errantdreams's review
5.0
I absolutely love this novel. The characters are highly original and interesting, from the three main point-of-view characters to the members of Fanning’s band, the workers at Fortune’s theater, and the members of Jian’s piloting team. There are low-key same-sex relationships, nicely presented as completely normal, which I love. The various caste and political troubles can of course be used to reflect on some of the issues of today–and in the case of AI rights, a topic which we’re presumably going to have to address eventually!
The worldbuilding is vivid and fascinating. I love the atmosphere of the Empire, the theater-like place where Fortune and Fanning both perform. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Fanning’s music–the emotions of it were conveyed so well that it didn’t matter that I have no knowledge of music. I could still get the point. I found the details of Fortune’s illusions to be fascinating as well. Scott clearly has real talent for description. By the time the plot really picks up I felt comfortable in the environment of the world, which can sometimes be a little dicey when you get tossed head-first into the worldbuilding.
This is a powerful and beautiful story, with delightful characters, exploring a fascinating subject. I look forward to reading more by Melissa Scott.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/04/review-dreaming-metal-melissa-scott/
The worldbuilding is vivid and fascinating. I love the atmosphere of the Empire, the theater-like place where Fortune and Fanning both perform. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Fanning’s music–the emotions of it were conveyed so well that it didn’t matter that I have no knowledge of music. I could still get the point. I found the details of Fortune’s illusions to be fascinating as well. Scott clearly has real talent for description. By the time the plot really picks up I felt comfortable in the environment of the world, which can sometimes be a little dicey when you get tossed head-first into the worldbuilding.
This is a powerful and beautiful story, with delightful characters, exploring a fascinating subject. I look forward to reading more by Melissa Scott.
Original review posted on my blog: http://www.errantdreams.com/2019/04/review-dreaming-metal-melissa-scott/
More...