at least seems to have made that better. Also, Cheris now knows more details about what happened with Dhanneth, which is something I had hoped would happen in Revenant Gun, and I’m glad that was addressed, if somewhat obliquely.
I realize that so far what I’ve said about this novella sounds mostly negative, but I actually really liked reading it – it's hilarious. As Cheris/Jedao and Jedao Two are both Jedao to a level but not fully, and as no one alive hates Jedao quite as much as Jedao himself does... well, it goes exactly as messily as one could think. It reminded me of Extracurricular Activities, as it has all of the humor and some of the darkness of the main series but none of the heaviness.
(My favorite parts were the ones in which Jedao was described as “the regenerating menace from outer space” and “what did the void vomit forth”.)
And I have to say that I’m always here for mirroring, so the fact that these two characters .
Also: Niath cameo (I’m so glad he seems to be doing ok, even though I hadn’t really met him before), Hemiola cameo, and poor Mikodez.
June 27, 2019
Fuck it, I'm knocking this up to 5 stars; I enjoyed it too much to rate it any lower. This is a book strictly for those who've already read and loved the Machineries of Empire trilogy (if you want an intro to YHL's writing, I highly recommend Conservation of Shadows and just skip "Battle of Candle Arc" until after you've read Ninefox Gambit), but it was basically everything I was hoping for as an accompaniment to the novels. Lots of young Jedao and Cheris, plus "Glass Cannon" is a wonderful coda to the main story arc of the trilogy. I'd read several of the stories previously, but the chronological arrangement used in this book and the author's notes that accompany each story offer an additional element of structure and context that made re-reading even more fun that it would have been otherwise. (Personally, YHL is one of my most re-readable authors.) Recommended without reservation for all Hexarchate fans.
February 20, 2023
I wasn't going to write anything but I saw a review of someone who didn't read the trilogy prior to reading Hexarchate Stories and I cannot stress it enough that you should not do that??? First because these short stories feature characters from the original trilogy and if I'm sure they'd still be enjoyable without any knowledge whatsoever, you'd be lacking insight, but more than anything because the last—and longest—technically can be read as an extended epilogue/continuation so
you'll be spoiled for almost everything regarding the end of the trilogy.
*smh*
Anyway!!!! I liked it a lot and highly recommend it for people who've read Revenant Gun!!! 4.5 stars
Anyway!!!! I liked it a lot and highly recommend it for people who've read Revenant Gun!!! 4.5 stars
February 21, 2024
I read the first four stories of this in 2020 (16%). Not bad, but I lacked context. I thought I might pick this up again at some point, but without the main novels I never felt compelled. I am finally calling it a day. Maybe I will revisit this one day, if I should ever decide to read Ninefox Gambit, etc.
————
From 2020:
I picked this up after having read and liked Extracurricular Activities. No, I still haven‘t read Ninefox Gambit. I am pretty sure I should read the novel(s) first, but this fell into my hands, so here we go. Apparently the last story is a spoiler for the trilogy and I should probably avoid it for now.
THE CHAMELEON’S GLOVES, ★★★★☆
“Rhehan hated museums, but their partner Liyeusse had done unmentionable things to the ship’s stardrive the last time the two of them had fled the authorities, and the repairs had drained their savings. Which was why Rhehan was on a station too close to the more civilized regions of the dustways, flirting with a jeweled woman and feigning interest in pre-Devolutionist art.
Things go wrong, Rhehan‘s past catches up with them and we end up with a fairly classic and fun heist story, with a weapon of mass destruction thrown in for good measure. Very good, I liked it.
The use of personal pronouns threw me at first, but I caught on pretty quickly.
————
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
————
From 2020:
I picked this up after having read and liked Extracurricular Activities. No, I still haven‘t read Ninefox Gambit. I am pretty sure I should read the novel(s) first, but this fell into my hands, so here we go. Apparently the last story is a spoiler for the trilogy and I should probably avoid it for now.
THE CHAMELEON’S GLOVES, ★★★★☆
“Rhehan hated museums, but their partner Liyeusse had done unmentionable things to the ship’s stardrive the last time the two of them had fled the authorities, and the repairs had drained their savings. Which was why Rhehan was on a station too close to the more civilized regions of the dustways, flirting with a jeweled woman and feigning interest in pre-Devolutionist art.
Things go wrong, Rhehan‘s past catches up with them and we end up with a fairly classic and fun heist story, with a weapon of mass destruction thrown in for good measure. Very good, I liked it.
The use of personal pronouns threw me at first, but I caught on pretty quickly.
————
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
October 1, 2023
I am not usually big on short story collections accompanying a series, but this is an exception where I think you're really missing a lot if you don't read the collection. Hexarchate Stories includes some really interesting information that answers some questions left at the end of the series, and shows a bit of what takes place afterwards.
December 26, 2019
Now and forever, I'm your gun.
Image credit: Yoon Ha Lee
Yeah, at this point Lee could not do any wrong. He could write about Jedao masquerading as himself in Halloween and scaring everyone else or Mikodez munching all the chocolate candies in the Citadel of Eyes (with assassination orders on the side, please) or Cheris teaching snotty lil kids how to sing Mwennin songs....all the characters in his Machineries of Empire world were just that fascinating to read even doing silly, everyday thing. I want to know about everyone doing everything. Even the servitors. And the moths. I am hopelessly drowned in the black cradle of the hexarchate.
By the way, the above illustration is for the "The Glass Cannon", a novella set after Revenant Gun (!!!) which y'all can read in here. It was breathtaking. It was sad. It was action-packed. It was fabulous.
I don't read many story collection but I am glad he issued this piece. The stories are so diverse, from flash fictions, stories with Jedao's siblings as POVs characters, a young Cheris's story and her first encounter with the servitors (so cute!), Jedao during the Battle of Candle Arc,all the sweetness and darkness combined.
Fox and hound, I am running out of words. Go read this book if you love The Machineries of Empire.
PS: If you're a Hugo voter, don't forget to vote for the series, the deadline is July 31st.
Image credit: Yoon Ha Lee
Yeah, at this point Lee could not do any wrong. He could write about Jedao masquerading as himself in Halloween and scaring everyone else or Mikodez munching all the chocolate candies in the Citadel of Eyes (with assassination orders on the side, please) or Cheris teaching snotty lil kids how to sing Mwennin songs....all the characters in his Machineries of Empire world were just that fascinating to read even doing silly, everyday thing. I want to know about everyone doing everything. Even the servitors. And the moths. I am hopelessly drowned in the black cradle of the hexarchate.
