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kgruie9's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
theaurochs's review against another edition
2.0
A mediocre and run-of-the-mill sci-fi adventure story. Particularly listening to the audio version (by many accounts the preferred way to experience this), it is a strongly serialised story that feels distinctly like a mid-budget tv show more than a cohesive novel. You can feel the different authors pushing and pulling in different directions, which gives a result that is less than the sum of its already underwhelming parts. Also much like a mid-budget tv show, it wraps up without any real satisfying conclusions, left to the whims of the network as to whether or not we will ever see an end to the story.
The story follows an older grizzled mercenary as she is teamed up with the precocious young child of the president of one of the planets in a star system with many inhabitable planets. The star at the centre of the system has been mined for fuel and as such is growing colder, rendering the outer planets uninhabitable and provided the catalyst for the societal drama. The Merc & the Child are tasked with locating a missing refugee ship, which sends them on an interplanetary adventure, coming into contact with people on different sides of various conflicts, and primarily the approximately five important people in the solar system. I realise that by some necessity, the characters we meet in any plot should be important to the narrative and the events, but here it feels so small-scale, in the two main characters have to come into contact with the leaders of every faction. It’s almost Forrest Gump in its levels of convenience and being in the right place at the right time. It lends a feeling of the two main characters being the player characters in a video game, and the whole universe is just there waiting for them to interact with; nothing important could possibly happen without their presence.
This might be less of a problem if either of these characters were interesting, but that unfortunately is not the case. Grizzled Old Merc is a pretty stock Grizzled Old Merc character, and Young Precocious Child is the same for that trope. The different writers for different chapters mean that their characterisations vary too much to really be consistent or satisfying, and their abilities veer wildly as the plot demands. By halfway through, Grizzled Old Merc is a superhuman pilot, flying an aged ship through state-of-the-art attack drones, while Young Precocious Child hacks through the state-of-the-art security system; rendering them as superheroes who can solve any challenge with no setbacks. So now, we’ve removed any element of stakes from the plot. We spend the rest of the series bouncing from location to location to chase down macguffins and Important Characters, before the inevitable final act massive battle. Side note on characters- I appreciate having a gender-neutral main character in Young Precocious Child, but I don't think it was handled very well in this case- particularly there were some specific instances where Young Precocious Child assumes other people's genders in really noticeable ways, which seems like a dick move (to this gender-neutral-pronoun-using-person, anyway).
Right ok, so we don’t have any interesting characters, the plot is fairly rudimentary and without interesting stakes. What else could be said to be going for this story? Certainly not the worldbuilding. The tech is frustratingly handwavey and matches whatever level is required for the plot at that time. There is a deep lack of internal consistency which prevents it from ever really presenting a believable world. But worse than unbelievable, there is nothing novel or interesting presented here either. It feels like such a stock world, with default space empire #2 only vaguely changed from the standard settings. The outer planets slowly becoming less habitable does allow for some exploration of what it means to be a refugee- the troubles of maintaining a cultural identity in the face of displacement, and the struggle to create such identities in the face of marginalisation and repression. This is probably the largest redeeming feature, but even that is handled somewhat haphazardly, and with varying deftness depending on which exact author is writing the chapter.
A forgettable sci-fi romp that does a disservice to the several authors involved in its creation; the joint effort shows off more of their weak point without allowing their strengths to shine through.
The story follows an older grizzled mercenary as she is teamed up with the precocious young child of the president of one of the planets in a star system with many inhabitable planets. The star at the centre of the system has been mined for fuel and as such is growing colder, rendering the outer planets uninhabitable and provided the catalyst for the societal drama. The Merc & the Child are tasked with locating a missing refugee ship, which sends them on an interplanetary adventure, coming into contact with people on different sides of various conflicts, and primarily the approximately five important people in the solar system. I realise that by some necessity, the characters we meet in any plot should be important to the narrative and the events, but here it feels so small-scale, in the two main characters have to come into contact with the leaders of every faction. It’s almost Forrest Gump in its levels of convenience and being in the right place at the right time. It lends a feeling of the two main characters being the player characters in a video game, and the whole universe is just there waiting for them to interact with; nothing important could possibly happen without their presence.
