"Brissett retells the myth of Persephone in this dystopian Afro-futuristic thriller. It is a wonderful story of transformation, survival, and what it means to be human. As effortlessly as she weaves between the past, present, and future, Brissett also blends sci-fi fantasy with a little whodunit. If you enjoy Afrocentric stories and characters this is a book for you. "-- San Francisco Book Review "Reading Destroyer of Light is a disorienting experience. As with so much of the best science fiction, the details of its worldbuilding sound crazy and arbitrary if you just summarize them flatly . And yet these details coalesce into compelling and disturbing patterns as you read the novel as a whole and reflect upon the implications not just of its plot, but also of the overall environment that it renders ."-- The Los Angeles Review of Books " [A] dark, poetic tale of struggling human colonists and ambiguously motivated aliens on a distant planet.
Brissett uses the alien setting to explore contemporary issues, including racism, the complexities of allyship, and the trauma experienced by child soldiers. The author''s updated take on a classic myth is both clever and entertaining.Richly developed and profound. " -- Kirkus, Starred Review "Compelling. This is a book about monsters and saviors - and how thin the line can be between the two. It''s about power and colonialism; mother and daughters; the cost of safety. Brissett has built a story that the 21st century needs, while never forgetting its roots in the Afrofuturism of a previous generation."-- Locus magazine " Destroyer of Light is proof positive that we''re living in a new golden age of science fiction .
" --Charlie Jane Anders, Hugo Award-winning author " Brissett masterfully weaves together years (and lightyears) through a Hades and Persephone retelling filled with the devastating impacts of war and kidnapping, the power dynamics between people and aliens, and the psychic powers that could save--or destroy--them all, again."--WBUR, NPR Boston " Destroyer of Light grapples with themes of both the human and post-human experience in a way that is wholly original and seductively engaging. Brissett builds a richly layered and imaginative world that reflects much of our own--the good, the brutal, and the truly monstrous--while daring us to dream of something more . This is a tale not only of becoming and transformation, but about the choices we make that bring us to our destinations. In a time of new, meaningful, and thrilling science fiction, Destroyer of Light is a must read ."--P. Djèlí Clark, Hugo Finalist and author of The Haunting of Tram Car 015 "A saga that combines many of sf''s most beloved tropes--a remnant of humanity struggling to survive on a far away world, aliens whose goals are dangerously unknowable, alien/human hybrids with unpredictable abilities, suspense, plot twists, and that good old sense of wonder. Hugely ambitious, impressively accomplished .
" --Karen Joy Fowler "Destroyer of Light confirms Brissett as one of our finest and most ambitious novelists. A world-spanning epic that explores and explodes what it''s like to be both human and post-human. Gorgeously written and heartfelt, it''s quite simply one of the best books I''ve read in a very long time ." --Elizabeth Hand, author of The Book of Lamps and Banners and Curious Toys " Destroyer of Light is a remarkable novel of lyrical intensity, deep human insight, powerful drama and sharp commentary on human society."-- SciFi Mind "[For] those who enjoy powerful, intricate, dark works which use speculative elements to delve deeply into multi-faceted characters and social commentary."-- Luminosity Library "[A] really hard-hitting sci-fi story."-- Book Riot.