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ryzar's review
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
write_read_rose's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? It's complicated
4.0
eol's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
nineteen_adze's review
3.0
I went in expecting to adore this one after how much I liked [b:The Tea Master and the Detective|36686547|The Tea Master and the Detective (The Universe of Xuya)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511987651l/36686547._SX50_.jpg|58480498]. My main issue with that one was that it felt a little compressed, and this one is longer, but it just doesn't have the same spark-- I found myself setting it down and struggling to finish even though it's so short.
Sunless Woods should be a fun character, and Vân is both an excellent foil and a person with secrets in her own right, but they're both a little flat individually and the chemistry between them didn't land. Where every word between Long Chau and The Shadow's Child felt charged with potential in the previous book, this couple seems more weighed down with insecurity and busy directly explaining their motivations and fears to the reader every other page. The weirdly instant passion on both sides doesn't feel rooted in much of anything, and I'm sorry for any cultural ignorance, but seeing the lovers call each other "big'sis" and "lil'sis" directly after sex was a burst of cold water on whatever sensuality you've built up. Hard pass for me.
I was expecting a mystery with rich characterization, but it's more of an uneven character study with excitement around the edges. The mystery/thriller elements weren't as strong as I'd like: the initial "why is this person dead in a locked room" resolves too quickly in favor of "but do we care about each other," a tedious side concern I could find almost anywhere. I wanted to see more about Uyên, Vân's student, but she's relegated to the background and having her messages ignored when important things are happening (and also left alone so the grown-ups can go explore deep space just after someone died in her room, a decision that still baffles me). I'd love to see a novella centered on her in the future.
The worldbuilding was still great, though, and I'll keep an eye out for other Xuya works-- it was just that these two main characters and their relationship didn't work for me.
Other recommendations:
-If you haven't read [b:The Tea Master and the Detective|36686547|The Tea Master and the Detective (The Universe of Xuya)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511987651l/36686547._SX50_.jpg|58480498], go back and hit that one-- it's much crisper. Check out my review.
-[b:A Memory Called Empire|37794149|A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)|Arkady Martine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526486698l/37794149._SY75_.jpg|59457173] has some similar elements, particularly in parallel to Vân's mem implant of a scholar who helps her succeed in her teaching. Mahit Dzmare is dealing with a similar device, though one with a more specific personality. The high cultural value of poetry also highlights the resemblance, and it's lovely to see art advance the plot.
Sunless Woods should be a fun character, and Vân is both an excellent foil and a person with secrets in her own right, but they're both a little flat individually and the chemistry between them didn't land. Where every word between Long Chau and The Shadow's Child felt charged with potential in the previous book, this couple seems more weighed down with insecurity and busy directly explaining their motivations and fears to the reader every other page. The weirdly instant passion on both sides doesn't feel rooted in much of anything, and I'm sorry for any cultural ignorance, but seeing the lovers call each other "big'sis" and "lil'sis" directly after sex was a burst of cold water on whatever sensuality you've built up. Hard pass for me.
I was expecting a mystery with rich characterization, but it's more of an uneven character study with excitement around the edges. The mystery/thriller elements weren't as strong as I'd like: the initial "why is this person dead in a locked room" resolves too quickly in favor of "but do we care about each other," a tedious side concern I could find almost anywhere. I wanted to see more about Uyên, Vân's student, but she's relegated to the background and having her messages ignored when important things are happening (and also left alone so the grown-ups can go explore deep space just after someone died in her room, a decision that still baffles me). I'd love to see a novella centered on her in the future.
The worldbuilding was still great, though, and I'll keep an eye out for other Xuya works-- it was just that these two main characters and their relationship didn't work for me.
Other recommendations:
-If you haven't read [b:The Tea Master and the Detective|36686547|The Tea Master and the Detective (The Universe of Xuya)|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1511987651l/36686547._SX50_.jpg|58480498], go back and hit that one-- it's much crisper. Check out my review.
-[b:A Memory Called Empire|37794149|A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1)|Arkady Martine|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526486698l/37794149._SY75_.jpg|59457173] has some similar elements, particularly in parallel to Vân's mem implant of a scholar who helps her succeed in her teaching. Mahit Dzmare is dealing with a similar device, though one with a more specific personality. The high cultural value of poetry also highlights the resemblance, and it's lovely to see art advance the plot.
sashas_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
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? Yes
4.25
Another cool story set in the Xuya universe. Once again, I enjoyed the writing and the worldbuilding. The main characters are easy to like, and this time, it was interesting to follow those who do not accept how their society works. And I love sentient spaceships, of course!