This might be less of a problem if either of these characters were interesting, but that unfortunately is not the case. Grizzled Old Merc is a pretty stock Grizzled Old Merc character, and Young Precocious Child is the same for that trope. The different writers for different chapters mean that their characterisations vary too much to really be consistent or satisfying, and their abilities veer wildly as the plot demands. By halfway through, Grizzled Old Merc is a superhuman pilot, flying an aged ship through state-of-the-art attack drones, while Young Precocious Child hacks through the state-of-the-art security system; rendering them as superheroes who can solve any challenge with no setbacks. So now, we’ve removed any element of stakes from the plot. We spend the rest of the series bouncing from location to location to chase down macguffins and Important Characters, before the inevitable final act massive battle. Side note on characters- I appreciate having a gender-neutral main character in Young Precocious Child, but I don't think it was handled very well in this case- particularly there were some specific instances where Young Precocious Child assumes other people's genders in really noticeable ways, which seems like a dick move (to this gender-neutral-pronoun-using-person, anyway).
Right ok, so we don’t have any interesting characters, the plot is fairly rudimentary and without interesting stakes. What else could be said to be going for this story? Certainly not the worldbuilding. The tech is frustratingly handwavey and matches whatever level is required for the plot at that time. There is a deep lack of internal consistency which prevents it from ever really presenting a believable world. But worse than unbelievable, there is nothing novel or interesting presented here either. It feels like such a stock world, with default space empire #2 only vaguely changed from the standard settings. The outer planets slowly becoming less habitable does allow for some exploration of what it means to be a refugee- the troubles of maintaining a cultural identity in the face of displacement, and the struggle to create such identities in the face of marginalisation and repression. This is probably the largest redeeming feature, but even that is handled somewhat haphazardly, and with varying deftness depending on which exact author is writing the chapter.
A forgettable sci-fi romp that does a disservice to the several authors involved in its creation; the joint effort shows off more of their weak point without allowing their strengths to shine through.
tzurky's review against another edition
4.0
This story has both an interesting premise and a novel structure. It’s a serial novel where each chapter is written by a different author. And it’s a classic sci-fi space opera setting used to tell a very modern story in a thought-provoking manner. The theme is refugees: what they go through, what it means to be one, how they are perceived and treated. And true to most sci-fi explorations of current topics of political commentary it has a multi-faceted and much more nuanced approach than either news pundits or many novels dealing with the subject. Transposing the subject matter into deep space in an alien solar system populated by cultures unrecognizable to us has a way of both cutting to the heart of matter and permitting a more in-depth analysis without any of the pitfalls of speaking about recognizable cultures, countries or even people.
It’s also eminently a story about family bonds and how they evolve over time. Both the main characters have an uneasy relationship with their families and are struggling to reconcile their daily duties with their understanding of what it means to be a part of their respective families.
It’s also surprisingly versatile in style. It starts of as a classic buddy cop story with the eager newcomer and the world-weary mentor and then it adds in the space opera and a cyberpunk flavor with a strong sprinkling of dystopia.
It helps that I loved the characters. It may be my own damn fault for continuing to read them but I’m a bit over-saturated with ‘young’ stories. This isn’t just a matter of age though, but mostly of how characters behave and what their goals in life are. While Niko is young and eager to prove themselves, they’re definitely not stupid and they aren’t a love-sick puppy mooning over someone or on a typical ‘chosen one’ path. On the contrary, that trope is lambasted in all its ridiculousness here. There’s none of that idealistic streak - this is a ruthlessly pragmatic story both in how the events unfold and in how they affect the characters and their relationships. It’s not bleak and misanthropic but there’s a distinct lack of faith in the general goodness of humanity. Only the realistic recognition that many people do come through for others when it matters - as best they know how and to the best of their abilities (which means their efforts may often be counter-productive); also: there’s a bunch of egotistical assholes around as well that will go out of their way to ruin things for others. And they’re not monsters either. They’re the good ones in their own mind. On this note: kudos for one of the absolut best villains - the general is absolutely blood-curdling in a very believable way.
