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misfitmoxie's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
angus_mckeogh's review against another edition
3.0
Not bad at all. I found the series, Firefly, surprisingly well-written, witty, and extremely entertaining. And this book read very much like an unseen episode. A fun read and a nice return to these characters, although, I’d still say the whole concept works better as a television series.
jennrocca's review against another edition
3.0
I had fun with it. It was light and easy and a bit like watching a Firefly movie. It’s not particularly well written. The characters are mere caricatures of themselves. The references to actual episode events felt like contrived shallow attempts to tie to the tv storyline. But I also wasn’t expecting much going in. It was a nice distraction for the week.
mightyjor's review against another edition
4.0
Had a blast for a good chunk of the book! I have to say the ending feels incredibly rushed, very much first draft material especially compared to the rest. The villain motivations were so dumb and not set up in a satisfying way at all, and the flashbacks were grueling to get through sometimes.
That being said, the characters are spot on, which is the highest compliment I think you can pay a book like this. There’s all the witty dialogue here you’d expect from the show and even a scene with Wash and Zoey that gave me a good laugh while I listened in my car.
And excellent narration by the voice actor, though I can’t remember his name. His Mal sounds just like the guy, and I think he did a good job with everyone else too, though the villains voice sounds a lot like Mal’s which makes the final showdown a bit hard to follow. Doesn’t help that the plot at the end is not good to begin with and the whole book sadly ends with a bit of a whimper where it started out great.
That being said, I’m exited for the other books in the series!
That being said, the characters are spot on, which is the highest compliment I think you can pay a book like this. There’s all the witty dialogue here you’d expect from the show and even a scene with Wash and Zoey that gave me a good laugh while I listened in my car.
And excellent narration by the voice actor, though I can’t remember his name. His Mal sounds just like the guy, and I think he did a good job with everyone else too, though the villains voice sounds a lot like Mal’s which makes the final showdown a bit hard to follow. Doesn’t help that the plot at the end is not good to begin with and the whole book sadly ends with a bit of a whimper where it started out great.
That being said, I’m exited for the other books in the series!
starfire_rhexia's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
asadaniels's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
As a fan of Firefly I was looking forward to reading this book - to venture back into the 'verse with some of the best characters I have ever met, seeing them on another wild adventure on the dusty planets of their galaxy. When I saw my sister's review, I became worried. When I read the book, I realized my dreams had been for naught.
To begin with, this is not a bad book - not in the way that we think of bad books. Rather, it is a book that cannot live up to the, admittedly, high standards of (at least some) fans of the show. The world of Firefly is a very serious, important part of some fans' lives and I think myself as one of them. So, I recognize the author is facing a very serious challenge, not unlike the challenge any kind of reboot would face (though, I pray there will never be one - it simply cannot live up to the original show).
The plot is probably the strongest point of this book. It is full of twists, but none are particularly surprising. Rather, they sit like the kinds of twists you'd see on the show, which is not a bad thing, really. The story is engaging and it kept me going, so I do really mean to give credit to the author for that. I could really see this being a script or story board for an actual episode.
However, the story's dialogue, of both the characters and the narrator, is like scratching chalk on a blackboard. Many of the character just did not seem to be expressing true, deep beliefs that they hold, that are a part of their personalities. Instead, as my sister pointed out, it sounds like they're saying lines from the show, with new bits added in to make this story different. The narrator, a third-person limited perspective that changes slightly in voice between characters (different chapters are in the view of different main characters from Serenity's crew) just sounds like some kind of wanna-be storyteller. I more formal, omniscient speaker would have done better.
In addition, the weakest part of the plot is certainly Mal's backstory. There's something to be said about not knowing much anything about his past and having learned it now, I don't think I much care for it. The delivery of it, the actual events that occur, it all just doesn't sit right with me as being Mal's actual backstory. It goes back to the portrayal of the characters I mentioned earlier.
Overall, borrowing another thing from my sister's review of this book, I agree with her that the transition of the television medium that is Firefly to novel, just doesn't work here. And, I am not really sure why that is. The comic books have all been amazing little adventures that feel like such a part of the world, yet, this book does not. Maybe some day I may figure it out.
