lilacashes's review
4.0
This is a damn good book and I can't wait to read more by Karen Lord.
It is not easy to read though. Karen Lord is so deeply immersed in her own world that it's often hard to figure out what the hell is going on. Many things about her universe only become clear after you have read the book mostly through. This is not a bad thing in itself but I found myself losing the plot for sheer lack of understanding. I should reread the book right after I finish it, and I would, if there weren't so many other books waiting to be read...
A point of criticism is that even though the book is fresh and full of new ideas it ticks off a lot of tropes that really don't make sense (as listed by Charles Stross in http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2016/03/towards-a-taxonomy-of-cliches-.html). Does the galactic civilization really consist of only about half a dozen planets? Does each of these planets have a single culture only? Is there really only one dominant game to entertain galactic citizens? And so on.
It is not easy to read though. Karen Lord is so deeply immersed in her own world that it's often hard to figure out what the hell is going on. Many things about her universe only become clear after you have read the book mostly through. This is not a bad thing in itself but I found myself losing the plot for sheer lack of understanding. I should reread the book right after I finish it, and I would, if there weren't so many other books waiting to be read...
A point of criticism is that even though the book is fresh and full of new ideas it ticks off a lot of tropes that really don't make sense (as listed by Charles Stross in http://www.antipope.org/charlie/blog-static/2016/03/towards-a-taxonomy-of-cliches-.html). Does the galactic civilization really consist of only about half a dozen planets? Does each of these planets have a single culture only? Is there really only one dominant game to entertain galactic citizens? And so on.
ninsiana0's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
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? It's complicated
5.0
pkledgrape's review
I was really looking forward to this one because I've loved all the other Karen Lord I've read! but I'm just not in a place where I can focus enough to keep track of this many names this early on in a text right now. It's possible I will return to this at some other point later in my mental health journey and adore it, it's not Galaxy Game it's me
bridgett's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25
jlwilson's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
ginnikin's review
I can't deal with the allusions to what's happening on New Sadira. The story is dense with cultural, technological and economic detail that kind of goes over my head, but that's not what stopped me.
kblincoln's review
4.0
This is a sequel or companion novel to Best of All Possible Worlds--which I loved.
Unfortunately, while I was delighted to spend some time in this book with two of the main characters that provided a much-needed emotional anchor and character arc to the first book, I couldn't ever get a good grasp on the narrative or main characters of this sequel.
Nominally about Rafi, who is trying to find acceptance in a society afraid of his psionic ability to influence other humanoids, the narrative switches between third person Rafi-centric narrative and the first-person musings of one of his friends.
This framework is a bit loose. Long swathes of time are kind of summarized and skipped over. Just as the first book seemed more or less an excuse to travel around a particular planet and experience the author's imagination and socio-anthropological chops by seeing how a human and psionic human couple experience various tribes, this second book also mostly seems to be about Rafi experienceing different civilizations. The problem is, Rafi and his two friends (one of whom, Serendipity, provides the most emotional interest but who kind of disappears in the middle of the book) didn't provoke NEARLY as much character interest in me as the hero/heroine of the first book.
I couldn't really give this book only 3 stars because the ideas and the society and the angst of a home planet lost forever on its orphaned civilization are still here in this book. But I wouldn't really recommend reading it without having read the first book, and truthfully it didn't hold me like the first one. But if you want to find out what happens to Delarua and Dllenakh after book one, it's worth reading.
Unfortunately, while I was delighted to spend some time in this book with two of the main characters that provided a much-needed emotional anchor and character arc to the first book, I couldn't ever get a good grasp on the narrative or main characters of this sequel.
Nominally about Rafi, who is trying to find acceptance in a society afraid of his psionic ability to influence other humanoids, the narrative switches between third person Rafi-centric narrative and the first-person musings of one of his friends.
This framework is a bit loose. Long swathes of time are kind of summarized and skipped over. Just as the first book seemed more or less an excuse to travel around a particular planet and experience the author's imagination and socio-anthropological chops by seeing how a human and psionic human couple experience various tribes, this second book also mostly seems to be about Rafi experienceing different civilizations. The problem is, Rafi and his two friends (one of whom, Serendipity, provides the most emotional interest but who kind of disappears in the middle of the book) didn't provoke NEARLY as much character interest in me as the hero/heroine of the first book.
I couldn't really give this book only 3 stars because the ideas and the society and the angst of a home planet lost forever on its orphaned civilization are still here in this book. But I wouldn't really recommend reading it without having read the first book, and truthfully it didn't hold me like the first one. But if you want to find out what happens to Delarua and Dllenakh after book one, it's worth reading.
jerseygrrrl's review
I gave up on this one. I couldn't follow the plot or keep the people straight. Too bad. I really like the premise.
vortacist's review
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
kimu's review
slow-paced
3.5
Enjoyed a lot of this, but also felt incredibly lost about a lot of it. TBH I’m still completely confused about some key concepts in the book.