A review by lindzey
Annihilation Aria: Book One of the Space Operas by Michael R. Underwood
1.0
I heard of this book thanks to a Big Idea piece on Whatever. I read the kindle sample, and opted not to buy the book.
The Big Idea piece described this book as a space opera that explores what comes in a partnership after the happily ever after. That premise is definitely appealing to me, as I love character-driven SF. The main characters are a married couple: Max, an archaeologist and a black man from Earth; and Lahra, a member of her species's soldier caste, from Genae. They make their living raiding archaeological sites and selling the findings to descendants of the conquered races.
From the Kindle sample, this seems like a pretty standard action-heavy space opera. I found the narration a bit clunky -- very strong on tell-not-show. The opening description of Lahra was also a bit off-putting, as it was an info dump meant to make you think she's a total badass. It was male-gazey without being physically explicit.
The Big Idea piece described this book as a space opera that explores what comes in a partnership after the happily ever after. That premise is definitely appealing to me, as I love character-driven SF. The main characters are a married couple: Max, an archaeologist and a black man from Earth; and Lahra, a member of her species's soldier caste, from Genae. They make their living raiding archaeological sites and selling the findings to descendants of the conquered races.
From the Kindle sample, this seems like a pretty standard action-heavy space opera. I found the narration a bit clunky -- very strong on tell-not-show. The opening description of Lahra was also a bit off-putting, as it was an info dump meant to make you think she's a total badass. It was male-gazey without being physically explicit.