Meantime, I find myself itching to just slip in the DVD and watch the show all over again... There's high hope I'll be doing that real soon.
To begin with, this is not a bad book - not in the way that we think of bad books. Rather, it is a book that cannot live up to the, admittedly, high standards of (at least some) fans of the show. The world of Firefly is a very serious, important part of some fans' lives and I think myself as one of them. So, I recognize the author is facing a very serious challenge, not unlike the challenge any kind of reboot would face (though, I pray there will never be one - it simply cannot live up to the original show).
The plot is probably the strongest point of this book. It is full of twists, but none are particularly surprising. Rather, they sit like the kinds of twists you'd see on the show, which is not a bad thing, really. The story is engaging and it kept me going, so I do really mean to give credit to the author for that. I could really see this being a script or story board for an actual episode.
However, the story's dialogue, of both the characters and the narrator, is like scratching chalk on a blackboard. Many of the character just did not seem to be expressing true, deep beliefs that they hold, that are a part of their personalities. Instead, as my sister pointed out, it sounds like they're saying lines from the show, with new bits added in to make this story different. The narrator, a third-person limited perspective that changes slightly in voice between characters (different chapters are in the view of different main characters from Serenity's crew) just sounds like some kind of wanna-be storyteller. I more formal, omniscient speaker would have done better.
In addition, the weakest part of the plot is certainly Mal's backstory. There's something to be said about not knowing much anything about his past and having learned it now, I don't think I much care for it. The delivery of it, the actual events that occur, it all just doesn't sit right with me as being Mal's actual backstory. It goes back to the portrayal of the characters I mentioned earlier.
Overall, borrowing another thing from my sister's review of this book, I agree with her that the transition of the television medium that is Firefly to novel, just doesn't work here. And, I am not really sure why that is. The comic books have all been amazing little adventures that feel like such a part of the world, yet, this book does not. Maybe some day I may figure it out.
Meantime, I find myself itching to just slip in the DVD and watch the show all over again... There's high hope I'll be doing that real soon.
lahariel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
3.75
a_reader_obsessed's review against another edition
4.0
4 Serenity Stars
Why I haven’t delved into this sooner is beyond my comprehension. As a huge fan, it will come as absolutely no surprise that I enjoyed this.
-Jayne is still a roughneck asshole
-Zoe is tough as nails but puts her feminine side to good use
-One gets a glimpse of the feelings brewing between Kaylee and Simon
-River utilizes her amazing impossible powers
-Shepherd Book’s elusive past comes to the fore
-Wash is still his funny quirky self
-Inara continues to impress with her various non-Companion skills
And Mal? Still honorable and ruthlessly practical in all the right ways.
Loyalty is the key word here as Mal’s past comes to bite him in the ass, and he must rely on his ragtag crew to figure things out to rescue him before he’s hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.
This was very enlightening as flashbacks show Mal as a teenager, grappling with first love, and becoming a man as he enlists in the fight for Independence against the Alliance.
For all enthusiasts of Firefly, this is a must, and I’ll be eating up the rest of this series soon!
Why I haven’t delved into this sooner is beyond my comprehension. As a huge fan, it will come as absolutely no surprise that I enjoyed this.
-Jayne is still a roughneck asshole
-Zoe is tough as nails but puts her feminine side to good use
-One gets a glimpse of the feelings brewing between Kaylee and Simon
-River utilizes her amazing impossible powers
-Shepherd Book’s elusive past comes to the fore
-Wash is still his funny quirky self
-Inara continues to impress with her various non-Companion skills
And Mal? Still honorable and ruthlessly practical in all the right ways.
Loyalty is the key word here as Mal’s past comes to bite him in the ass, and he must rely on his ragtag crew to figure things out to rescue him before he’s hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.
This was very enlightening as flashbacks show Mal as a teenager, grappling with first love, and becoming a man as he enlists in the fight for Independence against the Alliance.
For all enthusiasts of Firefly, this is a must, and I’ll be eating up the rest of this series soon!
eskupslp's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25