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Warchild #3
Cagebird
Four-year-old Yuri Terisov watched his home colony destroyed by aliens. By six he’d succumbed to the idea that what was left of his family was never going to leave the desolate refugee camp. Then a captain named Marcus arrived at the camp and offered to take Yuri on his merchant ship to work. But Yuri did not know that Marcus was actually a disgraced military leader turned pirate and he intended to train Yuri as his protégé. After more than a decade of manipulation and intimidation, Yuri is a pirate captain in his own right: a killer, arms dealer, and spy—now imprisoned and hunted by his former comrades. When a government Black Ops agent offers him a chance to break free, reluctantly he agrees—but the deal isn’t what it appears to be. Soon Yuri finds himself back in the midst of ruthless agendas that test the years of his training and threaten his survival with a dangerous proposition: an act of trust.
This is the definitive edition with copyediting corrections by the author and new artwork by Kelsey Lewin, as a thank you to readers.
This is the definitive edition with copyediting corrections by the author and new artwork by Kelsey Lewin, as a thank you to readers.
452 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2005
About the author
Karin Lowachee
62 books343 followersKarin was born in South America, grew up in Canada, and worked in the Arctic. Her novels have been translated into French, Hebrew, and Japanese, and her short stories have been published in numerous anthologies and magazines, some of which were edited by John Joseph Adams, Nalo Hopkinson, Nisi Shawl and Ann VanderMeer. When she isn't writing, she serves at the whim of a black cat.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
January 6, 2023
This is the third in the series and I can't imagine jumping to this one without reading the others first. So start with WARCHILD which imo is the best of the three. Speaking of series, Lowachee calls it a mosaic (which I love) as opposed to a trilogy or a cycle, etc. Accurate, because the three books cover the same chronological time through different lives and different eyes, with some overlapping events near the last third. Internally, this book also follows two timelines: the MC through his childhood and his adulthood, which got a little confusing for me. Nothing fatal. But with the other 2 books fresh in my mind and this jumping timeline, I frequently forgot when I was.
Lowachee's sentence-level craft is impressive here. So many lovely turns of phrase. However, the book is relentlessly grim, which is interesting because at heart, I think the story is about love. And it does offer a bit of hope at the end.
The only issue for me is I didn't care for the MC, and it's hard to enjoy a book when you don't enjoy reading about the MC or learning about his life, esp when it's in 1st person. The good news for you, reader, is that is simply a matter of preference for me, and likely due to the fact that I love the MC from WARCHILD so much I really just want to spend more time w him and/or Niko. #sorrynotsorry
Lowachee's sentence-level craft is impressive here. So many lovely turns of phrase. However, the book is relentlessly grim, which is interesting because at heart, I think the story is about love. And it does offer a bit of hope at the end.
The only issue for me is I didn't care for the MC, and it's hard to enjoy a book when you don't enjoy reading about the MC or learning about his life, esp when it's in 1st person. The good news for you, reader, is that is simply a matter of preference for me, and likely due to the fact that I love the MC from WARCHILD so much I really just want to spend more time w him and/or Niko. #sorrynotsorry
June 7, 2012
Warchild, Burndive, Cagebird
Interesting series. I got these because I'd seen them highly reviewed somewhere; of course, now I don't remember where.
In many ways, they're basic military SF - I'd recommend them, with some reservations, to fans of Lois McMaster Bujold, maybe CJ Cherryh.
Each one has a different young man as the protagonist, but they follow one timeline, and link to each other, with many shared characters.All of them are very homosensual. All the young men are super-cute, and there is much tousling of hair. (Is the author's hair an erogenous zone? It's really non-stop.) At times I was like, "Um, am I reading yaoi here?" At other times... well, it gets disturbing. That's where my reservations arise. I wouldn't normally 'warn' any reader off a book for content, but if you are sensitive about child abuse, I would not recommend the second two in this series, and especially not the third, due to explicit scenes of rape and abuse. It doesn't just discuss it, but while condemning the perpetrators, it's still oddly mixed with the eroticism.
The first one is the best of the bunch. Not necessarily BECAUSE, but it is much more restrained and understated. You know bad things happened to the protagonist, but he is in denial, and refuses to talk about them. This actually makes the trauma very real and believable. With the second and third, I almost felt like the author was just trying to see how far she could push it...
The first book, Warchild, sets up the world: Humanity has become spacefaring, and discovered a moon full of valuable resources. Unfortunately, it was already colonized by an alien scientific mission. Humans try to take over, and a war starts. Some humans sympathize with the alien cause, and go over to their side. Meanwhile, vicious starfaring pirates take advantage of the social instability, and prey on whoever and whatever they can get their hands on. One of the worst of the pirates is Falcone, a former space Marine captain with an obsession with raising young boys to be his proteges... and treating them in ways that leave them horribly damaged, in the process. The main character here, the adorable Jos Musey, is orphaned by an attack by Falcone on his family's merchant ship, and taken by Falcone, who has plans for him. However, Jos takes advantage of the chaos of an alien attack to escape... and finds himself in the hands of sympathizers, who train him in alien martial arts. Next, he's sent undercover to infiltrate the marines...
These are are kind of 'familiar' scenarios, but the book does a great job of portraying emotional manipulation and conflicting loyalties.
