jesster642's review against another edition
4.0
A fun book and start to a series, the relationship between these two steadily blooming into a deep love has certainly gotten me invested for a sequel
kdbooks55's review against another edition
4.0
There was a little too much man hating for my taste but overall a good read! It was very military heavy and ended with something of a cliff hanger.
caseythecanadianlesbrarian's review against another edition
4.0
Depths of Blue by Lise MacTague (book one in the Deception’s Edge series) belongs to a few genres I don’t normally read: military science fiction, and romance. So I honestly wasn’t quite sure how much I would like this novel when I picked it up having been generously sent it by the Winnipeg-born, US-residing author (whose other talents as described in her bio, I might add, include being a librarian and hockey player). I have to say, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed Depths of Blue: while it never did anything totally unexpected, I rather enjoyed going along on its smooth, well-trod road full of tropes like: mistaken identities, space opera-ish drama, mounting sexual tension, women passing as men in the army, big patriarchal bad guys, and that-thin-line-between-love-and-hate. Oh, and some pretty steamy sex scenes.
Check out the rest of my review here.
Check out the rest of my review here.
kdbooks54's review against another edition
4.0
There was a little too much man hating for my taste but overall a good read! It was very military heavy and ended with something of a cliff hanger.
jamorjelly's review
adventurous
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Sexual assault
colossal's review against another edition
4.0
The planet Haefen is peopled by humans who believe in "traditional" gender roles, with two groups separated by degree. The Orthodoxians keep women as breeders and slaves and the Devonians just don't let them own property or engage in business. And the two sides are engaged in a bitter civil war.
On the Devonian side we have the sniper Jak, a disguised woman looking to avenge the death of her brother on the battlefield. Her latest mission is to assassinate the offworld smuggler who has come to meet with the Orthodoxians. At the last minute Jak's plans change when she realizes that the offworld smuggler is a woman, Torrin, who's having all sorts of problems of her own with the Orthodoxians.
In terms of romance, Jak is a bit of an innocent, but finds herself deeply attracted to the troublesome offworlder, even though she barely has the concept of same-sex relationships and definitely thinks they're wrong. Torrin is the complete opposite, in that female-female relationships are the most common on her homeworld and her preference, but she thinks Jak is the male he presents as so she doesn't understand her strong attraction to "him".
So for most of the book as the pair flee from the Orthodoxans the sexual frustration between the two ramps and ramps as they each try and fight their "forbidden" attraction.
A lot of work is done in this book to set up the rest of the trilogy as well as getting Jak and Torrin off to a very shaky start. This largely accounts for the length, given that their shared sexual/gender frustration/confusion only takes the story so far.
A minor quibble is that while the on-planet stuff is good, the off-planet stuff is nonsensical. (Nebulas don't work like that, why do you need cryosleep if you have FTL?, etc). I quite enjoyed the book otherwise and will eventually continue with the series.
On the Devonian side we have the sniper Jak, a disguised woman looking to avenge the death of her brother on the battlefield. Her latest mission is to assassinate the offworld smuggler who has come to meet with the Orthodoxians. At the last minute Jak's plans change when she realizes that the offworld smuggler is a woman, Torrin, who's having all sorts of problems of her own with the Orthodoxians.
In terms of romance, Jak is a bit of an innocent, but finds herself deeply attracted to the troublesome offworlder, even though she barely has the concept of same-sex relationships and definitely thinks they're wrong. Torrin is the complete opposite, in that female-female relationships are the most common on her homeworld and her preference, but she thinks Jak is the male he presents as so she doesn't understand her strong attraction to "him".
So for most of the book as the pair flee from the Orthodoxans the sexual frustration between the two ramps and ramps as they each try and fight their "forbidden" attraction.
A lot of work is done in this book to set up the rest of the trilogy as well as getting Jak and Torrin off to a very shaky start. This largely accounts for the length, given that their shared sexual/gender frustration/confusion only takes the story so far.
A minor quibble is that while the on-planet stuff is good, the off-planet stuff is nonsensical. (Nebulas don't work like that, why do you need cryosleep if you have FTL?, etc). I quite enjoyed the book otherwise and will eventually continue with the series.
radikaliseradgroda's review against another edition
4.0
Fun times in space! Such a nice break from my course material 😍😍😍
rhodered's review
2.0
DNF 27%. This is one of those books where most men are scum and both heroines' cultures include ample portions of rape. There's enough misogyny IRL that I don't need to read about it for entertainment, in particular in SF which I turn to in part to see gender roles played outside our current western norms.
