lolasreviews's review against another edition
4.0
I was in this weird reading mood and wasn't sure what to read next, then this one caught my eye and I decided to read it. Shoot the Messenger is on one hand totally different than what I expected (although I can't really say what I had expected) and at the same time it was exactly the type of read I was in the mood for.
It's a dark and twisted world. There are lies, secrets and illusions. And a bunch of plot twists that I hadn't expected. It's unique and the story multiple times went in a direction I hadn't expected. It's refreshing. It's sci-fi and a bit of fantasy. It's the Fae as you see them in paranormal books, but then in space. And by the end I wasn't even fully sure what was true and what not. And even with all the lies, the one at the end might be the one that hurts most as I am not sure how they are going to get over that one.
Kesh is a messenger. One day when delivering a message the recipient gets shot right in front of her face and that's when things start going wrong. She's the prime suspect and her proof that she is innocent gets stolen. She finds out that a Fae is here, on this planet, where he shouldn't be. Many people believe them legends and fae don't deal well around tek, so it's a mystery what is this fae doing. And she uncovers a conspiracy bigger than she even imaged. And that's only the start.
It's so hard to describe this book as so much happens in this book. It's quite a long book and there are multiple parts and every part is different, but also part of the same story. And the way the author flips everything you know and changes things up, was so well done. I liked the writing style of the author and really enjoyed the book, although there are some parts that were quite twisted and dark as well and could be a bit uncomfortable to read.
Kesh is a great main character, she build a life for herself, but it becomes clear quickly that she has a dark past she's trying to avoid or escape. And piece by piece you learn more about that and even at the end of the book I am sure there is so much we don't know yet. She's very tough, she survived a lot of difficult stuff and at times she could be a tad too cold and tough. But the great part is that there are also holes in that tough facade. She cares. First about her drone Sota and later about other characters the meets too. And that makes her relatable and realistic. And I like to see that even with how well she could handle everything thrown her way, she also was vulnerable. I also really liked her drone Sota, it's too bad due to events that happen there aren't as many scenes with him.
This series is marketed as a Reverse Harem and while there are hints that it will go in that direction, this first book has very little romance at all. It's definitely a slow burn. With both the characters that I suspect will be part of her harem things progress slowly. There is only a hint of romance in this book and only one kiss in the whole book. I think the romance and the pace things progressed very much fitted the story tough. And I am curious to see where things will go in the next book. I liked both potential love interest and I have the feeling there is much more we will discover about both of them in the next books.
I like how the author wrote the Fae. There were intriguing. They were despicable on the one hand and on the other hand they also seemed realistic. Like their actions made sense, because that was how they viewed the world. Human were their playthings as no one was on their level. And all the illusions and secrets. Just like in some other Fae stories, they can't lie, but they are the masters of the manipulation and illusion. It was creepy at times how they behaved and acted, but it also felt very much in tune with who there are.
To summarize: Shoot the Messenger was a great read. I wasn't sure what to expect from this space fantasy read, but it was exactly the type of read I was in the mood for. The world is dark and twisty. It's a sci-fi book, but with Fae. And there are a bunch of plot twists that were quite unexpected and I liked how they changed things and put things in a whole new perspective. The story was compelling and so much happens in just one book. I liked Kesh, how she was tough and capable, but also had her vulnerable side with how she cared. There is a hint of romance, but it's a very slow burn, but I am curious to see where things go in the next book. The fae were well written and I liked how the author brought them alive. How cold they could be and view human as only their playthings, how they could create illusions even tough they could not lie. They were creepy, but interesting as well. All in all this was a great start of this series and I am looking forward to the next book and plan to pick up more books by this author.
It's a dark and twisted world. There are lies, secrets and illusions. And a bunch of plot twists that I hadn't expected. It's unique and the story multiple times went in a direction I hadn't expected. It's refreshing. It's sci-fi and a bit of fantasy. It's the Fae as you see them in paranormal books, but then in space. And by the end I wasn't even fully sure what was true and what not. And even with all the lies, the one at the end might be the one that hurts most as I am not sure how they are going to get over that one.
Kesh is a messenger. One day when delivering a message the recipient gets shot right in front of her face and that's when things start going wrong. She's the prime suspect and her proof that she is innocent gets stolen. She finds out that a Fae is here, on this planet, where he shouldn't be. Many people believe them legends and fae don't deal well around tek, so it's a mystery what is this fae doing. And she uncovers a conspiracy bigger than she even imaged. And that's only the start.
It's so hard to describe this book as so much happens in this book. It's quite a long book and there are multiple parts and every part is different, but also part of the same story. And the way the author flips everything you know and changes things up, was so well done. I liked the writing style of the author and really enjoyed the book, although there are some parts that were quite twisted and dark as well and could be a bit uncomfortable to read.
Kesh is a great main character, she build a life for herself, but it becomes clear quickly that she has a dark past she's trying to avoid or escape. And piece by piece you learn more about that and even at the end of the book I am sure there is so much we don't know yet. She's very tough, she survived a lot of difficult stuff and at times she could be a tad too cold and tough. But the great part is that there are also holes in that tough facade. She cares. First about her drone Sota and later about other characters the meets too. And that makes her relatable and realistic. And I like to see that even with how well she could handle everything thrown her way, she also was vulnerable. I also really liked her drone Sota, it's too bad due to events that happen there aren't as many scenes with him.
