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ellelainey's review
4.0
Book – Wandering Star
Author – K.M. Penemue
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 105
Cover – Very nice!
POV – 1st person, one character POV
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – LGBT, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Space, Asexual, Bisexual, Trans, Poly?
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
I really enjoyed this science fiction story. There was some great action scenes and a whole lot of adventure, for so few pages. However, I do think it should have been extended into a novel, with just a few more chapters.
I really liked having Zane Loveless as the main character; he was easy to like, understand and appreciate. He had a slightly skewered moral compass, but all of his decisions and thoughts were relateable and understandable.
I enjoyed the two minor characters, too. Sixia was feisty and a nice change from the typical Trans characters in books. She's fiery, opinionated, calm and collected, while still being intriguing enough that she was always interesting to read about. Being a Male-To-Female but choosing not to have 'bottom surgery' is a much needed veer from the norm. Similarly, Isais was the Ace character, who really fell for Zane and made it clear where the boundaries of their 'relationship' would lie. Yet, with Zane being such a sexual character, the fact that he and Sixia often indulged in bed meant that all three would have their needs met, without anyone feeling left out.
I do, however, have one issue. There is a whole lot missing from the end of the story. It ends on a major cliffhanger, with no sign or warning that it will continue with another short or a longer novel. The story feels incomplete, for that reason, leaving me wondering about their future, even though the emotional/relationship side of the story was completed. But the major “what now” left me feeling disappointed.
~
Favourite Quote
““Maybe you just haven't been with the right person, you know?”
He sighed at me, and I couldn't help laughing. I'd never heard him get impatient before. “You love Deimos, right?”
“Of course I do. He's my buddy,” I said. Sixia's cans were taking up most of the fridge. Some of them were going into the cargo hold.
“Are you sexually attracted to him?”
My head shot up. “What? No! Don't be weird!”
“Are you sure? Perhaps you just haven't met the right cat yet.”
“Yeah, but I–” My brain caught up before I could finish the sentence.”
“Isais clutched at me, cheek pressed to mine, and I could feel warm tears against my face. I wasn't sure which one of us was crying.”
Author – K.M. Penemue
Star rating - ★★★★☆
No. of Pages – 105
Cover – Very nice!
POV – 1st person, one character POV
Would I read it again – Yes
Genre – LGBT, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Space, Asexual, Bisexual, Trans, Poly?
** COPY RECEIVED THROUGH NETGALLEY **
I really enjoyed this science fiction story. There was some great action scenes and a whole lot of adventure, for so few pages. However, I do think it should have been extended into a novel, with just a few more chapters.
I really liked having Zane Loveless as the main character; he was easy to like, understand and appreciate. He had a slightly skewered moral compass, but all of his decisions and thoughts were relateable and understandable.
I enjoyed the two minor characters, too. Sixia was feisty and a nice change from the typical Trans characters in books. She's fiery, opinionated, calm and collected, while still being intriguing enough that she was always interesting to read about. Being a Male-To-Female but choosing not to have 'bottom surgery' is a much needed veer from the norm. Similarly, Isais was the Ace character, who really fell for Zane and made it clear where the boundaries of their 'relationship' would lie. Yet, with Zane being such a sexual character, the fact that he and Sixia often indulged in bed meant that all three would have their needs met, without anyone feeling left out.
I do, however, have one issue. There is a whole lot missing from the end of the story. It ends on a major cliffhanger, with no sign or warning that it will continue with another short or a longer novel. The story feels incomplete, for that reason, leaving me wondering about their future, even though the emotional/relationship side of the story was completed. But the major “what now” left me feeling disappointed.
~
Favourite Quote
““Maybe you just haven't been with the right person, you know?”
He sighed at me, and I couldn't help laughing. I'd never heard him get impatient before. “You love Deimos, right?”
“Of course I do. He's my buddy,” I said. Sixia's cans were taking up most of the fridge. Some of them were going into the cargo hold.
“Are you sexually attracted to him?”
My head shot up. “What? No! Don't be weird!”
“Are you sure? Perhaps you just haven't met the right cat yet.”
“Yeah, but I–” My brain caught up before I could finish the sentence.”
