Reviews tagging 'Sexism'

Far from the Light of Heaven by Tade Thompson

2 reviews

adancewithbooks's review against another edition

Go to review page

mysterious reflective
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5



Thank you to Orbit and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway

Far from the Light of Heaven is an interesting story about the colony ship Ragtime who is being piloted by an AI and first mate Michelle. But when Michelle is jolted out of her sleep she finds there has been murders aboard the ship. How is that possible? A space ship locked room mystery! 

Especially the first half of the story carries a suspense that it should as a locked room mystery. We get a look at the situation through Michelle's eyes and new eyes as an investigator Finn comes aboard with his AI companion. We are slowly getting to know these characters. An interesting addition are Michelle's godfather and his daughter. Well mostly his daughter as she is half-alien and sees things quite differently. 

However as the plot turns to survival and away from the locked room mystery I lost some of my captivation for the story. The ending also felt needlessly abrupt and with a conclusion that didn't feel like anything was solved. Not really. I was left quite dissatisfied. 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings

laurareads87's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

I enjoyed Thompson’s Rosewater so was happy to read his forthcoming Far From the Light of Heaven. I was definitely intrigued by the premise – a locked-room murder mystery on a spaceship. I love a lot about this novel: the diverse cast of characters thrown together by circumstance and forced to find ways to work together, the truly innovative technological and alien elements, the creation of a universe with compelling cultural and political dimensions that feel entirely believable, and a well-paced plot that kept me interested throughout. The inclusion of multiple points of view is highly effective here, as are the ways that Thompson tackles political and environmental dynamics in the universe he’s created. This is a standalone novel, but I do hope that Thompson returns to this universe in a future work.
Thank you to Orbit + NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Content warnings: cannibalism, violence, gore/blood, some racism + sexism 
Expand filter menu Content Warnings
More...