Burndive is the second book. (And kind of oddly titled - a 'Burndive' is virtual reality hacking, and there is very little of it in the book... less than in the first book.) The protagonist here is, of course, cute. He's the son of the most famous Marine captain, and a bit of a celebrity. He's also a spoiled brat, and not really nearly as compelling a character as that of Jos. Ryan (the spoiled celeb), has a bit of a drug problem, but his bigger problem is assassination attempts... his father's attempts to make peace with the aliens haven't gone over well in some circles, and some people are more than willing to kill him to get to his dad. The dad takes him abouard his ship - both for safety, and as a bit of a boot camp program to whip him into shape and get him to grow up a bit. Space action ensues... and we learn more about Falcone, the captain, Azarcon, and why he hates pirates more than aliens.
In the third, Cagebird, we get to see thing from the point of view of the 'bad guys.' The protagonist here is Yuri - yet another of Falcone's proteges. This one hasn't run away or escaped... he's become a captain under Falcone's command. However, he's far from not-messed-up - he's full of emotional conflict, and has a tendency to cut himself. Of course, he's also a bad-ass that will just as soon kill you as... The narrative switches from showing how Yuri got to where he is, with training (mostly to be a prostitute) under Falcone, to the present, where military and political negotiations involving pirates, symps, aliens, marines, and the human HubCentral government are ongoing.
These three books are all there are to the series; but it doesn't really feel quite done. The second two concentrate on Falcone's story arc - and really neglect the part of the story that has to do with Niko (the Warboy) and the alien/human conflict. There's definitely room for another book here.
Interesting series. I got these because I'd seen them highly reviewed somewhere; of course, now I don't remember where.
In many ways, they're basic military SF - I'd recommend them, with some reservations, to fans of Lois McMaster Bujold, maybe CJ Cherryh.
Each one has a different young man as the protagonist, but they follow one timeline, and link to each other, with many shared characters.All of them are very homosensual. All the young men are super-cute, and there is much tousling of hair. (Is the author's hair an erogenous zone? It's really non-stop.) At times I was like, "Um, am I reading yaoi here?" At other times... well, it gets disturbing. That's where my reservations arise. I wouldn't normally 'warn' any reader off a book for content, but if you are sensitive about child abuse, I would not recommend the second two in this series, and especially not the third, due to explicit scenes of rape and abuse. It doesn't just discuss it, but while condemning the perpetrators, it's still oddly mixed with the eroticism.
The first one is the best of the bunch. Not necessarily BECAUSE, but it is much more restrained and understated. You know bad things happened to the protagonist, but he is in denial, and refuses to talk about them. This actually makes the trauma very real and believable. With the second and third, I almost felt like the author was just trying to see how far she could push it...
The first book, Warchild, sets up the world: Humanity has become spacefaring, and discovered a moon full of valuable resources. Unfortunately, it was already colonized by an alien scientific mission. Humans try to take over, and a war starts. Some humans sympathize with the alien cause, and go over to their side. Meanwhile, vicious starfaring pirates take advantage of the social instability, and prey on whoever and whatever they can get their hands on. One of the worst of the pirates is Falcone, a former space Marine captain with an obsession with raising young boys to be his proteges... and treating them in ways that leave them horribly damaged, in the process. The main character here, the adorable Jos Musey, is orphaned by an attack by Falcone on his family's merchant ship, and taken by Falcone, who has plans for him. However, Jos takes advantage of the chaos of an alien attack to escape... and finds himself in the hands of sympathizers, who train him in alien martial arts. Next, he's sent undercover to infiltrate the marines...
These are are kind of 'familiar' scenarios, but the book does a great job of portraying emotional manipulation and conflicting loyalties.
Burndive is the second book. (And kind of oddly titled - a 'Burndive' is virtual reality hacking, and there is very little of it in the book... less than in the first book.) The protagonist here is, of course, cute. He's the son of the most famous Marine captain, and a bit of a celebrity. He's also a spoiled brat, and not really nearly as compelling a character as that of Jos. Ryan (the spoiled celeb), has a bit of a drug problem, but his bigger problem is assassination attempts... his father's attempts to make peace with the aliens haven't gone over well in some circles, and some people are more than willing to kill him to get to his dad. The dad takes him abouard his ship - both for safety, and as a bit of a boot camp program to whip him into shape and get him to grow up a bit. Space action ensues... and we learn more about Falcone, the captain, Azarcon, and why he hates pirates more than aliens.
In the third, Cagebird, we get to see thing from the point of view of the 'bad guys.' The protagonist here is Yuri - yet another of Falcone's proteges. This one hasn't run away or escaped... he's become a captain under Falcone's command. However, he's far from not-messed-up - he's full of emotional conflict, and has a tendency to cut himself. Of course, he's also a bad-ass that will just as soon kill you as... The narrative switches from showing how Yuri got to where he is, with training (mostly to be a prostitute) under Falcone, to the present, where military and political negotiations involving pirates, symps, aliens, marines, and the human HubCentral government are ongoing.
These three books are all there are to the series; but it doesn't really feel quite done. The second two concentrate on Falcone's story arc - and really neglect the part of the story that has to do with Niko (the Warboy) and the alien/human conflict. There's definitely room for another book here.