By the way, the above illustration is for the "The Glass Cannon", a novella set after Revenant Gun (!!!) which y'all can read in here. It was breathtaking. It was sad. It was action-packed. It was fabulous.
I don't read many story collection but I am glad he issued this piece. The stories are so diverse, from flash fictions, stories with Jedao's siblings as POVs characters, a young Cheris's story and her first encounter with the servitors (so cute!), Jedao during the Battle of Candle Arc,all the sweetness and darkness combined.
Fox and hound, I am running out of words. Go read this book if you love The Machineries of Empire.
PS: If you're a Hugo voter, don't forget to vote for the series, the deadline is July 31st.
June 19, 2019
I read this book courtesy of the publisher and NetGalley; my enthusiasm is genuine and unprompted and my own.
First things first: this is very much a book for a reader of Machineries of Empire trilogy, or better yet, its fan: not a primer to Yoon Ha Lee's writing. Perhaps it's readable without knowing the context, but it must then be a peculiar half-dialogue overheard on the phone; you may laugh at some of the jokes, but you won't get the conversation. I don't think one needs to refresh the original novels to read this, but it wouldn't hurt, either; that said, I didn't, and it was not a problem, even though my memory is notoriously bad for fiction.
That said: what a feast for a fan! This collection contains a few short stories and novellettes proper, a bunch of short vignettes, and when I was about halfway through, I was reaching the conclusion that this volume might not be a must-have: a fun book, sure, but one I could buy as e-book, or on sale, one day. Then I got to the last story, a novella which is actually a coda for the trilogy (yes! starring our favourites!) as substantial as anything, and I changed my mind completely.
I don't even know that I can judge this collection on its merits. Is it great? I can't tell, I was too engrossed to pay attention, but it's just so completely fun! It's a pleasure to be back with this group of misfits (a polite way of putting things). To read more about them. It could have had more Zehun and Mikodez, but otherwise, I have no complaints.
The commentary from the author himself is another pleasure. I love such things, even as I consider them utterly superfluous to my own reading and interpretation.
I highly recommend this to others who enjoyed this series - surely they want to find out what happened next.
First things first: this is very much a book for a reader of Machineries of Empire trilogy, or better yet, its fan: not a primer to Yoon Ha Lee's writing. Perhaps it's readable without knowing the context, but it must then be a peculiar half-dialogue overheard on the phone; you may laugh at some of the jokes, but you won't get the conversation. I don't think one needs to refresh the original novels to read this, but it wouldn't hurt, either; that said, I didn't, and it was not a problem, even though my memory is notoriously bad for fiction.
That said: what a feast for a fan! This collection contains a few short stories and novellettes proper, a bunch of short vignettes, and when I was about halfway through, I was reaching the conclusion that this volume might not be a must-have: a fun book, sure, but one I could buy as e-book, or on sale, one day. Then I got to the last story, a novella which is actually a coda for the trilogy (yes! starring our favourites!) as substantial as anything, and I changed my mind completely.
I don't even know that I can judge this collection on its merits. Is it great? I can't tell, I was too engrossed to pay attention, but it's just so completely fun! It's a pleasure to be back with this group of misfits (a polite way of putting things). To read more about them. It could have had more Zehun and Mikodez, but otherwise, I have no complaints.
The commentary from the author himself is another pleasure. I love such things, even as I consider them utterly superfluous to my own reading and interpretation.
I highly recommend this to others who enjoyed this series - surely they want to find out what happened next.
June 25, 2019
An outstanding collection of short stories, novellas, and prose set within the Machineries of Empire universe.
Review:
If you haven’t read the Machineries of Empire series, or at the very least Ninefox Gambit, most of these probably won’t be as enjoyable for you as they were for me. There were a few self-contained stories (including the stellar first one), but probably not enough of them for first time Yoon Ha Lee readers. This was definitely written for fans of the trilogy.
The collection ranged from short story and flash fiction, to prose, to novella. Some were previously published in other works while there were a few original stories as well. At the end of each tale the author adds a note giving the history and thought processes behind them. It truly gives the reader a glimpse inside his mind and provides an added dimension to the Machineries universe.
What I enjoyed the most, though, was how much clarity these stories gave to the Hexarchate and the characters within it. I feel like I now have a much stronger grasp of the universe and the motivations of the characters we’ve previously been introduced to, especially Cheris and Jedao. Plus that timeline at the beginning is something all Yoon Ha Lee fans need to have printed out and up on their walls for constant reference when reading the Machineries books.
There are a lot of stories so I won’t break them all down, but my favourites were:
- The delightful yet bittersweet short stories covering Jedao’s childhood, especially “Silence.” Silence was told from his older brother Rodao’s point of view, about the subtle changes only he seemed to notice in Jedao after he became a cadet. The last paragraph was a bit of a gutpunch:
“Fourteen years later, when I heard of Hellspin Fortress, I’d discovered how badly I’d fucked up by keeping quiet; and then, of course, it was too late to fix anything.”
- “The Battle of Candle Arc,” a superb tale that really highlights the ingenuity and battle genius of Jedao. Despite being outnumbered 8-to-1 and still recovering from a brutal assassination attempt, he successfully won a campaign that even his own officers thought was hopeless. You can see why they kept his consciousness alive for so many centuries despite the slaughter he caused at Hellspin Fortress.
- There were several flash fiction stories about Cheris’ childhood and her unique relationship with the servitor robots. The ones told from the servitors’ point of view were wonderful, and this is coming from someone terrified of sentient AI. I especially loved “The Robot’s Math Lessons,” a satisfying short about Cheris becoming math buddies with a cleanup servitor she encounters on a beach.
- My absolute favourite, though, was the thoroughly engaging novella that ends the collection, “Glass Cannon.” Glass Cannon is not only a phenomenal finale to this collection, but is also a sequel to Revenant Gun that provides some much needed closure for fans of Cheris and Jedao’s complicated relationship. It completely blew me away. I’m definitely going to be re-reading it, and often.
Final Thoughts:
Hexarchate Stories is a wondrous collection of stories set within the Machineries of Empire universe. It was a seriously fun and enlightening tour into the mind of Yoon Ha Lee, one I’m really glad I was given a chance to go on. The only reason I haven’t rated the collection higher is that it’s for a very niche audience- an audience that has to be fairly familiar with the author’s previous works. This is definitely essential reading for other fans of the universe.
