catsnflags's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
sch91086's review
4.0
I actually finished this book about a week ago- so this review is long overdue.
Null States follows Roz primarily into Darfur. Darfur is a previously Null State (where there were no Information feeds and no microdemocracy existed). They need help getting some of their feeds set up and ensuring the microdemocratic process is running smoothly. On the first day, their head of state is killed and explosion as Roz and her team are looking on. Roz stays to investigate and assist with a second election for a new head of state.
Meanwhile- Heritage is still reeling from the after effects of their naughty behavior in the previous election. They threaten to secede from the system, at which point the centenals they did win would all become Null States. Mishima, who is doing freelance work, independent of Information, is pulled back in to spy on Heritage.
There is so much more going on in this plot! I don’t want to give everything away so I’ve focused on what I felt were the two primary points.
The feel of this book was much different from Infomocracy. I liked that Older did not stop to rehash the details of her world building (and for that reason I also recommend reading them as closely together as you can).
The action was fairly non-stop. Personally- this detracted a bit from the book for me, and that isn’t something I say often about action oriented books. I will say I think a lot of my feelings about the plot had to do with my mood and the chaos of my work life right now. My wonderful buddy read group absolutely loved this one, but for me it felt like too much to include in a single book. Sometimes the plot threads and the clues were difficult to keep track of.
The characters were excellent. Mishima is the “consummate badass” and her parts were definitely my favorite to follow. We don’t see much of Ken this time around- but I also enjoyed his parts towards the end. He’s presented as almost the exact opposite of Mishima. He doesn’t know any martial arts. He doesn’t carry weapons- but he’s still valuable. He can see things where others might not.
But Roz is the character we spend the most time with. I liked her from book one and was happy to see her in book two. All of these voices feel distinctly different. They all have their own unique personalities and quirks. Where Mishima is cool and confident- Roz often puts on a cool confident face but seems unsure of herself on the inside. I’m excited to see how they come together in State Tectonics.
For the setting- this is less of a world hopping adventure than the first one- but we were taken to places we didn’t get to see in the first book and I liked that we were given the opportunity to see what the world looked like without Information feeds everywhere.
I highly recommend this series for anyone looking for something that feels new and original.
Null States follows Roz primarily into Darfur. Darfur is a previously Null State (where there were no Information feeds and no microdemocracy existed). They need help getting some of their feeds set up and ensuring the microdemocratic process is running smoothly. On the first day, their head of state is killed and explosion as Roz and her team are looking on. Roz stays to investigate and assist with a second election for a new head of state.
Meanwhile- Heritage is still reeling from the after effects of their naughty behavior in the previous election. They threaten to secede from the system, at which point the centenals they did win would all become Null States. Mishima, who is doing freelance work, independent of Information, is pulled back in to spy on Heritage.
There is so much more going on in this plot! I don’t want to give everything away so I’ve focused on what I felt were the two primary points.
The feel of this book was much different from Infomocracy. I liked that Older did not stop to rehash the details of her world building (and for that reason I also recommend reading them as closely together as you can).
The action was fairly non-stop. Personally- this detracted a bit from the book for me, and that isn’t something I say often about action oriented books. I will say I think a lot of my feelings about the plot had to do with my mood and the chaos of my work life right now. My wonderful buddy read group absolutely loved this one, but for me it felt like too much to include in a single book. Sometimes the plot threads and the clues were difficult to keep track of.
The characters were excellent. Mishima is the “consummate badass” and her parts were definitely my favorite to follow. We don’t see much of Ken this time around- but I also enjoyed his parts towards the end. He’s presented as almost the exact opposite of Mishima. He doesn’t know any martial arts. He doesn’t carry weapons- but he’s still valuable. He can see things where others might not.
But Roz is the character we spend the most time with. I liked her from book one and was happy to see her in book two. All of these voices feel distinctly different. They all have their own unique personalities and quirks. Where Mishima is cool and confident- Roz often puts on a cool confident face but seems unsure of herself on the inside. I’m excited to see how they come together in State Tectonics.
For the setting- this is less of a world hopping adventure than the first one- but we were taken to places we didn’t get to see in the first book and I liked that we were given the opportunity to see what the world looked like without Information feeds everywhere.
I highly recommend this series for anyone looking for something that feels new and original.
tahnok's review against another edition
3.5
I love the interesting vision for the future that's not cyber punk dystopia and actually feels interesting and possible
I found it hard to keep the characters straight, I need more than a name to remember who's doing what
Bit disappointed in the ending, felt like the setup for book 3 of a trilogy
I found it hard to keep the characters straight, I need more than a name to remember who's doing what
Bit disappointed in the ending, felt like the setup for book 3 of a trilogy
davidtene's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.25
lautir's review against another edition
4.0
I really love this series.
Null States picks up about 2 years after the first book in the trilogy. It was nice to get some new POV characters and to see how the world has changed since the big election in the first book.
The mysteries in this book take a little longer to develop than the first book, so it feels a little slower. But it's fun to be with the characters as they put in all the leg work to investigate an assassination.
What I really love I think is the world that Older has created. Even though bad stuff is happening in both books it's a future I want to live in. I love the idea of an organization focused on the freedom and spread of verified information. I want the visual mods, I want to flick my hand and send a projection into the air. And I love how she sets up a completely unique democratic system.
Very excited for the conclusion and am going to be sad when it's done.
Null States picks up about 2 years after the first book in the trilogy. It was nice to get some new POV characters and to see how the world has changed since the big election in the first book.
The mysteries in this book take a little longer to develop than the first book, so it feels a little slower. But it's fun to be with the characters as they put in all the leg work to investigate an assassination.
What I really love I think is the world that Older has created. Even though bad stuff is happening in both books it's a future I want to live in. I love the idea of an organization focused on the freedom and spread of verified information. I want the visual mods, I want to flick my hand and send a projection into the air. And I love how she sets up a completely unique democratic system.
Very excited for the conclusion and am going to be sad when it's done.
metafiktion's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
pwbalto's review against another edition
4.0
I love that Malka Older's initials are MAO. It's as if she was born to comment on political systems, and to make up new ones. I find the pan-global, post-national world of micro-democracies she has created, in which both nationalism and narrative are considered to be diseases, to be both well-informed and hopelessly idealistic - and it is clear that she does too. Watching her set it up, test the model, and find the places where it frays is almost as much fun as watching her terrifically competent (mostly) female characters navigate its fallout.
quietdomino's review against another edition
this series about electoral politics in a future world of microdemocracies and an omniously omnipresent "Information" is really growing on me, even if the central mystery kind of got lost by the end
anywiebs's review against another edition
3.0
I wasn't into this as much as Infomocracy, which I actually thought was a standalone.
Part was I think that was much harder to follow on audio and might be better in another format.
Another part was that I couldn't get really invested into the main characters of this one.
What it does though is dive much more deeper into the politic side of the story and micro democracies and the role of information in the system.
So I guess if that is what interested you already most in the first you will get along much better with this than I did.
Part was I think that was much harder to follow on audio and might be better in another format.
Another part was that I couldn't get really invested into the main characters of this one.
What it does though is dive much more deeper into the politic side of the story and micro democracies and the role of information in the system.
So I guess if that is what interested you already most in the first you will get along much better with this than I did.