Static Ruin by Corey J. White

Series: Voidwitch Saga, #3 Read time: 1 Day Rating: 4/5 Stars

The Quote: There's no such thing as 'better', there's only 'different,' and people hate what they don't understand," I say, leaving the cockpit behind to wander down the corridor. And I don't even understand myself.  — Mars Xi

This feels like the right end to the VoidWitch Saga and Mars's story. It wraps up the stories or gives us some idea of what is happening with all the major characters, while introducing new characters just for Static Ruin. It's remarkably less violent and bloody than previous books, particularly Void Black Shadow. I remembered when I started reading Static Ruin that I barely caught and certainly didn't mention in my review that the project that created Mars and her Voidwitch sisters was created from her father's, Marius Teo, research. Marius Teo is now the only person who might be able to help Pale, to treat his seizures and help understand the extent of what was done to him. The different style with Mars's restraint for the sake of her pseudo brother, her pure care for him was something that was needed.

Static Ruin picks up on Joon-ho a month after the end of Void Black Shadow, after Mars and her little crew leave Squid and Mookie on Aylett for Joon-ho. The trusted person on Joon-ho is Doctor Ahlim Ouyahia, Mars hopes she can help treat Pale. She can't and her son, Hayreddin, calls the Emperor's Guard, causing Mars to flee to her father's last known location, Sanderak. In all fairness, while Ahlim trusts Mars (it isn't explained why) she is a murderer and terrorist as far as Hayreddin is concerned it makes sense that he tries to protect not only his mother but the pilgrims on Joon-ho. The plot goes from there, but this is Mars, so nothing is ever as simple as it appears for her. "That thread will take her to the outskirts of the galaxy, to grapple with witch cults and privately owned planets, and into the hands of the man who engineered her birth." are the last lines of the blurb. The witch cult is Sommer on Sanderak the place Marius Teo set up, where Mars was born and Sera was raised. The privately owned planet is Azken owned by The Hurtt Corporation headed by Rafael Hurtt. The man who engineered Mars's birth is, of course, her father, Marius Teo.

Nothing and no one is what you expect or what they seem. Least of all Raf (Rafael Hurtt) who seems almost besotted with Mars. Either that or he truly respects what she can give him. But I don't think so, Mallory is the best judge of his actions, and she is not happy. He is willing to give up a lot to get something he wants from Mars, but even then she gets way more out of that deal than he does, there is no way he is ignorant of that little fact. Marius Teo is an old man and a nightmare and I'll leave that there to save from spoilers. The people of Sommer are so endearing, particularly Dima. Between the three groups of people, or locations plus the Emperor's Guard is still hanging around there is a lot of diversity in the antagonists, potential allies and I-trust-you-for-now. All feel much more personal for Mars, the stakes are higher for her, messing with her emotions more. It's really well executed as an escalation of intimacy across the series.

Some quotes and comments

"You AI are smarter than any human, but most of us treat you like servants or slaves. Any one of us could unplug your core and do whatever we liked with it. But what if you'd been given an autonomous body?" "That would be illegal." "But not impossible. So imagine: what if you had a body? What if people treated you like a human? What if you were normal?" — This is Mars trying to make a point of normality and bodily autonomy. The quote at the bottom of the review comes from the same conversation. It's one of the best in the book, Waren is so, so human. (Mars and Waren, p.29)

Waren referring to curing Pale and getting Mars answers about her life as errands is possibly the funniest thing. He does this while asking Mars to not destroy his ship... again

The Governor's Residence is stunning. A mansion built entirely underground, "The mansion's dark façade is hewn from stone and veined with constellations glittering in shades of silver, blue, gold, and brass." (Mars, p.52-3). Complete with white doors made of intricately carved polished timber.

"Hey, hey, it's me, here." I keep crying, but it's different now. The rage is gone, replaced by fear and something like love for the boy who's sharing and hurt. "Pale, please, hey, it's Mars. I'm here, okay?" — The fear of having seizures is bad enough, I can't even imagine the fear of watching it happen. THAT is why I love this line so much. (Mars, p.65)

"I think you're curious." "Curious?" "You could find other humans, but I'm your only chance to travel with a space witch." "I've said it before, Mars: you're never boring." — This is Mars and Waren. They have a really interesting relationship. Waren likes the adventure as well as being sarcastic and sassy. His personality matches Mars's well. (Mars and Waren, p.88)

