clericgirl's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
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
sarah_ll's review against another edition
2.5
It was alright. So excited for sapphic space pirates but it was meh. Empty thoughts
Reading thoughts:
I am very confused. What is going on
Oh my lord this is very Insta lovey. But in space
Will it being sapphic make me finish it
Pg88. It feels soul less. That’s a bit harsh but it’s the only word that feels like it fits 🙁
Indifferent??
How many times will they use the word faintly
I sick of hearing how the fire palace looms over them oh my
How old is khanh One second she’s sucking her thumb and now she know the word corruptible 🤔
Reading thoughts:
I am very confused. What is going on
Oh my lord this is very Insta lovey. But in space
Will it being sapphic make me finish it
Pg88. It feels soul less. That’s a bit harsh but it’s the only word that feels like it fits 🙁
Indifferent??
How many times will they use the word faintly
I sick of hearing how the fire palace looms over them oh my
How old is khanh One second she’s sucking her thumb and now she know the word corruptible 🤔
emmadeu's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.0
I wanted to love this so bad, but it just fell short for me. I didn’t care about any of the characters, the relationship was very sudden, and the plot was uninteresting. If you like sapphic space politics, you may really enjoy this book! I can totally appreciate what the author was doing with this world — parts of it are very cool. Just not for me personally.
alexibrooks's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
yuliatta's review against another edition
4.5
First and foremost a big thank you to @pridebooktours and @gollancz for having me on the tour for this novel.
The Red Scholar's Wake is one of those books that grabbed me from the very beginning and didn't let me go until the very end. I was so engrossed with Rice Fish and Xich Si's story that I didn't want to stop reading.
While I understand how this book might not be everybody's cup of tea because it deals with what I think is instant attraction, there's something about the writing that made this so good for me. The characters have chemistry together from the very beginning and the plot was quite engaging but overall it was the writing and the way it flows so beautifully that made this novel all the more enjoyable.
While I had trouble featuring and understanding what the "bots" are, I think the reader can come up with something on their own. Everything else, I absolutely loved.
This is a book about learning to love and be loved despite your differences. This is a story about fighting for what you believe in and trying to uphold your truths while navigating your relationship, and your differences. It's a subject that was very well handled and I loved reading about it.
I loved Rice Fish and her narration, seeing the POV of a ship was quite refreshing and interesting. I was quite curious to see how that romance would work out but in the end, it wasn't any different from your usual romances. I thoroughly enjoyed it. All Rice Fish was trying to do was hold onto what she'd been fighting for all her life and deal with the changes in her life. While all Xich Si wanted to do was survive and get back to what matters to her the most and unexpectedly she connected with Rice Fish.
The Red Scholar's Wake is one of those books I couldn't put down. I loved the writing, the characters and their passion for each other and for what they believe in.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ - 4.5
The Red Scholar's Wake is one of those books that grabbed me from the very beginning and didn't let me go until the very end. I was so engrossed with Rice Fish and Xich Si's story that I didn't want to stop reading.
While I understand how this book might not be everybody's cup of tea because it deals with what I think is instant attraction, there's something about the writing that made this so good for me. The characters have chemistry together from the very beginning and the plot was quite engaging but overall it was the writing and the way it flows so beautifully that made this novel all the more enjoyable.
While I had trouble featuring and understanding what the "bots" are, I think the reader can come up with something on their own. Everything else, I absolutely loved.
This is a book about learning to love and be loved despite your differences. This is a story about fighting for what you believe in and trying to uphold your truths while navigating your relationship, and your differences. It's a subject that was very well handled and I loved reading about it.
I loved Rice Fish and her narration, seeing the POV of a ship was quite refreshing and interesting. I was quite curious to see how that romance would work out but in the end, it wasn't any different from your usual romances. I thoroughly enjoyed it. All Rice Fish was trying to do was hold onto what she'd been fighting for all her life and deal with the changes in her life. While all Xich Si wanted to do was survive and get back to what matters to her the most and unexpectedly she connected with Rice Fish.
The Red Scholar's Wake is one of those books I couldn't put down. I loved the writing, the characters and their passion for each other and for what they believe in.
Rating: 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨ - 4.5
jordan1978's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
olegx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
bory's review against another edition
2.0
DNF'ed at the ca. 40% mark.
It's not that it's particularly bad, but it is painfully, dreadfully boring. The world building is non-existent. Is this the far future? An alternate reality? Who knows, who cares, I guess. Also, for a universe where technology plays such a pivotal part, not having any of the technology explained is just an inexplicably piss poor authorial choice. It makes reading a frustrating, confusing experience, and who want that, honestly?
It's not that it's particularly bad, but it is painfully, dreadfully boring. The world building is non-existent. Is this the far future? An alternate reality? Who knows, who cares, I guess. Also, for a universe where technology plays such a pivotal part, not having any of the technology explained is just an inexplicably piss poor authorial choice. It makes reading a frustrating, confusing experience, and who want that, honestly?
syllareads's review against another edition
adventurous
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? Yes
4.0
booksforscee's review against another edition
4.0
Welcome to a world, or a future, of spaceships, habitats and port. Of pirates and empires. Where familial ties have become something so different than what we know, and so are people.
Bureaucracy holds sway over the ports, where laws only apply to some, and most are in place to keep the scavengers low. But theres one law everyone knows.
Piracy, and pirates, mean death.
Xich Si is a scavenger, she fits herself into the cracks of the world and dares not to hope, she only survives.
Until her ship is boarded, her bots killed with impunity. Pirates. Pirates who pillage and kill, who make their own law of blood. Slavery, indenture, or worse. Xich Si has cowered all her life, there is little difference between a cleric and a pirate. That is until the Red scholars consort flows into her room. This ship mind, Rice Fish, offers her a choice, a choice even though she doesn't really have on. A choice to take on a world of politics and blood shed. Though Rice Fish can shield her well. Rice Fish asks Xich Si to marry her, and Xich Si accepts.
This is a space of hidden motives, emotions and slow burn love that knows no bounds. Of confidence and diffidence. You get chucked into a deep rich world way beyond our current understanding. With identities spanning through the technological and the physical, slowly political banners and alliances form into cohesion.
This book really takes some getting used to, the familial terms, the avatar vs physical spaces, the citadels banners. It does seem wayy too different at the start of the book, but if you give it time it all rights itself. I really enjoyed the similarities between this book and Becky Chambers writing, and I hope there will be more books in this world soon!
Bureaucracy holds sway over the ports, where laws only apply to some, and most are in place to keep the scavengers low. But theres one law everyone knows.
Piracy, and pirates, mean death.
Xich Si is a scavenger, she fits herself into the cracks of the world and dares not to hope, she only survives.
Until her ship is boarded, her bots killed with impunity. Pirates. Pirates who pillage and kill, who make their own law of blood. Slavery, indenture, or worse. Xich Si has cowered all her life, there is little difference between a cleric and a pirate. That is until the Red scholars consort flows into her room. This ship mind, Rice Fish, offers her a choice, a choice even though she doesn't really have on. A choice to take on a world of politics and blood shed. Though Rice Fish can shield her well. Rice Fish asks Xich Si to marry her, and Xich Si accepts.
This is a space of hidden motives, emotions and slow burn love that knows no bounds. Of confidence and diffidence. You get chucked into a deep rich world way beyond our current understanding. With identities spanning through the technological and the physical, slowly political banners and alliances form into cohesion.
This book really takes some getting used to, the familial terms, the avatar vs physical spaces, the citadels banners. It does seem wayy too different at the start of the book, but if you give it time it all rights itself. I really enjoyed the similarities between this book and Becky Chambers writing, and I hope there will be more books in this world soon!