Scan barcode
jem_of_the_brew's review
Marie Howalt’s The Stellar Snow Job is the first novella in the Colibri Investigations series. It follows Richard Hart, an ex-military private investigator, and his grouchy pilot Eddie as they track down a group of fellow humans on the verge of causing an inter-species catastrophe. Among this group of humans is Alannah, a writer for an inter-galactic travel agency who really should have asked more questions about where they were going…
The story is told from variously Richard, Eddie, and Alannah’s points of view, giving their takes not only on the events that are unfolding, but also their impressions and interactions with each other as well. Richard and Eddie have an important history together, both as outcasts of their respective professions, and now begrudgingly in alliance as a two-person investigative team. Alannah’s chapters are mostly told through her work as a travel writer, compiling notes, impressions and articles of her work travel-writing across the galaxy, and it is towards the end of the story that the three of them actually meet. Although this story is a whole and complete adventure on its own, it is definitely the beginning of a longer set of stories for these three, as Alannah’s addition to the team opens up new pathways for plot and character interrelationships and generally feels like the beginning of their adventures.
Howalt has squeezed references from many other classic space operas into this story: travel guide pages pop up between each chapter, serving as context and world-building to the universe of the story, much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; rich world-building and extensive alien history and backstory feels very like Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series; and the presence of a highly valuable drug to help pilots navigate hyperspace feels like a nod to the spice of Dune. Then the mismatched duo of Richard and Eddie, who snipe constantly but ultimately respect and care about each other, feels akin to so many classic buddy cop movies that I felt I already knew their characters.
This is an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of depth and scope for something so short, and it will be interesting to see where Howalt takes the story in future installments.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.
Merged review:
Marie Howalt’s The Stellar Snow Job is the first novella in the Colibri Investigations series. It follows Richard Hart, an ex-military private investigator, and his grouchy pilot Eddie as they track down a group of fellow humans on the verge of causing an inter-species catastrophe. Among this group of humans is Alannah, a writer for an inter-galactic travel agency who really should have asked more questions about where they were going…
The story is told from variously Richard, Eddie, and Alannah’s points of view, giving their takes not only on the events that are unfolding, but also their impressions and interactions with each other as well. Richard and Eddie have an important history together, both as outcasts of their respective professions, and now begrudgingly in alliance as a two-person investigative team. Alannah’s chapters are mostly told through her work as a travel writer, compiling notes, impressions and articles of her work travel-writing across the galaxy, and it is towards the end of the story that the three of them actually meet. Although this story is a whole and complete adventure on its own, it is definitely the beginning of a longer set of stories for these three, as Alannah’s addition to the team opens up new pathways for plot and character interrelationships and generally feels like the beginning of their adventures.
Howalt has squeezed references from many other classic space operas into this story: travel guide pages pop up between each chapter, serving as context and world-building to the universe of the story, much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; rich world-building and extensive alien history and backstory feels very like Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series; and the presence of a highly valuable drug to help pilots navigate hyperspace feels like a nod to the spice of Dune. Then the mismatched duo of Richard and Eddie, who snipe constantly but ultimately respect and care about each other, feels akin to so many classic buddy cop movies that I felt I already knew their characters.
This is an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of depth and scope for something so short, and it will be interesting to see where Howalt takes the story in future installments.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.
The story is told from variously Richard, Eddie, and Alannah’s points of view, giving their takes not only on the events that are unfolding, but also their impressions and interactions with each other as well. Richard and Eddie have an important history together, both as outcasts of their respective professions, and now begrudgingly in alliance as a two-person investigative team. Alannah’s chapters are mostly told through her work as a travel writer, compiling notes, impressions and articles of her work travel-writing across the galaxy, and it is towards the end of the story that the three of them actually meet. Although this story is a whole and complete adventure on its own, it is definitely the beginning of a longer set of stories for these three, as Alannah’s addition to the team opens up new pathways for plot and character interrelationships and generally feels like the beginning of their adventures.
Howalt has squeezed references from many other classic space operas into this story: travel guide pages pop up between each chapter, serving as context and world-building to the universe of the story, much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; rich world-building and extensive alien history and backstory feels very like Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series; and the presence of a highly valuable drug to help pilots navigate hyperspace feels like a nod to the spice of Dune. Then the mismatched duo of Richard and Eddie, who snipe constantly but ultimately respect and care about each other, feels akin to so many classic buddy cop movies that I felt I already knew their characters.
