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mal_eficent's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was fun, especially for an older sci-fi! To me, it felt like an odd mix of Star Trek and Alien–both aesthetically and in the way the world was structured. The story was grounded in a corporate world and aesthetic, but had the idea that the 'military' should work for the benefit of the people (at least in Sass's eyes) much like Trek's Fleet. Because of that it was pretty easy to jump into without needing a deep understanding of sci-fi tropes and is pretty much just corporate and military espionage but in space. A little dry in places, sure, and it skipped over large periods of time a lot, but very fun with some great space battles!
I enjoy both McCaffrey and Moon separately, and it was nice to try and spot within the story moments that felt more like one author than the other. While there's nothing specific I can pinpoint, there were chapters and moments that did feel distinct. Book three felt more Moon, while the opening felt very McCaffrey, for example. I wish there was an interview out there with both authors talking about how they wrote the story together and what they added!
One thing that did stand out to me when I started, though, was the mention of speaking Chinese. It's a casual sci-fi staple and makes some sense if we're assuming this civilisation evolved from an Earth where China continued to be massively important to world wide trade...Except what's 'Chinese'? Mandarin? Cantonese? Hunanese? Chances are they meant Mandarin, but the lack of even bothering to check the name of a real life language shows how simply the book treats cultures. It's not egregious, and there are moments later on that have more depth...but it's noticeable.
I enjoy both McCaffrey and Moon separately, and it was nice to try and spot within the story moments that felt more like one author than the other. While there's nothing specific I can pinpoint, there were chapters and moments that did feel distinct. Book three felt more Moon, while the opening felt very McCaffrey, for example. I wish there was an interview out there with both authors talking about how they wrote the story together and what they added!
One thing that did stand out to me when I started, though, was the mention of speaking Chinese. It's a casual sci-fi staple and makes some sense if we're assuming this civilisation evolved from an Earth where China continued to be massively important to world wide trade...Except what's 'Chinese'? Mandarin? Cantonese? Hunanese? Chances are they meant Mandarin, but the lack of even bothering to check the name of a real life language shows how simply the book treats cultures. It's not egregious, and there are moments later on that have more depth...but it's noticeable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Xenophobia, Trafficking, Slavery, Sexism, Death, Child death, and Death of parent
Moderate: Violence and Grief
Minor: Religious bigotry and Torture
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