January 6, 2017
Cagebird starts out much like Warchild did: A young boy's home colony is destroyed as part of the war, and he (eventually) ends up in the hands of a pirate. Because of that, this book really worked for me at first, and I had high hopes for it. (I love plots about brainwashing and trust issues, not to mention age and power differences in relationships.) Unfortunately, it veered off into quite a different direction than Warchild did.
Yuri, the boy in question, is sent to a refugee camp. The story focuses on that for a time, how hard the conditions are there, how society often doesn't have the care or resources to help war refugees.
Pirates have taken advantage of the disadvantaged for a long time, picking up children from them to use or sell. A pirate shows up at Yuri's refugee camp, and picks him and others to take back to his ship.
Turns out the pirate is the same captain as took Jos in book #1.
The pirate captain, Falcone, trains Yuri as he had Jos. But, unlike Jos, Yuri doesn't escape the life. Yuri embraces it. Sort of. Through the book he tries to escape a the pirate life a couple times, but that's easier said than done.
While I had loved the worldbuilding in the previous books, in this one it took a sharp left turn. In this book we learned the pirates have geisha -- beautiful boys and girls who are trained both as whores and assassins. I had a couple of issues with this. The alien world is strongly Japanese-y, so the pirates (humans) having geisha made me scratch my head. Why not come up with some other, non-Japanese word for it? The second and larger issue I had was... pirate geisha? The two ideas just don't work together in my head. The pirates had this whole geisha culture going on, and it just never fit with the idea of 'pirate'.
The other big issue I had with this book was that Yuri cut himself. It makes sense he'd be stressed as hell and have all sorts of issues, but the whole cutting thing felt seriously heavy-handed I just never believed it. (He cut himself to let the "scarlet plague" out.)
I didn't buy the Falcone character in this book either, sadly.
While I did enjoy parts of the story (all of the sections about young Yuri worked for me), all in all, I struggled to enjoy this book.
Yuri, the boy in question, is sent to a refugee camp. The story focuses on that for a time, how hard the conditions are there, how society often doesn't have the care or resources to help war refugees.
Pirates have taken advantage of the disadvantaged for a long time, picking up children from them to use or sell. A pirate shows up at Yuri's refugee camp, and picks him and others to take back to his ship.
Turns out the pirate is the same captain as took Jos in book #1.
The pirate captain, Falcone, trains Yuri as he had Jos. But, unlike Jos, Yuri doesn't escape the life. Yuri embraces it. Sort of. Through the book he tries to escape a the pirate life a couple times, but that's easier said than done.
While I had loved the worldbuilding in the previous books, in this one it took a sharp left turn. In this book we learned the pirates have geisha -- beautiful boys and girls who are trained both as whores and assassins. I had a couple of issues with this. The alien world is strongly Japanese-y, so the pirates (humans) having geisha made me scratch my head. Why not come up with some other, non-Japanese word for it? The second and larger issue I had was... pirate geisha? The two ideas just don't work together in my head. The pirates had this whole geisha culture going on, and it just never fit with the idea of 'pirate'.
The other big issue I had with this book was that Yuri cut himself. It makes sense he'd be stressed as hell and have all sorts of issues, but the whole cutting thing felt seriously heavy-handed I just never believed it. (He cut himself to let the "scarlet plague" out.)
I didn't buy the Falcone character in this book either, sadly.
While I did enjoy parts of the story (all of the sections about young Yuri worked for me), all in all, I struggled to enjoy this book.
January 2, 2024
Warning: underage sex, rape, abuse, gun violence; underage boy forced to shoot another teenager.
Yurah (Yuri is an official, grown-up name) starts his geisha training the day after he turns 13. There are some short explicit scenes and a violent, but also short, rape on page (he was 16 at the time as far as I recall).
===============
This is the longest, most tearful and violent tearjerker I've read so far. A rusty saw that just won't let up. Lots of shock scenes written for the pure shock value. But do I cry? Sorry - no, too busy rolling my eyes.
===============
My progress notes:
I get it, the author wants to show off her Russian. The result is clumsy and laughable. Authors who do take time to research foreign languages are too few, unfortunately.
KL insists on mentioning a little girl Mishka and her "mat" (<- very official and some times rude version of "mother"). Not a yoga mat. Not a random rug. But you know, mama. Why does a little Russian boy call his mother "mama" but his friend's "mat"? It's not just puzzling and wrong, but also very very weird bordering offensive. It doesn't even sound like the original Russian word in that spelling.
You might say "not a big deal", but imagine reading a story placed in a restaurant or a cafe where characters it. You know, "it". Nom-nom.
I hope "Mishka" is a nickname, because full version of it "Michail" is absolutely not a girl's name. It's also too closely associated with a male bear. So - not a chance.
Mishka's "mat" is mentioned 27 times in a span of 40 pages. I am sure the woman had a name, but we never find out.
Jascha is a butchered spelling of Jasha or Yasha, whichever you prefer.
A star off automatically for a complete disrespect for a foreign language.
