The First Sister is an exciting and compelling sci-fi adventure! Fans of Red Rising and the Handmaid’s Tale will particularly enjoy this, but I would honestly recommend it to anyone. The First Sister follows the perspectives of First Sister, Lito, and Hiro. First Sister is a nameless comfort woman, tasked with secretly spying on the new captain Saito Ren. First Sister is mute and sign language is her main form of communication. Writing is viewed as sacrilegious. When the captain asks her to exchange notes, she is tempted to go against everything she has been taught. Lito is desperately looking for his partner Hiro, a non-binary soldier who has gone dark on a mission. When Lito receives secret audio recordings from Hiro, Lito starts to unravel what happened to them and begins to retrace their steps.

From the opening chapter, I was hooked. I actually picked this up and read the first half in one sitting! The pacing was excellent, there was never a dull moment. Lewis does a fantastic job of addressing sexual abuse and rape culture, without relying on graphic sexual abuse scenes. The world-building is inclusive and crafted with intense care. I particularly enjoyed the romance between First Sister and Saito Ren. Initially, I thought it would be tricky to pull off the romance with the power dynamics, but it worked really well! Lewis expertly wove in several plot twists that truly surprised me and subverted my expectations. I also loved that while these characters are fighting to stay alive, they’re never fighting to be addressed by their correct pronouns. The inclusive writing and LGBTQ characters were a joy to read, especially since this is too rarely the case in science fiction. The First Sister is a particularly impressive debut and I can’t wait to read the next installment in the series! The First Sister releases on August 4, 2020. Thank you to Linden A. Lewis, Gallery Books, and Netgalley for a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.