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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
Having loved Kowal's "Calculating Stars", I was ready to fall in love all over again, but...she tries too hard to do a Nick & Nora mystery in space, which falls completely flat: the crimes are convoluted, and she spends way too much time focused on the main character's chronic pain (which fluctuates depending on what's needed for the plot), which gets in the way of the narrative itself.
mysterious
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mysteries are not my go-to but I loved this book! Good pace with an excellent setting.
[3.5 stars rounded up]
This was a lot of fun! I love The Thin Man movies, so hearing this was a take on that series and Nick and Nora sold me pretty much instantly--plus I love a good closed circle mystery.
I thought the blend of science and mystery worked well here, though sometimes the future language reminded me a bit of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. I kept waiting for a good zetus lapetus.
I think what will really make or break this book for readers is how well they get along with the main character. I loved the fact that she was disabled and had a service dog for her PTSD. I thought that was handled well. I also liked the relationship between her and her new husband, though do wish we got to see a bit more of them interacting with each other to really believe in their relationship. It didn't really feel like Shal had much of a personality outside of being Tesla's husband and a retired detective. Also, her constant back and forth over her privilege got to me a little bit and did take me out of the story.
My favorite character, though, was her lawyer. Fantine was hilarious.
In all, the book definitely had some repetitive moments that could have just been cut out to make for a more trim story. It felt about 50 pages too long.
Overall, a fun space mystery! I hope this becomes a series, because I would definitely be interested in seeing these characters (mostly Gimlet, tbh) again.
This was a lot of fun! I love The Thin Man movies, so hearing this was a take on that series and Nick and Nora sold me pretty much instantly--plus I love a good closed circle mystery.
I thought the blend of science and mystery worked well here, though sometimes the future language reminded me a bit of Zenon: Girl of the 21st Century. I kept waiting for a good zetus lapetus.
I think what will really make or break this book for readers is how well they get along with the main character. I loved the fact that she was disabled and had a service dog for her PTSD. I thought that was handled well. I also liked the relationship between her and her new husband, though do wish we got to see a bit more of them interacting with each other to really believe in their relationship. It didn't really feel like Shal had much of a personality outside of being Tesla's husband and a retired detective. Also, her constant back and forth over her privilege got to me a little bit and did take me out of the story.
My favorite character, though, was her lawyer. Fantine was hilarious.
In all, the book definitely had some repetitive moments that could have just been cut out to make for a more trim story. It felt about 50 pages too long.
Overall, a fun space mystery! I hope this becomes a series, because I would definitely be interested in seeing these characters (mostly Gimlet, tbh) again.
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:
Complicated
If you are interested in reading what I would call a noir space mystery, this could be a good next read for you. I enjoyed it & the author to me accomplished what she was trying to do for this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was both fun and frustrating. Mary Robinette Kowal does a great job building the 'secondary belief' in a future world that isn't too different from our own. The mechanics of a luxury space cruise that caters to three different gravity-level passenger groups is well explained, and you're constantly reminded that this couldn't be happening on a planet. The increasing ship-earth time delay (though the thought of having concurrent conversations with a six minute delay would drive my ADHD mad...), the Coriolis effect...
The constraints the protagonist faces were blunted by her immense wealth and status, which undermined some of the tension of the story. The mystery also resolved in a way I found unsatisfying; in my mysteries I like to try to deduce alongside the protagonist. Kowal did a good job dropping some hints, but the resolution (in my mind) relied on a novel technology not discussed elsewhere in the story...
A good sci-fi mystery, and enjoyable. But not perfect.
The constraints the protagonist faces were blunted by her immense wealth and status, which undermined some of the tension of the story. The mystery also resolved in a way I found unsatisfying; in my mysteries I like to try to deduce alongside the protagonist. Kowal did a good job dropping some hints, but the resolution (in my mind) relied on a novel technology not discussed elsewhere in the story...
A good sci-fi mystery, and enjoyable. But not perfect.
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I think the book is competently written, and people who like murder mystery books will enjoy it. I don’t particularly enjoy the genre.
This will be in a 24 hr vlog <3
A perfectly fine sci-fi mystery. I wish it held my attention more. I liked the relationship between our MC and her husband. But some moments just made me want to read something else because my mind kept wandering.
Edit/
24 hour reading vlog: https://youtu.be/NCqe16zDBhE
A perfectly fine sci-fi mystery. I wish it held my attention more. I liked the relationship between our MC and her husband. But some moments just made me want to read something else because my mind kept wandering.
Edit/
24 hour reading vlog: https://youtu.be/NCqe16zDBhE
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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:
No