The result is his debut novel, a space opera where the entire structure of society is formulated and held together through math.

Doubly confusing is the use of pseudoscience and. Ninefox Gambit By Yoon Ha Lee After majoring in mathematics and receiving a master’s in mathematics education, Yoon Ha Lee wanted to explore how math enhances fiction. The society of Yoon Ha Lee’s Ninefox Gambit is founded on a complicated and intricate form of social mathematics the calendar is the structure that allows the hexarchate to retain power. The story begins with a battle where characters use military tactics based on some form of numerology or astrology may seem very strange to science fiction readers. Ninefox Gambit Is a Space Opera to Tax Your Brain and Ignite Your Imagination In a far-flung future, human interaction is heavily regimented and controlled. If you are someone who usually doesn't like complex political shenanigans and the logistics of war, it may still be worth reading this.Ĭontent warnings for death, war, and body horror. Lee’s style of writing for this series can easily confuse readers at the beginning of this book. Fortunately the torture is only referenced, but the sheer numbers of senseless deaths do happen as necessary parts of the story. To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general. Yoon Ha Lee has developed a mathematics and a magic that are one and the same, and that influence everything that happens in the story.ĭifficult parts of the story: The sheer numbers of sacrificial deaths, and the fact that just to maintain the government system, torture is a necessity. The first installment of the trilogy, Ninefox Gambit, centers on disgraced captain Kel Cheris, who must recapture the formidable Fortress of Scattered Needles in order to redeem herself in front of the Hexarchate. While the plot is good, and the characterisation is impressive, what held me in this story was the world-building, and the way that the writing slowly exposes it. In long: I've heard a lot of good things about this series, but none of them prepared me for how much I was going to love this story, how invested I was going to be in how the complex strands of politics and warfare across time and space are woven together. In short: I loved it, and I want more people to read it.

Ninefox gambit