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cday13's review
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Emotional abuse, and Murder
Moderate: Classism, Drug abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Cursing, Drug use, Gun violence, and Medical content
omega's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Mental illness
Moderate: Death and Murder
shrikebait's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
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
5.0
Intrigue, romance, and medical drama!
Earthflown was a great read.
I was so excited to open with well-written medical drama! Wren does a fantastic job emulating the chaos of the hospital. They also write physicians very well. Ethan's and Vegas's struggles and humor felt relatable to me as someone in medicine. Wren's characters in general are great, with complex thoughts and relationships.
I also enjoyed the mix of scifi, fantasy, and realism. Wren's worldbuilding flows seamlessly alongside the plot.
Plus the chapter art on the website is stunning! I hope it is included in the actual book in the future.
Thank you for the chance to read an advance copy of this book for free. I'm writing this review of my own accord.
Earthflown was a great read.
I was so excited to open with well-written medical drama! Wren does a fantastic job emulating the chaos of the hospital. They also write physicians very well. Ethan's and Vegas's struggles and humor felt relatable to me as someone in medicine. Wren's characters in general are great, with complex thoughts and relationships.
I also enjoyed the mix of scifi, fantasy, and realism. Wren's worldbuilding flows seamlessly alongside the plot.
Plus the chapter art on the website is stunning! I hope it is included in the actual book in the future.
Thank you for the chance to read an advance copy of this book for free. I'm writing this review of my own accord.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Grief, Death, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Car accident, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Blood, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Death of parent, Drug abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Alcohol
najmanasir's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The way I had to take a moment to gather my thoughts because of the rollercoaster I went through in those last few chapters. Earthflown takes place in a futuristic, post-flood London, where medicine meets a bit of magic during a water crisis. The book follows three POVs: Javier Arden (the son of a big pharma company with a secret), Ethan Faulkner (a cardiothoracic surgeon who may have found himself swimming with sharks bigger than his VM), and Oliver Roskopf (an investigative journalist who won't rest until he discovers the truth).
Firstly, I cannot express enough how Frances has such a talent for writing characters and forming their various personalities. There were many characters I adored, especially from the secondary cast. The banter between characters, their relationships (both platonic and romantic), and the intertwined character developments were refreshing and enjoyable to read. While some characters had their flaws, their actions were motivated by their own experiences, doubts, and fears. This not only made their flaws more realistic but made us think, "I understand where they're coming from," and empathize with their struggles. While that doesn't imply that every action is justifiable, it demonstrates the deliberate imperfections of the characters as humans, emphasizing that no character is 'perfect.' This allows readers to perceive both sides of every situation, fostering an understanding of the characters' complexities.
In addition to flaws, the author really makes us question who the true villain of the novel is. There seemed to be two groups where both sides could have wrongful intentions, making every character morally complex. Even the characters that seemed 'innocent' had actions that escalated the situation and further thickened the story's plot. Every decision challenged their moral compass, highlighting the high stakes involved in making even a single wrong move. I couldn't help but analyze each character's actions, uncovering hidden motives and past experiences that often paved the way for further poor decisions among the cast. Needless to say, Frances skillfully created a narrative where every character's involvement and actions lead to the outcome of the plot at the end of the novel.
Another aspect I truly admired was the medical accuracy in the novel. I could immediately tell the amount of dedication, research, and passion put into the writing to create such a vivid glimpse of the medical industry. From the high-risk procedures, the medical terminology, and the reality of burnout, I could almost imagine the scenes in my head and feel the same emotions a character would feel during such intense and emotional scenes. I also admired the world-building of a futuristic, post-flood London, with various vertical levels defining financial hierarchy and using flying cars to navigate through them.
However, one thing I wished was more elaborated on was the genetics behind aptitudes and the laws aptees are required to follow. While we learn that some laws are not favorable towards a specific aptitude, it would have been interesting to understand the rationale behind the differentiating treatments. Additionally, I really wanted the character backstories of Peter and Nick Holt! I have so many questions about them that go unanswered, leaving me eager for further insight into their backgrounds. Lastly, I wished we had witnessed a greater involvement of the Sixty-Fourthers in the water crisis, since they are a decentralized water-rights movement. Having their participation in the political sphere or encountering a prominent leader from their movement would have enriched the narrative's political dimensions.
Overall, Earthflown was such a refreshing read with characters I became very attached to and genuinely fond of. While I haven't read many sci-fi novels, integrating a water crisis, political uproars, and economic power imbalances within a futuristic setting created a complex world and narrative with so much to uncover.
My sincerest gratitude to the author and BookSirens for graciously providing me with an ARC! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Firstly, I cannot express enough how Frances has such a talent for writing characters and forming their various personalities. There were many characters I adored, especially from the secondary cast. The banter between characters, their relationships (both platonic and romantic), and the intertwined character developments were refreshing and enjoyable to read. While some characters had their flaws, their actions were motivated by their own experiences, doubts, and fears. This not only made their flaws more realistic but made us think, "I understand where they're coming from," and empathize with their struggles. While that doesn't imply that every action is justifiable, it demonstrates the deliberate imperfections of the characters as humans, emphasizing that no character is 'perfect.' This allows readers to perceive both sides of every situation, fostering an understanding of the characters' complexities.
