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chasep's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
inspiring
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
4.25
christian_jones's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
2.0
taberiusrex's review against another edition
2.0
This book has what I'm beginning to see as the Halo Novel Problem. The writing is solid, as expected from the caliber of author. But the problem stems from a series of factors that crops up frequently, specifically in the Halo universe books but might still be at issue in other tie-in fiction.
The factors are thus. It begins with:
1.) Several deeply interesting story hooks, which are
2.) Used to involve focus characters who are mutli-layered and complex, but
3.) The book has a limited page count, which leads to
4.) Underutilized characters involved in rotating plot threads, and
5.) Under-explored concepts that end up making the book feel busy, yet
6.) It never feels like there's enough happening.
And "Legacy of Onyx" has some very interesting plot hooks: a teenager who grows up an orphan in the shadow of an interstellar war, but now has to deal with a peace in which the aliens who killed her birth parents are considered allies; moving to a new school on a new planet where she's expected to live side-by-side with various alien species; the new school is part of a research facility designed to study the planet, which was artificially created by a long-dead species that once ruled the galaxy; and the artificial planet is beginning to wake up after being dormant for 100,000 years.
Any single story hook there would be enough to hang an entire book on. The characters that Matt Forbeck brings to the party are just as complex as these plots. This is the formula for a solid trilogy.
But because it has to fit in one book, the end result is tragic: a competent book, bordering on YA, that feels half-baked.
The factors are thus. It begins with:
1.) Several deeply interesting story hooks, which are
2.) Used to involve focus characters who are mutli-layered and complex, but
3.) The book has a limited page count, which leads to
4.) Underutilized characters involved in rotating plot threads, and
5.) Under-explored concepts that end up making the book feel busy, yet
6.) It never feels like there's enough happening.
And "Legacy of Onyx" has some very interesting plot hooks: a teenager who grows up an orphan in the shadow of an interstellar war, but now has to deal with a peace in which the aliens who killed her birth parents are considered allies; moving to a new school on a new planet where she's expected to live side-by-side with various alien species; the new school is part of a research facility designed to study the planet, which was artificially created by a long-dead species that once ruled the galaxy; and the artificial planet is beginning to wake up after being dormant for 100,000 years.
Any single story hook there would be enough to hang an entire book on. The characters that Matt Forbeck brings to the party are just as complex as these plots. This is the formula for a solid trilogy.
But because it has to fit in one book, the end result is tragic: a competent book, bordering on YA, that feels half-baked.
alexchandler's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
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