nodoze's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
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
gretchenwettstein's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 rounded up. This was a good book with some pacing problems. The ending was super rushed and the timeline wasn't transparent. I couldn't tell if the plot spanned, days, weeks, or years.
I also struggled with character development and relationships. There were some unexpected character shifts and some major interpersonal conflicts that were glossed over, I think as a result of the pacing problems.
All of that said, I enjoyed Drayden's writing and her world building. This novel was clearly inspired by Octavia Butler - I'm a big fan of the Lilith's Brood series and would recommend this to other fans. The novel also features a cast of black, queer characters which I really enjoyed. Representation in sci-fi can be harder to find.
All in all, I think this is a worthwhile read.
I also struggled with character development and relationships. There were some unexpected character shifts and some major interpersonal conflicts that were glossed over, I think as a result of the pacing problems.
All of that said, I enjoyed Drayden's writing and her world building. This novel was clearly inspired by Octavia Butler - I'm a big fan of the Lilith's Brood series and would recommend this to other fans. The novel also features a cast of black, queer characters which I really enjoyed. Representation in sci-fi can be harder to find.
All in all, I think this is a worthwhile read.
themarquessmagpie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Body horror
zachbrumaire's review against another edition
5.0
wow, that was amazing. I'm appalled by how good this is.
sav_003's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
alexperc_92's review against another edition
4.0
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
A unique matriarchal society set in space and filled with sci-fi goodness and a tiny bit of horror concerning the idea of bodies. I liked the ideas behind the story and how the characters tried to race against time as the Sister wants to get power in her own hands. The lost star goes to the slightly YA feeling of the book. If it had more pages and it was set in the Adult spectrum of readers then it would be even more spectacular.
A unique matriarchal society set in space and filled with sci-fi goodness and a tiny bit of horror concerning the idea of bodies. I liked the ideas behind the story and how the characters tried to race against time as the Sister wants to get power in her own hands. The lost star goes to the slightly YA feeling of the book. If it had more pages and it was set in the Adult spectrum of readers then it would be even more spectacular.
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
4.0
Nicky Drayden has the weirdest imagination of any writer I've read. And I love her for it.
In this sci-fi novel, humans travel space inside gigantic beasts, slowly harvesting their resources until they die and the humans capture the next beast. That means that almost all of the action happens within a living creature. Drayden gets to use words like "tentacle-cooch" and write sentences like, "You have to see for yourselves... Meet me at the second ass tonight." (I wonder if Drayden wrote this book just so she could write that line.)
I'm always a bit in awe of Drayden's main characters. Authors often write bookish heroines who are introverted and thoughtful. Not so here. Drayden's protagonists are rash, prone to putting their feet in their mouths, and decidedly not drawn to books. It's refreshing to meet them and it's satisfying to watch them defy expectations, step up in a crisis, and succeed.
And there's more! The dominant culture is a matriarchy in which men are seen as less intelligent and more sensitive. There are two women in love. And there's even some human-alien intimacy.
The transitions were a bit jerky towards the end of the book and the ending was more abrupt than I would have liked. But that's a quibble.
If you want to read about strong women in completely unexpected situations, this is your book.
In this sci-fi novel, humans travel space inside gigantic beasts, slowly harvesting their resources until they die and the humans capture the next beast. That means that almost all of the action happens within a living creature. Drayden gets to use words like "tentacle-cooch" and write sentences like, "You have to see for yourselves... Meet me at the second ass tonight." (I wonder if Drayden wrote this book just so she could write that line.)
I'm always a bit in awe of Drayden's main characters. Authors often write bookish heroines who are introverted and thoughtful. Not so here. Drayden's protagonists are rash, prone to putting their feet in their mouths, and decidedly not drawn to books. It's refreshing to meet them and it's satisfying to watch them defy expectations, step up in a crisis, and succeed.
And there's more! The dominant culture is a matriarchy in which men are seen as less intelligent and more sensitive. There are two women in love. And there's even some human-alien intimacy.
The transitions were a bit jerky towards the end of the book and the ending was more abrupt than I would have liked. But that's a quibble.
