Scan barcode
vaguelyredhead's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Death, Religious bigotry, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Vomit and Colonisation
scifi_rat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.5
Prose: 4★
Pace: 5★
Concept/Execution: 5★/4.75★
Characters: 4★
Worldbuilding: 4.5★
Ending: 4★
Graphic: Violence and Murder
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Gore, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Blood, Police brutality, Medical content, Grief, Religious bigotry, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Body horror, Confinement, Cursing, Misogyny, and Colonisation
bookish_hollyx's review against another edition
2.5
Moderate: Death, Violence, and Murder
booksthatburn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I love the opening chapter, it sets up the book's tone in a way that is followed through very well. As the traveler moves around, trying to find something with a signal strong enough to reach space, there are a series of vignette. These snippets build a sense of people's lives in different communities and settlements and the roads in between. So many facets of their lives imply this more complicated whole, without it ever trying to be about any one of them, nor pulling attention from the traveler from space.
The language and word choice is inseparable from the worldbuilding. There seems to be one main religion, a handful of agnostics, and as many ways to interpret the basic tenets as there are characters. The current human inhabitants of Earth are the descendants of a particular religious sect that believed some combination of the Earth being god with climate change as her punishment. These people stayed behind when humanity went to the stars. Now, heir descendants distrust anything that comes from space or is too technologically sophisticated, but what is "like space" or "too much technology" varies wildly from community to community, sheriff to sheriff, religious leader to agnostic nomad.
I loved every page and I want there to be more. This is perfectly paced in its current length but I wish it weren't over.
Graphic: Xenophobia
Moderate: Ableism, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Drug use, Vomit, Medical content, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and War
alilbitofeveryth1ng's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Religious bigotry, and Murder
motaki's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.5
Interesting premise, somewhat flawed execution.
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Gun violence, and Blood
Moderate: Violence, Police brutality, and Religious bigotry
rampant_reading's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Death and Gore
foreverinastory's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Frontier follows a mysterious main character. We don’t know anything about this person. Not her name, past or why she’s on the ravaged Earth planet. Most humans left Earth long ago, but the ones who stayed have to deal with a Wild West environment: technology renounced and widespread lawlessness. The book alternates perspectives, but we’re always following our stranger who fell back to Earth separated from the rest of her ship.
I spent a fair amount of this book confused, but it felt very intentional. Think Gideon the Ninth type of confusing. Things were happening, but I didn’t always understand why or how it was important. But when things are finally revealed everything makes sense! The reveal had a great payoff in the end for me.
Even though I was confused at times, I really liked our main character. She was fascinating and always getting into trouble. All we know about her at the beginning is she’s an expert sharpshooter. And gosh does that come in handy through the book! Overall, this was such a fun ride and I would highly recommend it especially for fans of space gays or people who enjoy books with environmental themes.
Rep: Sapphic cis female MC with amnesia, sapphic cis female SC.
CWs: Cursing, death, murder, gun violence, blood, grief, alcohol consumption, injury/injury detail, animal death. Moderate: spaceship crash (car accident), suicide.
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Suicide and Car accident
caseythereader's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
- FRONTIER is a fantastic sci-fi western, set among the humans who stayed behind on Earth, adopting a new religion worshiping the planet while also being ruled over by a network of old-fashioned sheriffs.
- I loved the structure of this book. For most of it, we follow the Stranger from the points of view of other people as she travels, giving us short glimpses of the different cities, beliefs, and factions of this world. When we do get to her perspective, her story is a punch to the heart.
- This book is full of gunslinging, witty retorts, inventive worldbuilding, and queer love. I hope you'll seek it out if those things pique your interest!
Graphic: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Suicide