This is an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of depth and scope for something so short, and it will be interesting to see where Howalt takes the story in future installments.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.
Merged review:
Marie Howalt’s The Stellar Snow Job is the first novella in the Colibri Investigations series. It follows Richard Hart, an ex-military private investigator, and his grouchy pilot Eddie as they track down a group of fellow humans on the verge of causing an inter-species catastrophe. Among this group of humans is Alannah, a writer for an inter-galactic travel agency who really should have asked more questions about where they were going…
The story is told from variously Richard, Eddie, and Alannah’s points of view, giving their takes not only on the events that are unfolding, but also their impressions and interactions with each other as well. Richard and Eddie have an important history together, both as outcasts of their respective professions, and now begrudgingly in alliance as a two-person investigative team. Alannah’s chapters are mostly told through her work as a travel writer, compiling notes, impressions and articles of her work travel-writing across the galaxy, and it is towards the end of the story that the three of them actually meet. Although this story is a whole and complete adventure on its own, it is definitely the beginning of a longer set of stories for these three, as Alannah’s addition to the team opens up new pathways for plot and character interrelationships and generally feels like the beginning of their adventures.
Howalt has squeezed references from many other classic space operas into this story: travel guide pages pop up between each chapter, serving as context and world-building to the universe of the story, much like The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy; rich world-building and extensive alien history and backstory feels very like Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series; and the presence of a highly valuable drug to help pilots navigate hyperspace feels like a nod to the spice of Dune. Then the mismatched duo of Richard and Eddie, who snipe constantly but ultimately respect and care about each other, feels akin to so many classic buddy cop movies that I felt I already knew their characters.
This is an enjoyable read with a surprising amount of depth and scope for something so short, and it will be interesting to see where Howalt takes the story in future installments.
I was provided a free copy of this book by the author in return for an honest review.
carol000's review against another edition
I wasn't interested enough to keep reading
apple0loving0shinigami's review
3.0
I'd love to thank the author for sending me the eARC copy of The Stellar Snow Job ✨
Merged review:
I'd love to thank the author for sending me the eARC copy of The Stellar Snow Job ✨
Merged review:
I'd love to thank the author for sending me the eARC copy of The Stellar Snow Job ✨
mayarend's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I received this book on the Story Graph giveaways.
It took me a while to get to it, as everyone knows, TBRs are meant to be endless... Anyways.
This was a nice introduction book, it is short and reads almost as a short story, presenting the main characters and worldbuilding. I actually quite enjoyed the world, the setting and the characters. Overall there is no big character growth because it's just an intro book really, with a soft story. It's easy-going and while there is a quite strong theme/mentions of drugs and alcohol, it is not a book focused on that.
It took me a while to get to it, as everyone knows, TBRs are meant to be endless... Anyways.
This was a nice introduction book, it is short and reads almost as a short story, presenting the main characters and worldbuilding. I actually quite enjoyed the world, the setting and the characters. Overall there is no big character growth because it's just an intro book really, with a soft story. It's easy-going and while there is a quite strong theme/mentions of drugs and alcohol, it is not a book focused on that.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Alcohol
kevinscorner's review
4.0
What a fun cozy scifi novella this was. The Stellar Snow Job is the first book in the Colibri Investigations series and follows a queer duo made up of private investigator and ex-military Richard and his sarcastic pilot Eddie as they take up cases across all over space as well as travel writer Alannah who gets in over her head when she joins an expedition into a restricted planet.
I loved Richard. He is a straight-laced gay man with a hearing impediment (a form of sensory/receptive aphasia), and I wanted to see more of him. Counter-balancing him is Eddie, a very quippy lesbian with a strong personality. I enjoyed their dynamic and how their relationship was set up by the author. Meanwhile, the main plot flew by so fast that it felt like more of a tease than a full story. If that was the intent, then it was successful because it left me wanting more and I would definitely read a full novel.
The Stellar Snow Job is a cozy queer space opera with fun lovable characters and some pretty chaotic energy.
*I was provided and eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
What a fun cozy scifi novella this was. The Stellar Snow Job is the first book in the Colibri Investigations series and follows a queer duo made up of private investigator and ex-military Richard and his sarcastic pilot Eddie as they take up cases across all over space as well as travel writer Alannah who gets in over her head when she joins an expedition into a restricted planet.