Read my full review on my blog!
Thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my review.
Review:
If you haven’t read the Machineries of Empire series, or at the very least Ninefox Gambit, most of these probably won’t be as enjoyable for you as they were for me. There were a few self-contained stories (including the stellar first one), but probably not enough of them for first time Yoon Ha Lee readers. This was definitely written for fans of the trilogy.
The collection ranged from short story and flash fiction, to prose, to novella. Some were previously published in other works while there were a few original stories as well. At the end of each tale the author adds a note giving the history and thought processes behind them. It truly gives the reader a glimpse inside his mind and provides an added dimension to the Machineries universe.
What I enjoyed the most, though, was how much clarity these stories gave to the Hexarchate and the characters within it. I feel like I now have a much stronger grasp of the universe and the motivations of the characters we’ve previously been introduced to, especially Cheris and Jedao. Plus that timeline at the beginning is something all Yoon Ha Lee fans need to have printed out and up on their walls for constant reference when reading the Machineries books.
There are a lot of stories so I won’t break them all down, but my favourites were:
- The delightful yet bittersweet short stories covering Jedao’s childhood, especially “Silence.” Silence was told from his older brother Rodao’s point of view, about the subtle changes only he seemed to notice in Jedao after he became a cadet. The last paragraph was a bit of a gutpunch:
“Fourteen years later, when I heard of Hellspin Fortress, I’d discovered how badly I’d fucked up by keeping quiet; and then, of course, it was too late to fix anything.”
- “The Battle of Candle Arc,” a superb tale that really highlights the ingenuity and battle genius of Jedao. Despite being outnumbered 8-to-1 and still recovering from a brutal assassination attempt, he successfully won a campaign that even his own officers thought was hopeless. You can see why they kept his consciousness alive for so many centuries despite the slaughter he caused at Hellspin Fortress.
- There were several flash fiction stories about Cheris’ childhood and her unique relationship with the servitor robots. The ones told from the servitors’ point of view were wonderful, and this is coming from someone terrified of sentient AI. I especially loved “The Robot’s Math Lessons,” a satisfying short about Cheris becoming math buddies with a cleanup servitor she encounters on a beach.
- My absolute favourite, though, was the thoroughly engaging novella that ends the collection, “Glass Cannon.” Glass Cannon is not only a phenomenal finale to this collection, but is also a sequel to Revenant Gun that provides some much needed closure for fans of Cheris and Jedao’s complicated relationship. It completely blew me away. I’m definitely going to be re-reading it, and often.
Final Thoughts:
Hexarchate Stories is a wondrous collection of stories set within the Machineries of Empire universe. It was a seriously fun and enlightening tour into the mind of Yoon Ha Lee, one I’m really glad I was given a chance to go on. The only reason I haven’t rated the collection higher is that it’s for a very niche audience- an audience that has to be fairly familiar with the author’s previous works. This is definitely essential reading for other fans of the universe.
Read my full review on my blog!
Thanks to Solaris and NetGalley for a copy of this in exchange for my review.
June 26, 2019
Yoon Ha Lee now has to be one the most prominent science fiction writers of our time and rarely does he let fans down. Hexarchate Stories is another stellar anthology of short novella length tales which, of course, suffer from the same issues that plague all of these ambitious collections: they each differ in quality. That said, each story is enjoyable but due to personal preference, every reader will find their own gems amongst these pages. Using the world created in his Machineries of Empire series, we are treated to original and fascinating sci-fi ideas and stories that are all thought-provoking with characters from the near-future who somehow remain relatable and human.
Most of the characters are from Lee's previous novels but it isn't necessary to have read those to enjoy these superb pieces of flash fiction. However, to gain the best experience I recommend reading MoE trilogy beforehand. I had a lot of fun reading through this and of course, the advantage to such concise snippets of story is that it's easy to dip in and out of perhaps on a lunch break or whilst commuting. It was fantastic to return to a world that has been built with such detail and care; one of the best sci-fi worlds ever built.
I particularly love the diversity in this collection and Lee certainly doesn't shy away from serious issues of sexual assault, gender identity, manipulation and PTSD, to name a few. Another nice touch is the author's notes at the end of each tale explaining his thought processes and how the characters have evolved. One of the most engaging and absorbing sci-fi anthologies I've read — So very entertaining and a must-read for Lee connoisseurs. Many thanks to Solaris for an ARC.
Most of the characters are from Lee's previous novels but it isn't necessary to have read those to enjoy these superb pieces of flash fiction. However, to gain the best experience I recommend reading MoE trilogy beforehand. I had a lot of fun reading through this and of course, the advantage to such concise snippets of story is that it's easy to dip in and out of perhaps on a lunch break or whilst commuting. It was fantastic to return to a world that has been built with such detail and care; one of the best sci-fi worlds ever built.
I particularly love the diversity in this collection and Lee certainly doesn't shy away from serious issues of sexual assault, gender identity, manipulation and PTSD, to name a few. Another nice touch is the author's notes at the end of each tale explaining his thought processes and how the characters have evolved. One of the most engaging and absorbing sci-fi anthologies I've read — So very entertaining and a must-read for Lee connoisseurs. Many thanks to Solaris for an ARC.
September 4, 2019
I’m not a huge fan of short stories, but every now and again I’m blown away by one. Of course Sanderson comes to mind or The Lady Astronaut of Mars which recently impressed me very much. This book is not impressive nor is it a masterpiece of writing. I’d rather describe it as “rambling about some random facts of a previously great character”. Contrary to many authors’ (and especially publishers’) believes: you can overdo it with your ongoing favourite characters (or series). At some point they are just not welcome anymore: better end it while you’re going strong!
Finally, the series had so much depth which was unfortunately not carried over: repeating themes of sex, pornography and masturbation were getting on my nerves. What am I a teenager unable to think deeper?
Not recommended, only for hard-core fans.
2 stars: because I had to laugh one or two times…
Finally, the series had so much depth which was unfortunately not carried over: repeating themes of sex, pornography and masturbation were getting on my nerves. What am I a teenager unable to think deeper?
Not recommended, only for hard-core fans.
2 stars: because I had to laugh one or two times…
April 25, 2019
Hexarchate Stories is a collection of flash fiction, short stories, and novellas all set in the Machinaries of Empire world. Some before the trilogy (starting with Ninefox Gambit) and some after. You get a story of an ex-Kel before the Hexachate was formed, stories of Jedao's and Cheris' childhoods/family's and pre-book life, and the capstone of the whole series, a short story following up two years after the final book in the trilogy.
