Hexarchate Stories
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Praise for THE MACHINERIES OF EMPIRE SERIES
‘Lee’s ability to balance high science fiction concepts—worlds, cultures, and weapons—with a deep examination of character—tragic flaws, noble purpose, and societal ideas—is nigh unprecedented in space opera.’
B&N Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
‘How do you follow-up a breathtaking, multiple award-nominated debut that combined world-changing technologies, interesting reality-altering mathematics and awesome characters? Raven Stratagem is as mind-blowing as its predecessor, but in a completely different way.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘Without a doubt, Raven Stratagem is proof that Yoon Ha Lee sits next to Ann Leckie atop the podium for thoughtful, intricate, and completely human science fiction.’
Tor.com
‘This stunning sequel to the Hugo- and Nebula-nominated Ninefox Gambit contains a satisfying mixture of interstellar battles, politics, intrigue, and arcane technology… Readers who don’t mind being dropped in the deep end will savor this brilliantly imagined tale.’
Publishers Weekly Starred Review
‘Lee has leveraged the adage that “any seemingly advanced science can look like magic” to create truly bizarre technologies; while there is plenty of gripping space opera action, the real pleasure of this series is the inventive worldbuilding.’
Library Journal Starred Review
‘Raven is a triumphant continuation of a vibrant new space opera. I expected intrigue and entertainment; I wasn’t prepared for all the feelings. I can’t wait to see where Yoon Ha Lee takes this rollercoaster next.’
The Speculative Herald
‘If you like your universes with a dark sense of humour and a wonky moral compass, Lee may be the best thing to happen to Space Opera since Banks’s untimely passing.Raven Stratagem is that rare thing—a sequel that betters the original. The ruling order is on its way out, and something is going to replace it. It could be freedom. It could be chaos. It could be a disaster. What could be more timely?’
Shoreline of Infinity
‘Last year, I read and loved a stunning military space opera. This year, I had the pleasure of reading the sequel, Raven Stratagem, and may have loved it even more. I really hope Lee chooses to write more. This series has been one of the best things to happen in science fiction, and I can’t recommend it enough.’
The Illustrated Page
‘The book works as a kind of puzzle… [and] like the best puzzles, there is a certain inevitable logic to how the whole thing plays out, both against and with our expectations. I for one can’t wait to see the final scenario.’
Strange Horizons
‘There’s grand space battles here. There’s political manoeuvring at the heart of the Empire, and some genuinely crackling dialogue. There’s characters baring their souls in genuinely moving moments. It makes for an absolutely cracking read.’
Sci-Fi and Fantasy Reviews
‘The story is dense, the pace intense, and the delicate East Asian flavoring of the math-rich setting might make it seem utterly alien to many readers—yet metaphors for our own world abound. Readers willing to invest in a steep learning curve will be rewarded with a tight-woven, complicated but not convoluted, breathtakingly original space opera. And since this is only the first book of the Machineries of Empire trilogy, it’s the start of what looks to be a wild ride.’
N. K. Jemisin, The New York Times
‘I love Yoon’s work! Ninefox Gambit is solidly and satisfyingly full of battles and political intrigue, in a beautifully built far-future that manages to be human and alien at the same time. It should be a treat for readers already familiar with Yoon’s excellent short fiction, and an extra treat for readers finding Yoon’s work for the first time.’
Ann Leckie
‘Cheris and Jedao are fascinating, multi-faceted entities, filled with contradictions and idiosyncrasies; Lee’s prose is clever and opulently detailed; the worldbuilding is jaw-droppingly good. Like the many-eyed Shuos, the book appears to delight in its own game, a tangle of plots and subplots. It almost seems content to never be deciphered, but if you persist, you’re in for a fantastic story. Lee’s novel is a brilliant way to begin a trilogy.’
Ars Technica
‘Yoon Ha Lee recasts Korean legend in a densely rendered, high-tech future universe, with intricate worldbuilding.’
The Guardian
‘Rather than aping the generic clipped-and-grim style so often employed by other, less talented writers, Lee leans in the other direction, finding a sumptuous beauty in physical moments and complexity in thought and motivation. Ninefox is a book with math in its heart, but also one which understands that even numbers can lie. That it’s what you see in the numbers that matters most. And that something—maybe all things—begun with the best, truest of intentions can go terribly wrong once the gears of reality begin to churn.’
NPR
‘Beautiful, brutal and full of the kind of off-hand inventiveness that the best SF trades in, Ninefox Gambit is an effortlessly accomplished SF novel. Yoon Ha Lee has arrived in spectacular fashion.’
Alastair Reynolds
‘Starship Troopers meets Apocalypse Now—and they’ve put Kurtz in charge... Mind-blistering military space opera, but with a density of ideas and strangeness that recalls the works of Hannu Rajaniemi, even Cordwainer Smith. An unmissable debut.’
Stephen Baxter
‘For those itching for dense worldbuilding, a riproaring plot, complex relationships, and military SF with a deep imagination, it’ll do just the trick. Lee’s already shown he has the chops for short fiction, and now Ninefox Gambit proves that he’s a novelist to watch out for. This is military SF with blood, guts, math, and heart.’
