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asadaniels's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
As a fan of Firefly I was looking forward to reading this book - to venture back into the 'verse with some of the best characters I have ever met, seeing them on another wild adventure on the dusty planets of their galaxy. When I saw my sister's review, I became worried. When I read the book, I realized my dreams had been for naught.
To begin with, this is not a bad book - not in the way that we think of bad books. Rather, it is a book that cannot live up to the, admittedly, high standards of (at least some) fans of the show. The world of Firefly is a very serious, important part of some fans' lives and I think myself as one of them. So, I recognize the author is facing a very serious challenge, not unlike the challenge any kind of reboot would face (though, I pray there will never be one - it simply cannot live up to the original show).
The plot is probably the strongest point of this book. It is full of twists, but none are particularly surprising. Rather, they sit like the kinds of twists you'd see on the show, which is not a bad thing, really. The story is engaging and it kept me going, so I do really mean to give credit to the author for that. I could really see this being a script or story board for an actual episode.
However, the story's dialogue, of both the characters and the narrator, is like scratching chalk on a blackboard. Many of the character just did not seem to be expressing true, deep beliefs that they hold, that are a part of their personalities. Instead, as my sister pointed out, it sounds like they're saying lines from the show, with new bits added in to make this story different. The narrator, a third-person limited perspective that changes slightly in voice between characters (different chapters are in the view of different main characters from Serenity's crew) just sounds like some kind of wanna-be storyteller. I more formal, omniscient speaker would have done better.
In addition, the weakest part of the plot is certainly Mal's backstory. There's something to be said about not knowing much anything about his past and having learned it now, I don't think I much care for it. The delivery of it, the actual events that occur, it all just doesn't sit right with me as being Mal's actual backstory. It goes back to the portrayal of the characters I mentioned earlier.
Overall, borrowing another thing from my sister's review of this book, I agree with her that the transition of the television medium that is Firefly to novel, just doesn't work here. And, I am not really sure why that is. The comic books have all been amazing little adventures that feel like such a part of the world, yet, this book does not. Maybe some day I may figure it out.
Meantime, I find myself itching to just slip in the DVD and watch the show all over again... There's high hope I'll be doing that real soon.
To begin with, this is not a bad book - not in the way that we think of bad books. Rather, it is a book that cannot live up to the, admittedly, high standards of (at least some) fans of the show. The world of Firefly is a very serious, important part of some fans' lives and I think myself as one of them. So, I recognize the author is facing a very serious challenge, not unlike the challenge any kind of reboot would face (though, I pray there will never be one - it simply cannot live up to the original show).
The plot is probably the strongest point of this book. It is full of twists, but none are particularly surprising. Rather, they sit like the kinds of twists you'd see on the show, which is not a bad thing, really. The story is engaging and it kept me going, so I do really mean to give credit to the author for that. I could really see this being a script or story board for an actual episode.
However, the story's dialogue, of both the characters and the narrator, is like scratching chalk on a blackboard. Many of the character just did not seem to be expressing true, deep beliefs that they hold, that are a part of their personalities. Instead, as my sister pointed out, it sounds like they're saying lines from the show, with new bits added in to make this story different. The narrator, a third-person limited perspective that changes slightly in voice between characters (different chapters are in the view of different main characters from Serenity's crew) just sounds like some kind of wanna-be storyteller. I more formal, omniscient speaker would have done better.
In addition, the weakest part of the plot is certainly Mal's backstory. There's something to be said about not knowing much anything about his past and having learned it now, I don't think I much care for it. The delivery of it, the actual events that occur, it all just doesn't sit right with me as being Mal's actual backstory. It goes back to the portrayal of the characters I mentioned earlier.
Overall, borrowing another thing from my sister's review of this book, I agree with her that the transition of the television medium that is Firefly to novel, just doesn't work here. And, I am not really sure why that is. The comic books have all been amazing little adventures that feel like such a part of the world, yet, this book does not. Maybe some day I may figure it out.
Meantime, I find myself itching to just slip in the DVD and watch the show all over again... There's high hope I'll be doing that real soon.
a_reader_obsessed's review
4.0
4 Serenity Stars
Why I haven’t delved into this sooner is beyond my comprehension. As a huge fan, it will come as absolutely no surprise that I enjoyed this.
-Jayne is still a roughneck asshole
-Zoe is tough as nails but puts her feminine side to good use
-One gets a glimpse of the feelings brewing between Kaylee and Simon
-River utilizes her amazing impossible powers
-Shepherd Book’s elusive past comes to the fore
-Wash is still his funny quirky self
-Inara continues to impress with her various non-Companion skills
And Mal? Still honorable and ruthlessly practical in all the right ways.
Loyalty is the key word here as Mal’s past comes to bite him in the ass, and he must rely on his ragtag crew to figure things out to rescue him before he’s hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.
This was very enlightening as flashbacks show Mal as a teenager, grappling with first love, and becoming a man as he enlists in the fight for Independence against the Alliance.
For all enthusiasts of Firefly, this is a must, and I’ll be eating up the rest of this series soon!
Why I haven’t delved into this sooner is beyond my comprehension. As a huge fan, it will come as absolutely no surprise that I enjoyed this.
-Jayne is still a roughneck asshole
-Zoe is tough as nails but puts her feminine side to good use
-One gets a glimpse of the feelings brewing between Kaylee and Simon
-River utilizes her amazing impossible powers
-Shepherd Book’s elusive past comes to the fore
-Wash is still his funny quirky self
-Inara continues to impress with her various non-Companion skills
And Mal? Still honorable and ruthlessly practical in all the right ways.
Loyalty is the key word here as Mal’s past comes to bite him in the ass, and he must rely on his ragtag crew to figure things out to rescue him before he’s hanged for a crime he didn’t commit.
This was very enlightening as flashbacks show Mal as a teenager, grappling with first love, and becoming a man as he enlists in the fight for Independence against the Alliance.
For all enthusiasts of Firefly, this is a must, and I’ll be eating up the rest of this series soon!
eskupslp's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
rosalindm1's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
4.0
Who doesn't want more Firefly? It was fun to revisit the characters on a swashbuckling side quest.
book_nerd_1's review
2.0
It was okay. Parts were slow and some of it just seemed kind of off. Also a few nerdy details that most people wouldn't notice just didn't match.
I've read [b:The Age of Ra|6484173|The Age of Ra|James Lovegrove|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348690749l/6484173._SY75_.jpg|6675493] by the author before and wasn't very impressed, this hasn't changed my mind.
I'll read the rest of the series just for more Firefly.
I've read [b:The Age of Ra|6484173|The Age of Ra|James Lovegrove|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1348690749l/6484173._SY75_.jpg|6675493] by the author before and wasn't very impressed, this hasn't changed my mind.
I'll read the rest of the series just for more Firefly.
unofficialcate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
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
4.25
tiarala's review
4.0
Solid 3.5 stars. Exactly what you’d expect. A little cringey at points with shoehorned show callbacks in lieu of capturing the characters’ voices, but overall I’d have enjoyed this as a new story told in the ‘Verse.
shurshen's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75