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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
I loved how this one started, and overall I probably enjoyed the book up until the point where Pendt escaped into the station. The worldbuilding was interesting and Pendt herself was interesting. However the plot not only veered into predictability pretty soon afterwards, but the narrative more often than not turned into a sort of stream-of-consciousness description of the characters feelings and thoughts.
I'll give it two stars for the sake of the first half of the book, but I can't say I was not disappointed by the flimsy resolution.
I'll give it two stars for the sake of the first half of the book, but I can't say I was not disappointed by the flimsy resolution.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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:
No
focus is on healing from an abusive situation
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Eating disorder, Medical trauma
Moderate: Trafficking
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Confinement, Sexism
Minor: Child death
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was so lovely. It's the drama-free love triangle where each edge is a different kind of love. It's the girl whose magic blossoms when she's allowed to joyfully eat all the calories she wants. It's the tale of the Fisher King, remixed, in space.
I really really hope we'll get the rest of the trilogy someday.
I really really hope we'll get the rest of the trilogy someday.
Review on reading: Oh wow okay. Now it took me a while to get through this one, because when it starts by saying "worst family ever" it is not kidding. It starts DARK. And then we get to healing, but we have to earn the agony first.
Very inventive fantasty/sf worldbuilding, I thought it was going to be a very quiet book and then it ALL happened in the last 60 pages, fascinating in its approach to different relationship dynamics and a healing journey. And pregnancy. There is honestly a lot more pregnancy in this book than I was expecting.
Described by the author as
OKAY SIGN ME UP.
Very inventive fantasty/sf worldbuilding, I thought it was going to be a very quiet book and then it ALL happened in the last 60 pages, fascinating in its approach to different relationship dynamics and a healing journey. And pregnancy. There is honestly a lot more pregnancy in this book than I was expecting.
Described by the author as
A little bit Arthurian, a little bit post-1992 fisheries collapse, the worst family EVER, and magic, because: why not? -(x)
OKAY SIGN ME UP.
dark
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
low rating for pregnancy trope 🏃🏻♀️ was too squicky for me tbh. i thought the worldbuilding was great!! was very reminiscent of warhammer 40k for me, loved the grimdark aspects etc but no the fact that pendt had to get pregnant, and through natural means no less *shiver* it felt like the opposite of what would suggest character growth in her situation (and by character growth i mean not doing the thing she has always been terrified of) way too short. wish it was longer and explained everything more because things that were rarely mentioned (the empire, the stations, the gene locks) were all very interesting.
also hot take this this wasn’t that queer! very herero in fact 😨 vaguely shoehorning in a trans character when there is so much room in your world for trans people and the implications of trans people in such a society is just lazy to me. johnston could have done so much with fisher as a character and he was just left to be the love interest as opposed to his own character. i’m salty because this could have been amazing but idk ymmv
pretty cover tho
also hot take this this wasn’t that queer! very herero in fact 😨 vaguely shoehorning in a trans character when there is so much room in your world for trans people and the implications of trans people in such a society is just lazy to me. johnston could have done so much with
pretty cover tho
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes