Author: Charlie Jane Anders
Series: Universal Expansion #1
Publisher: Tor Teen
Released: April 13^th, 2021
Received: NetGalley

Charlie Jane Anders is back! This time with a new YA series. Victories Greater Than Death is the first novel in the Universal Expansion series, and I, for one, could not be more excited about it. Okay, the fact that it promises to be perfect for Doctor Who and Star Wars fans didn’t hurt my excitement any.

Her whole life, Tina knew that she was meant for something more. Literally. She wasn’t born on earth but is instead a human and cloned version of a famous alien commander. One day, she’s destined to step into her shoes and take over the role of commander.

So, no pressure, right? Even knowing that the moment would come, it was still hard to believe it’s all really happening. That Tina is being whisked away to join in with a war against a great evil in the universe.

“My whole life has been leading up to this, and I can’t stand the waiting.”

First of all, can I just say that I absolutely love the purple cover for Victories Greater Than Death? It’s absolutely stunning, and you guys know that I’m a sucker for a pretty book. Naturally, I had high expectations for this novel, having loved Charlie Jane Anders’ previous works.

I was not disappointed. This is Charlie Jane Anders’ first foray into YA, and clearly, it is a good fit. The story and scale are epic, the characters are numerous and diverse, and the aesthetic of the world is fascinating.

The world (universe?) is massive, with dozens of aliens filling the pages. Everyone felt unique, and I love the way they all seemed to address themselves. The cast of characters is admittedly quite large, and while there were a few times where I found myself confused (not a huge task, if we’re being honest here), overall. I really enjoyed following their different journeys.

“There are victories greater than death. I might not live to see justice done, but I can see it coming.”

Many of the secondary characters were such a delight to read about. No offense to Tina, she was the driving force behind the plot, and I respected her role there. However, Rachel stole the show on more than one occasion. So did Elza, for that matter. I loved her sense of humor so much.

“I’m a billion miles from home, under a new sky.”

This is a novel that space loving readers are going to enjoy. It’s so open and approachable, making it a great read for any age. The message within Victories Greater Than Death is a powerful one, and I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment of the series.

Thanks to Tor Teen and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.