Quote: "I answered back in the same Russian..." Oh, how many Russian languages are out there???? *eye roll*
Yurah (Yuri is an official, grown-up name) starts his geisha training the day after he turns 13. There are some short explicit scenes and a violent, but also short, rape on page (he was 16 at the time as far as I recall).
===============
This is the longest, most tearful and violent tearjerker I've read so far. A rusty saw that just won't let up. Lots of shock scenes written for the pure shock value. But do I cry? Sorry - no, too busy rolling my eyes.
===============
My progress notes:
I get it, the author wants to show off her Russian. The result is clumsy and laughable. Authors who do take time to research foreign languages are too few, unfortunately.
KL insists on mentioning a little girl Mishka and her "mat" (<- very official and some times rude version of "mother"). Not a yoga mat. Not a random rug. But you know, mama. Why does a little Russian boy call his mother "mama" but his friend's "mat"? It's not just puzzling and wrong, but also very very weird bordering offensive. It doesn't even sound like the original Russian word in that spelling.
You might say "not a big deal", but imagine reading a story placed in a restaurant or a cafe where characters it. You know, "it". Nom-nom.
I hope "Mishka" is a nickname, because full version of it "Michail" is absolutely not a girl's name. It's also too closely associated with a male bear. So - not a chance.
Mishka's "mat" is mentioned 27 times in a span of 40 pages. I am sure the woman had a name, but we never find out.
Jascha is a butchered spelling of Jasha or Yasha, whichever you prefer.
A star off automatically for a complete disrespect for a foreign language.
Quote: "I answered back in the same Russian..." Oh, how many Russian languages are out there???? *eye roll*
Read
February 23, 2010I really appreciate Karin Lowachee stylistically. Each book builds on themes presented in the previous ones, but takes a unique perspective. Each book can also be considered a character study of how war (and Falcone) directly and indirectly affects different people. Each of the three protagonists has different reactions to what can be considered similar events, based on their personality types and their experiences so far. The author present a wonderful character study in each book. The reason this book is only rated at a three is because I found the protagonist of this book very, very painful to read. I enjoyed the book very much, and I understood the protagonist, but I didn't really LIKE him. What I did like what the glimpses of the previous protagonists through this one's eyes. I hope to see this protagonist through someone else's eyes in a later book. Hopefully it will deepen my understanding of him, and help me to like him more.
January 19, 2010
Oh, wow. Utterly harrowing but ultimately redemptive--I teared up at the end. Trigger warning though, this book is pretty effing graphic about severe childhood abuse of all kinds. I really thought this main character was amazingly done. My one gripe is that the character of Finch seemed underdeveloped. I had no idea exactly why Yuri had fallen in love with him, and since that's the crux of his emotional recovery and kind of the whole book in a way, it was frustrating. Overall, I really liked it, as intense as it was. Each book in the trilogy examines childhood trauma from war through the eyes of overlapping and interconnected characters. Lowachee is very good at first person characterization, and I wish there were more books about some of the other characters in this world. I'm excited to read more of her in the future.
August 9, 2011
This is the third book in the series. All the books deal with a futuristic far-flung interstellar society where the best and worst of humanity have room to expand. In all three books there is kidnapping, murder, indifference to suffering and childhood sexual abuse so be warned. This book is the best of the three, with the main character I felt most connected to and cared the most about. Yuri's struggles to become someone worthwhile, his love for another man in spite of all attempts to prevent becoming attached, his scars and flaws, gripped me all the way through. And since I like SF, the combination has had me rereading the series once and this one more than once.
February 7, 2014
Lowachee is not for everyone. Her writing style is unorthodox and she takes great liberty with grammar and invented jargon, yet despite this I found the novel totally engrossing. She has a talent for creating damaged characters who feel real--these aren't the Mary-Sue stereotypes that litter most stories. I definitely, suggest starting this series with Warchild, which is still my favorite book of the series. The plotline will make more sense if you read that one first and then Burndive, however, all of these novels are able to stand alone.
November 23, 2015
Warchild remains my favorite of the three Warchild books, but this one is also excellent and my next favorite after that one. It's the most raw and character-driven of the books so far, and Yuri is an interesting character to follow. I am beyond excited that a fourth Warchild book, The Warboy, is in progress.
4 1/2 stars - Loved it
Full Review: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2015/1...
4 1/2 stars - Loved it
Full Review: http://www.fantasybookcafe.com/2015/1...
July 27, 2011
This seemed like tourism to me. Like visiting a very painful place, looking around, taking a few pictures, and leaving. I don't trust Lowachee to write authentically, at this point.
December 17, 2019
Disturbing and hard to read in a couple of places but absolutely brilliant!
December 31, 2020
This is the third book in the Warchild science-fiction series. Major spoilers and content warnings ahead.
I'm giving this book 4 stars because it made me care about Yuri against the odds. However, be warned that it ventures into very dark, very murky waters.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
I'm giving this book 4 stars because it made me care about Yuri against the odds. However, be warned that it ventures into very dark, very murky waters.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
July 19, 2016
Trigger warning: rape, self harm, child abuse, child grooming…
Cagebird is the third novel in Karin Lowachee’s science fiction series exploring how a war psychologically impacts boys. The series starts with Warchild, which I still believe to be the best in the series. While each book has a different protagonist, I would recommend reading them in order.
