Review by Wiktoria Borkowska of "I Who Have Never Known Men" by Jacqueline Harpman

What does it mean to be human when you’ve never truly known another soul? Jacqueline Harpman’s I Who Have Never Known Men is a quietly devastating dystopian novel that explores freedom, identity, and survival in a world stripped of meaning.

Originally published in 1995, the novel follows an unnamed narrator—the youngest of forty women imprisoned in an underground bunker, guarded by silent men and with no knowledge of how they got there. When the cage doors unexpectedly open, the women are forced into a barren, post-apocalyptic landscape, where the narrator begins a journey marked by loss, isolation, and a quiet longing for connection.

Harpman’s sparse prose perfectly mirrors the bleakness of the setting, yet it’s the narrator’s inner world that carries the emotional weight. Her introspection and resilience draw the reader in, especially as she grapples with the desire to understand a life she’s never truly lived. A fleeting connection with a young guard—one she doesn’t fully understand—captures the human need for touch, recognition, and feeling.

At one point, the women make a harrowing discovery that challenges their understanding of their own suffering and expands the novel’s exploration of isolation, punishment, and shared fate. Rather than provide answers, Harpman leans into the ambiguity, which only deepens the existential questions the novel poses.

Despite its slow pacing, I Who Have Never Known Men is a deeply thoughtful and emotionally resonant read. The atmosphere is unsettling but never sensationalised, and the philosophical depth invites quiet reflection long after finishing the book.

I recommend this to readers who appreciate introspective, dystopian fiction that prioritises emotion and thought over action—and those drawn to stories of quiet female solidarity. It’s a novel that doesn’t shout—but it echoes.

Favourite quote: "We were not who we were because we had lost the world, but because we were lost in it."

About the reviewer
Wiktoria Borkowska is a first-year Journalism student at the University of Leicester. She enjoys reading emotionally rich fiction and writing reflective reviews on a wide range of fiction, literature, and film.

Review by Kimaya Tushar Patil of "Fourth Wing" by Rebecca Yarros

"A dragon without its rider is a tragedy. A rider without their dragon is dead."

Rebecca Yarros’s Fourth Wing plunges the reader's mind into the cut-throat world of Basgiath War College, where your only options are to survive or die. The narrative follows Violet Sorrengail, a young woman who has been training her whole life to become a scribe, only to be thrust into the elite and ruthless Rider’s Quadrant of Basgiath War College by her mother, against her own will. In a place built to eliminate the weakest cadets, Violet now faces threats and physical challenges that could claim her life every second of every day.

Albeit physically disadvantaged by her fragile body due to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS), Violet’s strengths lie in her observation skills and her ability to think outside the box. This creates a tense atmosphere, and her resilience against all odds and the normalisation of chronic disabilities is relatable and inspiring to many readers. 

This story teeters on the edge of military romantasy with an emphasis on a coming-of-age plotline. The magical creatures a.k.a. dragons are not just portrayed as objects, but as separate, sentient entities with their own private agendas. Rebecca Yarros masterfully wields the power of foreshadowing in her book, keeping the clues subtle enough to be overlooked at first glance, but seeming to fit seamlessly into the intriguing puzzle that is Fourth Wing. Her careful crafting of not just the world, but the characters and the magic-system is nothing short of awe-inspiring. 

This book falls under the new adult fantasy category and is perfect for people who are just beginning to dip their toes into the genre. With its exciting easter eggs, and a consistently intriguing plotline it keeps the reader hooked from start to finish, leaving them wanting more. 

About the reviewer
Kimaya Tushar Patil is currently pursuing a postgraduate Master’s degree in Creative Writing at the University of Leicester. She is a dreamer, and passionate about reading and writing stories in all forms and genres.