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edgars's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
kalin_grace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
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? Yes
4.0
mockingjay_13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
eesh25's review against another edition
5.0
I'm a little late to the Illuminae party, I know. But epistolary is not my favourite format. I always struggle to connect with characters and it feels gimmick-y to me. So whenever anyone raved about the "unique format", it just made me want to read it less. But I'd heard that the audiobook is really good so I finally decided to give it a go. And honestly, I couldn't imagine this book in any other format. The way the story is told is perfect and the audiobook is amazing.
The book follows Kady and Ezra. It's 2575 and they are two of the thousands of people who live on an illegal mining colony in the Kerenza system. They're both in school when the tiny planet is attacked by BeiTech, a big corporation. A large population of the planet dies but some manage to escape on a fleet of three ships. That's where the book starts.
I've heard some complaints about this book being a little hard to follow and it is, initially. The book is in the format or interviews, diary entries, emails etc. and all the events of the book have already happened when the book starts. It's just giving us a detailed account of those events; that Kerenza IV was attacked, and what went down afterward. Kady went on one ship, Hypatia, and Ezra went onboard Alexander. They have a strained relationship because they'd just broken us mere hours ago and communication between ships isn't allows, but they find a way to talk and to work through their problems so as to deal with the current big problem, which is the giant enemy ship that's following them.
The Lincoln is a dreadnought (I'm not sure what that means beyond big and dangerous ship) and it follows the fleet Ezra and Kady are a part of so that no one can find out how they killed thousands on Kerenza. The military personal on the fleet are working to make sure that can reach the nearest safe station, which is six months away, without getting killed.
And that's the basic plot of it all. I didn't know all of this going in because I didn't read the synopsis but I'm not sure how much it would have mattered. The book has an abrupt beginning and kind of expects you to already know the names and stuff, it seems. But really, you just need to get through the first third of the book and familiarize yourself with the major players. After that, it's a hell of a ride.
This is a very fast paced book and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Ezra and Kady are great protagonist. Ezra is surprisingly sweet and has a great sense of humour while Kady is guarded but cares a lot. She's also willing to go to any length to get things done and this time, she's determined to save the fleet, especially Ezra. She's a bit frosty at first because of the break-up but there are more important things going on so the two learn to work together, even if the "work" is to keep each other sane after losing their home and being separated from everyone they know.
The chase from the Lincoln is exciting and nerve-wracking because it's a very fast ship and we know it's going to catch up, which means there's going to be a fight. And the countdown to Lincoln intersection just makes things worse. And the Lincoln is just the first big bad. There's also a more immediate, and awesome villain, plus a lot of shit going on with ships and the thousands of poeple stuck on them.
Safe to say, the book does not lack in action. I loved the plot and the humour, I thought the format was exactly the right choice for the story, I loved the many revelations and the tension it created, I loved the characters and the villain was the best thing ever. The audiobook is fantastic. All the narrators did such a great job. My favorite was, hands down, Analyst ID 7213 (absolutely hilarious) and I'm really pumped for Gemina. I'm thinking of a paperback this time but maybe also the audiobook? Nah, paperback it is. Though if I love it as much as this one, I might listen to the audio as a reread.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves action and science-fiction. I will stress that you need to be a little patient with the starting chunk of it but that's about it. The rest is smooth sailing.
The book follows Kady and Ezra. It's 2575 and they are two of the thousands of people who live on an illegal mining colony in the Kerenza system. They're both in school when the tiny planet is attacked by BeiTech, a big corporation. A large population of the planet dies but some manage to escape on a fleet of three ships. That's where the book starts.
I've heard some complaints about this book being a little hard to follow and it is, initially. The book is in the format or interviews, diary entries, emails etc. and all the events of the book have already happened when the book starts. It's just giving us a detailed account of those events; that Kerenza IV was attacked, and what went down afterward. Kady went on one ship, Hypatia, and Ezra went onboard Alexander. They have a strained relationship because they'd just broken us mere hours ago and communication between ships isn't allows, but they find a way to talk and to work through their problems so as to deal with the current big problem, which is the giant enemy ship that's following them.
The Lincoln is a dreadnought (I'm not sure what that means beyond big and dangerous ship) and it follows the fleet Ezra and Kady are a part of so that no one can find out how they killed thousands on Kerenza. The military personal on the fleet are working to make sure that can reach the nearest safe station, which is six months away, without getting killed.
And that's the basic plot of it all. I didn't know all of this going in because I didn't read the synopsis but I'm not sure how much it would have mattered. The book has an abrupt beginning and kind of expects you to already know the names and stuff, it seems. But really, you just need to get through the first third of the book and familiarize yourself with the major players. After that, it's a hell of a ride.
This is a very fast paced book and it keeps you on the edge of your seat the entire time. Ezra and Kady are great protagonist. Ezra is surprisingly sweet and has a great sense of humour while Kady is guarded but cares a lot. She's also willing to go to any length to get things done and this time, she's determined to save the fleet, especially Ezra. She's a bit frosty at first because of the break-up but there are more important things going on so the two learn to work together, even if the "work" is to keep each other sane after losing their home and being separated from everyone they know.