At the age of four, Yuri Kirov’s home was destroyed in one of the initial attacks in the war between the humans/alien war. When the pirates found him, he was a child refugee who became trained as Falcone’s protege. Now at twenty-two he is a killer and a criminal serving out a life sentence on Earth. Then two men from the Black Ops decide that they’d rather Yuri return to the pirates to be their spy and weapon, but their plan puts him in more danger than ever.
In my review of Warchild I talked about how brutal and uncomfortable to read the book was. This is even more so for Cagebird, and at a certain point it just became too much. There are multiple, explicit rape scenes, all taking place before Yuri is fifteen. I question the necessity of showing such graphic scenes, especially as they were all flashbacks and not part of the current narrative.
Speaking of flashbacks, it felt like they comprised the majority of the book. I felt that this had the effect of putting the focus on all the horrible things that had happened in Yuri’s past instead of on a healing arc, which ended up feeling skimped. For a book where one of the end messages is “look to your future not your past,” Cagebird sure did spend a lot of time on the graphic details of Yuri’s past.
The current timeline did have a lot of promise, but I feel that much of it was underdeveloped. Take Finch’s character – he played such a large role in Yuri’s arc but he never felt like he was well characterized and developed. He seems to only exist in connection to Yuri.
So why did this book cross the three star mark? Because whatever the faults of the book, Karin Lowachee can write. She immediately establishes Yuri as having a distinctive voice, and I did end up feeling like I understood and sympathized with him, which from what I knew about him going in, I wasn’t sure would happen. There’s also some value in the messages of the current timeline, such as “you can get acclimatized to any environment, but it doesn’t mean the environment is a good one.”
What it comes down to is this: Does Cagebird‘s good points outweigh the focus on the sheer brutality? For me, it didn’t, and it’s not a book I’m going to ever reread. On the other hand, I am willing to continue with the series if Lowachee ever publishes a fourth book. I would still recommend Warchild and Burndive but I would advice anyone contemplating Cagebird to be aware of their own limits before starting.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
Cagebird is the third novel in Karin Lowachee’s science fiction series exploring how a war psychologically impacts boys. The series starts with Warchild, which I still believe to be the best in the series. While each book has a different protagonist, I would recommend reading them in order.
At the age of four, Yuri Kirov’s home was destroyed in one of the initial attacks in the war between the humans/alien war. When the pirates found him, he was a child refugee who became trained as Falcone’s protege. Now at twenty-two he is a killer and a criminal serving out a life sentence on Earth. Then two men from the Black Ops decide that they’d rather Yuri return to the pirates to be their spy and weapon, but their plan puts him in more danger than ever.
In my review of Warchild I talked about how brutal and uncomfortable to read the book was. This is even more so for Cagebird, and at a certain point it just became too much. There are multiple, explicit rape scenes, all taking place before Yuri is fifteen. I question the necessity of showing such graphic scenes, especially as they were all flashbacks and not part of the current narrative.
Speaking of flashbacks, it felt like they comprised the majority of the book. I felt that this had the effect of putting the focus on all the horrible things that had happened in Yuri’s past instead of on a healing arc, which ended up feeling skimped. For a book where one of the end messages is “look to your future not your past,” Cagebird sure did spend a lot of time on the graphic details of Yuri’s past.
The current timeline did have a lot of promise, but I feel that much of it was underdeveloped. Take Finch’s character – he played such a large role in Yuri’s arc but he never felt like he was well characterized and developed. He seems to only exist in connection to Yuri.
So why did this book cross the three star mark? Because whatever the faults of the book, Karin Lowachee can write. She immediately establishes Yuri as having a distinctive voice, and I did end up feeling like I understood and sympathized with him, which from what I knew about him going in, I wasn’t sure would happen. There’s also some value in the messages of the current timeline, such as “you can get acclimatized to any environment, but it doesn’t mean the environment is a good one.”
What it comes down to is this: Does Cagebird‘s good points outweigh the focus on the sheer brutality? For me, it didn’t, and it’s not a book I’m going to ever reread. On the other hand, I am willing to continue with the series if Lowachee ever publishes a fourth book. I would still recommend Warchild and Burndive but I would advice anyone contemplating Cagebird to be aware of their own limits before starting.
Originally posted on The Illustrated Page.
June 20, 2016
Review for the entire series: These books are the stories of 3 young men: 1 captured by pirates as a child, who manages to escape and be recruited to the "alien" side of the Earthhub-alien war,;1 who is privileged yet traumatized by the war's violence; and 1 who is recruited by pirates as a child and grows up to be one. _Cagebird_ is the story of the third man, after his capture, when the government wants to cut a deal...The series is very good, but the material is heavy and most of the characters are damaged in some way.
WARNING: the first and last books contain descriptions of child abuse, particularly child sex abuse. Those pirates were very bad guys.
WARNING: the first and last books contain descriptions of child abuse, particularly child sex abuse. Those pirates were very bad guys.
November 2, 2009
As expected of one of my favorite authors ever, she simply doesn't disappoint. Even more exciting than the previous two in the series. That's almost unprecedented; I am a huge fan. She only gets better.
October 2009: Read again in preparation for The Gaslight Dogs release sometime early next year. This is my third read of this book, very unprecedented for me. I almost never re-read books, but I've re-read this series regularly since discovering it.
