A review by tyalexlaw
The Dark Forest by Cixin Liu

challenging dark medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

The first half of the book is a bit of a slog--you're spending a lot of time with a main character whose main personality traits are laziness and (I would describe it as) misogyny. Luo Ji just isn't as compelling or complex of a central character as Ye Wenjie was in the first novel.
That said, once things really start moving halfway through, the plot picks up and the book dives again into the big-picture, sci-fi/sociological ideas that Cixin Liu is so brilliant for. The payoff is definitely worth it, but this one is more of a slog than the first book to get there.
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