I loved Richard. He is a straight-laced gay man with a hearing impediment (a form of sensory/receptive aphasia), and I wanted to see more of him. Counter-balancing him is Eddie, a very quippy lesbian with a strong personality. I enjoyed their dynamic and how their relationship was set up by the author. Meanwhile, the main plot flew by so fast that it felt like more of a tease than a full story. If that was the intent, then it was successful because it left me wanting more and I would definitely read a full novel.
The Stellar Snow Job is a cozy queer space opera with fun lovable characters and some pretty chaotic energy.
*I was provided and eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
I loved Richard. He is a straight-laced gay man with a hearing impediment (a form of sensory/receptive aphasia), and I wanted to see more of him. Counter-balancing him is Eddie, a very quippy lesbian with a strong personality. I enjoyed their dynamic and how their relationship was set up by the author. Meanwhile, the main plot flew by so fast that it felt like more of a tease than a full story. If that was the intent, then it was successful because it left me wanting more and I would definitely read a full novel.
The Stellar Snow Job is a cozy queer space opera with fun lovable characters and some pretty chaotic energy.
*I was provided and eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Merged review:
What a fun cozy scifi novella this was. The Stellar Snow Job is the first book in the Colibri Investigations series and follows a queer duo made up of private investigator and ex-military Richard and his sarcastic pilot Eddie as they take up cases across all over space as well as travel writer Alannah who gets in over her head when she joins an expedition into a restricted planet.
I loved Richard. He is a straight-laced gay man with a hearing impediment (a form of sensory/receptive aphasia), and I wanted to see more of him. Counter-balancing him is Eddie, a very quippy lesbian with a strong personality. I enjoyed their dynamic and how their relationship was set up by the author. Meanwhile, the main plot flew by so fast that it felt like more of a tease than a full story. If that was the intent, then it was successful because it left me wanting more and I would definitely read a full novel.
The Stellar Snow Job is a cozy queer space opera with fun lovable characters and some pretty chaotic energy.
*I was provided and eARC by the author in exchange for an honest review.
clacksee's review
5.0
Alannah's a travel writer with a taste for adventure. Richard's an ex-military private investigator. Eddie a pilot trying to put bad habits behind herself. When all three are sent to the same planet for different reasons nothing is quite as it seems.
An offbeat cosy mystery in a space opera setting with queer and disability rep. Easy-reading and casually inclusive.
This one is well-written and well-edited. The characters are fully fleshed and the story is believable. An excellent series starter.
I'd recommend this to fans of Angel Martinez's Yule Planet and/or Lindsay Buroker's Junkyard.
Merged review:
Alannah's a travel writer with a taste for adventure. Richard's an ex-military private investigator. Eddie a pilot trying to put bad habits behind herself. When all three are sent to the same planet for different reasons nothing is quite as it seems.
An offbeat cosy mystery in a space opera setting with queer and disability rep. Easy-reading and casually inclusive.
This one is well-written and well-edited. The characters are fully fleshed and the story is believable. An excellent series starter.
I'd recommend this to fans of Angel Martinez's Yule Planet and/or Lindsay Buroker's Junkyard.
An offbeat cosy mystery in a space opera setting with queer and disability rep. Easy-reading and casually inclusive.
This one is well-written and well-edited. The characters are fully fleshed and the story is believable. An excellent series starter.
I'd recommend this to fans of Angel Martinez's Yule Planet and/or Lindsay Buroker's Junkyard.
Merged review:
Alannah's a travel writer with a taste for adventure. Richard's an ex-military private investigator. Eddie a pilot trying to put bad habits behind herself. When all three are sent to the same planet for different reasons nothing is quite as it seems.
An offbeat cosy mystery in a space opera setting with queer and disability rep. Easy-reading and casually inclusive.
This one is well-written and well-edited. The characters are fully fleshed and the story is believable. An excellent series starter.