The chase from the Lincoln is exciting and nerve-wracking because it's a very fast ship and we know it's going to catch up, which means there's going to be a fight. And the countdown to Lincoln intersection just makes things worse. And the Lincoln is just the first big bad. There's also a more immediate, and awesome villain, plus a lot of shit going on with ships and the thousands of poeple stuck on them.
Safe to say, the book does not lack in action. I loved the plot and the humour, I thought the format was exactly the right choice for the story, I loved the many revelations and the tension it created, I loved the characters and the villain was the best thing ever. The audiobook is fantastic. All the narrators did such a great job. My favorite was, hands down, Analyst ID 7213 (absolutely hilarious) and I'm really pumped for Gemina. I'm thinking of a paperback this time but maybe also the audiobook? Nah, paperback it is. Though if I love it as much as this one, I might listen to the audio as a reread.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves action and science-fiction. I will stress that you need to be a little patient with the starting chunk of it but that's about it. The rest is smooth sailing.
faeriesparks's review against another edition
4.0
So there has been so much hype around this book, I made sure to lower my very (VERY) high expectations.
I was so intrigued by the format of this book and it was done so well. Something I wasn't expecting were the emotions I felt while reading this. THOSE FEELS MAN. I did not expect them at all, especially with this format. There were times when I had tears in my eyes, so close to crying. I got so attached to some of these characters.
There were pages I found a bit boring and to be honest, the plot didn't always make sense to me (might've been the format, idk) but I still enjoyed this book so, so much.
I was so intrigued by the format of this book and it was done so well. Something I wasn't expecting were the emotions I felt while reading this. THOSE FEELS MAN. I did not expect them at all, especially with this format. There were times when I had tears in my eyes, so close to crying. I got so attached to some of these characters.
There were pages I found a bit boring and to be honest, the plot didn't always make sense to me (might've been the format, idk) but I still enjoyed this book so, so much.
elliez's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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? Yes
5.0
ingo_lembcke's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Got this on my TBR (& bought)-pile far too long.
This SF with battle, a few things about wormholes and space travel are not really explained, but should be know beforehand (STNG/Deepspace 9 or other SF books). Cannot really imagine how you would read this without the knowledge, but maybe these parts can be skipped, the main parts of the story are well explained. Still, an appendix or index with explanations would have helped (yes, even me).
While some scenes where a bit long, and I had trouble with the small print (wavy lines of words), the main reason I prefer ebooks to printed books which lack adjustable font-sizes (and search capabilities), this was simply a great read.
No sex though but luckily no love-triangle, nor instalove either.
The main characters are well developed, and quite a lot of minor characters get a little background without that being boring or getting too long.
And then the AI, since Pohl: [b:Gateway|218427|Gateway (Heechee Saga, #1)|Frederik Pohl|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441698400s/218427.jpg|1668837] have I not read such great conversations with an AI. Simply genius.
Great plot-twists some I did not see coming, but going into details here would mean spoiling the fun! Bloody fights, mass-killings, necessary mass-killings, and some interesting decisions from the AI.
Highly recommended, strong 5 stars.
If you can plan your time for this book, I suggest reading it in a single setting or a long, rainy weekend. The next book is expected to be published mid-to-late October 2016, I have the Kindle ebook in pre-order.
This SF with battle, a few things about wormholes and space travel are not really explained, but should be know beforehand (STNG/Deepspace 9 or other SF books). Cannot really imagine how you would read this without the knowledge, but maybe these parts can be skipped, the main parts of the story are well explained. Still, an appendix or index with explanations would have helped (yes, even me).
While some scenes where a bit long, and I had trouble with the small print (wavy lines of words), the main reason I prefer ebooks to printed books which lack adjustable font-sizes (and search capabilities), this was simply a great read.
No sex though but luckily no love-triangle, nor instalove either.
The main characters are well developed, and quite a lot of minor characters get a little background without that being boring or getting too long.
And then the AI, since Pohl: [b:Gateway|218427|Gateway (Heechee Saga, #1)|Frederik Pohl|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1441698400s/218427.jpg|1668837] have I not read such great conversations with an AI. Simply genius.
Great plot-twists some I did not see coming, but going into details here would mean spoiling the fun! Bloody fights, mass-killings, necessary mass-killings, and some interesting decisions from the AI.
Highly recommended, strong 5 stars.
If you can plan your time for this book, I suggest reading it in a single setting or a long, rainy weekend. The next book is expected to be published mid-to-late October 2016, I have the Kindle ebook in pre-order.
pelargonia's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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? No
3.25
michelle_chloe's review against another edition
2.0
2/5 ☆
Before reading this you should know I only read up to page 110...
I really couldn't get into this book, even though I really wanted to. The format is so amazing (which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1)
I have absolutely no clue what the story is about, I had a hard time following the story line.
Before reading this you should know I only read up to page 110...
I really couldn't get into this book, even though I really wanted to. The format is so amazing (which is why I gave it 2 stars instead of 1)
I have absolutely no clue what the story is about, I had a hard time following the story line.