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The Defectives #3
The Defectives Vol. 3
Hardcover
Published July 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review
September 7, 2026
"Once you abandon basic logic and ideology and barrel head first towards extremism, it's easy for anything to be twisted."
I honestly don’t even know what priest has done to me at this point because I am so invested in this series. I’m someone who likes space fantasy and mecha, but they’re usually not my first choice, so I never expected to be this excited about all the technical and worldbuilding stuff in here. And yet, even when priest starts info dumping on me, I’m completely locked in. I keep thinking about how intricate everything is and how all these little pieces connect, and I genuinely want to know how her brain works. There are so many revelations in this volume that I still feel like I need time to process them. I also really loved how complicated the conflict feels. I never got the feeling that I could just point at one side and say, “they’re the bad guys.” Everyone is trying to survive, protect something, or hold onto their own idea of what the world should be, and sometimes those choices are messy or downright awful. I especially like the way the story plays with different kinds of control through Eden and the Anti Utopia Society. It made me think about how easily the desire for safety, freedom, or survival can turn into another form of control. I’m usually not someone who gets excited about info dumps, but somehow priest has me reading them like they’re the most fascinating thing in the world. I also kept finding lines that I wanted to write down because they just hit me.
Lin Jingheng continues to make me so emotional because this man will spend most of his time acting like he couldn’t care less, and then quietly put everything on the line for other people. I love that contradiction about him so much. You can see that he’s slowly finding more reasons to actually stay grounded instead of just pushing himself forward because there’s nothing else for him to do. And obviously, Lu Bixing is that part. I really love Lu Bixing in this volume too because you can see how much he’s changed. He isn’t just the enthusiastic school principal anymore. When things start going sideways, people actually turn to him for answers and direction, and he has to become someone who can carry that responsibility. I love watching him grow into that. I also really like the development between him and Lin Jingheng in this volume. We actually get some intimacy between them, and considering this is priest, no, you’re not getting smut, but I honestly didn’t need it to be that kind of scene. I thought what we got was really beautiful and meaningful for them. Their relationship also continues to reflect so much of what the larger story is talking about. Lin Jingheng wants to control things because he thinks that’s how he can keep people safe, while Lu Bixing is much more willing to let people make their own choices, even when those choices come with consequences. I really love how those differences don’t just disappear because they’re together.
And I have to mention how pretty these books are because all three released volumes look so good. I love the glittery finish, and the artwork is gorgeous, but the cover of this third volume especially gives me such a weird sense of comfort. There’s something so peaceful and tranquil about it, which I find funny considering what’s inside the book. I also still notice every time someone is just called “Lin” or “Lu.” I don’t know if that’s because I’m not used to the way names and forms of address work here, but it always makes me pause because I’m so used to seeing some kind of honorific. It’s such a small thing, but my brain catches it every single time. Still, I’m completely in love with this series now. I love the characters, I love how much thought goes into the world, I love the constant discoveries, and I love that I can never quite tell where priest is going to take things next. I’m honestly at the point where I think I’m biased toward anything she writes because somehow she has me getting excited over things I normally wouldn’t care that much about. Even the parts where I should probably be overwhelmed by all the information are parts I’m enjoying.
Date Read: 2026.09.07
I honestly don’t even know what priest has done to me at this point because I am so invested in this series. I’m someone who likes space fantasy and mecha, but they’re usually not my first choice, so I never expected to be this excited about all the technical and worldbuilding stuff in here. And yet, even when priest starts info dumping on me, I’m completely locked in. I keep thinking about how intricate everything is and how all these little pieces connect, and I genuinely want to know how her brain works. There are so many revelations in this volume that I still feel like I need time to process them. I also really loved how complicated the conflict feels. I never got the feeling that I could just point at one side and say, “they’re the bad guys.” Everyone is trying to survive, protect something, or hold onto their own idea of what the world should be, and sometimes those choices are messy or downright awful. I especially like the way the story plays with different kinds of control through Eden and the Anti Utopia Society. It made me think about how easily the desire for safety, freedom, or survival can turn into another form of control. I’m usually not someone who gets excited about info dumps, but somehow priest has me reading them like they’re the most fascinating thing in the world. I also kept finding lines that I wanted to write down because they just hit me.
Lin Jingheng continues to make me so emotional because this man will spend most of his time acting like he couldn’t care less, and then quietly put everything on the line for other people. I love that contradiction about him so much. You can see that he’s slowly finding more reasons to actually stay grounded instead of just pushing himself forward because there’s nothing else for him to do. And obviously, Lu Bixing is that part. I really love Lu Bixing in this volume too because you can see how much he’s changed. He isn’t just the enthusiastic school principal anymore. When things start going sideways, people actually turn to him for answers and direction, and he has to become someone who can carry that responsibility. I love watching him grow into that. I also really like the development between him and Lin Jingheng in this volume. We actually get some intimacy between them, and considering this is priest, no, you’re not getting smut, but I honestly didn’t need it to be that kind of scene. I thought what we got was really beautiful and meaningful for them. Their relationship also continues to reflect so much of what the larger story is talking about. Lin Jingheng wants to control things because he thinks that’s how he can keep people safe, while Lu Bixing is much more willing to let people make their own choices, even when those choices come with consequences. I really love how those differences don’t just disappear because they’re together.
And I have to mention how pretty these books are because all three released volumes look so good. I love the glittery finish, and the artwork is gorgeous, but the cover of this third volume especially gives me such a weird sense of comfort. There’s something so peaceful and tranquil about it, which I find funny considering what’s inside the book. I also still notice every time someone is just called “Lin” or “Lu.” I don’t know if that’s because I’m not used to the way names and forms of address work here, but it always makes me pause because I’m so used to seeing some kind of honorific. It’s such a small thing, but my brain catches it every single time. Still, I’m completely in love with this series now. I love the characters, I love how much thought goes into the world, I love the constant discoveries, and I love that I can never quite tell where priest is going to take things next. I’m honestly at the point where I think I’m biased toward anything she writes because somehow she has me getting excited over things I normally wouldn’t care that much about. Even the parts where I should probably be overwhelmed by all the information are parts I’m enjoying.
Date Read: 2026.09.07
Displaying 1 - 1 of 1 review