mrawdon's review against another edition
3.0
Adventure, romance, tragedy, and humor. I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It uses The Odyssey as it's basic structure: a man coming back from war 15 years (and many adventures, some of which we read about) later, but knowing that is not necessary to enjoy it. The characters are genuine and well-realized. The background (orbitals and ships in Earth vicinity in the near future) is not tremendously novel, but the author works to make the various communities the hero visits seem authentic. Recommended to anyone looking for a fun read.
old_tim's review against another edition
4.0
In Spin the Sky, Stauber transforms the bones of the Odyssey into near space opera. Cesar Vaquero leaves home to fight in the Spacer War, only to spend 15 years wandering before returning home. His wife Penelope is running the family ranch and fending off suitors as best she can. Homer’s islands are now orbitals, each one stranger and potentially more deadly than the last.
A couple of things really stand out. First, the character development is excellent. While this book has a fairly large cast of characters, they feel fleshed out and developed. Minor characters feel more enigmatic than underdeveloped. There’s a sense of mystery with them (Asia, for example) where you’d love to see more of their own stories. Secondly, the universe of Spin the Sky is a fascinating place. The orbitals are diverse and wondrous places. Again, there’s a sense that other fantastic tales of this universe could be told.
***minor spoilers***
My major gripe is that a couple of plot points seemed forced, rather than to come naturally from the characters. Why exactly did Cesar have to travel for 15 years before he could return home? Why did the black hats need the Vaqueros’ cattle?
I’m no classics scholar, but I had a lot of fun making the connections between Cesar’s misadventures and those of brave Ulysses.
A couple of things really stand out. First, the character development is excellent. While this book has a fairly large cast of characters, they feel fleshed out and developed. Minor characters feel more enigmatic than underdeveloped. There’s a sense of mystery with them (Asia, for example) where you’d love to see more of their own stories. Secondly, the universe of Spin the Sky is a fascinating place. The orbitals are diverse and wondrous places. Again, there’s a sense that other fantastic tales of this universe could be told.
***minor spoilers***
My major gripe is that a couple of plot points seemed forced, rather than to come naturally from the characters. Why exactly did Cesar have to travel for 15 years before he could return home? Why did the black hats need the Vaqueros’ cattle?
I’m no classics scholar, but I had a lot of fun making the connections between Cesar’s misadventures and those of brave Ulysses.
tregina's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book okay. Certainly there was nothing that made me want to put it down (well, maybe the ending, but by that point I was already finished). But I also have the disappointed feeling that it was only half realised. There are so many interesting ideas and people and places, but they feel unfinished or unexplored, and as much head hopping as we do (too much, for me, which might be an unfortunate side effect of the premise) we never seem to be following the right people or the most interesting stories. The Odyssey in Space seems like the best idea ever to me (and the reason I picked this up) but it's never quite what I want it to be. Now give me a book about Calypso and Spider House, and I'll be all over that.
discocrow's review against another edition
4.0
Oh, dear lord, this book!
I won this book through first-reads, and from the very mention of Firefly on its cover knew it had a lot to live up to. Comparing a book to Firefly? Having to review something compared to Firefly when I consider myself a pretty devoted Browncoat? Well. I opened the book with a dose of skepticism, pretending that I hadn't just texted my sci-fi (and fellow Browncoat) loving boyfriend that I just got that ARC I'd been telling him about. I hyped it up sufficiently in my mind.
This book delivered beyond my wildest of expectations.
The book was fast paced with a healthy underlining of wry humor. This is one of the few books that has made me laugh out loud on more than occasion... Every character is lovingly crafted, they each have their quirks and their tongue-in-cheek moments - it's incredible that it never comes off as false or heavyhanded. [a:Katy Stauber|4462993|Katy Stauber|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1298506639p2/4462993.jpg] has faultlessly delivered on a nearly impossible task: she's given us a novel that draws upon the cult classic of Firefly without being mere fanfiction - in fact, she's created something lovingly unique.
That this is a scifi adaptation of [b:The Odyssey|1381|The Odyssey|Homer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312497624s/1381.jpg|3356006] is also apparent, as if the cover doesn't give it away. She's morphed the tale into something that encompasses Rasta Nation colonies (marijuana bombs!), entirely creepy genetic splicing experiments, rogue orbitals, and everything else under (and on level with) the sun. She's made [b:The Odyssey|1381|The Odyssey|Homer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312497624s/1381.jpg|3356006] freshfaced and deadpan, and Cesar Vaquero is a much, much more lovable protagonist than the cunning Ulysses.
I can't praise this book enough, nor how many people I want to throw my copy at so I can chat with them about it. I can't wait to pass this book on, and only hope that it will get the recognition and acclaim it well deserves.
Keep writing [a:Katy Stauber|4462993|Katy Stauber|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1298506639p2/4462993.jpg]! I'll be reading your every word for certain. You've found a great fan in me!
I won this book through first-reads, and from the very mention of Firefly on its cover knew it had a lot to live up to. Comparing a book to Firefly? Having to review something compared to Firefly when I consider myself a pretty devoted Browncoat? Well. I opened the book with a dose of skepticism, pretending that I hadn't just texted my sci-fi (and fellow Browncoat) loving boyfriend that I just got that ARC I'd been telling him about. I hyped it up sufficiently in my mind.
This book delivered beyond my wildest of expectations.
The book was fast paced with a healthy underlining of wry humor. This is one of the few books that has made me laugh out loud on more than occasion... Every character is lovingly crafted, they each have their quirks and their tongue-in-cheek moments - it's incredible that it never comes off as false or heavyhanded. [a:Katy Stauber|4462993|Katy Stauber|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1298506639p2/4462993.jpg] has faultlessly delivered on a nearly impossible task: she's given us a novel that draws upon the cult classic of Firefly without being mere fanfiction - in fact, she's created something lovingly unique.
That this is a scifi adaptation of [b:The Odyssey|1381|The Odyssey|Homer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312497624s/1381.jpg|3356006] is also apparent, as if the cover doesn't give it away. She's morphed the tale into something that encompasses Rasta Nation colonies (marijuana bombs!), entirely creepy genetic splicing experiments, rogue orbitals, and everything else under (and on level with) the sun. She's made [b:The Odyssey|1381|The Odyssey|Homer|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1312497624s/1381.jpg|3356006] freshfaced and deadpan, and Cesar Vaquero is a much, much more lovable protagonist than the cunning Ulysses.
I can't praise this book enough, nor how many people I want to throw my copy at so I can chat with them about it. I can't wait to pass this book on, and only hope that it will get the recognition and acclaim it well deserves.
Keep writing [a:Katy Stauber|4462993|Katy Stauber|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1298506639p2/4462993.jpg]! I'll be reading your every word for certain. You've found a great fan in me!
tregina's review
3.0
I liked this book okay. Certainly there was nothing that made me want to put it down (well, maybe the ending, but by that point I was already finished). But I also have the disappointed feeling that it was only half realised. There are so many interesting ideas and people and places, but they feel unfinished or unexplored, and as much head hopping as we do (too much, for me, which might be an unfortunate side effect of the premise) we never seem to be following the right people or the most interesting stories. The Odyssey in Space seems like the best idea ever to me (and the reason I picked this up) but it's never quite what I want it to be. Now give me a book about Calypso and Spider House, and I'll be all over that.
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