tortue's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-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? No
4.5
rackhams_razor's review against another edition
4.0
This is one where I think idea > execution. Felt like I was being handheld at the end. That said, the execution is still really, really good! Will definitely be checking out the sequel.
violaine_b's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
tense
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
4.25
changeablelandscape's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
catbooking's review against another edition
4.0
I loved the world building. Simply loved it, and wanted more of it. In places I felt like there wasn't enough of it, as I would find myself confused why some specific action was important and what it meant for the big picture as well as for the specific instance. Too often I would find myself lost in family names and house names and what it meant, and why it was important to enjoy the story to the fullest.
With so much time devoted to world building, there was very little room for plot or meaningful character development. While I liked most of the characters, I found most of their motivations to be very shallow and convenient. I would have loved for this book to be twice the size it is, so there was more room for all the things I wanted more of, and the things I felt I didn't get enough of.
I will not be continuing the series, the confusion over who and why threw off my immersion way too often, and I don't fancy having to squint and tilt my head sideways to figure out all the implications of a single gesture for another two books. An animated show based on the world of the books would be visually stunning, and I hope it is one of the things that happens in some near future.
With so much time devoted to world building, there was very little room for plot or meaningful character development. While I liked most of the characters, I found most of their motivations to be very shallow and convenient. I would have loved for this book to be twice the size it is, so there was more room for all the things I wanted more of, and the things I felt I didn't get enough of.
I will not be continuing the series, the confusion over who and why threw off my immersion way too often, and I don't fancy having to squint and tilt my head sideways to figure out all the implications of a single gesture for another two books. An animated show based on the world of the books would be visually stunning, and I hope it is one of the things that happens in some near future.
y547fru's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
4.5
rmichno's review against another edition
3.0
I have mixed feelings about this book. I admire the author taking some risks in storytelling and her not dumbing things down for the reader. But I also was frustrated that it felt deliberately confusing and my confusion was never totally resolved.
Maybe it was the choice of a protagonist that I couldn't totally connect with, or the jumping back-and-forth in time for the first 1/2 of the book, but by the end I'd given up trying to understand what was going on. I stuck with the book, though, instead of abandoning it because I was interested in the world the author created and I kept hope that in the end she would clear things up. Unfortunately that never happened.
Maybe it was the choice of a protagonist that I couldn't totally connect with, or the jumping back-and-forth in time for the first 1/2 of the book, but by the end I'd given up trying to understand what was going on. I stuck with the book, though, instead of abandoning it because I was interested in the world the author created and I kept hope that in the end she would clear things up. Unfortunately that never happened.
kyladenae94's review against another edition
5.0
i am absolutely obsessed with self-aware grief-stricken vengeance-obsessed computers & the unhinged enby queers who love them.
rustadmd's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
eru1485's review against another edition
4.0
Tato kniha se mi hodnotí hůře. Asi budu potřebovat více času na promyšlení si všeho, co se zde stalo, a jak se mi vlastně celkově líbila. Bezprostředně po dočtení ale můžu říct, že nakonec nebyla kniha vůbec tak špatná, jak jsem se obávala. První polovina se mi četla velmi těžce a prokousávala jsem se skrze ni skoro 2 týdny, ale zbytek jsem dorazila během jediného dne. Nedá se číst jako oddechovka, čtenář se na příběh musí soustředit, protože jinak velmi brzy ztratí přehled – v tom nepomáhá ani to, že hlavní postava Breq vůbec nedbá na rody. Jinak je to ale vcelku originální a zvláštní kniha a už jsem zvědavá na další díl.