I’ve been reading the 86 novel because I loved the anime so much. While there’s a lot of differences to talk about, (the novel is so fucking blunt where the anime is subtle and it’s a very fascinating difference,) I think the most interesting thing is the treatment of the ParaRAID. In the anime, it’s just their sort of bullshit communication tech, but the novel makes it way clearer that it’s sort of 86’s equivalent to Newtype empathic powers? And I think this actually is a brilliant story beat and it’s insane the anime cut it. Being empathically connected to the oppressed but willingly ignoring their emotions and their humanity adds another strong layer of hypocrisy to Milena that makes the story have a little bit more of a Bite. (While also proving what I’ve been thinking for a while, that 86 is very definitely the author’s response to Gundam)
Not only does it run on empathy, it is technology based on the traits of the people the Republic is trying to exterminate. I generally find the writing (at least in the English translation) to be very heavy handed in the novels, but it's not a bad thing at all, given the subject matter. Especially because the novels Go Hard.
The northern war arc (~volumes 5-7) provide a great counterpoint to the Republic and Federacy. It really highlights both that the series is deeply concerned with what happens to everyone who survives a genocide and also examining the way war accelerates fascism and dehumanization from as many angles as it can. I love the series a ton and am only about halfway through the books but Asato is a wonderful writer and really cares about what she's doing