nitar8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Rape, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Sexual assault, Violence, Bullying, Child abuse, Death of parent, Child death, Death, Physical abuse, Police brutality, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Infidelity, Gore, Toxic friendship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Sexual content, Classism, Medical content, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
amaranth_wytch's review against another edition
3.75
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Mental illness, Murder, Abandonment, Child death, Death, Child abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Adult/minor relationship, Confinement, Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Self harm, Sexual assault, Grief, and Violence
eoghann's review against another edition
4.0
We deal with primarily new characters here, with only a few exceptions and where Flood tended to jump all around the world and give us a huge array of locations and events, Ark is much more focussed. It is once again spread out over the decades, but the majority of the book is spent with the crew in the Ark and that anchors the book better than Flood was I think.
Science is never far removed in a Stephen Baxter book of course and on several occasions characters stop to lecture on one topic or another. Fortunately the set up here means it doesn't derail the plot too much.
The other thing that Baxter seems fond off in both this book and Flood (and in previous things of his I've read) is the notion that the human race is extremely adaptable. We see successive generations adapting both their language and behavior to the environment that surrounds them. The effect seems a little too rapid to me, but I buy into the fundamental notion that both culture and physiology will adapt if given time.
Unlike many who write about his sort of scenario Baxter's view of human nature is pretty brutal. We get to see all the worst of humanity on display over the course of the book and people get away with horrible things because fundamentally survival is all that really matters. Whether that survival takes the form of Earth 2, Earth 3, Ark 2 or the rafts on the surface, the drive is simply to endure and continue.
That makes the politicking that goes on on Ark 1 very interesting to observe if not exactly cheerful. But in the end Baxter does provide us with some hope. Along with a lot of unanswered questions. And for a book like this, that makes sense, because it's not really the story of any particular group of people. It's the story of humanity.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
3.0
reginacattus's review against another edition
4.0
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
5.0
My thoughts.
I think the narrative didn't quite flow as well as it did in book 1, but was still really engaging. There were quite a few tense scenes that had me almost holding my breath. Once the story entered its second act, with Ark 1 underway, the tension was lost and the story actually felt a lot different.
In the end, I did enjoy the journey but there were some story aspects that I felt were ignored. Just done a bit of Googling, and discovered there is a ebook concluding the series. I struggle to read off screens so will have to wait for it to become manifest.
travelgirlut's review against another edition
3.0
hooptron's review against another edition
4.0