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scammie13's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
idamus's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I am not comfortable with this book, there is a scene very close to rape, it isn't, just two drunk people, but the way it's treated doesn't sit well with me.
Mostly a good book though.
I am not comfortable with this book, there is a scene very close to rape, it isn't, just two drunk people, but the way it's treated doesn't sit well with me.
Mostly a good book though.
lurkingcat's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
mickey14's review against another edition
3.0
This book was good but I didn't care for Kris very much in the first half of the book. She seemed to always be defensive and glaring at people and it just got on my nerves. I didn't really care for the whole baby-storyline either, the whole idea or how it was implemented. I thought the women were way too ok with it and it just seemed ridiculous that they would be doing that when they haven't settled things with the "Farmers" yet. I don't even want to go into how Kris got pregnant and how much that and the non-reaction to it bothered me.
There were also times when I swear the author got the names of characters mixed up, which is understandable since there are so many characters, but it did confuse me a bit. The rest of the story was just as good as the first book and I'll continue on in the series.
There were also times when I swear the author got the names of characters mixed up, which is understandable since there are so many characters, but it did confuse me a bit. The rest of the story was just as good as the first book and I'll continue on in the series.
tmlake's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
kvclements's review against another edition
2.0
This installment was not as strong as the first, I'm afraid. Events move extremely quickly, almost too quickly, and with very few hitches, so a lot of potential drama feels drained. There are also way, way, WAY too many characters with names that lack any kind of distinguishing characteristic, so it's difficult to keep track of everyone. The book is somewhat redeemed by further exploration of the Eosi, the alien masters of the Catteni who took over Earth, and the mysterious "Farmers" whose equipment has been salvaged by the mixture of human and alien colonists. I'm curious enough to keep reading the series, but I doubt I'll ever reread them.
snowywolff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
medium-paced
3.0
Sooooooo I’m torn on this one. On the one hand, the plot was fine. We’re moving forward, the colony is thriving and the plot is deepening and very intriguing to me. On the other hand… why the breeding situation. Just why. Like it’s so over the top that it almost feels like satire but it’s still treated too seriously to sit right with me. Like all 2000 of-breeding-age women get pregnant, no issues, no infertility, no complications, on a planet with barely any medical equipment (at least no mention of like proper pre-natal care except that there aren’t enough doctors to handle Two Thousand pregnant women). Like it’s so insane that I’m still just like ??? about the intentions (cause it does feel like it’s making fun of male-dominated sci-fi). Just… threw me for a big loop but by the end we were back on track to the actual plot and I am Praying that the rest of the series leaves the whole parenting situation in the dust cause it’s boring and weird (and Kris Was raped, both drunk still means no consent and she didn’t want to have a child).
I should talk more about the plot but it’s just so overshadowed by that stuff. But the Farmers are fascinating, can’t wait for the Eosi to meet their end and I was also very touched by the colony’s willingness to take in those now intellectually disabled. I do hope the implication isn’t “house slave” bc McCaffrey has done that in the Dragonrider series, but I’m not gonna think about that bc the book didn’t touch on it specifically.
I should talk more about the plot but it’s just so overshadowed by that stuff. But the Farmers are fascinating, can’t wait for the Eosi to meet their end and I was also very touched by the colony’s willingness to take in those now intellectually disabled. I do hope the implication isn’t “house slave” bc McCaffrey has done that in the Dragonrider series, but I’m not gonna think about that bc the book didn’t touch on it specifically.
spentcello's review against another edition
2.75
I always think of Anne McCaffrey's books as comfort food - nothing particularly bad happens, all plans go well and there are generally very few complications. This series has those elements but I think I prefer Pern more. This is more like comfort food with a strong military dressing which is not a particularly pleasant result. Setting it in modern day Earth time allows for a lot of popular culture references, which are sometimes funny, but often come across as silly and cheap.
I find the ethnographic angle of detailing the set-up of a colony a unique way of exploring the more positive sides of human nature but I find someone like Ursula K. Le Guin's exploration deeper and more satisfying. I also have a slight issue with setting up what I would call 'cosy colonialism' where all the ethical problems traditionally associated with colonialism are removed. Doing this validates colonialist ideals and promotes a one-sided view of colonialism and human expansion which I don't personally agree with. However, this is a recurrent theme in almost all of McCaffrey's books and I still enjoy them a lot. While I wasn't particularly impressed with this book in the series, I'm interested to see where she takes it in the later books.
I find the ethnographic angle of detailing the set-up of a colony a unique way of exploring the more positive sides of human nature but I find someone like Ursula K. Le Guin's exploration deeper and more satisfying. I also have a slight issue with setting up what I would call 'cosy colonialism' where all the ethical problems traditionally associated with colonialism are removed. Doing this validates colonialist ideals and promotes a one-sided view of colonialism and human expansion which I don't personally agree with. However, this is a recurrent theme in almost all of McCaffrey's books and I still enjoy them a lot. While I wasn't particularly impressed with this book in the series, I'm interested to see where she takes it in the later books.