Tor.com
‘“You know what’s going on, right?” Ninefox Gambit asks. Often, you have to say, “Uh, yeah, of course,” when the real answer is “I have no idea, but I really, really care.” And then you keep reading.’
Strange Horizons
‘For sixteen years Yoon Ha Lee has been the shadow general of science fiction, the calculating tactician behind victory after victory. Now he launches his great manoeuvre. Origami elegant, fox-sly, defiantly and ferociously new, this book will burn your brain. Axiomatically brilliant. Heretically good.’
Seth Dickinson
‘A high-octane ride through an endlessly inventive world, where calendars are weapons of war and dead soldiers can assist the living. Bold, fearlessly innovative and just a bit brutal, this is a book that deserves to be on every awards list.’
Aliette de Bodard
‘Ambitious. Confusing. Enthralling. Brilliant. These are the words I will use to describe Yoon Ha Lee’s utterly immersive, utterly memorable novel. I had heard very high praise for Lee’s short fiction—still, even with those moderate expectations I had no idea what I was in for. I haven’t felt this blown away by a novel’s originality since Ancillary Justice. And, since I’m being completely honest, Ninefox Gambit is actually more inventive, boundary-breaking, and ambitious than that.’
The Book Smugglers
‘Cheris’ world feels genuinely alien, with thrillingly unfamiliar social structures and technologies, and the attention to detail is simply stunning. Just don’t ever let your concentration slip, or there’s a good chance that you will miss something wonderful.’
SciFi Now
‘A dizzying composite of military space opera and sheer poetry. Every word, name and concept in Lee’s unique world is imbued with a sense of wonder.’
Hannu Rajaniemi
‘There’s a good chance that this series will be seen as an important addition to the space opera resurgence of recent years. While Lee has developed a singular combination of military SF, mathematic
al elegance, and futuristic strangeness, readers may note echoes of or similarities to Iain M. Banks, Hannu Rajaniemi, C. J. Cherryh, Ann Leckie and Cordwainer Smith. Admirers of these authors, or anyone interested in state-of-the-art space opera, ought to give Ninefox Gambit a try.’
Worlds Without End
‘Daring, original and compulsive. As if Cordwainer Smith had written a Warhammer novel.’
Gareth L. Powell
‘That was a great read; very intriguing world building in particular. I now want to sign all my emails with “Yours in calendrical heresy.”’
Tobias Buckell
‘A striking space opera by a bright new talent.’
Elizabeth Bear
‘Suitably, given the rigid Doctrine of the hexarchate and the irresistible formation instinct of the warrior Kel faction, Ninefox Gambit is a book of precise rigor. It gives a wonderful amount of worldbuilding without any clunky exposition dumps, is ruthlessly clear-eyed about the costs and concerns of war (especially at this technological level) and gives us an instantly ingratiating heroine who spends most of the book doing her best to outmaneuver the forces that have set her up to fail, waste the lives of her troops or just die. This is a future to get excited about.’
RT Book Reviews
‘Space-based nail-biter Ninefox Gambit is a smart space opera that pushes the frontier of science fiction. A must-read.’
Kirkus Reviews
‘Confused yet? The learning curve on Ninefox Gambit shouldn’t be underestimated, although readers with a solid foundation in hard science fiction will have an easier time parsing the narrative. It’s a challenging story, tackling science fiction concepts we’re familiar with (spaceships and intergalactic war) while layering on purposefully obfuscated but compelling twists.’
Barnes & Noble Sci-Fi & Fantasy Blog
‘If you’re looking for another great sci-fi read, you should consider Ninefox Gambit.’
Sci-Fi Addicts
First published 2019 by Solaris
an imprint of Rebellion Publishing Ltd,
Riverside House, Osney Mead,
Oxford, OX2 0ES, UK
www.solarisbooks.com
ISBN: 978-1-78618-193-0
Copyright © 2019 Yoon Ha Lee
Cover art by Chris Moore
The right of the author to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owners.
Hexarchate (AND Heptarchate) Timeline
Pre-Heptarchate
pre-calendar “The Chameleon’s Gloves” takes place.
Heptarchate
0 - Heptarchate founded.
first century - Rahal Ienora creates compromise local remembrance system so people don’t get messed up by local day-cycles vs. the high calendar.
342 - Hajoret Kujen (later Nirai Kujen) is born.
354 - Hajoret Kujen becomes Warlord Halash’s concubine.
356 - Hajoret Kujen admitted to Nirai Academy Prime.
ca. 370 - Modern mothdrives and harnesses introduced, permitting a period of rapid expansion; modern remembrances introduced through the influence of Nirai Kujen.
383 - Nirai Kujen enters the black cradle with Heptarch Nirai Esfarel.
804 - Garach Rodao is born.
809 - Garach Jedao Shkan (later Shuos Jedao) is born.
814 - Garach Nidana is born.