In addition to flaws, the author really makes us question who the true villain of the novel is. There seemed to be two groups where both sides could have wrongful intentions, making every character morally complex. Even the characters that seemed 'innocent' had actions that escalated the situation and further thickened the story's plot. Every decision challenged their moral compass, highlighting the high stakes involved in making even a single wrong move. I couldn't help but analyze each character's actions, uncovering hidden motives and past experiences that often paved the way for further poor decisions among the cast. Needless to say, Frances skillfully created a narrative where every character's involvement and actions lead to the outcome of the plot at the end of the novel.
Another aspect I truly admired was the medical accuracy in the novel. I could immediately tell the amount of dedication, research, and passion put into the writing to create such a vivid glimpse of the medical industry. From the high-risk procedures, the medical terminology, and the reality of burnout, I could almost imagine the scenes in my head and feel the same emotions a character would feel during such intense and emotional scenes. I also admired the world-building of a futuristic, post-flood London, with various vertical levels defining financial hierarchy and using flying cars to navigate through them.
However, one thing I wished was more elaborated on was the genetics behind aptitudes and the laws aptees are required to follow. While we learn that some laws are not favorable towards a specific aptitude, it would have been interesting to understand the rationale behind the differentiating treatments. Additionally, I really wanted the character backstories of Peter and Nick Holt! I have so many questions about them that go unanswered, leaving me eager for further insight into their backgrounds. Lastly, I wished we had witnessed a greater involvement of the Sixty-Fourthers in the water crisis, since they are a decentralized water-rights movement. Having their participation in the political sphere or encountering a prominent leader from their movement would have enriched the narrative's political dimensions.
Overall, Earthflown was such a refreshing read with characters I became very attached to and genuinely fond of. While I haven't read many sci-fi novels, integrating a water crisis, political uproars, and economic power imbalances within a futuristic setting created a complex world and narrative with so much to uncover.
My sincerest gratitude to the author and BookSirens for graciously providing me with an ARC! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Murder, Toxic relationship, Drug use, and Violence
Minor: Alcohol, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Car accident
marmaladereads's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
I would rate this higher if it was the first book in a series, but as a standalone I have so many unresolved questions about it that it felt like this is only half the book - and it's a fairly long book!
In an alternate future London, climate change has led to massive flooding and water contamination. The world building in this book is intense and honestly feels like a fascinating universe, but simply far too massive and complex for a standalone book. There are people with magic powers, ghosts (???), political intrigue, a massively complex oligarch family vying for monetary and political clout. I often felt lost in the overly large cast of characters, and there was very little introduction or back story offered for many of them.
The book follows Ethan, a healer at a hospital, Javier, one of the sons of the Arden Pharma oligarchy, and Oliver, a paranoid reporter trying to uncover conspiracies (and making a bunch up in the process.) I thought with how much time was dedicated to the world building (much of which ended up being irrelevant or confusing), the romance between Javier and Ethan was sweet but somewhat underdeveloped. I would've loved to learn much more back story about these two characters as they got to know each other, but most of their relationship happened in the many time skips.
The most interesting character was Oliver - a rather unlikable social justice warrior who is obsessed with finding truth to the point of self destruction. I found myself cringing at a lot of his choices and logical jumps as he kept neglecting any real priorities in life to chase after an article that no one else seemed to care about. Unfortunately like many plots in the book, Oliver's is also unresolved. We never get to find out consequences befall his actions, I can only guess at the fallout.
The book was well written and engaging, if rather slow. The first 75% read much like a police procedural as Oliver chased down leads and interviewed random sources, then things escalated quite quickly in the last 25% of the book. But ultimately the many loose threads and missing resolutions left me feeling quite unsatisfied after finishing this story, and the ending felt incredibly abrupt.
Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for providing me with an eARC!
In an alternate future London, climate change has led to massive flooding and water contamination. The world building in this book is intense and honestly feels like a fascinating universe, but simply far too massive and complex for a standalone book. There are people with magic powers, ghosts (???), political intrigue, a massively complex oligarch family vying for monetary and political clout. I often felt lost in the overly large cast of characters, and there was very little introduction or back story offered for many of them.
The book follows Ethan, a healer at a hospital, Javier, one of the sons of the Arden Pharma oligarchy, and Oliver, a paranoid reporter trying to uncover conspiracies (and making a bunch up in the process.) I thought with how much time was dedicated to the world building (much of which ended up being irrelevant or confusing), the romance between Javier and Ethan was sweet but somewhat underdeveloped. I would've loved to learn much more back story about these two characters as they got to know each other, but most of their relationship happened in the many time skips.
The most interesting character was Oliver - a rather unlikable social justice warrior who is obsessed with finding truth to the point of self destruction. I found myself cringing at a lot of his choices and logical jumps as he kept neglecting any real priorities in life to chase after an article that no one else seemed to care about. Unfortunately like many plots in the book, Oliver's is also unresolved. We never get to find out consequences befall his actions, I can only guess at the fallout.
The book was well written and engaging, if rather slow. The first 75% read much like a police procedural as Oliver chased down leads and interviewed random sources, then things escalated quite quickly in the last 25% of the book. But ultimately the many loose threads and missing resolutions left me feeling quite unsatisfied after finishing this story, and the ending felt incredibly abrupt.
Thank you to Book Sirens and the author for providing me with an eARC!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Murder
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, and Medical content
Minor: Body horror
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