Basically, this is a 5 star story as far as it goes. The transitions between authors are surprisingly smooth. The characterization is consistent and subtle throughout. There’s really nothing to fault. My issue is that I’m a ‘completionist’ and firstly it’s uncertain whether the story will ever be completed. Secondly, I’ve heard the second book is measurable worse (and it’s not written by the same authors as the first but by less famous ones). So my enjoyment is somewhat dimmed by the fact that we don’t get a real conclusion, we don’t get full character arcs and damn it all to hell but I was really hoping for a facile Katharsis having the villain basically burn in hell. She’s awesomely hateable!
It’s also eminently a story about family bonds and how they evolve over time. Both the main characters have an uneasy relationship with their families and are struggling to reconcile their daily duties with their understanding of what it means to be a part of their respective families.
It’s also surprisingly versatile in style. It starts of as a classic buddy cop story with the eager newcomer and the world-weary mentor and then it adds in the space opera and a cyberpunk flavor with a strong sprinkling of dystopia.
It helps that I loved the characters. It may be my own damn fault for continuing to read them but I’m a bit over-saturated with ‘young’ stories. This isn’t just a matter of age though, but mostly of how characters behave and what their goals in life are. While Niko is young and eager to prove themselves, they’re definitely not stupid and they aren’t a love-sick puppy mooning over someone or on a typical ‘chosen one’ path. On the contrary, that trope is lambasted in all its ridiculousness here. There’s none of that idealistic streak - this is a ruthlessly pragmatic story both in how the events unfold and in how they affect the characters and their relationships. It’s not bleak and misanthropic but there’s a distinct lack of faith in the general goodness of humanity. Only the realistic recognition that many people do come through for others when it matters - as best they know how and to the best of their abilities (which means their efforts may often be counter-productive); also: there’s a bunch of egotistical assholes around as well that will go out of their way to ruin things for others. And they’re not monsters either. They’re the good ones in their own mind. On this note: kudos for one of the absolut best villains - the general is absolutely blood-curdling in a very believable way.
Basically, this is a 5 star story as far as it goes. The transitions between authors are surprisingly smooth. The characterization is consistent and subtle throughout. There’s really nothing to fault. My issue is that I’m a ‘completionist’ and firstly it’s uncertain whether the story will ever be completed. Secondly, I’ve heard the second book is measurable worse (and it’s not written by the same authors as the first but by less famous ones). So my enjoyment is somewhat dimmed by the fact that we don’t get a real conclusion, we don’t get full character arcs and damn it all to hell but I was really hoping for a facile Katharsis having the villain basically burn in hell. She’s awesomely hateable!
mweis's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
plumquin's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
blue_jules's review
So, "The Vela", a collaborative science fiction novel written in relatively self-contained chapters.
Set in a solar system with many inhabited planets, each with its on distinct politics and culture - without them being monocultures.
But there's a problem here: the sun is slowly going out, because some inner planets overdid the Hydrogen harvesting. This renders the planets uninhabitable one by one.
As this affects the outer planets first, there are many refugees from the outer into the inner system. Which is being dealt with by letting their scrap ships come apart and putting the ones who make it into overcrowded camps in orbit.
Amidst this backdrop, we follow what's on the surface a rescue mission: Asala (mercenary who's also a refugee from outer planet Hypathia) and Niko (hacker kid of inner planet Khayyam's president) are tasked with finding the "Vela".