While Lee still captures the horrors and intensity of the original trilogy, this series explores many quieter and lighter moments. If you found yourself missing some humor in the original books, you'll find it in these short stories. And the authors notes after each one are a delightful insight into Lee's thoughts and worldbuilding. You may also find the Calendar explained in easier to understand words than it ever was in the first three books!
While Lee still captures the horrors and intensity of the original trilogy, this series explores many quieter and lighter moments. If you found yourself missing some humor in the original books, you'll find it in these short stories. And the authors notes after each one are a delightful insight into Lee's thoughts and worldbuilding. You may also find the Calendar explained in easier to understand words than it ever was in the first three books!
July 11, 2019
While I enjoyed the short pieces set before Ninefox Gambit well enough, I really loved the longer novella piece at the end that is set after the end of Revenant Gun. Worth reading if you're a fan of the Ninefox series!
July 20, 2019
Rounded up from 3.5stars. I love the Ninefox Gambit and following books. My favorite short stories from this compilation I had already read. Some of the other short shorts are really mostly fun for the author’s accompanying comments.
January 24, 2021
An essential collection if you love the world in the Machineries Empire and if you want to spend more time with Cheris and Jedao. The first 2/3rds are really short stories, sometimes about mundane events but that's how I personally love the short story medium to be used. It can make a world more vibrant and as always Yoon Ha Lee's humor is woven into each work. Each story is also followed by author's notes that are AMAZING and really inform the decisions made into character development and world building. This collection is worth pick up if only for the final novella, which is a story that takes place after the events of Revenant Gun.
July 25, 2019
Excellent collection of the author's short fiction. Most were previous published and feature Shuos Jedao and take place before the action in Ninefox Gambit.
The real gem is the original novella length story, featuring Cheris and Jedao, which takes place two years after Revenant Gun.
As I love the three novel featuring these characters, buying this was a no-brainer.
The real gem is the original novella length story, featuring Cheris and Jedao, which takes place two years after Revenant Gun.
As I love the three novel featuring these characters, buying this was a no-brainer.
July 19, 2019
I loved it. I'm also completely and utterly biased because the Machineries of Empire trilogy are among my favourite books, and I'll take any scrap of further writing from this universe and these characters I can get. As a collection, this a little weird, because it's mostly what YHL calls "flash fiction" (i.e. stories of about 10min audio runtime), then a few longer stories, and finally the new novella. I think I'm just gonna review these parts of the books separately.
Flash fiction
I loved all of these immensely, because they're mostly short, and sweet, and expand on existing characters in ways that don't contain plot but just feelings and thoughts and perspectives. A few stood out to me:
"Silence": lovely melancholy piece on Jedao's older brother
"The Robot's Math Lessons": has a very fairy tale feeling and contains tiny Cheris befriending her first robot! The cuteness is too real.
"Gloves": ..this is straight-up porn without plot. I was honestly not expecting this and it's not my type of content, so I skipped most of it.
Longer stories
"The Chameleon's Gloves": this was so fun! It introduces completely new characters and they were immediately dear to me - this has it all, adventure, action, and a tale of friendship.
"Extracurricular Activities": I'd read this before but hearing the audiobook was lovely. This is basically "Jedao goes on a Shuos mission", and is exactly as much fun as that concept suggests.
"The Battle of Candle Arc": also knew this before, it's not my favourite but it's a solid battle and tactics story.
"Gamer's End": unexpectedly excellent!! I feel like I can't say anything at all about it without spoiling it, but I really liked the idea behind it. Also, second Person POV is a personal favourite of mine, so it was interesting to see YHL try his hand at it.
Glass Cannon (sequel novella to Revenant Gun)
I don't know what to say, I loved this with all my heart, and it was everything I was hoping for when I heard that there was going to be a sequel novella. I particularly love how it touches upon things that felt unresolved to me in Revenant Gun, bringing them to light and closing off plot points even as it opens a whole new thing. Amazing.
Flash fiction
I loved all of these immensely, because they're mostly short, and sweet, and expand on existing characters in ways that don't contain plot but just feelings and thoughts and perspectives. A few stood out to me:
"Silence": lovely melancholy piece on Jedao's older brother
"The Robot's Math Lessons": has a very fairy tale feeling and contains tiny Cheris befriending her first robot! The cuteness is too real.
"Gloves": ..this is straight-up porn without plot. I was honestly not expecting this and it's not my type of content, so I skipped most of it.
Longer stories
"The Chameleon's Gloves": this was so fun! It introduces completely new characters and they were immediately dear to me - this has it all, adventure, action, and a tale of friendship.
"Extracurricular Activities": I'd read this before but hearing the audiobook was lovely. This is basically "Jedao goes on a Shuos mission", and is exactly as much fun as that concept suggests.
"The Battle of Candle Arc": also knew this before, it's not my favourite but it's a solid battle and tactics story.
"Gamer's End": unexpectedly excellent!! I feel like I can't say anything at all about it without spoiling it, but I really liked the idea behind it. Also, second Person POV is a personal favourite of mine, so it was interesting to see YHL try his hand at it.
Glass Cannon (sequel novella to Revenant Gun)
I don't know what to say, I loved this with all my heart, and it was everything I was hoping for when I heard that there was going to be a sequel novella. I particularly love how it touches upon things that felt unresolved to me in Revenant Gun, bringing them to light and closing off plot points even as it opens a whole new thing. Amazing.
November 9, 2019
Review coming!
June 26, 2019
Other than "The Battle of Candle Arc" (which is available for free online, and which I recommend to people who were confused by Ninefox Gambit as an easier-to-understand introduction to this universe) these stories will either make no sense or hold no interest for readers who have not read the Machineries of Empires novels. But if you enjoyed those books, you'll enjoy these stories, which are basically fanfiction of the series (that is, bits of prequel, a sequel, and interstitial explorations) by its author. With the slight disclaimer that Yoon is a friend, I will say that my favorite parts of this collection were not the actual stories, but the afterword to each one in which he talks about the ideas that went into them, the circumstances of writing them, and the bits that are drawn from his life and experiences - an entertaining and down-to-earth peek behind the scenes.
