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charlibirb's review against another edition
5.0
One of my favorite scifi series yet! Hope more are coming!
Amazing characters, fantastic plot, incredible world, and beautiful writing. This book has it all!
Amazing characters, fantastic plot, incredible world, and beautiful writing. This book has it all!
tyrshand's review
3.0
Well, I guess since I read this before Ariadne, I guess I'll have to write an actual review this time! So, once again, this series follows a completely different set of characters (though there are mentions of familiar ones) and takes a different kind of story and a different example of mental trauma in a protagonist. (well, actually, several examples in this one!)
Newman does an excellent job with characterization and with exploring the mental states of her protagonists, as well as the causes and possible paths to healing. The story itself, however, didn't work for me very well. Now, while thrillers are typically hard sells for me, the bigger issue is that I understood almost every secret before it was revealed. It's partly because the clues seemed rather obvious, but also because events of the prior book also provide plenty additional clues. (I wonder if this would be more satisfying for me if it were read as book two? But then aspects of book two would be spoiled by this one...) I believe it would have been a more satisfying read for me if the curtains were pulled earlier and the ramifications explored at more length.
That said, the book certainly sets up yet another intriguing plot thread that should connect to the climax of the series... It makes me wonder how many novels are planned for the series and how things will work out once each thread meets. Will it become a tangle or a tapestry? And which would be more satisfying?
Newman does an excellent job with characterization and with exploring the mental states of her protagonists, as well as the causes and possible paths to healing. The story itself, however, didn't work for me very well. Now, while thrillers are typically hard sells for me, the bigger issue is that I understood almost every secret before it was revealed. It's partly because the clues seemed rather obvious, but also because events of the prior book also provide plenty additional clues. (I wonder if this would be more satisfying for me if it were read as book two? But then aspects of book two would be spoiled by this one...) I believe it would have been a more satisfying read for me if the curtains were pulled earlier and the ramifications explored at more length.
That said, the book certainly sets up yet another intriguing plot thread that should connect to the climax of the series... It makes me wonder how many novels are planned for the series and how things will work out once each thread meets. Will it become a tangle or a tapestry? And which would be more satisfying?
awishman's review against another edition
4.0
I expected a sci-fi mystery and this delivered. I didn't expect a treatise on feeling like a bad mom but this was so relatable.
lisagray68's review against another edition
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
elusivity's review against another edition
3.0
This one left me cold, most due to how little patience I have for the main character. So much anger, denial, waffling back and forth, struggling with guilt and denial of guilt, when she was the cause of at least half of her troubles.
It is well written, intricately plotted, peopled by real humans, and is a beautiful story. This is definitely a case of wrong book for the wrong reader.
Anna flies to Mars upon corporate orders to paint and be a geologist. In fact, she was sent there to investigate why extra supplies are being sent to a relatively small Outpost. However, she immediately found a note left herself by herself, everything feels like deja vu, and the AI is hiding and changing information.
Turns out there is a second Martian base nearby, where Gabor was building a spaceship to follow the first space ship, which left earth forty years ago on a mission to seek God. When Anna (and the other 3 members of the Outpost) found the second base, Dr. Arnolfi wiped their memories and recreated/restarted events to Anna's initial arrival. Meanwhile, Earth is half destroyed by nuclear bombs hurled between America and Noropean. The team spends 2 years building a spaceship to follow the other spaceship, and Dr Arnolfi stays behind in atonement, so their journey will have a chance to be more successful.
It is well written, intricately plotted, peopled by real humans, and is a beautiful story. This is definitely a case of wrong book for the wrong reader.
Turns out there is a second Martian base nearby, where Gabor was building a spaceship to follow the first space ship, which left earth forty years ago on a mission to seek God. When Anna (and the other 3 members of the Outpost) found the second base, Dr. Arnolfi wiped their memories and recreated/restarted events to Anna's initial arrival. Meanwhile, Earth is half destroyed by nuclear bombs hurled between America and Noropean. The team spends 2 years building a spaceship to follow the other spaceship, and Dr Arnolfi stays behind in atonement, so their journey will have a chance to be more successful.
catsy2022's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical trauma, and Gaslighting
Minor: Confinement, War, Child death, and Death of parent
dariaanna's review against another edition
5.0
I rarely write reviews. More than plot, what strikes me with this author is how seamlessly I fall into the story, the world building feels realistic and so I don’t even stop to wonder about it. So well-done that it is easy to take for granted, and wanted to recognize that.
noisydeadlines's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Another brilliant sci-fi book with emotional and psychological depth. Set on a base on Mars, it's a mysterious thriller with untrustworthy AI's, conspiracies, personal trauma and complex characters. We get a lot of the main character's thought process, it's very intimate. The main character is a geologist and a painter, and she struggles with her decision to leave behind her husband and her daughter on Earth to pursue a one-in-a-lifetime job opportunity. Weird things happen at the base and from the first chapter I was totally into the mystery, wanting to know what happened. It features excellent mental health representation, it's raw and real. I had tears in my eyes when I finished it.
chickadee2's review against another edition
4.0
Story of Anna Kubrick who was sent to mars as a geologist and painter. She discovers a secret base where an atlas ship is being built. Later it is revealed that there has been nuclear war on earth, and their memories have been wiped and the atlas ship launched leaving them behind. They build a new ship to follow.
This was really good. I liked the subplot of her struggles with post-partom depression.
This was really good. I liked the subplot of her struggles with post-partom depression.