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sarah984's review
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
- 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
4.0
Not super deep or anything, but a fun sci-fi version of a 'wandering samurai' story. Managed to surprise me a few times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Torture, Blood, Medical content, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Ableism, Sexual content, Suicide, Vomit, and Trafficking
booklandish's review
4.0
If this was a movie it would be a Western directed by Quentin Tarantino. The fact that it is set in space is just a backdrop and the structure of the story would work in many settings. However, the space elements does give it an extra high stakes + scarcity of resources tension.
Bullet review:
- Blasé main character
- Western+Noir+Samurai
- Opposing gang factions
- Action packed
- Smart politicking
- Fraught with tension
I tend to like a bit more science and speculation in my SF, and would gladly have read another 50 pages to go more in depth with some characters but this was a great romp anyway! I thoroughly appreciated the MC's "I'm too old for this shit" vibes and her cleverness. You get the traditional barkeep ally in the local watering hole, and a few other tropes of those genres, which made this story hugely entertaining.
Bullet review:
- Blasé main character
- Western+Noir+Samurai
- Opposing gang factions
- Action packed
- Smart politicking
- Fraught with tension
I tend to like a bit more science and speculation in my SF, and would gladly have read another 50 pages to go more in depth with some characters but this was a great romp anyway! I thoroughly appreciated the MC's "I'm too old for this shit" vibes and her cleverness. You get the traditional barkeep ally in the local watering hole, and a few other tropes of those genres, which made this story hugely entertaining.
scribblesandstories's review
I just don't care about this book. I'm not interested in what's going to happen. I don't care about anyone in it. The main character doesn't even have a name...
entityj's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Cursing, Gun violence, and Torture
tome15's review against another edition
3.0
Murphy, John P. Red Noise. Angry Robot, 2020.
John Murphy says in an afterword to Red Noise that he has been much influenced by the films of Akira Kurosawa, who was in turn influenced by American genre film, including the western. It should not be a surprise, then, that Murphy writes space opera that is a mashup of the western and the samurai film. Imagine a run-down space station in the asteroid belt, buying ore from miners and resupplying their ships. It is run by several groups of ruthless corporate bosses, hired mercenaries, and other criminal types. No guns are allowed on the station, but there is no rule against swords. Our heroine is a battle-scarred, sword-wielding, mechanically enhanced veteran of a recent war. She now operates a small spacecraft, mining asteroids and growing orchids and bonsai maple trees. She soon finds that her martial skills are more demand than the ore she wants to sell. If she reminds you of a Ronin warrior of a new marshal come to town, the station will remind you of the movie western town, with anonymous townspeople who keep it running, a dock (livery stable), a saloon, a casino, and a crusty old doctor, actually called a sawbones. If you liked Sean Connery in Outland, you will probably read this book with pleasure, though I wish it had more stylistic flash.
John Murphy says in an afterword to Red Noise that he has been much influenced by the films of Akira Kurosawa, who was in turn influenced by American genre film, including the western. It should not be a surprise, then, that Murphy writes space opera that is a mashup of the western and the samurai film. Imagine a run-down space station in the asteroid belt, buying ore from miners and resupplying their ships. It is run by several groups of ruthless corporate bosses, hired mercenaries, and other criminal types. No guns are allowed on the station, but there is no rule against swords. Our heroine is a battle-scarred, sword-wielding, mechanically enhanced veteran of a recent war. She now operates a small spacecraft, mining asteroids and growing orchids and bonsai maple trees. She soon finds that her martial skills are more demand than the ore she wants to sell. If she reminds you of a Ronin warrior of a new marshal come to town, the station will remind you of the movie western town, with anonymous townspeople who keep it running, a dock (livery stable), a saloon, a casino, and a crusty old doctor, actually called a sawbones. If you liked Sean Connery in Outland, you will probably read this book with pleasure, though I wish it had more stylistic flash.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
An highly entertaining, fast paced and action packed story that I loved.
The author can surely write a story that will keep you hooked.
The world building is interesting, the plot flows and the characters are interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
The author can surely write a story that will keep you hooked.
The world building is interesting, the plot flows and the characters are interesting.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
tattooedbibliophile's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This was a really cool story, the main character could have been a man and it would not have changed the story one tiny iota, but I enjoyed it anyway. It almost felt like a prequel... or a post-quel? Like there's the whole story of Jane's life that we should know but is only eluded to. I will say that it seemed a bit long at times to not be character driven. I really enjoyed the parts about food. This is a weird review, sorry for that, it's a weird book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Drug use
sailormood's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
griffinm9's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
ann_tamimi's review against another edition
4.0
Sort of like Rambo as a woman who happens to be in space.