Reviews

I first want to say that I found this story overall enjoyable. However, I knew from the onset of reading this book that the writing style was not for me. I did push through because I am taking part in a readathon. This lead me to finishing a book I would have otherwise set aside.

I really enjoyed the way the mystery of this book played out. There are enough twists and turns that I was always interested to see what would happen next. Our characters are fun to follow and I enjoyed many of the differences that each of them presented. The alien aspects of all of them were different enough to separate them from each other without being completely foreign.

Still, I struggled with the writing. It's very simplistic, so I can see beginner sci-fi readers really enjoying it. I prefer a more eloquent style.

I could also see this being a retelling of a Poe story, which in the end is confirmed. This is where my issue truly lies. I am an avid reader of Gothic novels and this did nothing for me in that aspect. It did not build to the horror. It did not give me a creepy vibe or atmosphere and the writing did not come to the level of a Gothic for me. When I read that this was the inspiration, I was indeed disappointed.

But... if you are unfamiliar with Poe, Gothic novels or new to sci-fi or if you are just wanting a solid murder mystery with a twist, I'd definitely recommend this book.

kgb5183's review against another edition

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medium-paced

3.5

talesoftheraven's review against another edition

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4.0

The end of the story felt a little rushed, but reading the afterword, and discovering this was meant to be a locked room mystery makes a heck of a lot more sense. In this, Tade Thompson captured the essence of that genre perfectly, from start to finish.

lazuli_73's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious slow-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

2.75

renettereads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-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? It's complicated

3.5

“Shell wonders what giants or gods stroke humanity when they slip between the stars.”

A look at the future of interstellar space travel, this novel follows the colony ship Ratime as it heads for a homestead planet, but will it get there following the first mate, Michelle Campion’s distress call?

This book was quite different to what I expected and though that isn’t necessarily a bad thing, some parts of it didn’t digest as well as others. I think the dialogue felt strange in parts and we didn’t get much time to really come to invest in some characters, given the size of the cast.

However, I did love the concept and found myself rooting for everyone – including the antihero – which always shows the writer’s ability to really infuse motive into the story. Though it wasn’t as thrilling as I had expected, I did find it fresh – I don’t feel as though I’ve read anything like it.

Content Warnings

billyjepma's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I struggled to get into this at first and found myself bristling at how little the story prepared me for its version of space travel, alien worlds, and technology. On one hand, I admired the in media res approach, but on the other, I felt like it kept me at arm’s length from the characters and the mystery they find themselves in. And then, right around the halfway point, something in me or the book clicked into place, and I tore through the remaining 150+ pages in one sitting. All those wrinkles I initially saw as obstacles unfolded and played out in immensely satisfying, exciting ways. I still think that the first half is a little rough, and there are areas I found to be slightly underbaked, but I can’t argue with the results. Once things got going, I was all in and then some.

The very concept of a single-location murder mystery in a spaceship is enough of a hook to get me. If you’re willing to be patient, Thompson’s storytelling delivers on and exceeds the expectations of that initial conceit. I love the themes stitched into the plot, appreciate how they exist analogously to the story, and pay off in simultaneously rewarding and frustrating ways. Which is a good thing in my book because the themes Thompson introduces are too big and, in some ways, too abstract to have a proper resolution. I appreciate that he lets his characters (and, by extension, his reader) sit in that vaguely uncomfortable space. Take away the headiness, though, and you still have a simmering thriller that feels like the twisted love child of Seven, The Martian, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some tasteful hints of a Hercule Poirot caper mixed in for good measure.

Content Warnings

thewashouts's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot

3.5

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