October 2009: Read again in preparation for The Gaslight Dogs release sometime early next year. This is my third read of this book, very unprecedented for me. I almost never re-read books, but I've re-read this series regularly since discovering it.
April 26, 2008
X-rated, don't go there.
November 7, 2011
Didn't enjoy this one very much. I feel like the author said everything she had to say about this universe in the first book, and the next two are rehashes.
June 11, 2023
Another reviewer described this book as "unrelentingly grim", and I can't think of a more apt description.
September 1, 2018
This is a good, disturbing book. It’s a look at war and child abuse through the eyes of a boy who’s recruited by pirates. It’s tough to read in parts because of this content. The writing style however is wonderful and it’s a fairly easy read. This is the third book of a trilogy. I didn’t realize it was such but the novel stands alone pretty well. It won the Gaylactic Spectrum award for positive LGBTQ images in science fiction and fantasy back in 2006. However this content is obscured by the sexual abuse the protagonist endures.
Come visit my blog for the full review…
https://itstartedwiththehugos.blogspo...
Come visit my blog for the full review…
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April 6, 2022
Yet another intense and rather disturbing character study, well executed and compelling to read. I am, however, somewhat unconvinced that all of Yuri's choices and actions that impacted the plot of the previous book are entirely justified give his character and the situation. Basically he made all the worst choices and although this isn't entirely unbelievable it also seems almost like the plot prompted them? Still, I can't say I like Yuri all the time, hell Yuri would agree with me on that, but this book does an impressive job of presenting his story such that it's possible to mostly understand how he became who he is, with some possible reservations.
December 12, 2016
I have enjoyed all three books in the Warchild series but I think that CageBird if my favorite. Its a lot darker than even Warchild and I really felt for Yuri and the choices he had to make from bad to worse. I though for all things considered and how he was taught to behave as a child Yuri was very likable, even if a little scary and dark. Also Finch is everything Yuri needs someone who will stand up to him and not be afraid of the darker side of Yuri.
I am really looking forward to book 4 in this series Warboy!
I am really looking forward to book 4 in this series Warboy!
July 23, 2017
I dislike these books for the misogyny, casual and unobtrusive as it is, and love them for everything else. That being said, Yuri DID get on my nerves a lot. He’s this cynical, hardened, immoral creature and then he goes all emo and hurt – as if he couldn’t understand where all this was going! As if he couldn’t see how and why he would have been used! Eh. Still, fun to read and extremely competently written. If there ever will be a continuation of this series, I’ll run to buy it. Maybe in hardcover.
May 21, 2018
Brilliant, harrowing, disturbing.
December 28, 2016
Interesting series
I've enjoyed this series, although the last book was badly edited enough that I'd have requested a refund if I could have done so without stiffing the author.
But this book is quite different from the first 2. First of all its quite sexual - there are two scenes of dubious consent and unhappy outcome. They aren't explicit in a romance or erotica sense, but their presence sets them apart from the first two, which detoured around the sexual aspect of captivity.
Second, the author really starts to let loose with her prose in this book. It doesn't always come off perfectly, but when it does it is really quite lovely. I felt it gave Yuri a dreamier voice, while the MCs of the first two books were more straightforward.
I found this series on a list of SF books with gay main characters - of the three, Yuri, the narrator of this book, is the only gay character, and this is the only book with a real romance in it, or real sex scenes. However, the romance is mostly nonsexual and the sex scenes are mostly nonromantic.
It's an interesting book. She definitely delves into the personalities of her characters - all of whom have experienced some level of trauma and some of which have experienced rape and captivity, and all of whom have responded in different ways. Yuri initially falls in love with one of his captors and becomes attached to Falcone, the pirate captain. The author does a good job of making that seem like a perfectly reasonable reaction despite the circumstances.
I'm not sure if there are more books planned. The first two books are pretty pricy but I am not sure this book would be as good without reading them first. I hope this author writes more, especially books with gay main characters.
I've enjoyed this series, although the last book was badly edited enough that I'd have requested a refund if I could have done so without stiffing the author.
But this book is quite different from the first 2. First of all its quite sexual - there are two scenes of dubious consent and unhappy outcome. They aren't explicit in a romance or erotica sense, but their presence sets them apart from the first two, which detoured around the sexual aspect of captivity.
Second, the author really starts to let loose with her prose in this book. It doesn't always come off perfectly, but when it does it is really quite lovely. I felt it gave Yuri a dreamier voice, while the MCs of the first two books were more straightforward.
I found this series on a list of SF books with gay main characters - of the three, Yuri, the narrator of this book, is the only gay character, and this is the only book with a real romance in it, or real sex scenes. However, the romance is mostly nonsexual and the sex scenes are mostly nonromantic.
It's an interesting book. She definitely delves into the personalities of her characters - all of whom have experienced some level of trauma and some of which have experienced rape and captivity, and all of whom have responded in different ways. Yuri initially falls in love with one of his captors and becomes attached to Falcone, the pirate captain. The author does a good job of making that seem like a perfectly reasonable reaction despite the circumstances.
