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3.95 AVERAGE
3.95 AVERAGE
ARC provided by Netgalley.
2.5 stars.
This had somewhat of a slow start, but became more engaging as it progressed. I liked the characterizations and the premise was interesting. I could see the plot twist a mile away, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment.
2.5 stars.
This had somewhat of a slow start, but became more engaging as it progressed. I liked the characterizations and the premise was interesting. I could see the plot twist a mile away, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment.
adventurous
emotional
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:
No
Stars Uncharted by SK Dunstall is a quick-moving space western story. People on the run through only partially civilized space, hopping between ships and planets and stations, pursued by shadowy powerful corporations. Shades of Firefly, or Star Wars smugglers, or The Expanse. This one's differentiating factor is body modding, through machines that can rebuild a person from the DNA up. The characters are mostly lovable and fairly well rounded, and even grow a bit along the way. I purposely didn't think too hard about some of the faster-than-light travel tech or implications of the body modding, preferring to enjoy the story rather than think up holes to poke in the setting. If you like the genre, this one should be a fun ride.
This was so much fun! I fell in love with the characters as they tried to keep their secrets and escape their enemies. Looking forward to book 2 in 2019.
Fast-paced action and intrigue to kick off a new space opera series from the Dunstall sisters.
Nika Rik Terri is a top body-modder, a medical specialization that can radically transform or heal people. She's also fallen in with a bad crowd: the leadership and top agents of Eaglehawk, one of the 27 companies that control pretty much all of human space. An encounter with the most lethal Eaglehawk agent leaves Nika running for her life. Josune Arriola is an engineer onboard the Road to the Goberlings and with a connection to another ship that has just been attacked. Fairly quickly both Nika and Josune are caught up in a desperate hunt for a treasure map that the companies will kill for.
Did I mention fast-paced? This one never lets up on either action or intrigue. Pretty much all of the characters here have background secrets and the backstory emerges during the desperate flight of the small crew from the powerful companies that are pursuing them.
Nika Rik Terri is a top body-modder, a medical specialization that can radically transform or heal people. She's also fallen in with a bad crowd: the leadership and top agents of Eaglehawk, one of the 27 companies that control pretty much all of human space. An encounter with the most lethal Eaglehawk agent leaves Nika running for her life. Josune Arriola is an engineer onboard the Road to the Goberlings and with a connection to another ship that has just been attacked. Fairly quickly both Nika and Josune are caught up in a desperate hunt for a treasure map that the companies will kill for.
Did I mention fast-paced? This one never lets up on either action or intrigue. Pretty much all of the characters here have background secrets and the backstory emerges during the desperate flight of the small crew from the powerful companies that are pursuing them.
Dunstall, S. K. Stars Uncharted. Ace, 2018.
Stars Uncharted is the fourth novel by a pair of Australian sisters who write under one penname. It is a stand-alone space opera, but Dunstall leaves plenty of room for future development in the world built here. The story pits a thrown-together crew of desperate adventurers, each of whom has an interesting back story, against a variety of villainous folks. The two most important characters are a soldier out for revenge against the pirates who destroyed her spaceship and murdered her shipmates and a body modification artist (don’t call her studio a shop!) on the run from gangsters. The body-modification and consciousness transfer technologies are explained well, though it annoyed me that they depend on rare “transuride” catalysts that operate as the McGuffin, the hunt for which motivates much of the action. It seems a lame gimmick. That said, Dunstall is an intriguing new science fiction voice. I plan to read her Linesman trilogy and look forward to future works. 3.5 stars.
Stars Uncharted is the fourth novel by a pair of Australian sisters who write under one penname. It is a stand-alone space opera, but Dunstall leaves plenty of room for future development in the world built here. The story pits a thrown-together crew of desperate adventurers, each of whom has an interesting back story, against a variety of villainous folks. The two most important characters are a soldier out for revenge against the pirates who destroyed her spaceship and murdered her shipmates and a body modification artist (don’t call her studio a shop!) on the run from gangsters. The body-modification and consciousness transfer technologies are explained well, though it annoyed me that they depend on rare “transuride” catalysts that operate as the McGuffin, the hunt for which motivates much of the action. It seems a lame gimmick. That said, Dunstall is an intriguing new science fiction voice. I plan to read her Linesman trilogy and look forward to future works. 3.5 stars.
Note: I listed to a book on tape for this because that is what the library had. That might have been why I was a little confused about all the back and forth of who was speaking when. But in general, I really enjoyed this book.
I especially liked how the author took into account that living in someone else's body isn't something that you could easily do without practice.
I especially liked how the author took into account that living in someone else's body isn't something that you could easily do without practice.
adventurous
tense
fast-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:
No
adventurous
hopeful
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
This was my first Dunstall book, and I REALLY enjoyed it. I especially loved the detailed and seamless explainations of body mods, and how it fit so well into a large portion of the world. The universe itself was great very interesting, and I'd love for it to be explored more.
Liked the characters quite a bit. There were definitely a cast of characters, but not too many to confuse. I found myself wanting to know so much more about each of the characters, more of their history, how they ended up where they did.
It wrapped up nicely, but I do hope there's a second one. Five stars, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of their works.
Also, thanks NetGalley for the e-arc. You remain the best.
Liked the characters quite a bit. There were definitely a cast of characters, but not too many to confuse. I found myself wanting to know so much more about each of the characters, more of their history, how they ended up where they did.
It wrapped up nicely, but I do hope there's a second one. Five stars, and I will definitely be checking out the rest of their works.
Also, thanks NetGalley for the e-arc. You remain the best.
adventurous
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