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flounder47's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure what I was expecting, but a cross between noir and hard sci-fi wasn't it! There's quite a lot of potential here. The universe and setting definitely makes sense for humanity just having branched out into the solar system. The pacing in the first half was quite slow but it picks up after that. Miller is definitely not a character I expected to find in sci-fi, which made him quite a bit better. Holden and his crew are a more typical sci-fi bunch, but it's nice to see stories about people who aren't military/Starfleet/etc. and the pros and cons of dealing with that.
squaternutbosch's review against another edition
4.0
Not the easiest of books to start, as the story jumps between main characters frequently, but you will be rewarded for your efforts.
jennyalexandra's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ai_burtle's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
nschilling10's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
It's pretty good, I generally like the characters even if Miller is a bit of an ass. I like Fred; he's good and honorable.
The plot is pretty good; pacing is pretty good. They build drama and tension without being too hacky.
The ending is interesting
The plot is pretty good; pacing is pretty good. They build drama and tension without being too hacky.
The ending is interesting
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide attempt, Gore, War, Police brutality, Murder, Cursing, Violence, and Suicide
Minor: Sexual assault, Rape, and Sexual violence
aesselya's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
evjohn13's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
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
4.75
stardustrohrig's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I’ve been wanting to re-read this series for a while so I decided May was going to be the month I started reading it again. As this first book in the series this one is a fun read. The characters and the world building are great. I love the way everything is set up for the rest of the series. A lot of things happen in the book that will have an impact much farther down the line. I also really like the way the crew of the Rocinante comes together – Jim Holden, Naomi Nagata, Alex Kamal, and Amos Burton – it’s a team built out of chaos and destruction but they make a great team flaws and all. Detective Miller good too but he’s definitly a tragic character.
Okay I’m just going to say this once – something that frustrates me about the writing is how often “stupid” or “idiot” are used as shorthand for any character flaw instead of actually naming the flaw for what it is – arrogance, greed, carelessness, recklessness, etc. Granted, it’s a thing people do all the time, so it’s not surprising it’s in the book. It’s still frustrating though since it’s a constant thing that happens. There’s also a weird scene where Holden contemplates taking advantage of a drunk Naomi (they’re at a bar together she’s drunk, he is not) and the narration clearly acts as though it’s a natural thing to contemplate… the fact that he doesn’t do it at all doesn’t mitigate anything. At least it’s clear throughout the book Naomi isn’t going to tolerate any BS from him and he listens.