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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book (and the following entries in the series) has been glazed to the ends of the earth and back. I had this on my Libby holds for like four dang months.
And I was… whelmed? Like at its core, the narrative is theoretically sound and the world building was fine (if not almost completely derivative of more famous neofeudal sci-fi *cough* Dune *cough*). Unfortunately for this book, I sort of felt like every element had been done in other works, just better.
Firstly, the entire work is totally overwrought. It’s a 250k word novel where very little happens except a lot of mental self-pleasuring by our narrator who is not quite interesting enough to be compelling, not quite insufferable enough to be intriguing, and not quite smart enough to be extraordinary. I’ve seen a lot of commentary where people say things like “well the character is supposed to be annoying to follow along with”. While I can respect that take, then maybe using a pseudo-epistolary, fiction memoir narrative structure isn’t quite right.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the characterization or character work. Often characters are boiled down to a single character trait. And don’t worry, if you forget it, the book will tell you again later in the chapter. Additionally, I found it odd that most of the characters who were described physically in depth, were all women. Coupled together, it made it feel weird that the personality traits of two fairly prominent female characters were “lesbian” and “had round hips” respectively.
Finally, the author’s philosophy (controversy notwithstanding) does peek through, and I was a little turned off by that and I’m aware it get more prominent as the series. But all in all, If you’re a fan of space opera in general (which I’m a sucker for) you’ll find enjoyment in reading this. It’s a pretty straightforward and fairly surface level intro to a long series which I’ll check out because I’m curious enough to know how it goes. I’m not sure what’ll happen for six more huge books, but I guess I’ll try and find out.
And I was… whelmed? Like at its core, the narrative is theoretically sound and the world building was fine (if not almost completely derivative of more famous neofeudal sci-fi *cough* Dune *cough*). Unfortunately for this book, I sort of felt like every element had been done in other works, just better.
Firstly, the entire work is totally overwrought. It’s a 250k word novel where very little happens except a lot of mental self-pleasuring by our narrator who is not quite interesting enough to be compelling, not quite insufferable enough to be intriguing, and not quite smart enough to be extraordinary. I’ve seen a lot of commentary where people say things like “well the character is supposed to be annoying to follow along with”. While I can respect that take, then maybe using a pseudo-epistolary, fiction memoir narrative structure isn’t quite right.
I also wasn’t a huge fan of the characterization or character work. Often characters are boiled down to a single character trait. And don’t worry, if you forget it, the book will tell you again later in the chapter. Additionally, I found it odd that most of the characters who were described physically in depth, were all women. Coupled together, it made it feel weird that the personality traits of two fairly prominent female characters were “lesbian” and “had round hips” respectively.
Finally, the author’s philosophy (controversy notwithstanding) does peek through, and I was a little turned off by that and I’m aware it get more prominent as the series. But all in all, If you’re a fan of space opera in general (which I’m a sucker for) you’ll find enjoyment in reading this. It’s a pretty straightforward and fairly surface level intro to a long series which I’ll check out because I’m curious enough to know how it goes. I’m not sure what’ll happen for six more huge books, but I guess I’ll try and find out.
adventurous
mysterious
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:
Yes
dark
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was the longest 26 hours of my life. I don't know why I keep committing to these 20+ hour audiobooks.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I didn't enjoy this one as much as I originally anticipated. However, I do believe this book created a solid foundation for the rest of the books to build upon! I still want to continue the series. I think the books can only get better from here.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes