IF I WERE A WEAPON (All These Gifts #1) by Skye Kilaen
- Publisher: Self-Published, January 11th 2022
- Genre: Sci-Fi, Novella
- Format: eARC
- Page Count: 158 pages
- My Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Click on the cover for my review on Goodreads.
This was such a thrilling read! Ever since SJ Whitby got me hooked on their Cute Mutants series (my review of Vol 1), I’ve been obsessed with superpowered queer people. And Kilaen gave us an adult story of nanite alien–infected sapphics that is at times cute, somewhat dark, and mostly exhilarating.
Deneve Wilder (she/her, bi/pan) can see the future. Sort of. When her nanites lead her to Austin (oooooh shiny), she didn’t expect to end up staying with Jolie Betancourt (she/her, bi/pan), another powered woman who wants nothing to do with her. But the nanites insist. Soon, both women find themselves in danger greater than either of them has every been in before.
This is my third book by Kilaen, and she has once again wrote an amazing story! Anyone who has tried writing a rescue mission before knows how tough it is: it cannot be so easy that it’s boring, nor can it be so difficult that it’s unbelievable. The way Kilaen wrote all the confrontation scenes was excellent, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, wondering if Deneve and Jolie would be captured by the unknown organization with the vans.
I’m not well-acquainted with popular superpower theories, but I love that the nanites are allegedly programs running in human hosts that sometimes glitch. The cover design, featuring Jolie, also gave off a fitting vibe for the story.
There are wonderful little details about the characters that I absolutely love: Jolie marveling at Deneve’s dress with pockets (we all need big pockets) and that they both seem to love breakfast food at any time of the day (breakfast food is the best food; fight me!). Despite the atmosphere of the story being ominous, these little moments made me relax and chuckle.
If I Were a Weapon is the first book in the five-novella series All These Gifts, so it isn’t a surprise that there is still a lot we don’t know about the characters and their powers (let’s be real, they don’t understand their powers either). The relationship between Deneve and Jolie isn’t really romantic yet, but the arc spans across the series and I can’t wait for the nanites to keep playing accidental(?) matchmaker. I think Kilaen did a great job at setting up the world to keep readers interested and engaged, and I look forward the rest of the series to learn more about Jolie’s past and see the reluctant romance play out. Maybe we’ll get to know the other powered people in Jolie’s secret network, too.
content warnings: available on the author’s website
Buddy read with Gabriella! Check out her review here!
I received a digital review copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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