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booklover160's review
DNF at 30%.
I'm sure if this was more polished and expanded, I'd be way more into it. As it stands, the language is just clunky and repetitive. Improper grammar usage and the odd descriptions made reading the book rather slow and somewhat difficult. I'd get hung up on trying to understand what I was reading and pulled out of the story.
I also had no idea what was going on. The plot was moving too slow and yet parts were moving too fast and I was given whiplash at the abrupt changes in POV.
I did like Alana as a character from what I read of her. She reminds me of Jazz from [b:Artemis|34928122|Artemis|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494273579l/34928122._SY75_.jpg|56402016] by Andy Weir. Actually, the novel itself reminded me of that actually.
I would definitely try the novel again if it was polished more!
I'm sure if this was more polished and expanded, I'd be way more into it. As it stands, the language is just clunky and repetitive. Improper grammar usage and the odd descriptions made reading the book rather slow and somewhat difficult. I'd get hung up on trying to understand what I was reading and pulled out of the story.
I also had no idea what was going on. The plot was moving too slow and yet parts were moving too fast and I was given whiplash at the abrupt changes in POV.
I did like Alana as a character from what I read of her. She reminds me of Jazz from [b:Artemis|34928122|Artemis|Andy Weir|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1494273579l/34928122._SY75_.jpg|56402016] by Andy Weir. Actually, the novel itself reminded me of that actually.
I would definitely try the novel again if it was polished more!
rainbow_grace's review
1.0
This short tale felt oh so painfully long. Awkwardly written and illogical, it is one of the worst books I've forced myself to finish.
constant2m's review
3.0
A dark retelling of Aladdin. I liked the space setting. I liked that there were dragons, although their role was a bit odd. I liked the "genie," and that Aladdin became Alana. I did not like all the deaths in the story. They seemed unnecessary and abrupt and even a little callous. The backstory wasn't well developed, and although that is often the case in novellas, in this case, it made it hard to understand how all the pieces and all the people fit together. I like this author and I think she has some really cool ideas for her books. Unfortunately, this was not one of her best.
The narration was well done with a wide range of characterizations.
I received a free audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
The narration was well done with a wide range of characterizations.
I received a free audiobook from the author and have reviewed it willingly.
thehamsterreads's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this retelling of Aladdin. Alana is a thief, barely scraping a living on her planet Samitri. She’s tiny, so she can take jobs that no one else can. While escaping from a job after an alarm gave her away, she meets Jasper, a kind and handsome boy who helps her escape. Then she takes on a job to find a mysterious golden sphere on a dead ship orbiting near her planet. This goes terribly wrong and she ends up fighting for her life.
I really liked Alana. She is small, but feisty, and she refuses to ever give up. I also liked Jasper. He was very kind to Alana, especially since he’s basically a prince. I loved that he would rescue animals and save their lives. I wasn’t sure what to expect for a sci-fi retelling of Aladdin, but this was very well written and I really enjoyed it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really liked Alana. She is small, but feisty, and she refuses to ever give up. I also liked Jasper. He was very kind to Alana, especially since he’s basically a prince. I loved that he would rescue animals and save their lives. I wasn’t sure what to expect for a sci-fi retelling of Aladdin, but this was very well written and I really enjoyed it!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
thewoollygeek's review
2.0
I couldn’t connect with this at all, the writing is a bit off and with more development both writing and plot-wise it probably could be a great read, but as it stands with a slow pace that makes you lose interested and awkward writing style, it just isn’t for me.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
thoresu's review
4.0
A well written Scifi / Fantasy story.
The story progression was well paced and didn't feel rushed at all. The romance was a bit to kitschy and reminded of a fairytale like Cinderella etc. ... . The final showdown could've been a bit longer it felt like the author wanted it to be done in a few seconds story time.
Overall the book is worth reading.
The story progression was well paced and didn't feel rushed at all. The romance was a bit to kitschy and reminded of a fairytale like Cinderella etc. ... . The final showdown could've been a bit longer it felt like the author wanted it to be done in a few seconds story time.
Overall the book is worth reading.
briarrose1021's review
5.0
I really enjoyed this gender-swapped retelling of Aladdin. The space setting was neat, and the world building was well done even if it wasn't a focus. I also enjoyed the different connection of the Jafar character to the Princess Jasmine character, as it added more nuance to the story.
This was my first encounter with a work by Day Leitao and I will definitely be adding some of her other works to my TBR list for future reading.
And, as I'm a bit of a sucker for HEAs and Disney stories (even if this is a retelling and in no way related to Disney) I will definitely be listening to this one again.
This was my first encounter with a work by Day Leitao and I will definitely be adding some of her other works to my TBR list for future reading.
And, as I'm a bit of a sucker for HEAs and Disney stories (even if this is a retelling and in no way related to Disney) I will definitely be listening to this one again.
justasking27's review
2.0
Very much a retelling of Aladdin, with "dragons", and flat characters, and concerning decisions, and bad romance. The smugglers were my favorite characters by far. There were interesting world building hints dropped, but awkwardly. Will not be reading any other books in this series.
caremary624's review
3.0
It was kind of like watching a bad episode of firefly where they met Aladdin and just threw in some dragons and a smidge teenage angst.
Not really my cup of tea but it was entertaining I guess...
Not really my cup of tea but it was entertaining I guess...
nbjackson's review
5.0
*I was provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
So what if Aladdin was a girl and she lived in Space? Not enough uniqueness for you? What if the Genie was alien-technology and there were dragons in need of rescuing?
The Sphere of Infinity is just that! A gender-bent space novella of Aladdin.
Our girl Alana is a professional thief trying to provide for herself and her mother. She gets hired to steal a golden orb off of a mysterious broken down alien ship hovering just outside her planet's atmosphere. The princess Jasmine is Jasper the son of a major government official working a side project to find the dragons supposedly hidden just outside of town.
There was minimal backstory and world-building, but that is typical of a Novella. The ending left me wanting more of their story. Alana is hilarious and snarky which are two of my favorite qualities in a protagonist. The antagonist was quite unexpected and a lot darker than in the well-known Disney version of the story. I feel like this would've done better as a full-length novel allowing for more culture and character building.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did well to show the emotions of Alana through her voice. However, there were several mistakes that were left into the final cut which can sometimes break the flow of the story.
So what if Aladdin was a girl and she lived in Space? Not enough uniqueness for you? What if the Genie was alien-technology and there were dragons in need of rescuing?
The Sphere of Infinity is just that! A gender-bent space novella of Aladdin.
Our girl Alana is a professional thief trying to provide for herself and her mother. She gets hired to steal a golden orb off of a mysterious broken down alien ship hovering just outside her planet's atmosphere. The princess Jasmine is Jasper the son of a major government official working a side project to find the dragons supposedly hidden just outside of town.
There was minimal backstory and world-building, but that is typical of a Novella. The ending left me wanting more of their story. Alana is hilarious and snarky which are two of my favorite qualities in a protagonist. The antagonist was quite unexpected and a lot darker than in the well-known Disney version of the story. I feel like this would've done better as a full-length novel allowing for more culture and character building.
I listened to the audiobook and the narrator did well to show the emotions of Alana through her voice. However, there were several mistakes that were left into the final cut which can sometimes break the flow of the story.