Disclaimer: This is a review on the FIRST volume of “86 Eighty-Six”. I have yet to read other entries in the series nor do I have any future plans to write reviews for other installments. This is also my first review, so with that in mind, please read at your leisure and enjoy yourself!
“War. War Never Changes.”
Synopsis
The Republic of San Magnolia. Stuck in a constant battle against unmanned war machines, referred to collectively as Legion, from the neighboring Giadian Empire. Countless lives lost on the battlefield. Such is the price of any war.
And with time, the Republic succeeded in creating autonomous weapons of their own: Juggernauts. They would finally have an advantage against the Empire. Lives would no longer be lost. From that point onwards, all conflicts would become bloodless.
Or so they say…
In reality, the Republic, which is split into Eighty-Five sectors, lies a hidden Eighty-Sixth sector. Who resides in that hidden sector? All the minorities of San Magnolia. Stripped of their rights and humanity, sentenced to pilot Juggernauts as nameless fighters until they hit their expiration date.
They are…
The Eighty-Six.
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“No country would ever consider it an act of evil to deny a pig human rights.” - Vladilena Milizé
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Meet Major Vladilena “Lena” Milizé. The character you are first introduced to. She belongs to the Alba community, the dominant racial group within San Magnolia. As her title may suggest, she is enlisted in the Republic’s military. She is assigned the role of Handler to the Spearhead Squadron, a unit infamous for driving all Handlers, prior to Lena, to madness and insanity. It is from her post that she meets another character who is integral to the plot of 86…
This fellow is known simply as Shin, commonly referred to by his codename: Undertaker. He is your second protagonist in the series and arguably the more important one. It is through interactions with Shin and the rest of his squadron members that Lena learns more about the Republic’s treatment of the 86. And thus begins our story… A tale about the so-called bloodless wars, and the group who was crazy enough to push through it all.
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Pacing
Personally, I felt like the novel was off to a slow start in the beginning. It was a sluggish process to go from page-to-page, but that might just be me. However, by the time you get to the third chapter, things start to pick up and become more interesting. Is the slow build-up worth it? In my opinion, definitely. When you have a storyline that revolves around your characters as much as “86” does, it is a necessary step to establish the mindsets and motives for them. What can a reader gather about a character solely from how they act/speak. “86” is a strong example that conveys how to do just that if you ask me. In between chapters, you might get occasional interlude chapters, which act as flashbacks to add more exposition. It felt as if all the questions I had were being answered the more I read.
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Characters
Of course, as much as I enjoyed the pacing, I felt like the direction some of the characters were taken into was quite unfortunate. Granted, the first volume has nine characters (not counting the faceless side characters who only have names) to deal with. Fleshing out that many characters is not only a lot of work, but also difficult to execute well. So in the context of “86”, the choices made in regards to the handling of certain characters makes sense. Some of the decisions are actually necessary to move the plot forward, and I can appreciate those. However, there were some moments that had me questioning what was going through the writer’s head.
Spoiler, click to viewLike in Chapter 6, page 186 where one of the characters is killed off. However, we don’t hear about how they died. All we get is a two-sentence paragraph telling us “Yeah this character died while doing this.” I don’t even recall them appearing much in the story. So it felt kinda pointless to me. Felt like a cheap way of writing off a character. The death had no weight to it.
Otherwise, I enjoyed the interactions these characters had with each other. Even with just words, I found myself pulled into their conversations. I give props to the writer for making me hate the Alba as much as the 86 themselves do. The way characters bounced off each other’s dialogue left and right made the chatter feel real. Also, it feels refreshing to read swear words in a fiction story. Adds to the immersion I guess.
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Plot
The plot is an interesting concept. In the afterward by the author, they mention how the plot has a lot of themes/elements from World War II. “86” doesn’t try to hide its themes of racial discrimination. From the 86 being placed in internment camps, to the exploitation and usage of force against those who resisted. You can feel this tension in exchanges between Lena and members of her squadron. The characters are used as narrative devices to elaborate on the world they live in and the experiences that have shaped them today. Tragic as it is, the cast would not have found the resolve within themselves if it weren’t for these conflicts.
There is a scene where one of the characters blows a fuse and snaps on Lena. The whole exchange is not only filled with emotion and weight, but it shows their determination. It’s a powerful scene that illustrates how they feel in regards to the Alba and Lena. Probably my favorite scene in the whole story.
And without going into spoilers, I enjoyed the ending. In fact, I consider it a conclusive enough ending that I feel fine reading just one volume. If the series were to stop at just the first installment, I would be fine with that. That’s how much I enjoyed the ending.
Final Thoughts
Overall, “86” is an interesting take on the dystopian genre. It’s tragic and loaded with both heavy and aggressive emotions. The switch between perspectives can be a bit confusing at times, especially with all the different fonts used to indicate if someone is speaking remotely, directly, or thinking. Not gonna lie, my brain hurt a bunch of times while reading because of the constant switches. Nothing against the idea though, I get what they were trying to go for.
I think a big factor I was able to get into the story as much as I did is because like the 86, I am also considered a minority. Although I am fortunate to not have faced any discrimination towards me or my close ones (yet), I still have to be weary of the idea that it could happen at any time. It’s unfortunate, but it’s the reality we live in. “86” could be interpreted as an allegory for racism, and while those themes are indeed present, I’m not sure how much you could get out of it. (If someone wants to try, be my guest.)
Needless to say, “86” is a story with good pacing, a diverse cast of characters, and a refreshing take on a saturated genre that incorporates many themes. Definitely worth considering if you are into military fiction or dystopian fiction.
