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lestie4short's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
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
5.0
The only way I can think to describe this book is if Alien and Firefly meshed together. It's more serious than Firefly, but not as Horror-driven as Alien. The world that Paoloni has built is fascinating and in-depth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Murder, Grief, and Cursing
Minor: Religious bigotry, Medical content, Medical trauma, Genocide, Violence, War, Slavery, Xenophobia, Alcohol, and Forced institutionalization
queenkath32's review
adventurous
dark
hopeful
tense
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood, Body horror, Death, Murder, Violence, Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Grief
minna_chan's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Entertaining, immersive and well-thought out world. Very fun to decipher the laws of nature and society in this sciencefiction world. And oh, it’s actually based on science that could work in theory. Nice addition.
Characters were kind of flat to me at times, and story became predictive. There’s no real major character development for any of the characters.
(Spoiler alert, read with caution).
Main girl has to save the world (or universe, really) because it’s about to be destroyed by a monstrous debacle but doesn’t really change throughout the story. I mean, yeah, she might’ve accepted that she might not return to her old lifestyle but is otherwise the exact same person as she was at the beginning, despite having been dead and resurrected…twice.
But it was a nice read overall. 3/5.
Characters were kind of flat to me at times, and story became predictive. There’s no real major character development for any of the characters.
(Spoiler alert, read with caution).
Main girl has to save the world (or universe, really) because it’s about to be destroyed by a monstrous debacle but doesn’t really change throughout the story. I mean, yeah, she might’ve accepted that she might not return to her old lifestyle but is otherwise the exact same person as she was at the beginning, despite having been dead and resurrected…twice.
But it was a nice read overall. 3/5.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Mental illness, and Violence
akfowly's review
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
This book made me feel emotions, i.e. I cried several times reading through. I cared about Kira by the end, though I'll admit to having been pretty ambivalent to her for most of the book. I do find Paolini's world building and alien-building to be fairly creative -- I definitely appreciate that the communication was not standard 'human-style', and there were some twists and turns along the way that I found compelling. I found the writing style to be kind of choppy/clunky and a bit of a drag for the first couple sections of the book, but found that after a certain point either I got used to it, or it made more sense. I'm willing to accept that this could be because I don't typically read science fiction these days, and might just be a feature of the genre.
In the end I think I might have enjoyed the book? I have some quibbles about Kira's fate. It felt almost a little like it leaned too hard into a few tropes about women, but it was still unexpected and creative. I read this as part of a christmas present for my mom, so it wasn't my first choice of a book, and if it hadn't been for that I probably would have stopped reading before part 1 ended. For an almost 900 page book, it lacks heavily in character development.
Also, I don't care for the world-building info-dump I discovered at the end of the book when I went back to check a couple things for this review -- if you want to tell me that a pepper was cultivated by someone before they won a 'tri-solar hot pepper bash', incorporate it in the text.
Important: I don't care for the way Paolini portrayed the non-white characters and women in this book, to be completely honest. There were definitely moments where Kira's perspective felt uncomfortable to read, and pulled me out of the flow as I was reminded that a man wrote her, especially as she was perceiving herself and some of the male characters. Also when she had 'emotions' she felt less believable/real than the (2/3 male-coded) maybe more robot-than-human ship minds. It felt a little like she spent the entire book (which covers maybe up to a couple years of time? Hard to follow the timeline between her dissociating and the cryo gaps, tbh) dissociating from shock, and viewing the world through a looking glass.
In general the romance aspects of this book felt clunky and unrealistic/lacked emotion**, and even as an avid romance reader, I could have done without it. On the note of Hwa Jung, I did not care for her portrayal - it felt at times like a series of microaggressions rather than a whole person. Kira's own heritage is only alluded to via her last name, so it felt a little bit checkboxy, i.e. they are not white because that's what's 'in' vs. creating full and complete intentional characters. Also felt pretty uncomfortable about the other two romances - Hwa Jung and Sparrow felt like another 'diversity' checkbox, and the Dr. who was being antagonized by the gal and then suddenly they were having sex and then engaged to be married felt...bizarre to say the least.
