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eowyns_helmet's review against another edition
4.0
A bit of a slow start, but nicely picked up speed. Really effective creation of an alien species -- I envisioned the Ilmatarians as giant, eyeless lobsters. The Sholens were a bit harder to "see," but I love how Cambias described them, especially their bonobo-like custom of engaging in sex to show subserviance or to calm each other. Very good read!
dhasenkampf's review against another edition
3.0
This was mostly fun. I thought the pacing was consistent and kept me engaged. The water-based creatures were by far the most interesting. The human MC had some weird obsession with sex. It came off as creepy and then having the other aliens be so focused on sex made it seem like the author was the one with the obsession. The story was okay. Don't know if I will try anything else by this author in the future.
davecapp's review against another edition
4.0
Great speculative hard Sci-Fi. This is one of those books that places you somewhere unimaginable, and over the course of 350 pages makes it unforgettable.
shaxx's review against another edition
4.0
Nádherná obálka od Tomáše Kučerovského, která jako bonus svítí ve tmě. To je první, co na knize zaujme (a stokrát omílané nesuď knihu podle obálky si může jít sednout do kouta). Přiznám, že to byl chvilku boj se začíst, protože začátek byl skvělý, ale pak to razantně zpomalilo a chytlo to další dech až kolem stránky 200, ale stálo to za to. Ilmatařany bylo lehké si oblíbit, Šoleny snadné nesnášet a lidem přirozené fandit. V jedné části jsem si vzpomněla na Spasitele od Weira, i když zde bylo o poznání méně humoru. Tyhle střety mimozemských kultur mě baví, ať už jsou to Poutníci od Chambers, nebo kapku složitější záležitost Vzpomínka zvaná říše od Martine... Takže celkově spokojenost :)
yvarg's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Loveable characters? No
3.25
Very stiff and awkward prose, but the conceptual interactions between two species trying to learn to communicate with each other were interesting.
kaine_'s review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
2.5
jpraska006's review against another edition
This book had many absolutely fascinating and novel concepts, interesting situations, and fresh ideas. There is a lot to love here, but for me the biggest detractor is that I simply struggled to find really any of the characters that likable.
kodermike's review against another edition
3.0
This book began with a great hook - an office bet on who can find the most interesting and unique ways to kill media darling, showman, and all around jerk to be around, Henri Kerlerec. Nobody foresaw the agency of his death (less than a dozen pages into the book) at the claws of the native Ilmatar, who naively dissect him thinking him an unintelligent animal.
And then the book trips over itself for a while. Cambias becomes lost in setting the stage, something he could have forgone without any loss to the story. Not helping the story is that our other space faring species, the Sholan, read more like a foreign culture than a foreign species. While there are some physiological differences noted, they feel like TV aliens with pointed ears and green blood - different, but only in culture. Otherwise they are just humans with rubber suits, bent on protecting us from repeating their own mistakes.
What really saves this book - from the portraying an alien species perspective - are the natives of the ocean depths themselves, the Ilmataran. It's not a fair analogy, but reading their POV is like being in the head of a sonar wielding lobster. I was reminded of Vinge's Spiders from A Deepness in the Sky, especially with the ease with which Cambias relates the world of a blind, ocean vent dwelling creature. Cambias really shines when dealing with the Ilmataran, and you get a sense of the potential here. As a first novel, it was good, and I look forward to seeing what else Cambias writes in the future.
The ARC of this novel was provided for review by Tor.
And then the book trips over itself for a while. Cambias becomes lost in setting the stage, something he could have forgone without any loss to the story. Not helping the story is that our other space faring species, the Sholan, read more like a foreign culture than a foreign species. While there are some physiological differences noted, they feel like TV aliens with pointed ears and green blood - different, but only in culture. Otherwise they are just humans with rubber suits, bent on protecting us from repeating their own mistakes.
What really saves this book - from the portraying an alien species perspective - are the natives of the ocean depths themselves, the Ilmataran. It's not a fair analogy, but reading their POV is like being in the head of a sonar wielding lobster. I was reminded of Vinge's Spiders from A Deepness in the Sky, especially with the ease with which Cambias relates the world of a blind, ocean vent dwelling creature. Cambias really shines when dealing with the Ilmataran, and you get a sense of the potential here. As a first novel, it was good, and I look forward to seeing what else Cambias writes in the future.
The ARC of this novel was provided for review by Tor.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Interest sf alien contact book. The aliens are pretty alien on the surface, unfortunately both sets of aliens are portrayed as fairly human. That said, doing alien aliens is hard and can be hard to read. The book seemed somewhat shallow but it got deeper as it went on and the pace picked up pretty well towards the end. Certainly this is the first set of aliens I've seen set in deep-water vents and their society was interestingly odd. The humans were a bit cardboard. 3.5 of 5.