retrofuturism's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.5
Still a good read, but for its length the ending feels so unsatisfying as to retroactively mess with my enjoyment of the rest of the book. I agree with other reviewers that it could have used heavy editing, but I would've been fine with the length if the ending was good.
For fans of creature features, transhumanism, and space fantasy.
Jennifer Hale was a great audiobook narrator.
Graphic: Medical trauma, Body horror, Violence, and War
Moderate: Ableism and Confinement
Minor: Sexual content and Fatphobia
yomireads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Body horror, War, Grief, Violence, Xenophobia, Cursing, Colonisation, Confinement, Death, Dysphoria, and Genocide
malmer's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.5
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Grief, Medical content, War, Gore, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Confinement and Forced institutionalization
mar's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Death, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Gore, Blood, Confinement, Medical trauma, and War
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, and Vomit
Minor: Fire/Fire injury, Child death, Body shaming, and Pregnancy
whatswithrandy's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Moderate: Body horror, War, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Torture, Forced institutionalization, and Confinement
tiffanysmith's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
I can say that I enjoyed the premise and the characters up until I was about halfway through this tome…that’s when I began to despair. The story was slow. The plot and characters began to grow stale by the middle because their was a lack of forward motion to the story. I didn’t really know what the true plot was for quite a while and the character’s devoted much of their time to mundane dialogue and many scenes aboard the Wallfish that really just didn’t seem relevant. I think if the story had been condensed down by 300-400 pages, it would have been totally awesome! Instead, it grew dry and I had to slog my way to the finish line.
I did enjoy the plot premise and the space world that Paolini built. It was brilliant. He writes beautifully, and the description drew me into each moment. I just didn’t enjoy how it was executed in terms of pacing. From the middle until the climax at the end, I was desperately challenged to read through it, but I’m glad I finished it, so I can relish the parts I loved about it.
Graphic: Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug use
ehmannky's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Death, Violence, Confinement, Torture, Murder, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Vomit and Police brutality
swazwald's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence
bluelaceagate's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Gun violence, Medical trauma, Murder, Violence, Vomit, Xenophobia, and Torture
Moderate: Cursing, Medical content, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Chronic illness, Excrement, and Genocide
hollyd19's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Let me start by saying that Jennifer Hale was a downright phenomenal narrator (I listened via LibroFM). Her performance brought the characters to life and helped me keep track of the story. I was a particular fan of her portrayal of Grigorovich.
First, what I liked: Paolini clearly spent tons of time building out the world for this book. I don’t read a ton of sci-fi, but it reminded me a bit of Ender’s Game with the robust, thoroughly imagined setting. Secondly, (and this is a minor spoiler, so skip to the next paragraph if you like), I thought the alien encounter was incredibly unique. Kira’s fuel experience as a xenobiologist and host was an inspired choice by Paolini. Finally, the crew of the Wallfish was one of the best parts of the book for me. They were dynamic and human and funny.
Now, what didn’t work for me: As is a risk whenever someone writes a main character who is a different gender than their own, there were some cringe-y moments with Kira’s internal dialogue. Especially during romantic scenes. Secondly, I found the main source of conflict to be poorly explained. It wasn’t until nearly the end that I understood the Maw and the Nightmares, and even then, their backstory felt like the least developed part of the book. Finally, the end got trippy. I won’t get into it because I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, but it had some horcruxes-meet-Captain-Marvel vibes I was not expecting.
Ultimately, I’m glad I listened to it. It was enjoyable and distinctive. I heard it is being made into a film, and I could see it adapting well to screen.
Moderate: Death, Murder, and Violence
Minor: Confinement and Grief