annieb123's review against another edition
4.0
Originally published on my blog: Nonstop Reader.
Flotsam is the first book in a new series (Peridot Shift) and the debut novel from new voice R. J. Theodore. This book had me at hello. It promised everything in my ideal book checklist. Fantasy, touch of magic, aliens, steampunk, strong female characters with ensemble cast, pirates/junkers on a treasure hunt, some humor, good dialogue and plot driven narrative.
This was a solidly readable good book. I really saw a cliffhanger coming for 300 pages but when I had read the last page, I immediately started jonesing for the next book in the series.
This is high fantasy with cool world building, well thought out races, alien tech (the wasp-aliens with carved exoskeletons made me squee out loud. Ok, almost...but damn that was cool!), betrayal and survival and teamwork and...
It's a brick of a book, 535 pages, but doesn't suffer from book bloat in the slightest. It's not slow, doesn't drag, and the author isn't so fond of their own voice that they can't bear to cut anything they've written (I'm lookin' at you, Stephen King).
Released 27 March, 2018 by Parvus Press, it's available in ebook, paperback and audiobook formats. Really well written. Looking forward to the sequels.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
Flotsam is the first book in a new series (Peridot Shift) and the debut novel from new voice R. J. Theodore. This book had me at hello. It promised everything in my ideal book checklist. Fantasy, touch of magic, aliens, steampunk, strong female characters with ensemble cast, pirates/junkers on a treasure hunt, some humor, good dialogue and plot driven narrative.
This was a solidly readable good book. I really saw a cliffhanger coming for 300 pages but when I had read the last page, I immediately started jonesing for the next book in the series.
This is high fantasy with cool world building, well thought out races, alien tech (the wasp-aliens with carved exoskeletons made me squee out loud. Ok, almost...but damn that was cool!), betrayal and survival and teamwork and...
It's a brick of a book, 535 pages, but doesn't suffer from book bloat in the slightest. It's not slow, doesn't drag, and the author isn't so fond of their own voice that they can't bear to cut anything they've written (I'm lookin' at you, Stephen King).
Released 27 March, 2018 by Parvus Press, it's available in ebook, paperback and audiobook formats. Really well written. Looking forward to the sequels.
Four stars
Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes
erikbail's review against another edition
3.0
Guess it's techno-steam-punk. I really wanted to like the story, had everything I wanted, ships and pirates and dashing battles, but just awkwardly paced for me
jasecorn's review
4.0
Love the setting and the characters. Such a unique world has been created here and I can see many great ideas for future books. For a debut, this author has the rare gift of being able to paint a picture without getting bogged down in superfluous language. I was able to visualise all the settings which is something I struggle with sometimes, and considering the crazy universe this is set in, it's no mean feat to get me to effortlessly see through the authors eyes.
It took me to another world.
Easy to read, but a complex and fun adventure.
It took me to another world.
Easy to read, but a complex and fun adventure.
bunny_herondale's review
4.0
ENGLISH:
First of all, thanks to Robot Dinosaur Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange of a honest review.
I'm still not sure if it's 3.5 or 4 stars.
Ok, the book is good, is interesting and it's a good trilogy start. What bothers me is that the main character which is a grown adult that has stopped being a naive young girl some time ago makes mistakes that not even the dumbest protagonist of the most cliché teen movie or book would make. Things that were very obvious and she refused to see or not giving the enough importance to other things even when a goddess (literally) told her the importance of those said things!
So, I don't know how I would classify this book because it has many genres, something like a space opera with fantasy and steampunk, a weird mixup, but it works well.
I have to recognize that at the beginning of the book it was difficult for me to really get into the story, and that's partly because the story itself, the principal problem in the book, doesn't start until the 58% of the book, everything that happens before that is the construction and preamble to that specific moment, I just hope it doesn't happen the same in the sequel.
I loved all the rest of the characters, including the aliens with unpronounceable names, Meran, the Wind Sabre crew and even Hankirk. The deities were more like meh to me, they weren't by far the more interesting thing in the book, but there were many things that I did like.
My favorite quotes of the book:
ESPAÑOL:
Primero que nada, gracias a Robot Dinosaur Press y a NetGalley por proveerme con una copia avanzada del libro a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Estoy indecisa entre 3.5 y 4 estrellas.
Ok, el libro es bueno, es interesante y marca un buen inicio de trilogía. Lo que me molesta, es que la protagonista que es una mujer adulta que ya tiene sus añitos, cometa errores que ni el protagonista más tonto de cualquier película o libro cliché para adolescentes cometería. Cosas que eran muy obvias y que no quiso ver o no darle la suficiente importancia a otras cosas a pesar de que una diosa (literalmente) fue y le informó de la importancia de ciertas cosas.
Entonces, no sé exactamente cómo se clasificaría este libro porque tiene muchos géneros, algo como un space opera con fantasía y steampunk, una mezcla rara, sin embargo funciona bien.
