mymidnightheart's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic concept, well executed. The pacing dragged in the middle, but the brilliance of the opening and the conclusion convinced me it deserved 4 stars.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
I remembered liking this and thinking it was one of typically very good Nebula award winners that I had been reading all in a row. But I didn't remember anything else so everything about this felt completely new. And later on reading pretty much everything Vonda McIntyre had written and wishing there was more.
I re-read this now because there will be a panel discussion on Dreamsnake at Sasquan. But after reading a bunch of lousy books it was a nice change to read a really good one. So what's good about this one? The pacing is great - almost no exposition, no intro - and yet you learn about Snake's world on every page. And it is not the same as our world. The technology is different as are the social practices. And each place we go to is different. And the characters are real and different from each other. And the idea of the snakes as med-kit is crazy but rings true. Even the length is a good one - very little padding. And we never do learn if it is an after-the-day or failed colonization or whatever, and it doesn't matter that we don't. Worth reading. 4.5 of 5.
I re-read this now because there will be a panel discussion on Dreamsnake at Sasquan. But after reading a bunch of lousy books it was a nice change to read a really good one. So what's good about this one? The pacing is great - almost no exposition, no intro - and yet you learn about Snake's world on every page. And it is not the same as our world. The technology is different as are the social practices. And each place we go to is different. And the characters are real and different from each other. And the idea of the snakes as med-kit is crazy but rings true. Even the length is a good one - very little padding. And we never do learn if it is an after-the-day or failed colonization or whatever, and it doesn't matter that we don't. Worth reading. 4.5 of 5.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
3.0
Snake healer story from the 1970s seems to be a metaphor for modern-day opioid drug abuse. Interesting.
jcpinckney's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
shayana8's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
jonmhansen's review against another edition
4.0
It has a very languid feel. I read another review of it recently that described the plot as meandering like a snake; I would agreed to that. It's a good read. Surprising it's not currently in print.
sortabadass's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse
Minor: Pedophilia
manuphoto's review
3.0
This was an odd one for me. On the one hand, I enjoyed the characters. Snake is an interesting character, and it’s good to have a female lead in an older sci-fi book for a change. But she doesn’t really have an arc, at least not a fulfilling one. Also, I’m not a huge fan of the whole “travel on horse back” vibe and all the descriptions and references that this entails, but that comes down to personal preference. The supporting cast is good, but not great. They all seem a bit inconsequential.
So I think that it is a better book that I give it credit for but it didn’t really connect with me.
So I think that it is a better book that I give it credit for but it didn’t really connect with me.