August 13, 2019
About two thirds of this short story collection take place prior to the events of the original trilogy, and the remaining third is a single novella that takes place after. I’d still advise you read the series before tackling this book, because the stories and companion authors notes may spoil some of the experience of the novels, and you also will understand the context much better reading in that order. Most of the stories were small tastes back into a beloved story, a few of which I’d already read in other publications (when I last tried to hunt down all things Hexarchate.) They were a fun mix of filling in details and humorous vignettes, but the real heart of this book for me was reading the final novella, Glass Cannon. It’s absolutely everything I wanted in more Hexarchate fiction.
July 6, 2019
Hexarchate Stories by Yoon Ha Lee is a collection of short stories set in the same world as the Machineries of Empire series (Ninefox Gambit, Raven Stratagem and Revenant Gun). Although not all the stories require familiarity with the main series, I generally recommend having read the series before picking up Hexarchate Stories since some of the flash pieces and especially the concluding novella work better with knowledge of the characters and series events. (Though many of the stories absolutely stand alone.)
I really enjoyed this collection. Even given the slightly unusual way in which I read it; skipping over stories I had previously read meant I skipped some award worthy reads. (The reviews for those stories, by the way, are copied from my original reviews of them in italics below.) I was particularly taken with the three longer stories that were new to me: "The Chameleon's Gloves", "Gamer's End" and "Glass Cannon". The first two are meaty stories more about life in the universe than about the specific characters that featured in the series (although Jedao does appear in "Gamer's End"). "Glass Cannon" is a novella that takes place after the trilogy and, as such, is pretty spoiler-heavy for the events at the end of Raven Stratagem. Mostly because "Glass Cannon" dominates this collection in terms of page-count, my usual summing up is after the story mini-reviews (and after a spoiler shield).
“The Chameleon’s Gloves” — A fascinating story about a Kel outcast set before even the Heptarchate came into existence. And if that sentence made no sense, it’s a story about a thief given a job no one should have ever had to sign up for.
“How the Andan Court” — Flash/prose poem that I’ve read before: A flash piece that is more of a love letter explaining the absence of roses.
“Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam” — Longer flash musing on Liozh examinations, told from a relative future perspective, after the faction had fallen.
“Omens” — A short story about a couple’s date, dripping with significance if you’re paying attention and have read the Hexarchate books.
“Honesty” — A short story about very young Jedao and his even younger sister.
“Bunny” — Another young Jedao and sister, this time dealing with a missing cat. A cute story.
“Black Squirrels” — A hilarious story of a Shuos academy prank.
“Silence” — A family interlude told from the point of view of Jedao’s older brother Rodao. A straightforwardly enjoyable read.
“Extracurricular Activities” — previously read: Set in the same universe as Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem, this story follows Jedao while he is still young. He goes on an undercover mission to extract a friend from academy. I really enjoyed this story. It was funny with serious moments. A good read for both readers of the novels and new comers to the world.
“Gloves” — Pretty much smut, with a bit of character exploration thrown in. I can’t imagine the framing details working very well for someone who hadn’t read the series.
“Hunting Trip” — A vignette featuring Jedao and a general stopping at a zoo en route to a hunting trip.
“The Battle of Candle Arc” — already read: Shuos Jedao leads a Kel army to victory against heretics. I had some memory of this particular battle being mentioned in the novels (Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem), but misremembered the context. In any case, an interesting read, even more so since it was published years before the novels. Clearly the authors has been living in this world for a long time. Also, the explanations of the factions and calendar were done particularly well, especially given how complicated they can get. This story is a good introduction to the world.
“Calendrical Rot” — Things get weird. Apparently this was almost the prologue to Ninefox Gambit, so it’s interesting to me that it works as a short story.
“Birthdays” — Young Cheris and her family move out of their ghetto and have to give up some of their traditions. A nicely told flash story.
“The Robot’s Math Lessons” — previously read: An adorable flash story about a robot making friends with a little girl (who I think is Cheris from Ninefox Gambit). — And yes, it was Cheris. This story is referenced in "Glass Cannon".
“Sword-Shopping” — Cheris and her girlfriend go to buy a sword. A cute flash piece.
“Persimmons” — A cute flash story about a servitor arrived at Kel Academy from a small village. Who doesn’t like sentient robot stories?
“Irriz the Assassin-Cat” — A cute flash featuring a cat soothing a child.
“Vacation” — Different characters take a trip to the zoo in this flash piece.
“Gamer’s End” — A second person short story about an advanced trainee sitting a test under Jedao. It’s one of the longer stories in this collection and is not so much filling in past anecdotes as telling a self-contained story set in the same world. And the second person narration adds some interesting flavour.
“Glass Cannon” — This is a novella (well and truly; it takes up the entire second half of Hexarchate Stories) set after Revenant Gun. It contains a lot of spoilers for the end of the Machineries of Empire series and I definitely don’t recommend reading it without having read the series. Not only will it be confusing, but it will also spoil some of the surprises and enjoyment of the series. In fact, a proper review of it is spoileriffic, so I will restrict it to my full review of Hexarchate Stories.
Full review with massive spoilers for Revenant Gun/Machineries of Empire. Do not hover over/highlight the spoiler-shield below if you don't want to be spoiled.
This was a great collection, even if it was a little unbalanced in story lengths, and I definitely recommend it to fans of Yoon Ha Lee's books. While some of the stories are good entry points to the series, the majority of the flash stories work better if thought of adding something to the universe, rather than full stories in their own rights. For the prospective reader who wants to read Hexarchate Stories but not the trilogy (but why?), I see no reason why the first half of this collection can't be enjoyed, but I repeat my caution about "Glass Cannon" being full of spoilers and probably confusing without the trilogy context. On the other hand, if Lee plans to revisit the Hexarchate/Heptarchate universe again, sign me up for reading more stories/books set in that world.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
I really enjoyed this collection. Even given the slightly unusual way in which I read it; skipping over stories I had previously read meant I skipped some award worthy reads. (The reviews for those stories, by the way, are copied from my original reviews of them in italics below.) I was particularly taken with the three longer stories that were new to me: "The Chameleon's Gloves", "Gamer's End" and "Glass Cannon". The first two are meaty stories more about life in the universe than about the specific characters that featured in the series (although Jedao does appear in "Gamer's End"). "Glass Cannon" is a novella that takes place after the trilogy and, as such, is pretty spoiler-heavy for the events at the end of Raven Stratagem. Mostly because "Glass Cannon" dominates this collection in terms of page-count, my usual summing up is after the story mini-reviews (and after a spoiler shield).