My other big quibble is that a huge twist in the book relies really heavily on unreliable narrator and hinges pretty heavily on something that in my opinion is actually a moment where he figured it out at the end and forgot to make sure the beginning still fit the timing right. Without giving spoilers, it has to do with the timing of Kira's first and subsequent contact experiences and the origin of something that I don't think quite fits with the explanation at the end.
In the end I think I might have enjoyed the book? I have some quibbles about Kira's fate. It felt almost a little like it leaned too hard into a few tropes about women, but it was still unexpected and creative. I read this as part of a christmas present for my mom, so it wasn't my first choice of a book, and if it hadn't been for that I probably would have stopped reading before part 1 ended. For an almost 900 page book, it lacks heavily in character development.
Also, I don't care for the world-building info-dump I discovered at the end of the book when I went back to check a couple things for this review -- if you want to tell me that a pepper was cultivated by someone before they won a 'tri-solar hot pepper bash', incorporate it in the text.
Important: I don't care for the way Paolini portrayed the non-white characters and women in this book, to be completely honest. There were definitely moments where Kira's perspective felt uncomfortable to read, and pulled me out of the flow as I was reminded that a man wrote her, especially as she was perceiving herself and some of the male characters. Also when she had 'emotions' she felt less believable/real than the (2/3 male-coded) maybe more robot-than-human ship minds. It felt a little like she spent the entire book (which covers maybe up to a couple years of time? Hard to follow the timeline between her dissociating and the cryo gaps, tbh) dissociating from shock, and viewing the world through a looking glass.
In general the romance aspects of this book felt clunky and unrealistic/lacked emotion**, and even as an avid romance reader, I could have done without it. On the note of Hwa Jung, I did not care for her portrayal - it felt at times like a series of microaggressions rather than a whole person. Kira's own heritage is only alluded to via her last name, so it felt a little bit checkboxy, i.e. they are not white because that's what's 'in' vs. creating full and complete intentional characters. Also felt pretty uncomfortable about the other two romances - Hwa Jung and Sparrow felt like another 'diversity' checkbox, and the Dr. who was being antagonized by the gal and then suddenly they were having sex and then engaged to be married felt...bizarre to say the least.
My other big quibble is that a huge twist in the book relies really heavily on unreliable narrator and hinges pretty heavily on something that in my opinion is actually a moment where he figured it out at the end and forgot to make sure the beginning still fit the timing right. Without giving spoilers, it has to do with the timing of Kira's first and subsequent contact experiences and the origin of something that I don't think quite fits with the explanation at the end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Violence, Death, Murder, Gun violence, War, Torture, and Blood
Moderate: Body horror
Minor: Colonisation, Sexual content, Dysphoria, and Racism
tiffanysmith's review
adventurous
challenging
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Like many people, I grew up with Paolini’s debut series The Inheirtance Cycle, which I was quite fond of. As an adult, I was thrilled when I discovered he had written a space adventure novel and immediately got my hands on it.
I can say that I enjoyed the premise and the characters up until I was about halfway through this tome…that’s when I began to despair. The story was slow. The plot and characters began to grow stale by the middle because their was a lack of forward motion to the story. I didn’t really know what the true plot was for quite a while and the character’s devoted much of their time to mundane dialogue and many scenes aboard the Wallfish that really just didn’t seem relevant. I think if the story had been condensed down by 300-400 pages, it would have been totally awesome! Instead, it grew dry and I had to slog my way to the finish line.
I did enjoy the plot premise and the space world that Paolini built. It was brilliant. He writes beautifully, and the description drew me into each moment. I just didn’t enjoy how it was executed in terms of pacing. From the middle until the climax at the end, I was desperately challenged to read through it, but I’m glad I finished it, so I can relish the parts I loved about it.
I can say that I enjoyed the premise and the characters up until I was about halfway through this tome…that’s when I began to despair. The story was slow. The plot and characters began to grow stale by the middle because their was a lack of forward motion to the story. I didn’t really know what the true plot was for quite a while and the character’s devoted much of their time to mundane dialogue and many scenes aboard the Wallfish that really just didn’t seem relevant. I think if the story had been condensed down by 300-400 pages, it would have been totally awesome! Instead, it grew dry and I had to slog my way to the finish line.
