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The Death I Gave Him by Em X. Liu
Oct. 2nd, 2023 12:06 amThe Blurb On The Back:
Hayden Lichfield’s life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me …
With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people - his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia’s father Paul - one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab’s resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and compassion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building’s secrets, uncover his father’s lies and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Em X. Liu’s SF novel is a tech take on HAMLET that explores themes of mortality, fear, intimacy and revenge. Although I enjoyed how Liu updates Felicia (the Ophelia character), I wasn’t gripped by the story and the fragmented style, while true to the underlying themes of the play, further distanced me from the story. Ultimately, this is a clever and thoughtful book but not one that vibes with me, although I’d still check out Liu’s other work.
THE DEATH I GAVE HIM was released in United States on 12th September 2023 and in the United Kingdom on 14th September 2023. Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.
Hayden Lichfield’s life is ripped apart when he finds his father murdered in their lab, and the camera logs erased. The killer can only have been after one thing: the Sisyphus Formula the two of them developed together, which might one day reverse death itself. Hoping to lure the killer into the open, Hayden steals the research. In the process, he uncovers a recording his father made in the days before his death, and a dying wish: Avenge me …
With the lab on lockdown, Hayden is trapped with four other people - his uncle Charles, lab technician Gabriel Rasmussen, research intern Felicia Xia and their head of security, Felicia’s father Paul - one of whom must be the killer. His only sure ally is the lab’s resident artificial intelligence, Horatio, who has been his dear friend and compassion since its creation. With his world collapsing, Hayden must navigate the building’s secrets, uncover his father’s lies and push the boundaries of sanity in the pursuit of revenge.
( The Review (Cut For Spoilers): )
The Verdict:
Em X. Liu’s SF novel is a tech take on HAMLET that explores themes of mortality, fear, intimacy and revenge. Although I enjoyed how Liu updates Felicia (the Ophelia character), I wasn’t gripped by the story and the fragmented style, while true to the underlying themes of the play, further distanced me from the story. Ultimately, this is a clever and thoughtful book but not one that vibes with me, although I’d still check out Liu’s other work.
THE DEATH I GAVE HIM was released in United States on 12th September 2023 and in the United Kingdom on 14th September 2023. Thanks to Rebellion Publishing for the review copy of this book.
