"She's breathing nothing, asphyxiating in purity."

To be completely honest, the tagline of "queer Joan of Arc in space with some mechas" pretty much covered it. The Genesis of Misery is about religion, politics, obsession, and the main character getting in way over their head before deciding to go in even deeper. The narration style does keep a bit of distance between the reader and the story at times, but I found it made it even easier to dive into. In a way, it reminds me of reading in-depth summaries of historical happenings (the interestingly written ones, not the ones that are just paragraphs of dates and names).

Misery is not a character I connected with but was indeed a character I enjoyed following nonetheless. From wondering about what was reality to shaking my head at drastic decisions, it was a story that kept pace admirably well even with the number of details provided. Full name Misery Jasper Osmanthus Nomaki does not leave the reader wondering if they will take action, but rather what action they will be taking (hint: usually large amounts of destruction follow).

"She hates being reminded that she, as an entity, exists in places she cannot control, in people's databases and in their reports and in their thoughts where they're surely forming inaccurate opinions of her."

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys scrappy characters who often give no thought to consequences and fans of science-fiction with fascinating socio-political landscapes (Church and Throne here have some interconnections that will make historians nod their heads).