This series is marketed as a Reverse Harem and while there are hints that it will go in that direction, this first book has very little romance at all. It's definitely a slow burn. With both the characters that I suspect will be part of her harem things progress slowly. There is only a hint of romance in this book and only one kiss in the whole book. I think the romance and the pace things progressed very much fitted the story tough. And I am curious to see where things will go in the next book. I liked both potential love interest and I have the feeling there is much more we will discover about both of them in the next books.
I like how the author wrote the Fae. There were intriguing. They were despicable on the one hand and on the other hand they also seemed realistic. Like their actions made sense, because that was how they viewed the world. Human were their playthings as no one was on their level. And all the illusions and secrets. Just like in some other Fae stories, they can't lie, but they are the masters of the manipulation and illusion. It was creepy at times how they behaved and acted, but it also felt very much in tune with who there are.
To summarize: Shoot the Messenger was a great read. I wasn't sure what to expect from this space fantasy read, but it was exactly the type of read I was in the mood for. The world is dark and twisty. It's a sci-fi book, but with Fae. And there are a bunch of plot twists that were quite unexpected and I liked how they changed things and put things in a whole new perspective. The story was compelling and so much happens in just one book. I liked Kesh, how she was tough and capable, but also had her vulnerable side with how she cared. There is a hint of romance, but it's a very slow burn, but I am curious to see where things go in the next book. The fae were well written and I liked how the author brought them alive. How cold they could be and view human as only their playthings, how they could create illusions even tough they could not lie. They were creepy, but interesting as well. All in all this was a great start of this series and I am looking forward to the next book and plan to pick up more books by this author.
anotherhalima's review against another edition
there were point where the main character was snarky but in a cheesy way that had me rolling my eyes other than that i enjoyed this very much. the blend with fantasy and tech was done really well. the story is a lil bit predictable but still enjoyable.
already have the second book on hoopla.
already have the second book on hoopla.
nemerith's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This book surprised me :-)
It took me a while to get into it, but it was written very well, keeping the attention and drawing the reader deeper into the story... until you're not sure what's truth or lie anymore. And to be honest, not sure Kesh knows it either ;-)
Next instalment is on my TBR pile... looking forward to see what will happen with our lovely yet oh so broken cast.
It took me a while to get into it, but it was written very well, keeping the attention and drawing the reader deeper into the story... until you're not sure what's truth or lie anymore. And to be honest, not sure Kesh knows it either ;-)
Next instalment is on my TBR pile... looking forward to see what will happen with our lovely yet oh so broken cast.
srharris's review against another edition
4.0
Wow!
That was amazing. It had so many twists and turns, I don't even know what to think, all I know is i need more!! I mean honestly i don't think I have read anything quite like this.
The real question is just who is Kesh??
Simply brilliant. If you haven't read this book, I strongly recommend that you do.
That was amazing. It had so many twists and turns, I don't even know what to think, all I know is i need more!! I mean honestly i don't think I have read anything quite like this.
The real question is just who is Kesh??
Simply brilliant. If you haven't read this book, I strongly recommend that you do.
shutupem's review against another edition
4.0
This came up in a RH reccommendation Reddit thread lmao but it is actually some pretty epic-scale grimdark sci fi fantasy with faeries in space. Casual easy writing but big plot ideas. I hope the sequels live up to the potential
feliciabooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was awesome! it took so many twists and turns that it kept me entertained throughout the entire book!
Some of the tags on this book seems wrong the me, like the reverse harem... this is not a why choose book.
our FMC is hiding form her past and her best friend is a drone she made herself. there are a couple of very interesting en well developed side characters which makes the book more entertaining.
lovely twist on a fantasy/ sci-fi book especially that ending!!! aaaaaaaaaa
3,5*
Some of the tags on this book seems wrong the me, like the reverse harem... this is not a why choose book.
our FMC is hiding form her past and her best friend is a drone she made herself. there are a couple of very interesting en well developed side characters which makes the book more entertaining.
lovely twist on a fantasy/ sci-fi book especially that ending!!! aaaaaaaaaa
3,5*
flonadiose's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars. Phew. This book was a wild one. I must admit I would have rated this book 2 stars wasn’t it for all the sci-fi elements because I don’t read these kind of books often. The action and world-building was the only thing really keeping me reading to the very end. The characters were ok and I didn’t really connect to them. The beginning of the book was really boring for me and I was forgetting some important stuff. I was really confused about everything that was happening because I was getting extremely distracted when I was reading but I pushed through. It’s a bad sign when I get distracted reading a book. When I got to the middle and end, it was slightly more interesting. But the whole book was still kinda meh to me. And oh, the ending. The ending was very weird to me and seriously what’s with the narrator??!! I seriously thought what she was telling me, the reader, was the truth but the author came around with that twist leaving me extremely confused. Also, the villain was really annoying to me and I felt no happiness over his “death”. Overall, a nice book with ok plot, characters, and world building but I’m not that positive about reading more into the series.
book_vampyre's review against another edition
Honestly, the pace of the book is just too slow and it's feeling like a downer since she got trapped by the prince
krissycokl's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5