c_morning's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.0
needleclicker's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
poweram's review against another edition
4.0
I quite enjoyed the sci-fi and twists and turns, though if I took too long a break from reading I often lost track of who was who. This seems to be a pattern in sci-fi books (for me at least) where's there's so many politics in the beefy world-building that I lose track of the large cast of characters.
Regardless, it was a fairly enjoyable and interesting read!
Regardless, it was a fairly enjoyable and interesting read!
sigrace111's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jocelynmwagner's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
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? No
3.75
dumb_'s review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
7/10, the book isn't bad in any regards but I wish it delved more into the characters with the time it had. A fairly interesting story with emotional beats that were fine, personally I had a hard time emotionally connecting to them due to the lack of character depth and development. Slow-paced at the beginning and medium-paced through the middle and end. Enjoyable for those who prefer plot over characters. Although would recommend for everyone just for the beautiful cover.
gmercado1990's review against another edition
adventurous
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? No
3.25
br33na's review against another edition
2.0
I Really Wanted to Like This
After listening to the acknowledgements, the author seems genuinely lovely, have a way with words, and clearly put a great deal into the creation of this novel. I just wish I enjoyed the book as much as the acknowledgements.
This is a sci-fi novel. Unfortunately, that's really all I can say as it just slid off my brain as I was listening to it. If you want a soupson of The Murderbot Diaries with some sci-fi antics, you might get something out of this.
The only things that really stood out were the way dialogue is written with "X said" after every phrase, which takes all rhythm out of every conversation. Readers are generally trusted to follow a conversation between two people, but not here. This isn't helped by the way the narrator handles this predilection.
The other is much more positive and I would be lying if it wasn't the main reason I decided to stick with it and finish the book. The inclusion and discussion around gender and the characters is handled really well, which was honestly a delight to read. While I have a lot of other criticisms and largely didn't enjoy this book, I truly appreciate the effort the author went to in this regard, especially after so much awfulness in many of sci-fi and fantasy offerings.
I hate leaving bad reviews, especially for authors who really seem to care and are trying, but this really wasn't for me and read like a decent amateur affair.
The story was also let down by narration that was flat with some odd and, I'm almost certain, at least one mispronunciation or incorrect word used. Sadly, they did nothing to elevate the story and only made the issues more glaring with how they hit them.
After listening to the acknowledgements, the author seems genuinely lovely, have a way with words, and clearly put a great deal into the creation of this novel. I just wish I enjoyed the book as much as the acknowledgements.
This is a sci-fi novel. Unfortunately, that's really all I can say as it just slid off my brain as I was listening to it. If you want a soupson of The Murderbot Diaries with some sci-fi antics, you might get something out of this.
The only things that really stood out were the way dialogue is written with "X said" after every phrase, which takes all rhythm out of every conversation. Readers are generally trusted to follow a conversation between two people, but not here. This isn't helped by the way the narrator handles this predilection.
The other is much more positive and I would be lying if it wasn't the main reason I decided to stick with it and finish the book. The inclusion and discussion around gender and the characters is handled really well, which was honestly a delight to read. While I have a lot of other criticisms and largely didn't enjoy this book, I truly appreciate the effort the author went to in this regard, especially after so much awfulness in many of sci-fi and fantasy offerings.
I hate leaving bad reviews, especially for authors who really seem to care and are trying, but this really wasn't for me and read like a decent amateur affair.
The story was also let down by narration that was flat with some odd and, I'm almost certain, at least one mispronunciation or incorrect word used. Sadly, they did nothing to elevate the story and only made the issues more glaring with how they hit them.
nakedsushi's review against another edition
3.0
A fun little romp in space with queer mercenaries and evil corporations. Some of the plot lines or background didn’t seem to go anywhere, but that was okay. I kinda wanted to read more about Angel kicking ass with her training from before but it rarely came up in a useful way.
jessicapc's review against another edition
4.0
I have to admit, it started slow.
I sometimes was a little confused, especially in the first half of the book, because most of the characters sound the same - which is kind of a problem when you alternate between POVs and have a dialogue-heavy writing style.
But.
An all women-and-enby-folks cast? Here for it.
Space travel with a quest ? Here for it.
AI and humans and alien species teaming up ? Here for it.
I ended up really loving this book even if it took me a while to get into it.
I sometimes was a little confused, especially in the first half of the book, because most of the characters sound the same - which is kind of a problem when you alternate between POVs and have a dialogue-heavy writing style.
But.
An all women-and-enby-folks cast? Here for it.
Space travel with a quest ? Here for it.
AI and humans and alien species teaming up ? Here for it.
I ended up really loving this book even if it took me a while to get into it.