“The Chameleon’s Gloves” — A fascinating story about a Kel outcast set before even the Heptarchate came into existence. And if that sentence made no sense, it’s a story about a thief given a job no one should have ever had to sign up for.
“How the Andan Court” — Flash/prose poem that I’ve read before: A flash piece that is more of a love letter explaining the absence of roses.
“Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam” — Longer flash musing on Liozh examinations, told from a relative future perspective, after the faction had fallen.
“Omens” — A short story about a couple’s date, dripping with significance if you’re paying attention and have read the Hexarchate books.
“Honesty” — A short story about very young Jedao and his even younger sister.
“Bunny” — Another young Jedao and sister, this time dealing with a missing cat. A cute story.
“Black Squirrels” — A hilarious story of a Shuos academy prank.
“Silence” — A family interlude told from the point of view of Jedao’s older brother Rodao. A straightforwardly enjoyable read.
“Extracurricular Activities” — previously read: Set in the same universe as Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem, this story follows Jedao while he is still young. He goes on an undercover mission to extract a friend from academy. I really enjoyed this story. It was funny with serious moments. A good read for both readers of the novels and new comers to the world.
“Gloves” — Pretty much smut, with a bit of character exploration thrown in. I can’t imagine the framing details working very well for someone who hadn’t read the series.
“Hunting Trip” — A vignette featuring Jedao and a general stopping at a zoo en route to a hunting trip.
“The Battle of Candle Arc” — already read: Shuos Jedao leads a Kel army to victory against heretics. I had some memory of this particular battle being mentioned in the novels (Ninefox Gambit and Raven Stratagem), but misremembered the context. In any case, an interesting read, even more so since it was published years before the novels. Clearly the authors has been living in this world for a long time. Also, the explanations of the factions and calendar were done particularly well, especially given how complicated they can get. This story is a good introduction to the world.
“Calendrical Rot” — Things get weird. Apparently this was almost the prologue to Ninefox Gambit, so it’s interesting to me that it works as a short story.
“Birthdays” — Young Cheris and her family move out of their ghetto and have to give up some of their traditions. A nicely told flash story.
“The Robot’s Math Lessons” — previously read: An adorable flash story about a robot making friends with a little girl (who I think is Cheris from Ninefox Gambit). — And yes, it was Cheris. This story is referenced in "Glass Cannon".
“Sword-Shopping” — Cheris and her girlfriend go to buy a sword. A cute flash piece.
“Persimmons” — A cute flash story about a servitor arrived at Kel Academy from a small village. Who doesn’t like sentient robot stories?
“Irriz the Assassin-Cat” — A cute flash featuring a cat soothing a child.
“Vacation” — Different characters take a trip to the zoo in this flash piece.
“Gamer’s End” — A second person short story about an advanced trainee sitting a test under Jedao. It’s one of the longer stories in this collection and is not so much filling in past anecdotes as telling a self-contained story set in the same world. And the second person narration adds some interesting flavour.
“Glass Cannon” — This is a novella (well and truly; it takes up the entire second half of Hexarchate Stories) set after Revenant Gun. It contains a lot of spoilers for the end of the Machineries of Empire series and I definitely don’t recommend reading it without having read the series. Not only will it be confusing, but it will also spoil some of the surprises and enjoyment of the series. In fact, a proper review of it is spoileriffic, so I will restrict it to my full review of Hexarchate Stories.
Full review with massive spoilers for Revenant Gun/Machineries of Empire. Do not hover over/highlight the spoiler-shield below if you don't want to be spoiled.
This was a great collection, even if it was a little unbalanced in story lengths, and I definitely recommend it to fans of Yoon Ha Lee's books. While some of the stories are good entry points to the series, the majority of the flash stories work better if thought of adding something to the universe, rather than full stories in their own rights. For the prospective reader who wants to read Hexarchate Stories but not the trilogy (but why?), I see no reason why the first half of this collection can't be enjoyed, but I repeat my caution about "Glass Cannon" being full of spoilers and probably confusing without the trilogy context. On the other hand, if Lee plans to revisit the Hexarchate/Heptarchate universe again, sign me up for reading more stories/books set in that world.
5 / 5 stars
You can read more of my reviews on my blog.
July 2, 2019
Just to make something abundantly clear: I would read Lee's grocery list.
He's probably my favourite author at this point, and I'm looking forward to re-read the Machineries of Empire trilogy in order to write some in depth-reviews, that let's be honest, will end up being mindless gushing praise, despite my best efforts.
I found this anthology very entertaining, and while I was mostly interested in the stories that directly mentioned Jedao and Cheris, it was lovely to learn about their childhoods, however briefly, and as usual in this universe, heartbreaking too, all the extra bits of world-building were much appreciated as well.
I love Cheris and Jedao and I would read about them doing basically anything, including grocery shopping. So there was no way I wouldn't love this book.
While I've been lucky to read many amazing books, it's not often that I come across truly memorable characters, who I never want to stop reading about. Jedao in particular is unforgettable, and I'm fairly confident there was never a character like him, and that there will never be one again.
Which brings me to an interesting conclusion, and this next part will contain spoilers for the last short story/novella in the anthology as well as for Revenant Gun.
Anyway, I love Yoon Ha Lee, I can only hope that the events at the end of Glass Cannon, mean there is another trilogy coming, and that it will possibly contain one of my favorite sci-fi tropes: AI vs humans.
Fans of the trilogy will without a doubt love this anthology and be glad to learn more about favourite characters, and the hexarchate itself.
My only complaint is that there could have been more Mikodez in this book, because he's a close second favourite behind Cheris and Jedao, and I would have loved to learn more about his life and family.
He's probably my favourite author at this point, and I'm looking forward to re-read the Machineries of Empire trilogy in order to write some in depth-reviews, that let's be honest, will end up being mindless gushing praise, despite my best efforts.
I found this anthology very entertaining, and while I was mostly interested in the stories that directly mentioned Jedao and Cheris, it was lovely to learn about their childhoods, however briefly, and as usual in this universe, heartbreaking too, all the extra bits of world-building were much appreciated as well.
I love Cheris and Jedao and I would read about them doing basically anything, including grocery shopping. So there was no way I wouldn't love this book.
While I've been lucky to read many amazing books, it's not often that I come across truly memorable characters, who I never want to stop reading about. Jedao in particular is unforgettable, and I'm fairly confident there was never a character like him, and that there will never be one again.