I did enjoy the plot premise and the space world that Paolini built. It was brilliant. He writes beautifully, and the description drew me into each moment. I just didn’t enjoy how it was executed in terms of pacing. From the middle until the climax at the end, I was desperately challenged to read through it, but I’m glad I finished it, so I can relish the parts I loved about it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, War, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, and Gore
Moderate: Animal death, Confinement, Terminal illness, Sexual content, Murder, and Medical trauma
Minor: Addiction, Alcohol, and Drug use
erynpaige's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Self harm, Violence, and War
categalafassi's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, Torture, War, Murder, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Genocide, Death, Colonisation, and Blood
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Fatphobia, Pregnancy, and Body shaming
ssgcedits's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
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? It's complicated
5.0
And he did it again. Paolini never writes anything below epic.
This story is brilliantly researched, packed with action (even a bit too much for someone used to slower books) and well-rounded, diverse characters. It feels like a perfectly plausible future, but there are also nods to the Empire series that make it seem like a plausible future in that same universe.
It is definitely more adult and explicit than Empire. I am not saying that Empire isn't violent, bloody and nasty at points, because it is, but this book goes into more gore-ish detail, I think. So, be ready for that. I had to pause at various points not just because of the violence but also the sense of impending doom that builds up throughout the novel and to the very end.
Another great skill of Paolini's is in depicting relationships from the most formal to most intimate. Nothing is instantaneous or unexplained. It all makes sense to those characters in that moment and under those circumstances (almost always abnormal). Similarly, the saddest moments are often bittersweet and the happiest tend to be quite complex, which I also appreciate.
There is a lot o subtle and not-so-subtle commentary on racism and 'otherness,' on government, corporations and the exploitation of space and workers such as miners. I always admired the way Paolini handles the interaction of different species and it is no different here. In such a dark narrative, the inclusion of comical or lighthearted characters was very welcome.
And, again, as usual, at the end of a long book, there are still many mysteries to uncover and stories to tell beyond the protagonist's. So, is that an open door for (a) sequel(s)? I hope so.
This story is brilliantly researched, packed with action (even a bit too much for someone used to slower books) and well-rounded, diverse characters. It feels like a perfectly plausible future, but there are also nods to the Empire series that make it seem like a plausible future in that same universe.
It is definitely more adult and explicit than Empire. I am not saying that Empire isn't violent, bloody and nasty at points, because it is, but this book goes into more gore-ish detail, I think. So, be ready for that. I had to pause at various points not just because of the violence but also the sense of impending doom that builds up throughout the novel and to the very end.
Another great skill of Paolini's is in depicting relationships from the most formal to most intimate. Nothing is instantaneous or unexplained. It all makes sense to those characters in that moment and under those circumstances (almost always abnormal). Similarly, the saddest moments are often bittersweet and the happiest tend to be quite complex, which I also appreciate.
There is a lot o subtle and not-so-subtle commentary on racism and 'otherness,' on government, corporations and the exploitation of space and workers such as miners. I always admired the way Paolini handles the interaction of different species and it is no different here. In such a dark narrative, the inclusion of comical or lighthearted characters was very welcome.
And, again, as usual, at the end of a long book, there are still many mysteries to uncover and stories to tell beyond the protagonist's. So, is that an open door for (a) sequel(s)? I hope so.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Fire/Fire injury, Body horror, Vomit, and Murder
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, War, Torture, and Grief
ehmannky's review
adventurous
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book is kind of hard for me to rate. Because on the one hand, the plot is very good, I was interested for all of the 800+ pages that this book goes on (though I did have to do a hard pass on the ending addendum stuff), and I was invested in these characters. On the other hand, the plot kind of meanders (it is 800+ pages long and I personally feel like at least 100 pages could have been cut overall) and the dialogue is clunky. It's a fun space opera and it gets really good once Kira starts really merging with her alien biomass, but I wouldn't rank it as one of the best books of all time. Read for a good time not a smart time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Violence, Confinement, Torture, Murder, Medical content, Medical trauma, Gun violence, Gore, Grief, and Blood
Moderate: Vomit and Police brutality
swazwald's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Grief, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Cursing, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Medical content, Murder, Torture, and Violence