To be honest, my expectations when I read the words "Hamlet retelling" are very low. I've seen a lot of bad Shakespeare in my time in theatre, and a lot of terrible attempts to modernize it. The Death I Gave Him is NOT bad Shakespeare. (It's not bad sci-fi, either!) It is possibly the smartest and most interesting Shakespeare I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Liu's choices of when and how to deviate from canon were masterfully chosen—keeping the tone and soul of the original piece, but expanding and exploring characters in beautiful new ways. It mostly took me so long to get through, because I kept having to put the book down to go pace around my room. 

I really enjoyed the way this novel handled Horatio and Felicia (Ophelia). The ways they effect Hamlet's mental state and their own increased agency really added new life to the story. These characters are fan favorites, and a lot of adaptations have tried to increase their presence in the text... but I found that Liu is one of the first to be truly successful in a way that matches many of the themes of the original text. In particular, Felicia (and her father's) position within the lab (and in comparison to Hamlet's scholarly history) draws out a fantastic dynamic and discussion. It really was fun to get to know these characters all over again in this form. I very much look forward to more from this author.