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rorikae's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
'The Best of All Possible Worlds' by Karen Lord is an adventurous and creative sci-fi novel rooted in its complex characters.
The story centers on Grace Delarua, who is chosen to help a group of Sadiri, a people who have survived a genocide and are looking for their place on Cygnus Beta. The group travels around to different civilizations, learning more about the different cultures that populate the planet and how societies differ. As they travel, Delarua begins to feel more connected to her companions and a budding romance begins to flourish.
I am blown away by Lord's worldbuilding in this novel. The different societies are so vast and creatively crafted that it was fascinating to learn about each one. The book itself is more episodic since it moves from one society to another with the throughline of the core group. These are flawed, easy to care for characters and I appreciated how we slowly learned more about them as the story went on. Though the plot throughout is strong, this is very much a character driven book. I am fascinated to read more of Lord's work since it is clear her worldbuilding and character work are incredible. Some particular standouts from this story include the society that have transformed themselves into fae to bridge differences as well as how attending a play uncovers jealousy and murderous intent. I will definitely be returning to this book in the future to spend more time with these characters and this world.
The story centers on Grace Delarua, who is chosen to help a group of Sadiri, a people who have survived a genocide and are looking for their place on Cygnus Beta. The group travels around to different civilizations, learning more about the different cultures that populate the planet and how societies differ. As they travel, Delarua begins to feel more connected to her companions and a budding romance begins to flourish.
I am blown away by Lord's worldbuilding in this novel. The different societies are so vast and creatively crafted that it was fascinating to learn about each one. The book itself is more episodic since it moves from one society to another with the throughline of the core group. These are flawed, easy to care for characters and I appreciated how we slowly learned more about them as the story went on. Though the plot throughout is strong, this is very much a character driven book. I am fascinated to read more of Lord's work since it is clear her worldbuilding and character work are incredible. Some particular standouts from this story include the society that have transformed themselves into fae to bridge differences as well as how attending a play uncovers jealousy and murderous intent. I will definitely be returning to this book in the future to spend more time with these characters and this world.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Grief, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Slavery
bloomingpear's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Grief, and Genocide
Minor: Trafficking
accidentalspaceexplorer's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.5
I really enjoyed this - the romance was cute and incredibly slow-burn, the world-building was really neat, and the narration was really enjoyable. I had such a fun time following them around the world, learning about all of the various cultures on the planet and how the various alien races were combined on it. I enjoyed that the planet wasn't monolithic, because of course it wouldn't be! Too often people fall into the trap of "every culture on this planet is the same" because that world-building is hard.
My only frustration was at how disjointed the narration could be, at times - there wasn't a great flow between scenes, and things would get brought up really suddenly without much foreshadowing, although I thought they were all followed up on very well and organically. I just wanted more hints about their deep conflicts before we were introduced to them. For example,Ioan isn't foreshadowed well at all, and I think he really should have been, since it was such an important part of Delarua's life. And since the actual event is then wrapped up pretty fast, it made it feel less important than it was, despite the continued references to it down the line.
But ultimately I had a really good time reading this, so I'm still rating it 4.5 stars! Emotional enjoyment takes precedence over nitpicky stylistic complaints any day.
My only frustration was at how disjointed the narration could be, at times - there wasn't a great flow between scenes, and things would get brought up really suddenly without much foreshadowing, although I thought they were all followed up on very well and organically. I just wanted more hints about their deep conflicts before we were introduced to them. For example,
But ultimately I had a really good time reading this, so I'm still rating it 4.5 stars! Emotional enjoyment takes precedence over nitpicky stylistic complaints any day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Rape and Slavery
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