“Isais clutched at me, cheek pressed to mine, and I could feel warm tears against my face. I wasn't sure which one of us was crying.”
alisonalisonalison's review
2.0
This was action-packed and a quick, easy read. I wasn't super excited about it, but it was a pleasant way to spend some time. The insta-love romance was not especially satisfying. Zane is allosexual and loves casual sex and Isais is ace and they do not discuss their physical relationship beyond Isais saying that he was ace. They are suddenly very much in love and Zane stops thinking about sex. The end. It was a bit strange. There was no chemistry and no real relationship development. It's kind of implied that Zane will continue his friends-with-benefits arrangement with the captain and they will make a happy triad, but no one actually talks about it, so who really knows? The romance was frustratingly vague, but the plot was exciting and the writing was pretty snappy. This was almost too short to tell the story properly and there's a lot crammed into this little book, and yet, somehow, there's not enough here. A bit *more* would have been good.
rhodered's review
3.0
That’s was fast, sweet and cute. Zane’s a young idiot, but it’s hard not to like him even as you want to cuff him upside the head. The other two are a perfect combo of a tough older woman and an earnest young man. Plus a cat.
wart's review
5.0
Things I Find While Shelving
This book reads kind of like Firefly meets [b:A Home at the End of the World|2137|A Home at the End of the World|Michael Cunningham|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442779849s/2137.jpg|1216429] WHICH SOUNDS REALLY WEIRD. but somehow isn't. Sixia and Zane are Jacks - short for "Jacks of all trade. They take what jobs they can get to keep their ship up and running. When their gravity simulator goes, they need a lot of money fast to replace it and take a job without fully considering the ramifications.
That job? Transporting a slave to one of Mars's moons.
Except neither Sixia nor Zane is okay with slavery. And Zane isn't very good at keeping aloof, despite the order from their employer to remain so. And Zane winds up bonding very quickly with Isaias, and even though she keeps reminding him to stay distant, Sixia isn't far behind.
On their way, they get embroiled in a rebellion that's underway on the planet Isaias is bound for, and when they arrive they're set up to be framed. And they have to say good bye to Isaias to boot.
This book was phenomenal. But you're probably wondering about the A Home at the End of the World reference? WELL I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Zane is bisexual. Pansexual? Actually yeah Pansexual. He hits on everybody. Badly, but still. He and Sixia occasionally sleep together. AND Isaias is asexual.
In A Home at the End of the World, I read Bobby as ace and he's so definitely very in love with Jonathan and Clare. Jonathan is gay, but also loves both Clare and Bobby, and Clare loves the two of them. So y'know. Beautiful three person romance with one ace character? Yeah...
(Wandering Star's ending is a bit happier, in my opinion, but I still love A Home at the End of the World)
This book reads kind of like Firefly meets [b:A Home at the End of the World|2137|A Home at the End of the World|Michael Cunningham|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1442779849s/2137.jpg|1216429] WHICH SOUNDS REALLY WEIRD. but somehow isn't. Sixia and Zane are Jacks - short for "Jacks of all trade. They take what jobs they can get to keep their ship up and running. When their gravity simulator goes, they need a lot of money fast to replace it and take a job without fully considering the ramifications.
That job? Transporting a slave to one of Mars's moons.
Except neither Sixia nor Zane is okay with slavery. And Zane isn't very good at keeping aloof, despite the order from their employer to remain so. And Zane winds up bonding very quickly with Isaias, and even though she keeps reminding him to stay distant, Sixia isn't far behind.
On their way, they get embroiled in a rebellion that's underway on the planet Isaias is bound for, and when they arrive they're set up to be framed. And they have to say good bye to Isaias to boot.
This book was phenomenal. But you're probably wondering about the A Home at the End of the World reference? WELL I'M SO GLAD YOU ASKED. Zane is bisexual. Pansexual? Actually yeah Pansexual. He hits on everybody. Badly, but still. He and Sixia occasionally sleep together. AND Isaias is asexual.
In A Home at the End of the World, I read Bobby as ace and he's so definitely very in love with Jonathan and Clare. Jonathan is gay, but also loves both Clare and Bobby, and Clare loves the two of them. So y'know. Beautiful three person romance with one ace character? Yeah...
(Wandering Star's ending is a bit happier, in my opinion, but I still love A Home at the End of the World)
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