I'd recommend this to fans of Angel Martinez's Yule Planet and/or Lindsay Buroker's Junkyard.
abby_reads_stuff's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
blogan27's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
books_andprobablysome_wine's review
4.0
This is such a sweet and easy read, perfect for when you need something uplifting. I was lucky to receive an eARC from the author, thank you Marie! Tak for tilliden og for en god læseoplevelse
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons, one of them being that it reminded me about the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy, one of my favorite books ever. I had a short-lived dream of being a travel writer when I was young and like Alannah I had my fair share of being underestimated so she was so relatable for me. I did have a hard time connecting with Eddie in the beginning, she has sort of a “not like other girls” vibe to her but I started to like her more when seeing how she stepped up when she had to. Richard was probably the character I found hardest to relate to, and I would like him to show some more flaws as the series goes on. I do hope it does, and I will read it!
This is not a long story, but we do get a lot of insight in to how the world is organized, thanks to the clever use of travel guide excerpts. I would not min if the story was a little bit longer to get more dept into the stakes. Also, it´s queer, which is always a plus.
For a debut it´s very good and I´m looking forward to seeing what else this author will share with us!
Merged review:
This is such a sweet and easy read, perfect for when you need something uplifting. I was lucky to receive an eARC from the author, thank you Marie! Tak for tilliden og for en god læseoplevelse
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons, one of them being that it reminded me about the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy, one of my favorite books ever. I had a short-lived dream of being a travel writer when I was young and like Alannah I had my fair share of being underestimated so she was so relatable for me. I did have a hard time connecting with Eddie in the beginning, she has sort of a “not like other girls” vibe to her but I started to like her more when seeing how she stepped up when she had to. Richard was probably the character I found hardest to relate to, and I would like him to show some more flaws as the series goes on. I do hope it does, and I will read it!
This is not a long story, but we do get a lot of insight in to how the world is organized, thanks to the clever use of travel guide excerpts. I would not min if the story was a little bit longer to get more dept into the stakes. Also, it´s queer, which is always a plus.
For a debut it´s very good and I´m looking forward to seeing what else this author will share with us!
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons, one of them being that it reminded me about the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy, one of my favorite books ever. I had a short-lived dream of being a travel writer when I was young and like Alannah I had my fair share of being underestimated so she was so relatable for me. I did have a hard time connecting with Eddie in the beginning, she has sort of a “not like other girls” vibe to her but I started to like her more when seeing how she stepped up when she had to. Richard was probably the character I found hardest to relate to, and I would like him to show some more flaws as the series goes on. I do hope it does, and I will read it!
This is not a long story, but we do get a lot of insight in to how the world is organized, thanks to the clever use of travel guide excerpts. I would not min if the story was a little bit longer to get more dept into the stakes. Also, it´s queer, which is always a plus.
For a debut it´s very good and I´m looking forward to seeing what else this author will share with us!
Merged review:
This is such a sweet and easy read, perfect for when you need something uplifting. I was lucky to receive an eARC from the author, thank you Marie! Tak for tilliden og for en god læseoplevelse
I really enjoyed this book for multiple reasons, one of them being that it reminded me about the hitch hikers guide to the galaxy, one of my favorite books ever. I had a short-lived dream of being a travel writer when I was young and like Alannah I had my fair share of being underestimated so she was so relatable for me. I did have a hard time connecting with Eddie in the beginning, she has sort of a “not like other girls” vibe to her but I started to like her more when seeing how she stepped up when she had to. Richard was probably the character I found hardest to relate to, and I would like him to show some more flaws as the series goes on. I do hope it does, and I will read it!
This is not a long story, but we do get a lot of insight in to how the world is organized, thanks to the clever use of travel guide excerpts. I would not min if the story was a little bit longer to get more dept into the stakes. Also, it´s queer, which is always a plus.
For a debut it´s very good and I´m looking forward to seeing what else this author will share with us!
tori_renee_reads's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
This was a quick, fun space mystery! It has a bit of a noir ambiance to it with the character archetypes of the tough guy detective, the daring pilot, and the naive journalist. However, I was super invested in the plot and did really grow to like the characters. I look forward to their further development.
I appreciated how the author was able to create such a rich world in such a short novel, and the representation really reminded my of reading Becky Chambers. You can tell how much work and thought went into the development. I will definitely be checking out the next installment of the Colibri Investigations series!
Thank you so much to the author for reaching out and allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I appreciated how the author was able to create such a rich world in such a short novel, and the representation really reminded my of reading Becky Chambers. You can tell how much work and thought went into the development. I will definitely be checking out the next installment of the Colibri Investigations series!
Thank you so much to the author for reaching out and allowing me to read an ARC in exchange for an honest review.