Which brings me to an interesting conclusion, and this next part will contain spoilers for the last short story/novella in the anthology as well as for Revenant Gun.
Anyway, I love Yoon Ha Lee, I can only hope that the events at the end of Glass Cannon, mean there is another trilogy coming, and that it will possibly contain one of my favorite sci-fi tropes: AI vs humans.
Fans of the trilogy will without a doubt love this anthology and be glad to learn more about favourite characters, and the hexarchate itself.
My only complaint is that there could have been more Mikodez in this book, because he's a close second favourite behind Cheris and Jedao, and I would have loved to learn more about his life and family.
June 23, 2019
Anyone wanting to read this collection should first absorb and get to grips with the challenging but rewarding Machineries of the Empire trilogy. Because of the complexity of the Machineries universe, Hexarchate Stories are really a collection for the trilogy’s fans, of which I am one. Even so it took me a little while to bed into this collection which initially has the sense of warm ups for the main event. Indeed, this glimpse into Yoon Ha Lee’s writing scrapbook of experimental, or works in progress, was indicated by accompanying commentaries by the author after each story.
But as the collection progressed, things began to develop into something very interesting as more of Jedao’s and Cheris’s respective backgrounds were further explored, until the novella, The Glass Cannon, which continues from the end of Revenant Gun.
Passionate, psychologically erratic, but strategically focused Jedao has to be the most interesting flawed hero/anti-hero that I have ever read. Particularly as this version of the man is an incomplete fabrication of the original.
Dependable, thoughtful, soul-searching Cheris is the perfect foil and tactical partner for a man who would be both mesmerising and terrifyingly unpredictable to meet in the flesh, even (or should I say ‘especially’?) if you were the vessel of his life knowledge up to the point of his interminable imprisonment.
There is no doubt The Glass Cannon is the grand finale of the collection, working Jedao, and Cheris (not to mention the servitors) to the full, particularly as it deals with many of the threads left unanswered by the trilogy.
Having said it took me a while to get into the collection, I do want to read it again now I have finished it because I see it in a different light. We are viewing an author working through the process of crafting not only a story but engaged in complex worldbuilding.
Some of the very short stories were interesting examples of taking something from real life and turning it into a piece of science fiction writing. The beginning pieces were also an exercise in playing with writing to see if it could be worked into something larger, like a book. I buy books where the artists have published their sketches for their finished painting or those that never made the cut. I also have one or two books which are facsimiles of poets’ edits (in some case quite brutal to get to the sublime, finished work). For me these books increase the enjoyment of the finished piece. So, maybe more writers should be brave enough to allow their reader to glimpse behind the scenes of the interesting process of creation and editing.
Finishing this book has only made me want more from an amazing world which still feels as if it has a great deal to give.
In all, the collection has continued to exacerbate my cravings for more of Yoon Ha Lee’s extraordinary style of energetic and thought-provoking writing.
Hexarchate Stories was courtesy of Solaris.
But as the collection progressed, things began to develop into something very interesting as more of Jedao’s and Cheris’s respective backgrounds were further explored, until the novella, The Glass Cannon, which continues from the end of Revenant Gun.
Passionate, psychologically erratic, but strategically focused Jedao has to be the most interesting flawed hero/anti-hero that I have ever read. Particularly as this version of the man is an incomplete fabrication of the original.
Dependable, thoughtful, soul-searching Cheris is the perfect foil and tactical partner for a man who would be both mesmerising and terrifyingly unpredictable to meet in the flesh, even (or should I say ‘especially’?) if you were the vessel of his life knowledge up to the point of his interminable imprisonment.
There is no doubt The Glass Cannon is the grand finale of the collection, working Jedao, and Cheris (not to mention the servitors) to the full, particularly as it deals with many of the threads left unanswered by the trilogy.
Having said it took me a while to get into the collection, I do want to read it again now I have finished it because I see it in a different light. We are viewing an author working through the process of crafting not only a story but engaged in complex worldbuilding.
Some of the very short stories were interesting examples of taking something from real life and turning it into a piece of science fiction writing. The beginning pieces were also an exercise in playing with writing to see if it could be worked into something larger, like a book. I buy books where the artists have published their sketches for their finished painting or those that never made the cut. I also have one or two books which are facsimiles of poets’ edits (in some case quite brutal to get to the sublime, finished work). For me these books increase the enjoyment of the finished piece. So, maybe more writers should be brave enough to allow their reader to glimpse behind the scenes of the interesting process of creation and editing.
Finishing this book has only made me want more from an amazing world which still feels as if it has a great deal to give.
In all, the collection has continued to exacerbate my cravings for more of Yoon Ha Lee’s extraordinary style of energetic and thought-provoking writing.
Hexarchate Stories was courtesy of Solaris.
April 10, 2020
When I picked up this collection, I admit I was hoping for more of a look into the different facets of the Hexarchate and less of a deep dive into vignettes from Jedao's childhood. Although amusing, these disjointed stories do not stand alone and I feel would appeal more to a hardcore Jedao fan.
A few of the stories did provide a peek into life in the Hexarchate (or Heptarchate). "Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam" was structured in a very interesting way and is one I will read again.
A couple of the stories stood alone. "The Battle of Candle Arc" is a nice addition to the trilogy, having been a battle that was often referenced. "Extracurricular Activities" stands alone and would appeal to readers even if they hadn't read the trilogy—in my opinion, it's the best of the bunch.
"Gamer's End" confused me. After reading the entire collection, I can only deduce that it's set in an alternate timeline when Jedao (who acts differently than moth Jedao when it comes to an acceptable level of death) is working for Mikodez (i.e. after the trilogy, not before) as an instructor for the Shuos. The novella makes this largely impossible unless there's still a large piece missing in the timeline so although this story was interesting, I don't think I'll be revisiting it.
At last we come to "Glass Cannon", the novella sequel to the trilogy. I have mixed feelings about this. At first, I didn't like it at all. I loved the way the trilogy ended, with Cheris getting a roundabout happy ending, and this story robbed her of it. It also robbed me, as the reader, of the belief that she would be happy in that life. For that reason, I don't like the novella. However, for the action and the interesting resolution to Jedao, I do like this novella. I think it's the sort of thing I'll have to digest and re-read before I make a decision as to whether it will be a staple in my re-reads of the series or whether I'll leave it out. I think, unless the author adds more to Cheris and Jedao's adventure (important political threads are left loose so it's a distinct possibility), I'm inclined to leave it out.
