Destroyer of Light
Jennifer Marie Brissett
Tor Books
Reminiscent of Miéville and Butler, Jennifer Marie Brissett, author of Elysium, has created a disturbing and haunting sf narrative in Destroyer of Light, interweaving mythology with interdimensional aliens, human refuges, child soldiers, and genetic engineering.
Over three hundred years in the future, all humans on the planet Eleusis are refugees following the alien destruction of Earth.
Within this society of haves and have-nots, of criminals and dissidents, of former alien conquerors claiming a desire for peaceful cohabitation, three stories intertwine: a young girl abducted by a violent warlord, twin brothers searching for the lost son of a human/alien couple, and a young woman with extraordinary powers who’s risen through the insurgent ranks in the borderlands called Night.
Their stories skate across years to build towards one moment, when the fate of all—human and alien—hangs in the balance.
Praise for Destroyer of Light
“Destroyer of Light is proof positive that we're living in a new golden age of science fiction.” —Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award-winning author
“Destroyer of Light grapples with themes of both the human and post-human experience in a way that is wholly original and seductively engaging. Brissett builds a richly layered and imaginative world that reflects much of our own—the good, the brutal, and the truly monstrous—while daring us to dream of something more. This is a tale not only of becoming and transformation, but about the choices we make that bring us to our destinations. In a time of new, meaningful, and thrilling science fiction, Destroyer of Light is a must read.”—P. Djèlí Clark, Hugo Finalist and author of The Haunting of Tram Car 015
“A saga that combines many of sf’s most beloved tropes—a remnant of humanity struggling to survive on a far away world, aliens whose goals are dangerously unknowable, alien/human hybrids with unpredictable abilities, suspense, plot twists, and that good old sense of wonder. Hugely ambitious, impressively accomplished.” —Karen Joy Fowler
“Destroyer of Light confirms Brissett as one of our finest and most ambitious novelists. A world-spanning epic that explores and explodes what it's like to be both human and post-human. Gorgeously written and heartfelt, it's quite simply one of the best books I've read in a very long time.” —Elizabeth Hand, author of The Book of Lamps and Banners and Curious Toys
“Destroyer of Light is proof positive that we're living in a new golden age of science fiction.” —Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award-winning author
“Destroyer of Light grapples with themes of both the human and post-human experience in a way that is wholly original and seductively engaging. Brissett builds a richly layered and imaginative world that reflects much of our own—the good, the brutal, and the truly monstrous—while daring us to dream of something more. This is a tale not only of becoming and transformation, but about the choices we make that bring us to our destinations. In a time of new, meaningful, and thrilling science fiction, Destroyer of Light is a must read.”—P. Djèlí Clark, Hugo Finalist and author of The Haunting of Tram Car 015
“A saga that combines many of sf’s most beloved tropes—a remnant of humanity struggling to survive on a far away world, aliens whose goals are dangerously unknowable, alien/human hybrids with unpredictable abilities, suspense, plot twists, and that good old sense of wonder. Hugely ambitious, impressively accomplished.” —Karen Joy Fowler
“Destroyer of Light confirms Brissett as one of our finest and most ambitious novelists. A world-spanning epic that explores and explodes what it's like to be both human and post-human. Gorgeously written and heartfelt, it's quite simply one of the best books I've read in a very long time.” —Elizabeth Hand, author of The Book of Lamps and Banners and Curious Toys
Jennifer Marie Brissett
