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adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Death, Grief, Colonisation
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
slow-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
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Minor: Rape, Murder
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
This book has one of the best presentations of inclusive gender I’ve ever read. The author devises a way to effectively divorce gender from physical characteristics, letting the characters define themselves as man, woman, non-binary, etc, while still leaving their physical appearance up to reader interpretation. It’s really wonderful to read and I hope to read more books like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
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:
Yes
jainan is an introverted perfectionist with a guilt complex, kiam is a charming and hyperactive bi disaster- and they both deserve all the love in the world. this book, from these and other rounded characters to the thrilling political plot, was a masterpiece. it's a space opera that doesn't overload you with exposition while still immersing you in its world. it's a romance that is fully developed, that explores the flaws of kiam and jainan as well as their relationships with others (especially bel, my queen!), and how their bond turns them both into healthier and happier people. it's a mystery that entices you to keep reading, giving you just enough clues to guess at the big reveal but making sure you're still surprised when that point is reached. and it's an adventure that i absolutely fell in love with :) especially that ending!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence
Moderate: Xenophobia, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Xenophobia, Murder, Gaslighting
adventurous
emotional
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:
Yes
This book may be troperiffic, but it is highly emotionally satisfying and I will be coming back for rereads
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting
Moderate: Sexual assault, Colonisation
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Maxwell proves you can craft a complex and compelling space-operatic tapestry of political intrigue with mature, solid storytelling and character that is actually sixteen fanfiction tropes in a trench coat. I had not thought to wonder, but I'm glad I found out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Gaslighting
Minor: Grief, Murder, Alcohol, Colonisation
slow-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:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship
Moderate: Physical abuse, Rape, Grief, Gaslighting
adventurous
mysterious
Let's get something clear: I only recently learned that "space opera" doesn't actually mean theatrical singing and exquisite costumes in the cosmos, and I haven't forgiven the genre since. We're losing points from the get-go.
Another note: I heartily admire Maxwell for her ambitions with this book and for originally posting it as an original work on AO3. That takes guts and I respect it.
Winter's Orbit includes one of the most viscerally accurate and painful renderings of queer intimate partner violence that I have yet encountered. The exploration of Jainan's (past) relationship with Taam was the strongest part of the book, by far. All of the bits in Jainan's voice were so hard to read (though the perspective switches halfway or quarter-way through a chapter were messy). I appreciate the author's unwillingness to back away from the complexities of domestic abuse, allowing the damage to infiltrate into Jainan's very thought processes. His journey of recognizing and rejecting the abuse partially saves this book from...
Plot holes! Poor worldbuilding! Very confusing interplanetary politics! There's a possibility that the trouble was on my end because I do not particularly enjoy sci-fi. However, I do deeply enjoy fictional political dramas, and this was too much even for me. There was so much going on and almost none of it was explained (that's not even a spoiler... the first 50 pages are real intense). The setting is only kind of established in between quips from Kiem and the aching pain of Jainan. Again, maybe I'm just new to the SFF game but isn't the setting supposed to be the most interesting and defining feature? We're in space. There is cool, futuristic tech. I'm afraid this novel failed to provide much detail on either of those realities. There's a scene toward the end of the story involving a disappointingly low-stakes break-in where the characters... get through walls using a birth canal... made of jelly? I THINK?
I picked up this book on account of its romance, which was somewhat underbaked but overall fitting with the rest of the story. It's not clear to me why Kiem and Jainan are attracted to each other beyond a physical level, and it's also not clear to me why their turning point happens so early on. I can usually cope with those things in a book. However, they point to a larger issue: I couldn't get a read on most of the characters' motivations. Why does the Auditor make such a fuss at the beginning? There is no reason for that to happen.Why does the Emperor capitulate so easily later on? She still outguns the other planets. Why does the antagonist care at all about the past Jainan/ Taam relationship? That has nothing to do with the villainous plans.
The answer to all of those questions is obviously "because the plot needs them to." I'll accept some fudges with the plot to clear the path for romance, but this isn't a romance book. It's a sci-fi book with a side of romance, and it needs the plot to even get off the ground. One might argue that it never did reach the sky.
TL;DR this book didn't work for me on multiple levels. I do hope other readers can a) better understand the stuff that went over my head and/or b) enjoy this imperfect book for what it is.
Another note: I heartily admire Maxwell for her ambitions with this book and for originally posting it as an original work on AO3. That takes guts and I respect it.
Winter's Orbit includes one of the most viscerally accurate and painful renderings of queer intimate partner violence that I have yet encountered. The exploration of Jainan's (past) relationship with Taam was the strongest part of the book, by far. All of the bits in Jainan's voice were so hard to read (though the perspective switches halfway or quarter-way through a chapter were messy). I appreciate the author's unwillingness to back away from the complexities of domestic abuse, allowing the damage to infiltrate into Jainan's very thought processes. His journey of recognizing and rejecting the abuse partially saves this book from...
