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A review by saucy_bookdragon
Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
So much happened in this, so little to care about.
Winter's Orbit is a sci-fi romance novel that can't quite commit to any of its bits. Relying too heavily on its tropes, I found the main characters flat and lacking in chemistry. The slow-burn didn't work, it either needed to be less slow or more tension, and it most definitely needed less miscommunication.
The sci-fi setting is wasted. The world building is both convoluted and flat. It's intensely focused on the politics of an interstellar empire but forgets to really flesh said empire out, so we get a lot of political intrigue that isn't intriguing. And the sci-fi concepts are half-baked and under-utilized.
Overall, wish this was more romantic and speculative. As a gay who loves space operas, I'm disappointed in this gay space opera.
Winter's Orbit is a sci-fi romance novel that can't quite commit to any of its bits. Relying too heavily on its tropes, I found the main characters flat and lacking in chemistry. The slow-burn didn't work, it either needed to be less slow or more tension, and it most definitely needed less miscommunication.
The sci-fi setting is wasted. The world building is both convoluted and flat. It's intensely focused on the politics of an interstellar empire but forgets to really flesh said empire out, so we get a lot of political intrigue that isn't intriguing. And the sci-fi concepts are half-baked and under-utilized.
Overall, wish this was more romantic and speculative. As a gay who loves space operas, I'm disappointed in this gay space opera.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse and Torture