As the Last I May Know - Book Review

 

As the Last I May Know

by S.L. Huang

What is it about:

Nyma was raised by the Order Elders to be one of the President’s Carriers. Now she is ten years old and the nation is being ravaged by devastating war. It’s only a matter of time before she is required to fulfill her duty.

For implanted in her body is a capsule containing operating codes to the country’s weapons of last resort—missiles capable of annihilating entire civilizations in a single blast. If the president is willing to execute an entire populace with the push of a button from a remote distance, he must first be willing to murder a child in order to access the devastating arsenal.

But Nyma’s duty is not to sacrifice herself. She must develop an empathic bond with the president to remind him that the price of victory is too high to pay—for all of humanity…

What did I think of it:

My mind has been all over the place lately so I decided to read some more short stories as those don't require long periods of concentration.

And this one is beautiful!

This alternate history story focuses on Nyma who has the operating codes to the country's last resort weapons inside her. The country itself was once the target of such weapons, and keeping the codes inside a child who needs to be killed to use the weapons is meant to remind the president of the devastation it causes, as well as making it harder to just use the codes, as it takes murder to get to them.

I loved seeing how both Nyma and the people around her act as international tension rises and war breaks out. This story is all about how people react to the world around them, what principles are important to them, how far they are willing to go, and where they draw the line.

Short as it is (24 pages) it tells so much and has so much depth.

You bet I'll investigate what else Huang has written.

Why should you read it:

It's an achingly beautiful short read.

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