The "Vela" is a refugee ship gone missing, and very probably more than it seems to be - as is Niko, the hapless privileged sidekick of a hard-boiled soldier. And both of them are sweeped up in the system's politics and struggle for the future.
"The Vela" is a climate change allegory, and a depressing one at that. Everyone tries to survive, even if that means leaving others behind; even the ending is nothing more than a desparate scramble of getting out first.
But it's not all grimdark. There are characters who care, even though they make messy compromises. There is stark beauty in different landscapes, in poetry, sweets and family ties. But they are small glimpses against a hostile world.
I liked the gritty realism, even if it's not really what I want right now: the many disabled characters, the many hurts and pains. I liked that literally everyone we know something about is queer. And the major plot twist is neat.
Set in a solar system with many inhabited planets, each with its on distinct politics and culture - without them being monocultures.
But there's a problem here: the sun is slowly going out, because some inner planets overdid the Hydrogen harvesting. This renders the planets uninhabitable one by one.
As this affects the outer planets first, there are many refugees from the outer into the inner system. Which is being dealt with by letting their scrap ships come apart and putting the ones who make it into overcrowded camps in orbit.
Amidst this backdrop, we follow what's on the surface a rescue mission: Asala (mercenary who's also a refugee from outer planet Hypathia) and Niko (hacker kid of inner planet Khayyam's president) are tasked with finding the "Vela".
The "Vela" is a refugee ship gone missing, and very probably more than it seems to be - as is Niko, the hapless privileged sidekick of a hard-boiled soldier. And both of them are sweeped up in the system's politics and struggle for the future.
"The Vela" is a climate change allegory, and a depressing one at that. Everyone tries to survive, even if that means leaving others behind; even the ending is nothing more than a desparate scramble of getting out first.
But it's not all grimdark. There are characters who care, even though they make messy compromises. There is stark beauty in different landscapes, in poetry, sweets and family ties. But they are small glimpses against a hostile world.
I liked the gritty realism, even if it's not really what I want right now: the many disabled characters, the many hurts and pains. I liked that literally everyone we know something about is queer. And the major plot twist is neat.
jugglingpup's review against another edition
3.0
To see more reviews check out MI Book Reviews.
I got an ARC of this book.
It physically pains me to say that this is not what I wanted it to be. Some of my favorite authors and authors I have been told will be favorite authors got together and wrote this book, each taking a few chapters. What could be better than getting all of my favorites together to tell a sci-fi story about refugees and finding family? It sounded great in theory, but the execution was slightly off.
One of my biggest issues is the ending. Spoilers coming, but nothing too hardcore. There is a huge battle scene (this is the spoiler) and that is where the book ends, just in the middle of that huge battle. What happens? Does the twist that I saw coming from like the very first chapter actually play out to matter? What about the character I loved and then was disappointed by? What about the one character that is probably a good person in the whole book? What about the grandson that likes to dance? The ending left me feeling like I was cheated. It left on such a cliffhanger that the term cliffhanger just isn’t sufficient. It was clear that a second book was planned and so the ending had to create the hype for that. The issue is the second book (or season as they are called) is by authors I don’t know. Why would I trust authors I don’t know when authors I loved had issues?
Positives are everywhere in this book. There is casual queer rep. There is good queer rep. There are characters that are fascinating like a certain leader of a planet that I can’t imagine at a dance recital. There are characters that aren’t good and there are characters that are very bad. There is some nuance with the alignment, but honestly not a lot. So many of the characters were very flat and one sided. It didn’t measure up to what I know these authors are capable of. This I think comes down to the format. How can they do this great character development that I am used to from Chambers when the author switches every chapter? How can there be this incredibly deep emotional well that Solomon is so amazing at if that is not something that another author cultivates? It was so hard to love this book, because all of the things I love about the authors was cut off at the knee by the format of switching authors every chapter. So even the good was not as good as I wanted or expected.
