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wordsareworlds's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
I was so invested in this book for the first 50%, and then it felt like it went off the rails. Thompson packed so many different ideas into the book that most didn't end up having any room to breathe let alone shine. The resolution felt divorced from what had actually happened in the rest of the book, which left me feeling unsatisfied and a little bit cheated of the story the first half promised.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Gore, Colonisation, Body horror, and Blood
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Animal death, and Genocide
Minor: Cannibalism
billyjepma's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I struggled to get into this at first and found myself bristling at how little the story prepared me for its version of space travel, alien worlds, and technology. On one hand, I admired the in media res approach, but on the other, I felt like it kept me at arm’s length from the characters and the mystery they find themselves in. And then, right around the halfway point, something in me or the book clicked into place, and I tore through the remaining 150+ pages in one sitting. All those wrinkles I initially saw as obstacles unfolded and played out in immensely satisfying, exciting ways. I still think that the first half is a little rough, and there are areas I found to be slightly underbaked, but I can’t argue with the results. Once things got going, I was all in and then some.
The very concept of a single-location murder mystery in a spaceship is enough of a hook to get me. If you’re willing to be patient, Thompson’s storytelling delivers on and exceeds the expectations of that initial conceit. I love the themes stitched into the plot, appreciate how they exist analogously to the story, and pay off in simultaneously rewarding and frustrating ways. Which is a good thing in my book because the themes Thompson introduces are too big and, in some ways, too abstract to have a proper resolution. I appreciate that he lets his characters (and, by extension, his reader) sit in that vaguely uncomfortable space. Take away the headiness, though, and you still have a simmering thriller that feels like the twisted love child of Seven, The Martian, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some tasteful hints of a Hercule Poirot caper mixed in for good measure.
The very concept of a single-location murder mystery in a spaceship is enough of a hook to get me. If you’re willing to be patient, Thompson’s storytelling delivers on and exceeds the expectations of that initial conceit. I love the themes stitched into the plot, appreciate how they exist analogously to the story, and pay off in simultaneously rewarding and frustrating ways. Which is a good thing in my book because the themes Thompson introduces are too big and, in some ways, too abstract to have a proper resolution. I appreciate that he lets his characters (and, by extension, his reader) sit in that vaguely uncomfortable space. Take away the headiness, though, and you still have a simmering thriller that feels like the twisted love child of Seven, The Martian, and 2001: A Space Odyssey, with some tasteful hints of a Hercule Poirot caper mixed in for good measure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Blood, and Gore
Moderate: Murder, Terminal illness, Violence, Cursing, and Medical content
Minor: Child death, Colonisation, Classism, Racial slurs, and Cannibalism
miraclesnow's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Weird, dream-like vibes. Not the first thing I was imaging when thinking murder mystery in space, and it was enjoyable… but not a traditional murder mystery to me, and a little too ethereal to keep me grounded enough to fall in love with it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Xenophobia, Slavery, Death of parent, Murder, and Excrement
Minor: Colonisation
bookishbutch's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Confinement, Racism, Injury/Injury detail, Gun violence, Death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Animal death, Colonisation, Cursing, and Racial slurs
adancewithbooks's review against another edition
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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Racism, and Colonisation
Moderate: Cannibalism and Sexism
laurareads87's review
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
Thank you to Orbit + NetGalley for providing me with an ARC.
Content warnings: cannibalism, violence, gore/blood, some racism + sexism
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cannibalism, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Colonisation, Racism, and Sexism
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