Reviews

I love it when Charlie blesses us with another story. This one takes us to the far reaches of space as we follow along with a crew of new human recruits to an alien civilization. There are many wonders to see, described by Charlie’s rich prose. Little touches that remind us these characters are human and struggling. Tina finds out that joining a group of peacemakers means waging a lot of war. As she journeys with her new crew she comes to the realization that saving the galaxy doesn’t have to mean sacrificing herself for the greater good. I really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for the next installment. Also as a queer reader I loved the worldbuilding that included pronouns in every introduction.

pagesofash's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful 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? Yes

4.0

coleycole's review against another edition

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4.0

Super enjoyable YA queer and cool af space epic. Haven't read much YA lately and I'll definitely come back for the sequel. I really enjoy Charlie Jane Anders work.

gizmoto16's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

hneite's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny 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? Yes

4.25

melissaalgood's review against another edition

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3.0

I think my hopes were too high, because her book all the birds in the sky is one of my favorites of all time…I’m reread that one instead of finishing the series.

tricapra's review against another edition

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3.0

OK, so let me start by saying that this was adorable. YA is definitely not my thing and I have a ton of criticism ready to go after this paragraph, but first and foremost, if I was a young teen reading Scifi, I would be so happy to have this. I love Charlie Jane Anders and I think she's set up something lovely here.

Unfortunately, Anders has dumbed down her charming prose in favor of something that feels at times like a parody of tumblrspeak. Maybe this tested well and it's what teens like! However, I was hoping for something more akin to The City In the Middle of the Night, which could've been accessible to teens as it was, without any compromise. I don't know who is failing her here, but I felt that she made her world/prose/book lesser in pursuit of a younger audience, when that didn't need to happen. That aside, there were some issues with pacing and exposition dumps that weren't my favorite.
The cast is super inclusive and I loved that our heroes had relatable mental health issues, and that they spent an appropriate amount of time grappling with adjusting to suddenly being humans in space. The world building was fun and I liked the repeated interrogation of the Royal Army's motives and behaviors.

I'll continue to check out everything that Anders writes, I'll pick up a copy of this for my niece when its released for sure.

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