G. Deyke reviewed Lawless by Merc Fenn Wolfmoor
[Adapted from initial review on Goodreads.]
4 stars
They say science fiction doesn't predict the future: it describes the present. This is... very much an example of that. It hits close to home, and doubtless moreso for those living in the US.
Essentially, this is a triptych about gun violence, government surveillance via social media, and fascism. It's grim; it's bleak; the second story in particular was extremely uncomfortable to read. But for all that, it's hopeful, and each story ends in a victory. Not the sort of thing you'd want to read for escapism, but perhaps the sort of thing you'd want to read for hope.
Warnings: guns, violence, fascism, religion as a tool of oppression, intentional misgendering, inhibited autonomy, surveillance, loss of privacy, and so on.
Selling points: queer rep, minor Deaf/Black rep, hope.