Reviews with content warning for Sexual harassment - Chilling Effect

There’s a blurb that if Firefly and Mass Effect had a baby, it would be this book and that’s very accurate. If Shepard was less competent and had way more mishaps on her missions, she would be a lot like our main character Eva. We also have the world building of the Wayfarers series with way more action. There are more mentions of farts here than I’ve probably read in other books which did annoy me but it seemed to subside as the story went on and I could look past it. Also if you’re looking for alien romance, you do get it here (fade to black fyi for my monster loving girlies out there - don’t get your hopes up). But for someone who lived romancing they aliens in mass effect, I dug it.

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becksusername's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-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

4.25

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5am's review

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adventurous lighthearted 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? Yes

3.5

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obviousthings's review

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I liked the characters, but the plot felt a bit too contrived at times.

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ryraeriv's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny lighthearted mysterious fast-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

3.75

Chilling Effect is a fun romp through space that follows Captain Eva Innocente and her crew as they try to make money, survive, and kinda, save the universe. All in all, this is a fun, light-hearted book with a very interesting concept that doesn't take itself too seriously. The main character verges on unlikable, swinging wildly from self-pitying to brazenly reckless, but she also has some wonderfully funny and honest moments. The plot is fast paced and keeps you engaged but some aspects of it seem unnecessary and add little to the development of the story. A large chunk of this book relies on a version of the miscommunication trope, which I personally detest, but it definitely made me feel things. The side characters can come off as a little one dimensional in scenes but they serve their purpose and the diverse array of representation (race, gender, sexual orientation, alien species) is a definite bonus. Valdes manages to build up a sci-fi world that is well thought out and easy to understand without spoon-feeding every aspect of it to the reader. This book was worth the read and makes me want to continue on with the series.

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