The murder mystery/heist plot was not particularly interesting; it was more of a vehicle for characters’ relationships and emotions. That was fine with me. The emotions were turbulent, everything bursting at the seams, the strings wound tight, and sometimes this novella was on the verge of going to far, right into the soap opera territory. Thankfully, it didn’t, but I had a feeling the author had trouble keeping her characters under control. I did like the teacher-student relationship, which was beautifully shown. When it comes to the romance, I could have done without – there was slightly too much sugar syrup and instalove. Friendship/"will-they-won’t they" would have sufficed, IMO…
Overall, I enjoyed this novella more than The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, while The Tea Master and the Detective and On a Red Station, Drifting remain my favourites. In case anyone is wondering, I do intend to read all the Xuya stories (somehow). Because, well, sentient spaceships :)
The murder mystery/heist plot was not particularly interesting; it was more of a vehicle for characters’ relationships and emotions. That was fine with me. The emotions were turbulent, everything bursting at the seams, the strings wound tight, and sometimes this novella was on the verge of going to far, right into the soap opera territory. Thankfully, it didn’t, but I had a feeling the author had trouble keeping her characters under control. I did like the teacher-student relationship, which was beautifully shown. When it comes to the romance, I could have done without – there was slightly too much sugar syrup and instalove. Friendship/"will-they-won’t they" would have sufficed, IMO…
Overall, I enjoyed this novella more than The Citadel of Weeping Pearls, while The Tea Master and the Detective and On a Red Station, Drifting remain my favourites. In case anyone is wondering, I do intend to read all the Xuya stories (somehow). Because, well, sentient spaceships :)
kaa's review
4.0
Another gorgeous Xuya novella. I thought the tone of this one was a bit different from the typical mood of the stories de Bodard has written in this universe - it has a bit more of the dark secrets and sexual tension feel that I expect from the Dominion of the Fallen books - but I thought it worked well for this story and these characters.
jasonmolenda's review
3.0
I really dug a short story set in this universe previously, did not dig this one much. Wouldn't read another in the series if there were one.
nghia's review
4.0
I have a bumpy relationship with de Bodard's novellas (I haven't read any of her full books yet). She's basically the only person regularly writing any Vietnamese-inspired genre fiction, so that's a big plus. And I almost always like her ideas. But I often find the execution a bit lacking. Especially most of the things around relationships, which often feel rushed and forced, without the depth that makes them feel real. [b:Fireheart Tiger|53317495|Fireheart Tiger|Aliette de Bodard|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1613123818l/53317495._SY75_.jpg|81650778] was pretty bad on this front, for instance.
Seven of Infinities is an example where everything works. The relationship feels more natural. When two strangers spend only a few hours/days together it is always hard to swallow it as "true love". Here it comes across more as mutual attraction, "hey, they're pretty interesting", yeah let's explore a relationship and see where it goes. Which works.
This is set in her Xuya universe, a science fictional future where Chinese and Vietnamese empires took over the world in an alternate history and eventually launched space empires. The most interesting part of it is how she laces traditional Confucian ancestor worship with high-tech: what if you could get copies of your important ancestors digitally implanted in your brain so they could offer advice?
There's a kind of murder-mystery in Seven of Infinities but it isn't really the focus. This isn't a whodunnit. The murder is just what shakes up the status quo and gets our two characters -- both of them stuck in a life that they've convinced themselves they're actually happy with -- to begin to reevaluate and question what kind of life and future they actually want for themselves.
Seven of Infinities is an example where everything works. The relationship feels more natural. When two strangers spend only a few hours/days together it is always hard to swallow it as "true love". Here it comes across more as mutual attraction, "hey, they're pretty interesting", yeah let's explore a relationship and see where it goes. Which works.
This is set in her Xuya universe, a science fictional future where Chinese and Vietnamese empires took over the world in an alternate history and eventually launched space empires. The most interesting part of it is how she laces traditional Confucian ancestor worship with high-tech: what if you could get copies of your important ancestors digitally implanted in your brain so they could offer advice?
There's a kind of murder-mystery in Seven of Infinities but it isn't really the focus. This isn't a whodunnit. The murder is just what shakes up the status quo and gets our two characters -- both of them stuck in a life that they've convinced themselves they're actually happy with -- to begin to reevaluate and question what kind of life and future they actually want for themselves.
valhecka's review against another edition
5.0
Every Xuya novella is this - pristine, gorgeous terrarium that contains the entire universe and others, and this one has career thieves and an unlikely romance, and I love it. It's the most cyberpunk of her work that I've read, I think? Which is suitable, considering the cast of characters.
The richness of de Bodard's writing is like edible gold.
The richness of de Bodard's writing is like edible gold.
thislostrose's review
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0