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eccles's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Though far less impenetrable than Dreaming in Smoke, the author gives little away about the world of Los Sombres. “Light” and “shine” are core concepts that make little sense to the uninitiated, but I found that about a quarter through this my brain just gave up trying to make sense of it and just went along for the ride. Which was a fun ride, a kind of near-future social-media-internet inspired dystopian descent into techno-madness, solved in the end, as so many things are in life, by onions. The characters are engaging, if occasionally a bit of a type. The plot evolves according to a logic that is hard for us in the pre-shine world to really get a grip on, but is essentially a kind of alien intelligence takeover kind frame. I liked the central idea, but the end and denouement felt a little neat, perhaps a wrap-up for a pandemic obsession that couldn’t find a more natural resolution.
nwhyte's review
1.0
This is a story of a near-future cyberdisaster in California, with all the adults' brains corrupted by a massive software malfunction and two teenagers caught in the peculiar interactions of the badly damaged society. Neuromancer meets Hurricane Katrina, perhaps.
I previously had tried Sullivan's Maul, which made the shortlist for both BSFA and Arthur C. Clarke awards a few years back, and wasn't enthused, completely failing to spot the link between the two story lines until I read someone else's review months later; Lightborn left me a bit like that too, with densely described incident and characters, but also an abrupt ending which I didn't understand and lots in the middle which I couldn't keep track of (I lost my place in it yesterday and found it surprisingly difficult to find again where I had stopped reading). No doubt that is a reflection more on me than on the author
I previously had tried Sullivan's Maul, which made the shortlist for both BSFA and Arthur C. Clarke awards a few years back, and wasn't enthused, completely failing to spot the link between the two story lines until I read someone else's review months later; Lightborn left me a bit like that too, with densely described incident and characters, but also an abrupt ending which I didn't understand and lots in the middle which I couldn't keep track of (I lost my place in it yesterday and found it surprisingly difficult to find again where I had stopped reading). No doubt that is a reflection more on me than on the author
halfmanhalfbook's review against another edition
4.0
Near future SF about mind control using light that goes wrong. Not too bad but a bit long.
halfmanhalfbook's review
4.0
Near future SF about mind control using light that goes wrong. Not too bad but a bit long.
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