Review: A tale of oppression and deliverance
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 08 3, 2012
'The Sword of Sophia' admirably dares to cover the kind of territory most military SF would rather avoid:  that whole, unpleasant, messy bit about occupying and subjugating a conquered people.  In 'The Fighter King,' author John Bowers described how invaders from Sirius defeated the people of Vega 3 in a war of conquest, rapine, and plunder.  Here, in 'The Sword of Sophia,' Bowers follows the aftermath with bold, fearless strokes to paint a picture of inhuman subjugation and degradation of those who lost.  But if war is an art, then domination is a science ripped straight from the playbook of the Nazis and others of the same ilk.  Subvert the youth. Control the information and the economy.  Intimidate, terrify, and bully. Turn family against family, friend against neighbor, and destroy the social fabric.  The Sirians' method of choice: a pathological obsession with rape, humiliation, domination, enslavement, and degradation of non-Sirian women.  Into this milieu arrives Erik Norgaard, a sad, defeated ex-POW with a thirst for revenge, a Vegan that prophecies ordain as the 'Sword of Sophia.'  From the very start, it's painfully obvious that the story will not end well for some of the characters.  In such oppressive regimes, it's all too easy to imagine that death might be a delivery from evil; it's the kind of inevitable wreck where it's impossible to look away.  As compelling as the story is, readers would be best served by checking out 'The Fighter King' first, otherwise they might find themselves somewhat at sea.  Accordingly, I tried to rate this one in the context of the series, rather than as a stand-alone work.  From that perspective, I found 'The Sword of Sophia' to be a compelling, well-written story.  I give it four stars instead of five because I think questions about some aspects of the story (e.g. Vegan genetic beauty enhancements, the logistics of Sirian fashion code enforcement, men claiming to be helpless to control their reaction to beautiful women) distracted me from the story's core message.  In her now classical 1975 landmark work titled 'Against Our Will:  Men, Women, and Rape,' author Susan Brownmiller clearly documented that rape isn't just a crime against individuals.  It is a crime of power committed against civil society, in support of extremely paternalistic and authoritarian ideologies.  To the degree this story supports that notion and reminds us of that fact, it's an important addition to the series.  Parents be advised:  This story has an 'R' level for violence, rape scenes, and sexual and adult content.