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tregina's review against another edition
4.0
There are a whole lot of things to like about this, but the one I want to mention--the one that's most crucial--is the impeccable pacing. The reveal of Io's story is about as effective as it could possibly be.
sadieros73's review against another edition
4.0
This was my first Wes Chu book. I fired it up on an airplane and polished it off the next day. The voice grabbed me from page one. I enjoyed the book, the interplay of characters and most especially the wit. Many of the characters were unlikeable, including Ella but she matured toward the end so that I didn't want to punch her as much. I'm trying to picture what I'd do if a Quasing decided to move into my head and I'd probably be just as obstinate. Io is a tricksy hobbit and her motives are interesting, but her long view of life on earth almost makes me feel Ella's story to be as inconsequential as Io finds it. I'm betting this was tricky to write and strike the right balance. The host/human dynamic and the larger conflict between warring factions of Quasing overlaid with Ella's struggles in the life of poverty flowed together seemingly effortlessly.
If I have any bones to pick, it's with the formatting. My kindle version had issues with section breaks where all the empty lines were removed between sections and the paragraphs were mushed together. Where space would have indicated a time jump or scene change, this layout was confusing. Also confusing was the when Ella talked to her host. For the first third of the book, I thought she was speaking out loud to Io, not an inner monologue as italics would have indicated. Maybe I missed something. Still, good book. Go read it.
If I have any bones to pick, it's with the formatting. My kindle version had issues with section breaks where all the empty lines were removed between sections and the paragraphs were mushed together. Where space would have indicated a time jump or scene change, this layout was confusing. Also confusing was the when Ella talked to her host. For the first third of the book, I thought she was speaking out loud to Io, not an inner monologue as italics would have indicated. Maybe I missed something. Still, good book. Go read it.
chawlios's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
reuben_surrender's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure how I stumbled upon this, but I only heard the audiobook. As an audiobook, it was great for long road trips (had to drive 13 hours from Chicago to NOLA and back). The thing about audiobooks is that you really need the story to be relatively linear since your attention is on the road most of the time. So this book really fits the bill. It is tinged with humor, the voice over is dead on and the different characters have their own personalities. Enjoyed it tremendously for the road and if you are into action storylines. It's a science fiction, but it's not a -hard- science fiction so there isn't much world-building involved.
anoblesoul's review against another edition
4.0
Wesley Chu does it again. Having previously devoured The Lives of Tao, this was another page-turner I literally could not put down. Now I'm on a mission to hunt down all of his other books.
The Lives of Tao had a fascinating premise. The Rise of Io completely sprang it in a different direction and had a compelling character in Ella. She rocks!
The Lives of Tao had a fascinating premise. The Rise of Io completely sprang it in a different direction and had a compelling character in Ella. She rocks!
mierkat's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
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? It's complicated
4.5
davecapp's review
4.0
This book is part sci-fi, part social commentary, part action adventure, part revisionist history, all tied together with compelling characters and razor sharp whit. Basically a rollicking adventure that takes place in Crate Town where the remnants of India’s civilization lives after a huge civil war between two alien factions. Wesley Chu’s integration of an alien culture that’s been on earth before man with their subtle, yet directed impact on humanities growth (good and bad) is fascinating, and amazingly plausible. This book is a keeper, and the exploits of Io and Ella Patel beg for a sequel.
crasscasualty's review against another edition
4.0
Fun world & characters; good pacing. I'll be picking up the next one.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
A twist on a sf trope - basically a Goa'uld or Dominion/Founders knock-off. Didn't quite realize at the start that this was the first book in a second series - I probably would have read the first series first. Dark. And the main protagonist and brain sucker are neither one all that likable. There was a certain amount of drudgery in this one. The characters had potential as did the setting but they didn't reach that potential. But good enough to try the first book.