Debo reconocer que al inicio me costó engancharme con el libro, y es que la historia en sí, la problemática principal, no empieza sino hasta el 58% del libro, todo lo que sucede antes es como la construcción y el preámbulo para ese momento en específico, solamente espero que en la secuela no suceda lo mismo.
Me encantaron todos los demás personajes, incluyendo los aliens con nombres impronunciables, Meran, la tripulación del Wind Sabre e incluso Hankirk. Las deidades se me hicieron personajes equis, no eran ni de lejos lo más interesante del libro, pero hay varias cosas que sí que me gustaron.
Mis frases favoritas del libro:
First of all, thanks to Robot Dinosaur Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advanced readers copy of the book in exchange of a honest review.
I'm still not sure if it's 3.5 or 4 stars.
Ok, the book is good, is interesting and it's a good trilogy start. What bothers me is that the main character which is a grown adult that has stopped being a naive young girl some time ago makes mistakes that not even the dumbest protagonist of the most cliché teen movie or book would make. Things that were very obvious and she refused to see or not giving the enough importance to other things even when a goddess (literally) told her the importance of those said things!
So, I don't know how I would classify this book because it has many genres, something like a space opera with fantasy and steampunk, a weird mixup, but it works well.
I have to recognize that at the beginning of the book it was difficult for me to really get into the story, and that's partly because the story itself, the principal problem in the book, doesn't start until the 58% of the book, everything that happens before that is the construction and preamble to that specific moment, I just hope it doesn't happen the same in the sequel.
I loved all the rest of the characters, including the aliens with unpronounceable names, Meran, the Wind Sabre crew and even Hankirk. The deities were more like meh to me, they weren't by far the more interesting thing in the book, but there were many things that I did like.
My favorite quotes of the book:
It wasn’t the most impressive private airship in the skies— just a single lift balloon, a handful of cannons, and room for a small crew. But it was hers. You didn’t get to have or keep much in this world.
She couldn’t give him back the future he’d lost, but she never stopped trying to make a new one for him.
Talk to the goddess that had a penchant for turning people into mermaids if they pissed her off.
Of course.
Why not?
Then a wave hit her. Desolation. Aching emptiness.
Silus Cutter is dead.
Her god. The being who created her people and protected them. The being who was supposed to be immortal.
He wasn’t. He was dead. And she was kneeling among his murderers.
“We all do...” Xe paused for a moment, resting. “...what we must to survive. Act for what we believe is the greater good of our people.”
Sometimes, she thought. And other times we act selfishly and court disaster.
“Do you have a purpose I can live for?”
“Same thing I have. Freedom.”
“This one would raze it all to the ground for you,” she said, her eyes flashing at Talis.
Dug’s eyelids lowered, and he inhaled deeply. He looked intoxicated, leaning toward Meran, who cupped his chin. But Meran looked at Hankirk.
“As would he.”
“Should have killed him,”she said under her breath to Dug.
“You still can.”
She stayed silent. She’d already proven that she couldn’t.
ESPAÑOL:
Primero que nada, gracias a Robot Dinosaur Press y a NetGalley por proveerme con una copia avanzada del libro a cambio de una reseña honesta.
Estoy indecisa entre 3.5 y 4 estrellas.
Ok, el libro es bueno, es interesante y marca un buen inicio de trilogía. Lo que me molesta, es que la protagonista que es una mujer adulta que ya tiene sus añitos, cometa errores que ni el protagonista más tonto de cualquier película o libro cliché para adolescentes cometería. Cosas que eran muy obvias y que no quiso ver o no darle la suficiente importancia a otras cosas a pesar de que una diosa (literalmente) fue y le informó de la importancia de ciertas cosas.
Entonces, no sé exactamente cómo se clasificaría este libro porque tiene muchos géneros, algo como un space opera con fantasía y steampunk, una mezcla rara, sin embargo funciona bien.
Debo reconocer que al inicio me costó engancharme con el libro, y es que la historia en sí, la problemática principal, no empieza sino hasta el 58% del libro, todo lo que sucede antes es como la construcción y el preámbulo para ese momento en específico, solamente espero que en la secuela no suceda lo mismo.
Me encantaron todos los demás personajes, incluyendo los aliens con nombres impronunciables, Meran, la tripulación del Wind Sabre e incluso Hankirk. Las deidades se me hicieron personajes equis, no eran ni de lejos lo más interesante del libro, pero hay varias cosas que sí que me gustaron.
Mis frases favoritas del libro:
It wasn’t the most impressive private airship in the skies— just a single lift balloon, a handful of cannons, and room for a small crew. But it was hers. You didn’t get to have or keep much in this world.
She couldn’t give him back the future he’d lost, but she never stopped trying to make a new one for him.
Talk to the goddess that had a penchant for turning people into mermaids if they pissed her off.
