Lindsay Ellis doesn't disappoint with her latest sci-fi novel
To set the tone for how much I was looking forward to this book: I audibly gasped when I saw it on a shelf at my local bookshop and purchased it straight away despite having only popped in for a browse.
You might argue that a true fan of Lindsay Ellis's Noumena series would've known when the next instalment was releasing, but when I'm reading a series that's still being released, I find myself actively resisting the urge to Google when the next book is coming to spare myself the frustration when ninety percent of the time the answer is 'Who knows?'
So, yes, I gasped. Don't blame Ellis's marketing team; this is a book I've been anticipating for years, since the release of the second book, Truth of the Divine. This superb sci-fi series began with 2020's Axiom's End, and follows the story of Cora, daughter of a Julian Assange-esque leaker and general failure at life, who winds up acting as an interpreter for an alien codenamed Ampersand.
As usual, I'm not going to be spoiling Apostles of Mercy, but merely discussing it may spoil aspects of the first two books. If you're looking for a modern sci-fi thriller that reads a little like Independance Day with just a touch of alien-based romance, this is the series for you. And if you think that isn't quite your style... Read Axiom's End anyway. It might surprise you.
She's Not a Girl Who Misses Much
Apostles of Mercy picks up where book two left off, with Cora and Ampersand having decided that because Earth and humanity is inevitably doomed to die in the coming decades at the hands of the much more advanced 'Superorganism', they're going to abandon the planet soon. These plans are thrown off course when Cora begins to fear Ampersand and enters into the early stages of an unexpected romance with Paris--a journalist and friend of Kaveh, her old boyfriend.
Messy doesn't come close to describing Cora's personal life. At not a single point in the story is she on solid ground with even a slight majority of her relationships. Her relationship with Paris seems doomed from the start; Ampersand is uncaring of her emotional needs to the point that it feels abusive; her father is, as usual, playing mind games with her; and a certain vindictive CIA agent feels the need to toy with her at every step. Cora always feels like she's one step from having a breakdown and I'm a sick freak for liking it that way.
Cora's relationship with Ampersand is the heart of the series and is fascinatingly observed. Given the intimate nature of their connection, there is obviously romantic elements to their entanglement, but Ellis pushes this a step further in Apostles, adding a layer of toxicity to their dynamic. Amperdand's imperfect communication skills and treatment of Cora is uncomfortable. Ellis is always pushing and evolving the nature of their relationship, but here it reach new levels.
Ellis has a real skill at grounding every element of the story in her characters. Despite the heavy sci-fi tropes she's employing--stuff that sounds like a silver age comic book on the surface--she roots everything in complex characters dealing with very human issues and manages to make the personal stuff feel just as important as the world-threatening alien stuff. Paris and Sol The CIA Agent both get their own POV chapters and arcs in Apostles, and both feel as fully fleshed out and complex as Cora.
Imagine All The Non-Human People
There's a lot happening in Apostles of Mercy. Part of the appeal of the series is the political ramifications of the existence of aliens on Earth, something which is made even more complicated by the divide in alien factions and species, all of whom are vying for survival on a planet whose inhabitants are hostile towards them. The threat of nuclear armament, the question of personhood, the illegal invasion of sovereign nations, state secrets, the crimes of the CIA and more all play an important role in the story, creating a sense of depth and realism.
Sometimes I found it a little tricky keeping all of this straight in my head--especially the alien stuff. Some of this might be my own poor memory and the fact that I didn't re-read the first two novels before diving into Apostles, but Ellis does such a good job at refreshing the reader on the facts of this world ninety-nine percent of the time that I really noticed the one percent of the time I was left behind. It was just the detailed, nitty-gritty stuff about alien caste systems and political schisms that sometimes tripped me--things that also showcase an incredibly creative eye for worldbuilding on Ellis' part.
Now and Then
Apostles of Mercy, and indeed the entire Noumena series thus far, is an incredibly worthwhile read that rewards close inspection not only for its imaginative take on the alien invasion trope, but Ellis' insights into human relationships and her interrogation of the U.S. government's relationship with outsiders. The series is also releasing at an a satisfactory clip. I know some people don't like starting a series until it's complete, but three books of this quality in four years is an astounding output, and I'd encourage any sci-fi fan to jump aboard Noumena A.S.A.P.
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