826 - Cadet Garach Jedao Shkan causes the suicide of Cadet Vestenya Ruo at Shuos Academy.
831 - Shuos Jedao is assigned to Heptarch Shuos Khiaz’s office as infantry.
832 - Shuos Jedao is seconded to Kel army as a senior lieutenant.
839 - “Extracurricular Activities” takes place. Shuos Jedao is promoted to tactical group commander.
841 - Shuos Jedao is promoted to brigadier general and is raped by Heptarch Shuos Khiaz, then suborned by Heptarch Nirai Kujen.
850 - Shuos Jedao is promoted to general.
852 - Battle of Candle Arc.
853 - The massacre at Hellspin Fortress.
854 - General Shuos Jedao is executed and enters the black cradle.
907 - General Kel Dessenet uses Wildfire over the Aerie to destroy an invading swarm. The formation is put on the proscribed list by Kel Command.
916 - Hafn invasion.
944 - Liozh revolt.
ca. 950 - Eshpatan (Shuos Jedao’s homeworld) is lost to the Hafn in a border flare-up.
Hexarchate
952 - The heptarchate is officially disbanded and reformed as the hexarchate.
970 - Lieutenant General Kel Vrae Tala loses the Fire Grasses campaign.
981 - Hexarch Nirai Kujen takes Shuos Jedao and three servitors to the base on Tefos. Jedao leaves with Kujen; the servitors, including Hemiola, remain to maintain the base.
1081 - Hexarch Nirai Kujen checks in at Tefos Base, again accompanied by Shuos Jedao.
1155 - Alaikko Inesser (later Kel Inesser) is born.
1175 - The Fortress of Spinshot Coins has its defenses upgraded.
1179 - Neshte Khiruev (later Kel Khiruev) is born.
1181 - Hexarch Nirai Kujen again checks in at Tefos Base, accompanied by Shuos Jedao.
1184 - Vauhan Mikodez (later Shuos Mikodez) is born.
1185 - Vauhan Istradez is born.
1187 - Nirai Mahar is born.
1193 - Muyyed (later Kel Muyyed) is born.
1196 - Eurikhos Dhanneth (later Kel Dhanneth) is born.
1202 - Rhezny Miuzan (later Kel Miuzan) and Rhezny Ganazan (later Kel Ganazan) are born. Nirai Kujen is anchored to Nirai Mahar.
1207 - Kel Inesser is promoted to major general.
1208 - Rhezny Brezan (later Kel Brezan) is born.
1209 - Shuos Mikodez becomes hexarch with Shuos Zehun’s support.
1211 - Hexarch Shuos Mikodez orders the assassination of two cadets at a Shuos Academy Tertiary.
1221 - Nirai Faian ascends to false hexarch.
1222 - Ajewen Dzera marries Ajewen Derow; he takes her name per Mwennin custom.
1225 - Ajewen Cheris (later Kel Cheris) is born.
1236 - Kel Khiruev is promoted to general.
1246 - Kel Brezan is promoted to lieutenant colonel.
1251 - Ninefox Gambit takes place.
1252 - Raven Stratagem takes place.
1261 - Revenant Gun takes place.
1263 - “Glass Cannon” takes place.
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 tall, pale woman decked in jewels while they feigned interest in pre-Devolutionist art.
In spite of themself, Rhehan was impressed by colonists who had carved pictures into the soles of worn-out space boots: so useless that it had to be art, not that they planned to say that to the woman.
“—wonderful evocation of the Festival of the Vines using that repeated motif,” the woman was saying. She brushed a long curl of hair out of her face and toyed with one of her dangling earrings as she looked sideways at Rhehan.
“I was just thinking that myself,” Rhehan lied. The Festival of the Vines, with its accompanying cheerful inebriation and sex, would be less agonizing than having to pretend to care about the aesthetics of this piece. Too bad Rhehan and Liyeusse planned to disappear in the next couple of hours. The woman was pretty enough, despite her obsession with circuitscapes. Rhehan was of the opinion that if you wanted to look at a circuit, nothing beat the real thing.
A tinny voice said in Rhehan’s ear, “Are you on location yet?”
Rhehan faked a cough and subvocalized over the link to Liyeusse. “Been in position for the last half-hour. You sure you didn’t screw up the prep?”
She snorted disdainfully. “Just hurry it—”
At last the alarms clanged. The jeweled woman jumped, her astonishing blue eyes going wide. Rhehan put out a steadying arm and, in the process, relieved her of a jade ring, slipping it in their pocket. Not high-value stuff, but no one with sense wore expensive items as removables. They weren’t wearing gloves on this outing—had avoided wearing gloves since their exile—but the persistent awareness of their naked hands never faded. At least, small consolation, the added sensation made legerdemain easier, even if they had to endure the distastefulness of skin touching skin.
A loud, staticky voice came over the public address system. “All patrons, please proceed to the nearest exit. There is no need for alarm”—exactly the last thing you wanted to say if you didn’t want people to panic, or gossip for that matter—“but due to an incident, the museum needs to close for maintenance.”