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adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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
Mickey 7 should no longer exist. Mickey 8 should have replaced him, but Mickey 7 didn't die.
Mickey 7 is an expendable. He does really dangerous jobs, because his DNA can be used to create new versions of himself. He has in fact died 6 times. When 7 finds himself in trouble he lets them know he won't make it and they leave him to die and create Mickey 8. However, Mickey 7 decides he doesn't want to die, he wants to live, so he does. Problem is it is illegal to have more than one version of yourself so Mickey 7 has to not exist.
Mickey 7 and Mickey 8 come up with a plan to help them both survive. They make a lot of errors in the first 2 days and it doesn't go well. When their girlfriend finds out there are 2 of them she is very happy. There isn't much to do on a small ship...
This book was very funny. The situations that Mickey got himself into and out of were wild, yet plausible if you're not looking too close at the science.
Mickey 7 is an expendable. He does really dangerous jobs, because his DNA can be used to create new versions of himself. He has in fact died 6 times. When 7 finds himself in trouble he lets them know he won't make it and they leave him to die and create Mickey 8. However, Mickey 7 decides he doesn't want to die, he wants to live, so he does. Problem is it is illegal to have more than one version of yourself so Mickey 7 has to not exist.
Mickey 7 and Mickey 8 come up with a plan to help them both survive. They make a lot of errors in the first 2 days and it doesn't go well. When their girlfriend finds out there are 2 of them she is very happy. There isn't much to do on a small ship...
This book was very funny. The situations that Mickey got himself into and out of were wild, yet plausible if you're not looking too close at the science.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, Gun violence, Suicide, Medical content
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Blood, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship
Minor: Genocide
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
It is okay... But not in a traditional sci-fi sense of things. It is sarcastic. But it is more character driven, which is different. It isn't super action based. Very different for me for sci-fi. It felt like it was trying to be Andy Weir in a way, and didn't hit the mark.
A guy who is an "expendable" is on his 7th iteration of himself and something goes wrong. The whole book is about that one mistake essentially. It didn't feel very high stakes. It wasn't bad at all, it just isn't high action or high intensity.
It felt like a long conversation in space. Even when things with action did happen, the writing made it feel lack luster.
A guy who is an "expendable" is on his 7th iteration of himself and something goes wrong. The whole book is about that one mistake essentially. It didn't feel very high stakes. It wasn't bad at all, it just isn't high action or high intensity.
It felt like a long conversation in space. Even when things with action did happen, the writing made it feel lack luster.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Chronic illness, Confinement, Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Murder
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
if i ignore some strange parts of this book (small but still glaringly bizarre), i can confidently say my budding interest in physics + mickey7’s interesting pov made for an enjoyable read
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Blood
adventurous
dark
funny
reflective
tense
fast-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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Midgard is the Earth in Norse mythology, in case you were wondering. That is where Mickey is from. He needs to get off that planet. He has no useful skills, so he signs on as an Expendable on a colony ship going to Niflheim — in Norse mythology the cold, dark, misty world of the dead, ruled by the goddess Hel. So, potentially a nasty ice planet with a mysterious underworld.
And what are Expendables, you ask? He gets to do all the dangerous and deadly jobs on the ship and later the colony. And if he dies, the others wake up his next incarnation. We start of with Mickey7. He does not die in the first chapter, but the others think so. And by the time he rescues himself with some help of an indigenous lifeform and gets back to base, Mickey8 has been woken up. Ops, not good. Because when the others find out, they both will most likely be offed. The expedition‘s leader hates Mickey‘s guts. What to do now? And what‘s going on with those lifeforms?
From the blurb I expected an action-filled novel, exploring the ecosystem and the sentient lifeforms on Niflheim. The beginning reminded me a little of Andy Weir in tone and my mind was heading in the direction of Project Hail Mary, just set on a planet.
However, that was not really the novel I got. There were suspenseful parts and action — Mickey7 had died six times previously (hence 7!) and some of those deaths are lived through quite graphically. There was an unexpected amount of Mickey‘s and the Union’s past, aka other colonies and why the failed. And very little character development for Mickey8. Somewhere around the middle of the book I started to wonder about uneven pacing and lack of meaningful plot progression. It did all come together quite nicely in the end, but I am not a total fan.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes.
Would I read the next book by the author? Most likely.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
And what are Expendables, you ask? He gets to do all the dangerous and deadly jobs on the ship and later the colony. And if he dies, the others wake up his next incarnation. We start of with Mickey7. He does not die in the first chapter, but the others think so. And by the time he rescues himself with some help of an indigenous lifeform and gets back to base, Mickey8 has been woken up. Ops, not good. Because when the others find out, they both will most likely be offed. The expedition‘s leader hates Mickey‘s guts. What to do now? And what‘s going on with those lifeforms?
From the blurb I expected an action-filled novel, exploring the ecosystem and the sentient lifeforms on Niflheim. The beginning reminded me a little of Andy Weir in tone and my mind was heading in the direction of Project Hail Mary, just set on a planet.
However, that was not really the novel I got. There were suspenseful parts and action — Mickey7 had died six times previously (hence 7!) and some of those deaths are lived through quite graphically. There was an unexpected amount of Mickey‘s and the Union’s past, aka other colonies and why the failed. And very little character development for Mickey8. Somewhere around the middle of the book I started to wonder about uneven pacing and lack of meaningful plot progression. It did all come together quite nicely in the end, but I am not a total fan.
Would I recommend this to a friend? Yes.
Would I read the next book by the author? Most likely.
3.5 stars, rounded up to 4.
I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher or author through NetGalley. All opinions are my own and I was not required to give a positive review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Terminal illness, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Medical trauma, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Genocide, Colonisation, War