The plot itself was kind of a buddy cop plot. Two characters are forced together, a veteran and a rookie. They go on wild adventures and uncover bigger plots. There are spies. There is possibly chemistry, possibly a bromance. In the end I felt the same about this book as I do those movies, it was boring and I found myself wondering why people loved it. I wanted to love it. It just felt like the authors were hindered by the very idea that drew me in. There was also the issue of the ton and words being so different that by the time I adjusted to one author, that it was time to switch again. I had to devote enough time to get through a whole chapter otherwise I would be lost. Each author had such a different voice that it felt like multiple books instead of one.
Overall, the format sounded cool and I was ready to buy season two when I was barely half a chapter in. The format in the end is what made this book not one I am overjoyed over. Give the whole book to one of these authors and I have no doubt it would have easily been four or five stars, instead of barely squeaking into three.
I got an ARC of this book.
It physically pains me to say that this is not what I wanted it to be. Some of my favorite authors and authors I have been told will be favorite authors got together and wrote this book, each taking a few chapters. What could be better than getting all of my favorites together to tell a sci-fi story about refugees and finding family? It sounded great in theory, but the execution was slightly off.
One of my biggest issues is the ending. Spoilers coming, but nothing too hardcore. There is a huge battle scene (this is the spoiler) and that is where the book ends, just in the middle of that huge battle. What happens? Does the twist that I saw coming from like the very first chapter actually play out to matter? What about the character I loved and then was disappointed by? What about the one character that is probably a good person in the whole book? What about the grandson that likes to dance? The ending left me feeling like I was cheated. It left on such a cliffhanger that the term cliffhanger just isn’t sufficient. It was clear that a second book was planned and so the ending had to create the hype for that. The issue is the second book (or season as they are called) is by authors I don’t know. Why would I trust authors I don’t know when authors I loved had issues?
Positives are everywhere in this book. There is casual queer rep. There is good queer rep. There are characters that are fascinating like a certain leader of a planet that I can’t imagine at a dance recital. There are characters that aren’t good and there are characters that are very bad. There is some nuance with the alignment, but honestly not a lot. So many of the characters were very flat and one sided. It didn’t measure up to what I know these authors are capable of. This I think comes down to the format. How can they do this great character development that I am used to from Chambers when the author switches every chapter? How can there be this incredibly deep emotional well that Solomon is so amazing at if that is not something that another author cultivates? It was so hard to love this book, because all of the things I love about the authors was cut off at the knee by the format of switching authors every chapter. So even the good was not as good as I wanted or expected.
The plot itself was kind of a buddy cop plot. Two characters are forced together, a veteran and a rookie. They go on wild adventures and uncover bigger plots. There are spies. There is possibly chemistry, possibly a bromance. In the end I felt the same about this book as I do those movies, it was boring and I found myself wondering why people loved it. I wanted to love it. It just felt like the authors were hindered by the very idea that drew me in. There was also the issue of the ton and words being so different that by the time I adjusted to one author, that it was time to switch again. I had to devote enough time to get through a whole chapter otherwise I would be lost. Each author had such a different voice that it felt like multiple books instead of one.
Overall, the format sounded cool and I was ready to buy season two when I was barely half a chapter in. The format in the end is what made this book not one I am overjoyed over. Give the whole book to one of these authors and I have no doubt it would have easily been four or five stars, instead of barely squeaking into three.
iam's review against another edition
4.0
A relevant SciFi story by an amazing cast of authors with strong protagonists that took a bit to get rolling and never developed the way I expected it to.
Read the full review on the blog!
Content warnings include: violence, death, refugee crisis, military leadership, injury, climate emergency.
Read the full review on the blog!
Content warnings include: violence, death, refugee crisis, military leadership, injury, climate emergency.
wiltar4evr's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
aruarian_melody's review
As much as I liked previous books by the authors I don't think this cooperative serial novel worked really well. The pacing often seemed off - with very impactful things happening in just a few sentences. Interesting concept, story and characters but the execution just couldn't hold my interest. DNF@40%