I'm not sure if there are more books planned. The first two books are pretty pricy but I am not sure this book would be as good without reading them first. I hope this author writes more, especially books with gay main characters.
September 14, 2024
So, I first read Cagebird when I was 14, which was probably a bit too young for a book with such dark themes. That said, I think the author does such a good job with it that the disturbing nature of many of themes was not lost on me even then, despite way it's written as if from an unreliable narrator. This might be off-putting to some readers. Personally, I remember really appreciating this aspect of the story-telling and I absolutely fell in love with this book. Now, over 15 years later, it is still one of my favorite books and probably the one I've most re-read.
If I was looking only at plot or world building or even the main characters/character development, this book wouldn't be nearly so high up on my list of favorite books (although I think the author does a good enough job in these areas and contrary to what many of the other reviewers on here feel, the main "protagonist" is this book is far and away my favorite in the series).
The main reason I love this book so much is the writing. In fact, as bizarre and rare as it is to have an unequivocal favorite when it comes to something like that, this book is, to this day, that for me. I honestly don't have the words to express how beautiful and haunting I find the writing in this book. Evocative, eloquent and uncomplicated, often brutally so. There is something so visceral about the way the author writes. More so than in her other books in the series. That largely seems to be due to the main character. That the author is able to match her writing style to the character and mindset of the protagonist is something I appreciate about all the books in the series, but to me the third book is where she does it best.
I do understand though how some people might find it unorthodox and a bit heavy-handed, especially with such disturbing topics and a main character that, on the surface, isn't exactly likeable. But for me, its perfection. I often find myself picking it off my bookshelf, flipping to a random page and reading a paragraph or even a few pages just to appreciate how beautifully the author has expressed something. At times, it feels like poetry.
If I was looking only at plot or world building or even the main characters/character development, this book wouldn't be nearly so high up on my list of favorite books (although I think the author does a good enough job in these areas and contrary to what many of the other reviewers on here feel, the main "protagonist" is this book is far and away my favorite in the series).
The main reason I love this book so much is the writing. In fact, as bizarre and rare as it is to have an unequivocal favorite when it comes to something like that, this book is, to this day, that for me. I honestly don't have the words to express how beautiful and haunting I find the writing in this book. Evocative, eloquent and uncomplicated, often brutally so. There is something so visceral about the way the author writes. More so than in her other books in the series. That largely seems to be due to the main character. That the author is able to match her writing style to the character and mindset of the protagonist is something I appreciate about all the books in the series, but to me the third book is where she does it best.
I do understand though how some people might find it unorthodox and a bit heavy-handed, especially with such disturbing topics and a main character that, on the surface, isn't exactly likeable. But for me, its perfection. I often find myself picking it off my bookshelf, flipping to a random page and reading a paragraph or even a few pages just to appreciate how beautifully the author has expressed something. At times, it feels like poetry.
January 21, 2024
I loved this. If you've enjoyed the previous two books, then you'll probably enjoy this one. This installment is from the point of view of Yuri, a pirate. Character-wise, Yuri is my least favorite, but that didn't hinder my appreciation of the book as a whole. As emotionally challenging as Warchild is, Cagebird is even more so. It grittier, more graphic, and the harshest of all three. I didn't feel a positive connection to Yuri, but I sure did feel sympathy and pity for him. It was really hard not to. The timeline is still around the same period, but then gets carried further with this book. I'm not sure if this is the last book the author plans to write in this series because while most of the plots are resolved within this book, the ending leaves the possibility for further books in the series. I would definitely want to keep reading about these characters and this universe. According to Karin Lowachee's website she "never intended Yuri's to be the final piece in this mosaic" and in regards to further books in the series "we'll see what the future brings." I'm hoping there's more.
This series as a whole is one of my favorites. I enjoyed reading different characters points of view concerning a similar time frame, and I think that adds so much to how well the author builds the world. The choice of characters the author decided to focus on ensures that you get an inside look into what the war entails, not just as an observant third party. This was an emotionally trying series to read, and I was a little surprised how much these stories stuck with me. I've already had to reread Warchild, and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.
This series as a whole is one of my favorites. I enjoyed reading different characters points of view concerning a similar time frame, and I think that adds so much to how well the author builds the world. The choice of characters the author decided to focus on ensures that you get an inside look into what the war entails, not just as an observant third party. This was an emotionally trying series to read, and I was a little surprised how much these stories stuck with me. I've already had to reread Warchild, and I enjoyed it even more the second time around.
July 28, 2017
oh geez. look, it's not as though the other books in this series are light reads, lowachee is looking at what happens to children growing up in wartime and she deals with child abuse and ptsd in the first two books too but like. i think my skin crawled more in this volume then in any of the rest combined. all the scenes with kid yuri had me internally screaming because frigging child grooming pirates, the way they pushed at his boundaries and took advantage of his desire for affection and a home and URGH. i wanted a shower and the ability to pull child protective services into a book.
this is not necessarily a disrecommendation but i do think it's only fair to warn you that this book is incredibly intense and incredibly fucked up in equal measure
so yeah, final book of our trilogy takes on pirates, it follows yuri kirov, protege to falcone, the pirate villain we first meet in warchild. he...does not have a great time of things. but hey, he does get a sort of love story and redemption plot and he's out of the criminal business by the end so. it's an upward trajectory overall?