Honestly, the Machineries of Empire trilogy stands brilliantly on its own and this collection has mostly muddied the original material.
A few of the stories did provide a peek into life in the Hexarchate (or Heptarchate). "Seven Views of the Liozh Entrance Exam" was structured in a very interesting way and is one I will read again.
A couple of the stories stood alone. "The Battle of Candle Arc" is a nice addition to the trilogy, having been a battle that was often referenced. "Extracurricular Activities" stands alone and would appeal to readers even if they hadn't read the trilogy—in my opinion, it's the best of the bunch.
"Gamer's End" confused me. After reading the entire collection, I can only deduce that it's set in an alternate timeline when Jedao (who acts differently than moth Jedao when it comes to an acceptable level of death) is working for Mikodez (i.e. after the trilogy, not before) as an instructor for the Shuos. The novella makes this largely impossible unless there's still a large piece missing in the timeline so although this story was interesting, I don't think I'll be revisiting it.
At last we come to "Glass Cannon", the novella sequel to the trilogy. I have mixed feelings about this. At first, I didn't like it at all. I loved the way the trilogy ended, with Cheris getting a roundabout happy ending, and this story robbed her of it. It also robbed me, as the reader, of the belief that she would be happy in that life. For that reason, I don't like the novella. However, for the action and the interesting resolution to Jedao, I do like this novella. I think it's the sort of thing I'll have to digest and re-read before I make a decision as to whether it will be a staple in my re-reads of the series or whether I'll leave it out. I think, unless the author adds more to Cheris and Jedao's adventure (important political threads are left loose so it's a distinct possibility), I'm inclined to leave it out.
Honestly, the Machineries of Empire trilogy stands brilliantly on its own and this collection has mostly muddied the original material.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 4, 2019
Yoon Ha Lee is the author of the Machineries of Empire trilogy, a far-flung space opera where the technology might as well be (and might be) magic. His books are some of my favorites of the past few years. This story collection fleshes out the world and our two main characters, Shuos Jedao and Kel Cheris.
I would say this book is definitely for those already familiar with the previous novels--I think it would be very hard to dive into this uninitiated. (Anyway, the trilogy is excellent and y'all should be reading it already.) A lot of these stories are short flash pieces from the author's blog, and while the quality of these may be a bit uneven, the Author's Notes justify their inclusion here. The two reprints, "Extracurricular Activities" and "The Battle of Candle Arc," are essential for understanding the hexarchate universe.
The crown jewel of this collection, which alone makes it worth the price of admission, is the closing brand-new novella, "Glass Cannon." Taking up the story of Jedao and Cheris two years after the trilogy's final book, Revenant Gun, this deals with the revelations of that book in particular and the themes of the series as a whole, as well as lobbing a strategically placed bomb into the status quo. I don't know if Yoon Ha Lee intends to write more novels in this universe, but this would provide a terrific jumping-off point.
In sum: This is a very good collection, well worth your money. If it leads to picking up the Machineries of Empire trilogy (and it should), so much the better.
I would say this book is definitely for those already familiar with the previous novels--I think it would be very hard to dive into this uninitiated. (Anyway, the trilogy is excellent and y'all should be reading it already.) A lot of these stories are short flash pieces from the author's blog, and while the quality of these may be a bit uneven, the Author's Notes justify their inclusion here. The two reprints, "Extracurricular Activities" and "The Battle of Candle Arc," are essential for understanding the hexarchate universe.
The crown jewel of this collection, which alone makes it worth the price of admission, is the closing brand-new novella, "Glass Cannon." Taking up the story of Jedao and Cheris two years after the trilogy's final book, Revenant Gun, this deals with the revelations of that book in particular and the themes of the series as a whole, as well as lobbing a strategically placed bomb into the status quo. I don't know if Yoon Ha Lee intends to write more novels in this universe, but this would provide a terrific jumping-off point.
In sum: This is a very good collection, well worth your money. If it leads to picking up the Machineries of Empire trilogy (and it should), so much the better.
October 3, 2019
As the title says, this is a collection of stories set in Lee’s Hexarchate universe, most centering on Shuos Jedao at various points of his life. Some aren’t even stories as such but rather vignettes about life in the Hexarchy (and its earlier incarnation as the Heptarchy). “Glass Cannon,” the final story in the collection, is a short novella that picks up with Cheris and Jedao two years after the events of Revenant Gun and promises more adventures as they try to bring down the Hexarchs.
If you haven’t read Ninefox Gambit and its sequels, you’ll be thoroughly lost so I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who hasn’t. I would recommend it for fans of the author.
If you haven’t read Ninefox Gambit and its sequels, you’ll be thoroughly lost so I wouldn’t recommend this for anyone who hasn’t. I would recommend it for fans of the author.
July 7, 2019
Okay, no.
Yoon Ha Lee has created a crazy weird SF universe and blew my sock off with it in Ninefox Gambit, but then I guess he decided to shift focus from the universe onto the characters and kept steadily losing my interest over the next two novels. I was hoping that this collection would explore that crazy weird universe a bit more, on how it ticks and what makes it so, moving through a wider variety of its cultures and inhabitants, leaving the “people” stories aside, but it actually goes the other way, focusing almost entirely on the life and ticking of one Shuos Jedao.
I really made an effort, after nearly throwing in the towel at around 30%, of going back and trying to at least make it through the longer stories/novellas, but I just really don’t give a flying frag about what the wily general was like when he was nine or whatnot, though I see that I’m a minority there. Nevertheless, I’m afraid this is it for me and the Hexarchate.
Yoon Ha Lee has created a crazy weird SF universe and blew my sock off with it in Ninefox Gambit, but then I guess he decided to shift focus from the universe onto the characters and kept steadily losing my interest over the next two novels. I was hoping that this collection would explore that crazy weird universe a bit more, on how it ticks and what makes it so, moving through a wider variety of its cultures and inhabitants, leaving the “people” stories aside, but it actually goes the other way, focusing almost entirely on the life and ticking of one Shuos Jedao.
I really made an effort, after nearly throwing in the towel at around 30%, of going back and trying to at least make it through the longer stories/novellas, but I just really don’t give a flying frag about what the wily general was like when he was nine or whatnot, though I see that I’m a minority there. Nevertheless, I’m afraid this is it for me and the Hexarchate.
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