Redsight, by Meredith Mooring

I confess: I’ve been waiting for months to write about this book! I’m so glad it’s finally appearing in the world, because it absolutely deserves to be seen by as many readers as possible.

I’ve now typed a synopsis several times… and deleted it. Because oh my gods, spoilers are hard to avoid. Let’s try this:

A blind priestess of the Red Goddess, whose power comes from blood.

An explorer and scientist affiliated to the White Goddess, who may have found the equivalent of nuclear weaponry.

And a mysterious third, who is looking for… something.

These three, in a universe ruled by an omnipresent Government that controls them. Their roles in life are set, dictated and/or fated. Until they start to ask why, digging beneath the surface to see through their dogma, their rules and into just what their power can do. What happens when you realize your deity is real and not terribly happy?

I’ve seen this book compared to ‘Gideon the Ninth’, ‘Dune’ and other science fiction classics, but it is absolutely its own universe. I’ve already hinted on social media that I preferred it to Gideon, which may be heresy to some, but it’s true. This world and its characters stand alone, and comparison doesn’t help - I went in unsure of what to expect; the story grabbed me and blossomed even more brightly as a result.

One interesting point worth noting is that the (lovely, smart, articulate) author herself is almost blind. I was fascinated to see her take on a heroine with a similar disability… and it’s truly beautiful. I kept forgetting, in fact, because the titular Redseer’s perspective is both consistently innocent and pin-sharp accurate. She is who she is, she cannot see as others do, and and how she perceives the world is as unique as her other priestess counterparts. The title is apt, as she is often seeing literally and metaphorically through a red lense.

Also yes, this book features gender issues. This suits its narrative perfectly, and is not a problem for the universe, so shouldn’t be for the reader either. That’s the least of the challenging plot points. The romance is lovely but just one of many complex relationships.

From a comparatively gentle beginning, ‘Redseer’ quietly increases its intensity until pages fly by as fast as the action. Some aspects of the story are predictable; others very much not so, and the balance is expertly maintained. I gasped audibly several times, as well as wincing more than once. Be aware: there is a lot of blood in this book.

I’ve never read a book like this, and finished in the knowledge that not only did I have to wait to properly talk about it, I then have to wait even longer for the sequel.

Sheer brilliance. Smart, powerful women reclaiming themselves.

Oh, and giant morally-grey dragon-monsters that eat entire stars. Did I mention that?

Read This Book.