(i don't consider saying he gets out as a spoiler, i feel it is a net social good to reassure the reader that things do in fact get better eventually)
i don't even know what to say guys, i've been immersed in warchild headspace for the past two days and now i'm out. this was a rough ride to end on but i'm glad of it. 4 stars
this is not necessarily a disrecommendation but i do think it's only fair to warn you that this book is incredibly intense and incredibly fucked up in equal measure
so yeah, final book of our trilogy takes on pirates, it follows yuri kirov, protege to falcone, the pirate villain we first meet in warchild. he...does not have a great time of things. but hey, he does get a sort of love story and redemption plot and he's out of the criminal business by the end so. it's an upward trajectory overall?
(i don't consider saying he gets out as a spoiler, i feel it is a net social good to reassure the reader that things do in fact get better eventually)
i don't even know what to say guys, i've been immersed in warchild headspace for the past two days and now i'm out. this was a rough ride to end on but i'm glad of it. 4 stars
April 23, 2011
The last, the most intense, and the most interior of this trilogy by Karin Lowachee. It tells the story of the second victim of the pirate Falcone, who kidnaps kids and raises them to be pirates through seduction and power and horrific abuse. At the age of four Yuri Kirov's home is destroyed by an alien attack... or is it a pirate attack? At any rate, Yuri ends up on Falcone's ship at the age of nine. We follow his life, told in first person during the same time period as the stories of Jos and of Ryan Azarcon, the boy/young man stories of the previous two books. It's a time of political upheaval and chaos in the world of Earth, Earth Hub (the stations in the galaxy belonging to Earth) and the world of the alien Strits and their stations. Crooked politicians, crooked members of Black Ops, pirates, and the two flawed but honorable men - both the captains of warships. One, Cairo Azarcon, a former protege of Falcone, who escaped the life and became captain of a huge battleship, and the other, Warboy, a human Strit sympathizer who captains a Strit warship and who helps Jos when he escapes from Falcone.
Yuri Kirov is the most damaged of the three boys and his story is gripping and filled with suspense, angst, tragedy, violence and love. Written with spare rich prose, integrity, and authenticity. Highly, highly recommended.
Yuri Kirov is the most damaged of the three boys and his story is gripping and filled with suspense, angst, tragedy, violence and love. Written with spare rich prose, integrity, and authenticity. Highly, highly recommended.
March 30, 2017
This was quite a difficult read and vastly different from the two previous books in the series, in terms of the character's psychology and internal voice. Like Jos from Warchild, Yuri had also been taken by the space pirate Falcon and made into a protege, however, he turned out very different from the experience. Where Jos refuses to acknowledge the abuse he suffered at the hands of Falcone, Yuri talks fairly candidly about what he's been through, making this book absolutely brutal and heartbreaking at parts. Still, the novel is incredibly engrossing, and Karin Lowachee is excellent at writing damaged characters without portraying them as mere victims.
The characters and relationships in this book were handled with such nuance and complexity for the most part. In particular, really loved the relationship between Yuri and Finch, although it is not clear why Yuri is so attached to Finch-- in some ways I felt that he was replacing Estienne with Finch as his new anchor. It would be interesting to see how their relationship develops or changes in the future as Yuri heals from his past.
The characters and relationships in this book were handled with such nuance and complexity for the most part. In particular, really loved the relationship between Yuri and Finch, although it is not clear why Yuri is so attached to Finch-- in some ways I felt that he was replacing Estienne with Finch as his new anchor. It would be interesting to see how their relationship develops or changes in the future as Yuri heals from his past.
November 18, 2015
This is the third book in the incredible War Child Trilogy by Karin Lowachee. I was gifted with a copy of Warchild, book one of the series, and was told by my gifter that the first book Warchild won the Warner Aspect First Novel Award and Cagebird won the 2006 Gaylactic Spectrum Award and the Prix Aurora Award and was a finalist for the 2002 Philip K. Dick Award. Seriously, after reading this series, Ms Lowachee has shown these awards were most well deserved.
Warchild, Burndive and Cagedbird are written in the fantasy world of the author, giving the readers who love to read about strange worlds, aliens, pirates and space travel. It centers on three very young children, each boy touched by this world of war and the horrors war brings to the world and to its children. The author also centers the story on an earth ship commander, Commander Azarcon who is busy fighting pirates and Strits (aliens) and himself.
Jos Musey, Ryan Azarcon, and Yuri Kirov are the three young boys the series features. Each story focuses on what war does to their children, and the coming of age of these three young boys. Outstanding read.
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Guild
Warchild, Burndive and Cagedbird are written in the fantasy world of the author, giving the readers who love to read about strange worlds, aliens, pirates and space travel. It centers on three very young children, each boy touched by this world of war and the horrors war brings to the world and to its children. The author also centers the story on an earth ship commander, Commander Azarcon who is busy fighting pirates and Strits (aliens) and himself.
Jos Musey, Ryan Azarcon, and Yuri Kirov are the three young boys the series features. Each story focuses on what war does to their children, and the coming of age of these three young boys. Outstanding read.
Review by Gloria Lakritz
Sr Reviewer and Review Chair for the Paranormal Guild
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