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lewisr1's review
4.0
I think it took quite a while to get going. For a majority of this book, I was confused as to why I should root for these protagonists. All they do is willfully make things worse, and then get angry that things got worse. But, finally, their hidden goodness is revealed and the ending really is wonderful. I enjoyed the world-building and I'm definitely curious what other stories will come out of it. Looking forward to the next installment!
chromatick's review against another edition
2.0
2.5 stars
I wanted to like this book. I really did. However, about the only thing that I can say that sums this book up for me is "meh". It was a real struggle to get through because it was just so boring. There were a couple of neat ideas sprinkled in, and I realize that it's supposed to be a character driven narrative, but the characters were really uninteresting. I won't be reading any other books in this series.
That cover though! Right?
I wanted to like this book. I really did. However, about the only thing that I can say that sums this book up for me is "meh". It was a real struggle to get through because it was just so boring. There were a couple of neat ideas sprinkled in, and I realize that it's supposed to be a character driven narrative, but the characters were really uninteresting. I won't be reading any other books in this series.
That cover though! Right?
andropupsi's review against another edition
4.0
It was good, didn't really like the first person but I made due. The characters did grow on you.
lankyslinky's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
livia_jewel's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
tense
medium-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
5.0
skylar2's review
4.0
This was a good space opera story from a first-time author. The characters were excellent, and the story was fast-paced and entertaining if a bit predictable. There were a few unbelievable/incongruous elements — — but nothing that would deter me from reading the next book.
Spoiler
the J.J. Abrams-esque trope of having all planets involved be close to each other; an alien super weapon that is both biological and geological and meterological; destroying the alien super weapon requires destroying the ship but somehow can't just be burned up in the engines?nicofeula's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
joetee's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The first half of the book was difficult for me to get through due to some of the decisions the characters make, but it does pay off in the end.
I don’t think this book is bingeable in only a few sessions. I needed to take frequent breaks due to my annoyance at times. However, I did end up enjoying the second half enough to make it worth the read if you enjoy lighter space opera stories.
I don’t think this book is bingeable in only a few sessions. I needed to take frequent breaks due to my annoyance at times. However, I did end up enjoying the second half enough to make it worth the read if you enjoy lighter space opera stories.
essinink's review
4.0
Stop me if you've heard this before:
A broken-down freighter with a rag-tag crew gets itself involved in shady business. Hijinks ensue, there is interpersonal drama, someone probably dies, but everyone comes out the other side stronger for the challenge. Reading the summary, what I expected from this book was found-family fluff with a side of action; perhaps a slightly edgier version of [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729._SY75_.jpg|42270825]. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that's NOT what this book is.
Some unspecified year in the future, humanity has fled to the stars, settling in a new system with 5 mostly-habitable planets. But the journey was long, and the planets don't trust each other. Landing on a planet requires citizenship there, and so most trade is done by automated drones.
Enter Fortuna. Auriga Kaiser (simply called 'Momma' through most of the book) has five children, each planned and born on a different planet, giving her trade access throughout the system. She's a hard woman, and difficult to get a read on for most of the book. I got the impression she was a very ends-and-means personality, but as much as she claimed to want the best for her family, what she considered 'best' seemed financial; not personal.
The story itself is told by Auriga's two eldest children in alternating first-person perspective. Scorpia is a shortsighted trainwreck with high ambitions, and Corvus has been away for three years fighting a civil war on his birth planet of Titan, and carries the trauma to match. The reunion is messy, filled with all the hurts and biases that siblings can throw at each other, and that's without counting the war crime that Fortuna is now responsible for.
Because yes, this is a book about a crew operating on the 'gray' side of the law that finds itself WAY over the line of acceptable rule-bending. People in this book make horrific choices for sometimes-stupid reasons, and then they have to deal with the fallout. Becky Chambers this is not. Family growing pains, space opera politics, a romantic subplot... there are a few things that turn out just a bit too neat, but overall it's an exceptionally well-realized drama.
Justly, the book doesn't cop out and close with "everyone wins." It's complex, bittersweet, and just a tad unsettling. As a standalone, I appreciate the way Merbeth closed the story. Knowing there's a sequel coming out shortly, I only hope it does justice to the rest of the fallout. 3.5*, rounding up because it defied my expectations.
A broken-down freighter with a rag-tag crew gets itself involved in shady business. Hijinks ensue, there is interpersonal drama, someone probably dies, but everyone comes out the other side stronger for the challenge. Reading the summary, what I expected from this book was found-family fluff with a side of action; perhaps a slightly edgier version of [b:The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet|22733729|The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet (Wayfarers, #1)|Becky Chambers|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1405532474l/22733729._SY75_.jpg|42270825]. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that's NOT what this book is.
Some unspecified year in the future, humanity has fled to the stars, settling in a new system with 5 mostly-habitable planets. But the journey was long, and the planets don't trust each other. Landing on a planet requires citizenship there, and so most trade is done by automated drones.
Enter Fortuna. Auriga Kaiser (simply called 'Momma' through most of the book) has five children, each planned and born on a different planet, giving her trade access throughout the system. She's a hard woman, and difficult to get a read on for most of the book. I got the impression she was a very ends-and-means personality, but as much as she claimed to want the best for her family, what she considered 'best' seemed financial; not personal.
The story itself is told by Auriga's two eldest children in alternating first-person perspective. Scorpia is a shortsighted trainwreck with high ambitions, and Corvus has been away for three years fighting a civil war on his birth planet of Titan, and carries the trauma to match. The reunion is messy, filled with all the hurts and biases that siblings can throw at each other, and that's without counting the war crime that Fortuna is now responsible for.
Because yes, this is a book about a crew operating on the 'gray' side of the law that finds itself WAY over the line of acceptable rule-bending. People in this book make horrific choices for sometimes-stupid reasons, and then they have to deal with the fallout. Becky Chambers this is not. Family growing pains, space opera politics, a romantic subplot... there are a few things that turn out just a bit too neat, but overall it's an exceptionally well-realized drama.
Justly, the book doesn't cop out and close with "everyone wins." It's complex, bittersweet, and just a tad unsettling. As a standalone, I appreciate the way Merbeth closed the story. Knowing there's a sequel coming out shortly, I only hope it does justice to the rest of the fallout. 3.5*, rounding up because it defied my expectations.