Of course.
Why not?
Then a wave hit her. Desolation. Aching emptiness.
Silus Cutter is dead.
Her god. The being who created her people and protected them. The being who was supposed to be immortal.
He wasn’t. He was dead. And she was kneeling among his murderers.
“We all do...” Xe paused for a moment, resting. “...what we must to survive. Act for what we believe is the greater good of our people.”
Sometimes, she thought. And other times we act selfishly and court disaster.
“Do you have a purpose I can live for?”
“Same thing I have. Freedom.”
“This one would raze it all to the ground for you,” she said, her eyes flashing at Talis.
Dug’s eyelids lowered, and he inhaled deeply. He looked intoxicated, leaning toward Meran, who cupped his chin. But Meran looked at Hankirk.
“As would he.”
“Should have killed him,”she said under her breath to Dug.
“You still can.”
She stayed silent. She’d already proven that she couldn’t.
roklobster's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book, except for the end.
The characters are interesting and compelling, the story moves along at a good pace, the writing is clever and engaging, the world is different and marvelous, there are weird creatures and there are androids and aliens and flying ships. It's one of those books that makes me think: you knew what I wanted in a story and then made it happen! Bravo! All of the elements of story, from the characters to the world to the magic to the science to the gods is off my check list of YAY THAT'S IN THIS BOOK!!
But after the climax of the story... the end just draaaaaaaaaaags. I feel like the resolution of the story being told was reached at around 85% of the book. And then there was more book to get through. And I'd had a good time thus far, so why would the end be any different, but I was truly puzzled at where else we had to go. And yes, I see how the end sets up for the next book in the series, which I am totally reading when it comes out, but it was a way longer ending to the book than the book really needed. I don't feel like the ending did the book any favors or any justice to the goodness that had come before. So here's hoping the next in the series tightens that up.
Overall, really had a good time reading this and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, scifi, adventure, and good writing.
The characters are interesting and compelling, the story moves along at a good pace, the writing is clever and engaging, the world is different and marvelous, there are weird creatures and there are androids and aliens and flying ships. It's one of those books that makes me think: you knew what I wanted in a story and then made it happen! Bravo! All of the elements of story, from the characters to the world to the magic to the science to the gods is off my check list of YAY THAT'S IN THIS BOOK!!
But after the climax of the story... the end just draaaaaaaaaaags. I feel like the resolution of the story being told was reached at around 85% of the book. And then there was more book to get through. And I'd had a good time thus far, so why would the end be any different, but I was truly puzzled at where else we had to go. And yes, I see how the end sets up for the next book in the series, which I am totally reading when it comes out, but it was a way longer ending to the book than the book really needed. I don't feel like the ending did the book any favors or any justice to the goodness that had come before. So here's hoping the next in the series tightens that up.
Overall, really had a good time reading this and would recommend it to anyone who likes fantasy, scifi, adventure, and good writing.
mhairib's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
critterbee's review against another edition
3.0
Flotsam was a fun read, although a little too all over the place for me, and could have benefited from a bit more editing. Talis, our heroine, was capable and believable. The elements of Steampunk were there, although it wasn't entirely steampunk, with strong rather sci-fi and fantasy elements. If the excess was trimmed, and the action was allowed to shine, it would be a very exciting read.
*eARC Netgalley*
*eARC Netgalley*
scriptrix's review
I actually really love the writing in this one - the descriptions are awesome and the worldbuilding seems really cool. But I just...don't have a concept of the characters at all. They are big question marks in my head. I dithered back and forth about whether to DNF or keep trying with this one, but I think I'm going to put it down for now.
endlessmidnight's review against another edition
2.0
Well, I was initially interested. But afterwards, I just couldn’t find anything which was memorable. And became another book which I lost interest in and eventually just went on to complete through skimming.
The story is about the galaxy, but I didn’t feel anything really special about this story. Other than something happened here which drove the ship’s captain to going on something. And the setting which did have some redeemable features about it.
I guess I just don’t care about any of the characters. Which otherwise will have really intrigued me to the world as it was, and the writing was nothing memorable at all. Just a lot of description and world building which flew over my head. It was just too dry, and it really hampered my ability to love and understand the story as it was.
Overall, I just didn’t like the story because it didn’t have any characters which I found common ground with. Neither did I find anything which truly intrigued me at all.
The story is about the galaxy, but I didn’t feel anything really special about this story. Other than something happened here which drove the ship’s captain to going on something. And the setting which did have some redeemable features about it.
I guess I just don’t care about any of the characters. Which otherwise will have really intrigued me to the world as it was, and the writing was nothing memorable at all. Just a lot of description and world building which flew over my head. It was just too dry, and it really hampered my ability to love and understand the story as it was.
Overall, I just didn’t like the story because it didn’t have any characters which I found common ground with. Neither did I find anything which truly intrigued me at all.