vartakhimanshu's review against another edition
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This was a struggle and a slog to read. I'm not sure if it's because I know the author from YouTube or because I'm aware of her as a contemporary, but the writing seems extremely "millennial". It reads like a millennial's blog post. It feels like the author always had a thesaurus at hand and decided to use big, flowery words at random. The references date the book heavily in the early naughties. I'm not sure why, and at the risk of sounding like a jealous no-talent critic, it feels like "something I could've written". Also, some other reviews compared it heavily to Transformers. Her own acknowledgement of the IP seems to confirm that.
I've already bought the sequel and will probably buy the final installment in the trilogy just for a sense of completion. I'm just not looking forward to reading them.
I've already bought the sequel and will probably buy the final installment in the trilogy just for a sense of completion. I'm just not looking forward to reading them.
ferris_mx's review against another edition
5.0
A really strong and enjoyable first novel, by a vlogger I am just coming to know.
sillypunk's review against another edition
2.0
Just not for me: https://blogendorff.com/2021/06/13/book-review-axioms-end/
hannchilada's review against another edition
4.0
Y'all. Lindsey Ellis, the queen of critic, accidentally without knowing at all who I am, asked me to critique her book.
…I've realized that I've just set myself up for failure here.
Well, if you haven't heard of Lindsey Ellis, she's the most hilarious, cerebral part of my daily YouTube binges and you should check her out. She even has a video about the publication of this book, so that was really fun to recall while reading this book.
Axiom's End is the perfect read for the current environment. I'm so happy about this book. First off, aren't the 70s vibes from the cover so good? And isn't the title gorgeous? It gets even cooler once you read it and then think about it a few times (and then a few more times because you're an idiot) and finally get it. I even loved the formatting with a document before each chapter.
As for the text itself, started out slightly slowly. The character, in her expositional stew, isn't my favorite. I feel like she's been overdone lately in books meant for this target audience. She reminds me kind of exactly of April from An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and also a little of Alex from Ninth House. It's as if, for some reason?? The entire world?? Believes that people between the ages of 20 and 30 are completely cynical and a little self-absorbed?? But, as the story goes on and she starts interacting with the Ampersand Event, she gains a lot of dimension such that I was chill with her by the end of the book.
Another thing that's unfortunately obvious before the plot really kicks off is Ellis's…"strongly held" sociopolitical views. I mean, I should have known because I've watched basically every video she comes out with, but still. While characters should probably have their opinions on religion, politics, etc., I also think there are more open-ended ways to express your characters without asking the readers to pick up your own worldview as they read.
Of course, this all really only distracted me before the plot picked up. And once it did, you guys, I didn't want to put it down. The plot is so fast-paced and exciting that you're completely drawn in. Obviously I won't spoil anything, but I genuinely had no idea how the book would end and HAD TO KNOW.
Ellis also does a good job in her imagination of the alien civilization. She really thought of so many details to make them distinct as a species, and I was so appreciative of that. I expected nothing less; Ellis isn't one to skimp on culture.
And that's another thing. I think she explored some really interesting themes about our tendency to view the world through our own lenses, and how that effects our group and personal relationships. There's one relationship in particular in this book that just makes my heart sing, and not because I want to be them, but because the relationship oozes with realism and flaws while retaining its tangible warmth.
Guys. I wish I could tell you so much more, I really do, but this is book is a must-read-yourself. A sci-fi icon, if you will.
Are you planning on reading it? If you've read it, do you love it? Do you believe in aliens? How do you think we can better open our minds to other cultures? Are you going to binge watch all of Lindsey Ellis's videos after this too? Answer every single one of these questions down below, I need to know, 100%.
Thanks for reading guys! I decided to post a full review here as an advanced reader, but check out my blog for other reviews.
…I've realized that I've just set myself up for failure here.
Well, if you haven't heard of Lindsey Ellis, she's the most hilarious, cerebral part of my daily YouTube binges and you should check her out. She even has a video about the publication of this book, so that was really fun to recall while reading this book.