I don't feel perfect. I feel like a bomb in human skin. Like killing was written into my future before I was born. — I like how Mars describes herself sometimes. She is usually brutal on herself in a way that is fair because she has done some awful things. (Mars, p.129)

"You shouldn't look up to me; I'm not a good person." "I still love you." — I adore Pale. Pale doesn't talk much but when he does it means something. I really like this simple exchange. (Mars and Pale, p.180)

This is for now at least the last in the Voidwitch Saga though Corey J. White hasn't written off returning to Mars's story at some point, but potentially in a different kind of story (source: a 2020 Goodreads answer). I'm so glad I chose to read this. If you enjoy space dramas, can deal with the violence and the murky ethics it is a joy to read. The books are short but the writing is engaging, the short length means the pace needs to stay up. Though it is definitely a series that I feel needs to be read sequentially.

the harms (han arms) are harming me again (part 1)

WE are NOT a tool

I’ve made a billion fucking drafts and can’t find the words to talk about cellbit and bagi from today. how the fuck do you explain the intricacies between a brother who has lived a life that has sharpened him to cut what he touches, and a sister who had to live with his absence? a man who has to see the childhood he never got to have whenever he looks at the woman he now knows is his twin? said twin who cannot understand why her brother would be anything but glad they are reunited? how do you get across that tangled mess of emotions cellbit had to get him to burn his old pet worm? the paradox of longing for what could have been while desperate to get rid of any reminder, with a healthy dose of paranoia that anything could be a federation bug. or the pure devotion bagi has to decide to stick with her brother even though he is not close to the same as he was when he went missing? the unfairness of it all, of cellbit being taken and made into a killer before he turned 14, of bagi looking for him at the detriment of her own safety and self, of ripped up childhoods and everything that could have been? the fact that the first thing cellbit asks is what he could have done to deserve it? the disgust he holds for himself for what he’s done, and the anger he has for the federation that’s taken everything from him, and the resentment he has towards bagi no matter how unfair it is because she never had to go through what he did? how after bagi swore to help him burn the federation down, cellbit went to bad instead, because bad was there and fought alongside him, and he trusts bad because he’s seen him at his worst, and all he feels like doing is his worst right now? the two of them so similar still because they’re consumed by their need for revenge, while bagi just wants to leave the island? how the fuck can you summarize all this and the emotions that accompany it?

i think more people should appreciate the sheer effort i put forth into not going insane on tumblr dot com

exchanges that will make you go crazy if you think about them a little too hard!!!

I am plagued by theatrical productions i'll never see... it's not like a book i can pick up at any point and return to with new insights as an omniscient reader. No one experiences a play the same but the momentality of it makes you more aware of your role, be it on stage or the audience, the story flows because of your presence at this exact moment. And there are countless plays at this very moment everywhere in the world, there is so much i will never know or experience? It will just be lost to time, to others' perception and memory?

the way cmh leo is on the verge of freaking out. does he get all pulterguisty when hes pissed or breaking down or does he fade? no pressure to respond just this: call me here has got me by the throat. its got me. send help.

!!!!! thank you waugh i'm so glad you're enjoying it!! and uhhh hm. i'm gonna say not really? maybe kinda like - staticky or. gltichy? smth like that, i may try and draw it later bc i am... having some trouble with words rn due to being sick lmaofjdskljfldks

i will say the fading is a dissociation specific thing but i cannot elaborate not because of spoilers but because of the aforementioned sick </3

I need to commission someone to draw my weird little guy for D&D

lets be real guys an ending with a character ‘betraying you’ with only their voice being present and not the actual person directly after introducing a character that the girl you play as describes as sounding “just like” the character thats betraying you is kind of obvious

Do you prefer the Stitched Bunny Man or the Crypto Bunny Man

Close-ups;

I love isekai fics I’m so glad people are still writing them

wait i forgot to complain about something. it sucks supremely that once again just like with ancients they didn't bother giving hatchlings separate cheaper blueprints WHY does the ONLY form of customization for these things have to be so heavily paywalled that's fucking stupidddddd

I just want to watch scientists talk about science in peace why are things materializing and dissipating before my very eyes

I compared Pallas Athena to one of those fucked up moths with the tentacles and why did I do that what the fuck is wrong with me why did I do that

ruin spoilers / idk personally it feels very out of character to believe the kid that intentionally stayed in the pizzaplex past six a.m. because he wanted to make sure no more bad things happened when he was being hunted down would be the same kid who tells his actual friend sorry, gotta make sacrifices!