If you want to read about strong women in completely unexpected situations, this is your book.
magnumdanger's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-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
4.0
lisdweer's review against another edition
3.0
I struggled rating this. There is a lot of good to this book -- most of the characters are decently worked out, the world is interesting, there is a plot that moves about quickly enough to warrant the book's length, and the writing can, at times, be delightful to read.
There are also some jarring elements. Terminology that's barely explained or shown -- after reading the whole book I still have no clue how the parental system truly works, even though it's important enough to be mentioned all throughout the novel. There are various plotlines that don't seem to go anywhere, or go as quickly as they come -- the various romantic subplots, the resistance movement to make beastworkers et al equal (it gets curbed by the Matris, then never brought up again in any capacity. One can say that Seske saves the embryos for a reason, but it still feels a bit too flimsy), and the movement to put men in more power (again, it comes up as the Matris changes to Seske's husband, but it feels more like an afterthought than anything else).
In addition to that, the politics of the book can be a bit too upfront. The LGBT relationships are done wonderfully and don't feel forced, but the mirroring of a world in which women have power and men do not opposed to our patriarchy feels like it's preaching to the choir -- and, additionally, doesn't always make sense. While it's wonderful to see strong female characters such as Adalla, one can wonder how men are not in those positions when biologically (and the book has no claims to the opposite) men gain muscle more easily and can get stronger. That does not mean I am against the female beastworkers, which I think was a good addition to show how women can be just as powerful. However, while I'm sure it's possible to write about a strong matriarchy wherein men are oppressed (as a way to show how ridiculous the notion of our current patriarchy is), it feels unlikely for that to have no men in physical positions. It almost feels like the words "women" and "men" were switched around in this novel, which only serves to enforce the gender binary, as opposed to find ways to deconstruct it.
The ecocritical message of the book, on the other hand, was wonderful. Mentioning earth by name felt a bit too on the nose, but showing how the beasts were treated was a wonderful metaphor to show how we treat our current planet and how much more damaging it is to feast off of it as opposed to create a more symbiotic relationship.
All in all, I enjoyed the more fantastical elements. I enjoyed (most of) the characters. I enjoyed the plot, and even the subplots were interesting, albeit they were rarely fruitful. I enjoyed the prominent LGBT relationships, and the ecological message in there. But the few things that bothered me about the book, bothered me too much to give this a higher rating.
There are also some jarring elements. Terminology that's barely explained or shown -- after reading the whole book I still have no clue how the parental system truly works, even though it's important enough to be mentioned all throughout the novel. There are various plotlines that don't seem to go anywhere, or go as quickly as they come -- the various romantic subplots, the resistance movement to make beastworkers et al equal (it gets curbed by the Matris, then never brought up again in any capacity. One can say that Seske saves the embryos for a reason, but it still feels a bit too flimsy), and the movement to put men in more power (again, it comes up as the Matris changes to Seske's husband, but it feels more like an afterthought than anything else).
In addition to that, the politics of the book can be a bit too upfront. The LGBT relationships are done wonderfully and don't feel forced, but the mirroring of a world in which women have power and men do not opposed to our patriarchy feels like it's preaching to the choir -- and, additionally, doesn't always make sense. While it's wonderful to see strong female characters such as Adalla, one can wonder how men are not in those positions when biologically (and the book has no claims to the opposite) men gain muscle more easily and can get stronger. That does not mean I am against the female beastworkers, which I think was a good addition to show how women can be just as powerful. However, while I'm sure it's possible to write about a strong matriarchy wherein men are oppressed (as a way to show how ridiculous the notion of our current patriarchy is), it feels unlikely for that to have no men in physical positions. It almost feels like the words "women" and "men" were switched around in this novel, which only serves to enforce the gender binary, as opposed to find ways to deconstruct it.
The ecocritical message of the book, on the other hand, was wonderful. Mentioning earth by name felt a bit too on the nose, but showing how the beasts were treated was a wonderful metaphor to show how we treat our current planet and how much more damaging it is to feast off of it as opposed to create a more symbiotic relationship.
All in all, I enjoyed the more fantastical elements. I enjoyed (most of) the characters. I enjoyed the plot, and even the subplots were interesting, albeit they were rarely fruitful. I enjoyed the prominent LGBT relationships, and the ecological message in there. But the few things that bothered me about the book, bothered me too much to give this a higher rating.