Also, all four of the parents of the heroines are dead at remarkably young ages. I'm fed the f up with dead parents as a nearly inevitable plot point currently.
So, over and out.
Also, all four of the parents of the heroines are dead at remarkably young ages. I'm fed the f up with dead parents as a nearly inevitable plot point currently.
So, over and out.
frankvanmeer's review
4.0
I am always happy to see a new release in science fiction featuring lesbian charatcers. I usually am disappointed too, unfortunatly, because well, most of what is being released isn't very good.
Depths of Blue, while it has some flaws, is thankfully pretty good.
The setting is pretty basic: mankind has set out towards the stars and some 6 centuries later we are introduced to a Fringe planet locked up in Civil War. Fringe planets were the frist to be colonized and basically left to their own devices, because they are not really that much of interest to the "core worlds".
The majority of the story is more or less a survival trip through lush jungles, because for both our heroines their mission does not go to plan. Torrin finds herself at the mercy of a relentlessly mysogistic society thanks to faulty intel, and Jak, sent to kill the offworld smuggler has a last minute crisis of conscience and rescues Torrin. Thing is, Jak's scociety is barely any better when it comes to women and their place in it.
The major issue I have with the story is that there some weird disconnects regarding society and technology. Both parties seem to be locked in what seems to be World War 1 trench warfare and resort to behind the lines black ops. The planet does not have access to space, there are no satelites (those were the first to go at the start of the war), they don't even have radio. Weaponry is similar to current 21st century earth. (which I think is a big plus; I'm not too fond of laser cannons and plasma rifle or phasers set to stun)
And yet, they have access to detailed weather forecasts. They have force fields. The most baffling thing is that this backwater planet with religious governments is at the forefront of cybernetics and implants. They use fossil fuels. At some point, an officer orders someone to get a superior "on the phone". Keep in mind: the story takes place six centuries from now.
The story has some twists and turns and one highlight comes when Torrin is forced to participate in the war when they have to cross a checkpoint. While she has no qualms supplying some party with lethal weaponry for a profit, it becomes another thing entirely when she has to do the shooting herself.
The ending is a bit rushed and messy. I won't spoil it, but there were some things that did not make sense to me. And, Ms. MacTague, if your reading this: nebulas absolutly don't work that way.
And I agree with Jak: what's being done to Torrin's hair is a crying shame :)
I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel. 4,5 stars.
Depths of Blue, while it has some flaws, is thankfully pretty good.
The setting is pretty basic: mankind has set out towards the stars and some 6 centuries later we are introduced to a Fringe planet locked up in Civil War. Fringe planets were the frist to be colonized and basically left to their own devices, because they are not really that much of interest to the "core worlds".
The majority of the story is more or less a survival trip through lush jungles, because for both our heroines their mission does not go to plan. Torrin finds herself at the mercy of a relentlessly mysogistic society thanks to faulty intel, and Jak, sent to kill the offworld smuggler has a last minute crisis of conscience and rescues Torrin. Thing is, Jak's scociety is barely any better when it comes to women and their place in it.
The major issue I have with the story is that there some weird disconnects regarding society and technology. Both parties seem to be locked in what seems to be World War 1 trench warfare and resort to behind the lines black ops. The planet does not have access to space, there are no satelites (those were the first to go at the start of the war), they don't even have radio. Weaponry is similar to current 21st century earth. (which I think is a big plus; I'm not too fond of laser cannons and plasma rifle or phasers set to stun)
And yet, they have access to detailed weather forecasts. They have force fields. The most baffling thing is that this backwater planet with religious governments is at the forefront of cybernetics and implants. They use fossil fuels. At some point, an officer orders someone to get a superior "on the phone". Keep in mind: the story takes place six centuries from now.
The story has some twists and turns and one highlight comes when Torrin is forced to participate in the war when they have to cross a checkpoint. While she has no qualms supplying some party with lethal weaponry for a profit, it becomes another thing entirely when she has to do the shooting herself.
The ending is a bit rushed and messy. I won't spoil it, but there were some things that did not make sense to me. And, Ms. MacTague, if your reading this: nebulas absolutly don't work that way.
And I agree with Jak: what's being done to Torrin's hair is a crying shame :)
I'm eagerly awaiting the sequel. 4,5 stars.
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