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yyecats's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.0
dracunculus's review against another edition
5.0
Well I was hooked with the first book of the series, and continue to be so with the third book. The alternative history continues to run parallel to the second book, though the 1960's, but on earth and the moon rather than on the way to Mars. I feel so at home with a series that also deals with mental health issues as its something that over the last 5 years I have had to hold my had up to, something that is difficult to admit to when you are born in the 1960's.
However the story continues to cover the nice touches, or themes, constantly of the inequality issue in both race, sex and mental health.
As usual I picked the book up and could not put it down! Keep up the good story lines!!
However the story continues to cover the nice touches, or themes, constantly of the inequality issue in both race, sex and mental health.
As usual I picked the book up and could not put it down! Keep up the good story lines!!
straylight's review against another edition
4.0
While the main character changes for this novel, the story crafting remains strong and (at times) heart wrenching.
iseultofireland's review
3.25
I have conflicted feelings about this book. I love Nicole as a narrator and as a character, but after her husband dies the story loses a lot of momentum until the last 5 or so chapters. The audiobook narration by Mary Robinette Kowal is fantastic, though.
melkoetsveld's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
4.75
caitibeth's review against another edition
5.0
An absorbing story of a terrorist on the Moon who is determined to sabotage and destroy the space program. Nicole and the Lindholms are wonderful protagonists, and I loved their story.
There are points at which the narrative is VERY sad, and there is a constant theme throughout that readers may find triggering. (I'm not going to spoil it here but if you have strong triggers you might want to investigate further, or read a short book sample before committing to purchase.)
Overall, this is a gripping story told well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
There are points at which the narrative is VERY sad, and there is a constant theme throughout that readers may find triggering. (I'm not going to spoil it here but if you have strong triggers you might want to investigate further, or read a short book sample before committing to purchase.)
Overall, this is a gripping story told well and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
surfybridge's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
wanderlustlover's review against another edition
3.0
Fall 2021 (November);
~ Hugo 2021 Novel Nomination
I wanted to like this book. I expected to like this book. This book ended up a lot of spinning my wheels stuck in a mud pit, gritting my teeth, and forcing myself hard to see it out to completion. This book has a new character, but I ended up feeling like the story retraced a lot of the same major beats everywhere in it as Alma's.
- Where Alma has anxiety, Nicole has an eating disorder.
- Nicole, also, relies on Miltown's when her life is too chaotic
- Nicole & her husband develop a code and get caught using it.
- Alma's husband downplays his hospitalization; Nicole's downplays a heart attack
I did still tear up for Estevan all over again like in the last book.
BUT. The massive problem with that is that it hit the nail on a big problem in hard. Whereas this book relies on reacting to everything that happened in [b:The Fated Sky|33081262|The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut Universe, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850563l/33081262._SY75_.jpg|53736197], the prior book reacts to none of the TRULY MASSIVE things that are happening on the moon or on Earth. When I realized who egregious this error was, I sat down and mathed it, since the Mars group had direct and constant Earth/Moon contact (pre-1 week offline) up to 94% of this book. Which means the Mars crew should have been hearing about and reacting to all of that back in book 2.
The whoo-dun-it was easily predictable from the lock-in scene forward, too, which was disappointing. The drastic black mark of 1st person happened here again. When very suddenly our main characters was revealed to be a spy, who never thought about being so or using the skills of such training until said reveal, and then it's use in the narration any numbers of time after. Which. Can't. Be. Done. In. 1st. Person.
I did, also, weep for the truly horrific thing that happens to the president. Which had me the conundrum of wondering how this book could ring such tears from me, and yet I felt so little newness or connection to this newest married couple who just spotlight in for the opposite side of Fated Sky, in such a bulky unbalanced fashion.
I madly loved and lived for the radio broadcasts.
I was deeeeeeeply relieved to get to have Alma & Parker back in the epilogue, which acted exactly like the end of Book 2 in being a flash-forward to many years later (this one on Earth, whereas the last was a forwardflash to another landing on Mars with certain pivotal people on the newest crew).
~ Hugo 2021 Novel Nomination
I wanted to like this book. I expected to like this book. This book ended up a lot of spinning my wheels stuck in a mud pit, gritting my teeth, and forcing myself hard to see it out to completion. This book has a new character, but I ended up feeling like the story retraced a lot of the same major beats everywhere in it as Alma's.
- Where Alma has anxiety, Nicole has an eating disorder.
- Nicole, also, relies on Miltown's when her life is too chaotic
- Nicole & her husband develop a code and get caught using it.
- Alma's husband downplays his hospitalization; Nicole's downplays a heart attack
I did still tear up for Estevan all over again like in the last book.
BUT. The massive problem with that is that it hit the nail on a big problem in hard. Whereas this book relies on reacting to everything that happened in [b:The Fated Sky|33081262|The Fated Sky (Lady Astronaut Universe, #2)|Mary Robinette Kowal|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850563l/33081262._SY75_.jpg|53736197], the prior book reacts to none of the TRULY MASSIVE things that are happening on the moon or on Earth. When I realized who egregious this error was, I sat down and mathed it, since the Mars group had direct and constant Earth/Moon contact (pre-1 week offline) up to 94% of this book. Which means the Mars crew should have been hearing about and reacting to all of that back in book 2.
The whoo-dun-it was easily predictable from the lock-in scene forward, too, which was disappointing. The drastic black mark of 1st person happened here again. When very suddenly our main characters was revealed to be a spy, who never thought about being so or using the skills of such training until said reveal, and then it's use in the narration any numbers of time after. Which. Can't. Be. Done. In. 1st. Person.
I did, also, weep for the truly horrific thing that happens to the president. Which had me the conundrum of wondering how this book could ring such tears from me, and yet I felt so little newness or connection to this newest married couple who just spotlight in for the opposite side of Fated Sky, in such a bulky unbalanced fashion.
I madly loved and lived for the radio broadcasts.
I was deeeeeeeply relieved to get to have Alma & Parker back in the epilogue, which acted exactly like the end of Book 2 in being a flash-forward to many years later (this one on Earth, whereas the last was a forwardflash to another landing on Mars with certain pivotal people on the newest crew).