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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
How am I leaving Adrian Tchaikovsky books unreviewed? Shame on me. Perhaps I feel at this point it is a given I was utterly obsessed with his work, and feel it no longer needs any additional words on my part. Even so, I do like being thorough.
The early battles for the rights of bio-forms from [b:Dogs of War|35827220|Dogs of War (Dogs of War, #1)|Adrian Tchaikovsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501011224l/35827220._SY75_.jpg|57331336] are behind us, and the problems seem to have escalated; we've also left Earth to follow the grim, tough life humanity has carved out on Mars. Of the original cast, Honey appears to be the only one left, and she is grappling with humans who are more than happy to reignite the fear of the "Other" via bio-forms; it looks like her only chance at setting things right is hijacking Jimmy's brain and enlisting the help of an old friend on Mars.
Tchaikovsky does not hold back on the themes in this one either, from philosophy to politics, violence, slavery, freedom rights, autonomy and free will, and that's just for starters. Nothing here is offhand or trite or derivative- everything is examined competently, originally, and engagingly. I found it a great sequel to the first, not least because it does the job of a good sequel- build on what came before, as well as innovating. I hope to never run out of words of praise for this fantastic writer.
The early battles for the rights of bio-forms from [b:Dogs of War|35827220|Dogs of War (Dogs of War, #1)|Adrian Tchaikovsky|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1501011224l/35827220._SY75_.jpg|57331336] are behind us, and the problems seem to have escalated; we've also left Earth to follow the grim, tough life humanity has carved out on Mars. Of the original cast, Honey appears to be the only one left, and she is grappling with humans who are more than happy to reignite the fear of the "Other" via bio-forms; it looks like her only chance at setting things right is hijacking Jimmy's brain and enlisting the help of an old friend on Mars.
Tchaikovsky does not hold back on the themes in this one either, from philosophy to politics, violence, slavery, freedom rights, autonomy and free will, and that's just for starters. Nothing here is offhand or trite or derivative- everything is examined competently, originally, and engagingly. I found it a great sequel to the first, not least because it does the job of a good sequel- build on what came before, as well as innovating. I hope to never run out of words of praise for this fantastic writer.
adventurous
challenging
dark
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A very enjoyable conclusion to this duology. I perhaps liked it a little less than Dogs of War, but only because Rex is the Very Best Boy and following him was such a delight. I think the plotting was a little stronger in this volume, and I appreciate the deeper dive into the worldbuilding. More people should be reading and talking about this series!
What a strangely original story involving biomodifications, animal genetic manipulation, distributed intelligence, planetary terraforming, and so many other science fiction concepts all mashed into a lovely and thrilling mosaic. For those just finishing Dogs of War #1, I feel like this novel was truly different and a step into a more progressive form of storytelling for Tchaikovsky.
There were points that it felt a bit like a slog but I was handsomely rewarded for pushing through. The thinly masked character of Thompson (a fascist cult-of-personality politician with a last name beginning with T) was an easily despicable egotistical villain that was fun to hate. Unfortunately, this might turn off readers of some political persuasions without helping them recognize or realise anything, although I don't know if that would have made the book more interesting at the risk of being preachy.
An interesting balancing act between the two protagonist main characters was mostly well done, but by the end of the story it felt like both of their personalities were a bit underdeveloped. I was expecting a few more plot points exploring the Mars-ness as well, and sometimes the setting felt like a box that was simply far away from the happenings of Earth.
Simply from the strangeness, I'd recommend this book to science fiction readers everywhere. Some of the ideas are very original, and the Frankenstein-like assemblage of how they work together to drive the plot kept me curious how it would resolve.
There were points that it felt a bit like a slog but I was handsomely rewarded for pushing through. The thinly masked character of Thompson (a fascist cult-of-personality politician with a last name beginning with T) was an easily despicable egotistical villain that was fun to hate. Unfortunately, this might turn off readers of some political persuasions without helping them recognize or realise anything, although I don't know if that would have made the book more interesting at the risk of being preachy.
An interesting balancing act between the two protagonist main characters was mostly well done, but by the end of the story it felt like both of their personalities were a bit underdeveloped. I was expecting a few more plot points exploring the Mars-ness as well, and sometimes the setting felt like a box that was simply far away from the happenings of Earth.
Simply from the strangeness, I'd recommend this book to science fiction readers everywhere. Some of the ideas are very original, and the Frankenstein-like assemblage of how they work together to drive the plot kept me curious how it would resolve.
challenging
dark
mysterious
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
The sequel to Dogs Of War sees Honey take on shady politician Warner Thomson, who is building his platform on fears about bioforms. Set both on Earth and on a terrafotming project on Mars, the book is a thought provoking look at the issues around AI and what it means to ge human.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring