Rating: 9/10
YoRHa. Boys.
Yeah you heard right. Not the female androids from Nier:Automata, but male androids. This book was created as a deeper lore dive on Nier:Automata, describing an experimental all male unit of androids tasked with dangerous missions on earth through orders from their space Command. While I did have a better time because I had previously played Nier:Automata (especially considering one of the main characters was 9S), this book was incredible as a standalone read that I would recommend to any reader.
The story was immediately enthralling, with a very compelling and tense intro that set the gritty tone for the rest of the book. This gritty tone stayed throughout the entirety of the book, with a smooth, slow burn of tragedy developing throughout the android's time on earth. Even with this tone, this novel avoided the trap of just being mindless misery lit, instead opting to be an intriguing study on each of the many characters interactions with the futility of their situation. The pacing was perfect the entire way through, with this being one of the few books with absolutely no point that you had to force your way through to get to the "good stuff."
Alright now for the reason I rated it so highly: the characters. There were 7 main androids, and I could tell you the exact personality of every single one and how they would interact with each other in any situation. For such a short book, it was unbelievable how beautifully Jun Eishima was able to create 7 fully fleshed out characters, with each and every one of them going through a full character arc with a satisfying conclusion. Even with the final character being introduced 3/4ths of the way through the entire novel, he somehow became one of my favorite character's with the most compelling internal conflict and conclusion. I loved every one of these androids, their interactions with each other, and their unique reactions to the many moving parts of the story. This book is definitely at the peak for crafting a believable and gripping cast of characters.
A lot of my reviews don't have spoilers so they tend to be shorter, and I like to keep it that way, especially because books like this exist. If you have never played or had any experience with Nier, you would still love this book. If you are looking for a quick read that is filled with likable and fully fleshed out characters with a rich and complete story and world, this is the one to dedicate some to.