Axiom's End is the perfect read for the current environment. I'm so happy about this book. First off, aren't the 70s vibes from the cover so good? And isn't the title gorgeous? It gets even cooler once you read it and then think about it a few times (and then a few more times because you're an idiot) and finally get it. I even loved the formatting with a document before each chapter.
As for the text itself, started out slightly slowly. The character, in her expositional stew, isn't my favorite. I feel like she's been overdone lately in books meant for this target audience. She reminds me kind of exactly of April from An Absolutely Remarkable Thing and also a little of Alex from Ninth House. It's as if, for some reason?? The entire world?? Believes that people between the ages of 20 and 30 are completely cynical and a little self-absorbed?? But, as the story goes on and she starts interacting with the Ampersand Event, she gains a lot of dimension such that I was chill with her by the end of the book.
Another thing that's unfortunately obvious before the plot really kicks off is Ellis's…"strongly held" sociopolitical views. I mean, I should have known because I've watched basically every video she comes out with, but still. While characters should probably have their opinions on religion, politics, etc., I also think there are more open-ended ways to express your characters without asking the readers to pick up your own worldview as they read.
Of course, this all really only distracted me before the plot picked up. And once it did, you guys, I didn't want to put it down. The plot is so fast-paced and exciting that you're completely drawn in. Obviously I won't spoil anything, but I genuinely had no idea how the book would end and HAD TO KNOW.
Ellis also does a good job in her imagination of the alien civilization. She really thought of so many details to make them distinct as a species, and I was so appreciative of that. I expected nothing less; Ellis isn't one to skimp on culture.
And that's another thing. I think she explored some really interesting themes about our tendency to view the world through our own lenses, and how that effects our group and personal relationships. There's one relationship in particular in this book that just makes my heart sing, and not because I want to be them, but because the relationship oozes with realism and flaws while retaining its tangible warmth.
Guys. I wish I could tell you so much more, I really do, but this is book is a must-read-yourself. A sci-fi icon, if you will.
Are you planning on reading it? If you've read it, do you love it? Do you believe in aliens? How do you think we can better open our minds to other cultures? Are you going to binge watch all of Lindsey Ellis's videos after this too? Answer every single one of these questions down below, I need to know, 100%.
Thanks for reading guys! I decided to post a full review here as an advanced reader, but check out my blog for other reviews.
khane28's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
roonyareads's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
thelostvoid's review
3.5
I have finally, finally, gotten around to reading this book thank God! One of the longest standing books on my TBR at this point I think and it's a relief to have finally checked it off.
I listened to the audiobook which i think was the right move for me, it was fun getting the little bits that Abigail Thorn narrated as well because I love her a lot. Anyways, insofar as my actual enjoyment of the content of the book that is a bit more complicated ...
I'll be honest, I picked this up entirely because I watch Lindsay Ellis' video essays and such so like, the actual concept was quite vague and I think even if I didn't know the author I would have been interested in picking it up so that's a win. It's the first like, alien contact book I have read (and quite probably the first First Contact thing I have actually consumed) and it lent a lot more into the government agency aspects of it than I expected. I was also mildly on edge waiting for the relationship between Cora and Ampersand to get more ... intimate and that really added some spice to the experience.
Overall, this was a pretty neat read. I am glad I didn't commit to buying Truth of the Divine because I don't think I will continue the series, but this was a solid read.
I listened to the audiobook which i think was the right move for me, it was fun getting the little bits that Abigail Thorn narrated as well because I love her a lot. Anyways, insofar as my actual enjoyment of the content of the book that is a bit more complicated ...
I'll be honest, I picked this up entirely because I watch Lindsay Ellis' video essays and such so like, the actual concept was quite vague and I think even if I didn't know the author I would have been interested in picking it up so that's a win. It's the first like, alien contact book I have read (and quite probably the first First Contact thing I have actually consumed) and it lent a lot more into the government agency aspects of it than I expected. I was also mildly on edge waiting for the relationship between Cora and Ampersand to get more ... intimate and that really added some spice to the experience.
Overall, this was a pretty neat read. I am glad I didn't commit to buying Truth of the Divine because I don't think I will continue the series, but this was a solid read.
raineberry's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0