Reviews

The Cold Between: A Central Corps Novel by Elizabeth Bonesteel

thej4v's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

westlinwind's review against another edition

4.0

This keeps getting compared to early Aral and Cordelia Vorkosigan. I think it's more Cordelia in her seasoning years before she meets Aral.

ria_mhrj's review against another edition

3.0

I was pleasantly surprised by the start of this book (hello sex scene!) as I'm always a bit anxious about the balance between the science and the fiction in sci-fi books, but this book very clearly places the characters at the centre, with a compelling mystery and an ever deepening conspiracy. I lost momentum towards the end and I kind of wish Elena had been allowed to be a little more flawed and not quite so delightfully desirable, but the finale was extremely satisfying, and I would be curious about picking up book two.

wunder's review against another edition

4.0

The pacing was a little uneven, sometimes too fast, sometimes too slow. But I'm not really complaining, because it was a great read. I already got the next one.

But...

Spoiler

Elena should have told the captain of the Penumbra to broadcast a distress signal, because that would have made Valentis clearly in the wrong

.

There I go, trying to rewrite a book that I could never have written.

It does have bits of murder mystery and bits of romance (OK, a seriously steamy chapter), but it is space opera at the core and that is not a bad thing.

lian_tanner's review against another edition

4.0

Oh my word I do love a good space opera, and this one is wonderful. Great story-telling, fascinating characters and a truly exciting plot. Plus I enjoyed the romance. I can't wait to read the next one - my only regret is that Bonesteel hasn't got a huge back catalogue that I could bury myself in for the next few weeks.

snazel's review against another edition

4.0

Alright so, the plot was compelling but not my favourite. I didn't get the romance AT ALL. But this was still a really interesting book. And that's because it doesn't adhere to so many of the American tropes I'm used to. We don't get the video-game plot progression, we don't get the two-party system (and only two parties ever) we don't even get "all important locations harken back to the US". The Galactic Standard is based on Russian, not English, the location names reference China, Japan and Russia, and the systems of justice and government don't feel midwestern at all. Or even a "gritty urban future" states.

I'm rambling a lot, but it was just fastinating to read a book that imagined a future that wasn't US-ian. Also, the author has the best name ever.

rclz's review against another edition

4.0

I don't usually read sci-fi but this was good. It's not what I'd call hard sci-fi and that's maybe why I liked it. Good characters and an interesting plot. I'll read the next one for sure.

mirificmoxie's review against another edition

mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

laci's review against another edition

4.0

A solid sci-fi/mystery/romance.

colls's review against another edition

4.0

I really enjoyed this space adventure and found the protagonist to be a delightful mixture of competency and human foibles. The romance bit didn't overwhelm the book, the space opera bit didn't weigh it down, and the mystery bit kept the reader engaged. I would recommend to anyone who likes those genres blended.