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, mathematical 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
Yoon Ha Lee
Hexarchate Stories
Machineries of Empire
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.