Plot holes! Poor worldbuilding! Very confusing interplanetary politics! There's a possibility that the trouble was on my end because I do not particularly enjoy sci-fi. However, I do deeply enjoy fictional political dramas, and this was too much even for me. There was so much going on and almost none of it was explained (that's not even a spoiler... the first 50 pages are real intense). The setting is only kind of established in between quips from Kiem and the aching pain of Jainan. Again, maybe I'm just new to the SFF game but isn't the setting supposed to be the most interesting and defining feature? We're in space. There is cool, futuristic tech. I'm afraid this novel failed to provide much detail on either of those realities. There's a scene toward the end of the story involving a disappointingly low-stakes break-in where the characters... get through walls using a birth canal... made of jelly? I THINK?
I picked up this book on account of its romance, which was somewhat underbaked but overall fitting with the rest of the story. It's not clear to me why Kiem and Jainan are attracted to each other beyond a physical level, and it's also not clear to me why their turning point happens so early on. I can usually cope with those things in a book. However, they point to a larger issue: I couldn't get a read on most of the characters' motivations. Why does the Auditor make such a fuss at the beginning? There is no reason for that to happen.
The answer to all of those questions is obviously "because the plot needs them to." I'll accept some fudges with the plot to clear the path for romance, but this isn't a romance book. It's a sci-fi book with a side of romance, and it needs the plot to even get off the ground. One might argue that it never did reach the sky.
TL;DR this book didn't work for me on multiple levels. I do hope other readers can a) better understand the stuff that went over my head and/or b) enjoy this imperfect book for what it is.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship
Minor: Physical abuse, Gaslighting
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
Starting Pride Month off right with 'Winter's Orbit' from my TBR. I picked this up shortly before lockdown started (a good month ago?) and only got to it recently. I've been in a bit of slump (if the amount of Haikyu!! volumes I've been powering through recently wasn't enough of an indication) but 'Winter's Orbit' was exactly the sort of novel I needed to get me out of it.
That being said, 'Winter's Orbit' is definitely a politic-, worldbuilding-heavy novel, so even I'm surprised it ended up being such an easy, fun read for me. Something about Maxwell's writing just flowed so well that even though the plot was fairly slow to start, I sped through the first few chapters in a night. While reading, I did have some issues with the pacing—it didn't seem like much was happening it all of a sudden it seemed as if everything was—but having finished it, I feel the exposition included in the beginning really was necessary in setting up all the clues/mystery of 'Winter's Orbit.' Personal opinion, though; I'm sure others might find the exposition annoying or boring to get through.
Of course, having introduced this with "starting Pride Month off right," I should mention the romance. I know I've heard some people have had issues with 'Winter's Orbit' being marketed as a romance, since—and I'd agree—the romance itself wasn't quite the main plot? Or, at least, not as huge a part of the plot as one would expect from how the book was marketed, I guess. There was much less romance and a lot more mystery, politics, conspiracy, etc.
Personally, I absolutely loved this.
I mean, I'm a sucker for fantastic worldbuilding, government conspiracies, and healthy relationships—not necessarily romantic. And 'Winter's Orbit' had all of this. I was thankful for the main plot not necessarily being romance because I felt the characters were given chances to develop on their own before their relationships really began developing. If that makes sense? You can tell lockdown has melted my brain. Point is: I loved the characters so, so much, and how they developed over the course of 'Winter's Orbit' just felt so genuine and, in my opinion, just elevated the romantic plotline when it did come into play.
That being said, 'Winter's Orbit' is definitely a politic-, worldbuilding-heavy novel, so even I'm surprised it ended up being such an easy, fun read for me. Something about Maxwell's writing just flowed so well that even though the plot was fairly slow to start, I sped through the first few chapters in a night. While reading, I did have some issues with the pacing—it didn't seem like much was happening it all of a sudden it seemed as if everything was—but having finished it, I feel the exposition included in the beginning really was necessary in setting up all the clues/mystery of 'Winter's Orbit.' Personal opinion, though; I'm sure others might find the exposition annoying or boring to get through.
Of course, having introduced this with "starting Pride Month off right," I should mention the romance. I know I've heard some people have had issues with 'Winter's Orbit' being marketed as a romance, since—and I'd agree—the romance itself wasn't quite the main plot? Or, at least, not as huge a part of the plot as one would expect from how the book was marketed, I guess. There was much less romance and a lot more mystery, politics, conspiracy, etc.
Personally, I absolutely loved this.
I mean, I'm a sucker for fantastic worldbuilding, government conspiracies, and healthy relationships—not necessarily romantic. And 'Winter's Orbit' had all of this. I was thankful for the main plot not necessarily being romance because I felt the characters were given chances to develop on their own before their relationships really began developing. If that makes sense? You can tell lockdown has melted my brain. Point is: I loved the characters so, so much, and how they developed over the course of 'Winter's Orbit' just felt so genuine and, in my opinion, just elevated the romantic plotline when it did come into play.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Grief, Car accident, Colonisation