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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
WTF. How do you make a book this graphic while also writing such juvenile characters and prose?
I wish that it had stuck entirely to Adalla's POV, since she was actually interesting. Seske was immature and irresponsible to a point that made me uncomfortable. There was no chemistry between her and Adalla; they both had fair more interesting pairings who the author removes to make them inevitable.
Yes, there are cool worldbuilding ideas with the space beasts, but the flipped gender hierarchy was half-assed and reductive.
There's also an egg-laying scene in the end that felt like 4 types of kink bait. Unjustified by the plot.
I wish that it had stuck entirely to Adalla's POV, since she was actually interesting. Seske was immature and irresponsible to a point that made me uncomfortable. There was no chemistry between her and Adalla; they both had fair more interesting pairings who the author removes to make them inevitable.
Yes, there are cool worldbuilding ideas with the space beasts, but the flipped gender hierarchy was half-assed and reductive.
There's also an egg-laying scene in the end that felt like 4 types of kink bait. Unjustified by the plot.
Started slow but really picked up. Love the anti-oppression themes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
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:
Complicated
It’s a sci-fi dystopia with romance and political intrigue. I struggled with this book a bit because I was more interested in one protagonist over another. I even wanted more of some of the side characters. The world-building is really strong in this book and if you want to take a dive into some unique and dark sci-fi I recommend this one, especially if you like YA (this is not technically YA/teen but it read to me like YA/teen).
2½ stars rounded up. intriguing world-building and plot – love the idea of spacefaring beasts that humanity has brutally used to survive only to realise the beasts are sentient and intelligent – but the pacing is off, and the ending falls really flat, as does any and all character development (which is... mostly nonexistent anyway).
No one does such fabulous, unique worldbuilding and insane plot twists like Drayden. So much fun! I am 100% here for the queer woman in living space-creatures genre. The book does feel rushed at the end, with so many things crammed in. I hope this sequel slows down and expands this fascinating and strange story.
3.5 stars. Squelchy, bloody....this book has many moments when I thought “ew!” thanks to all the biological tech the people on board the beast, a massive creature moving through space, have developed over generations of travel. The matrilineal society is complex with different classes from the rulers all the way down to the lowest labourers, elaborate rituals and dress, and many roles within each family.
The story concerns two young women from different classes, who start as friends and grow to feel so much more for each other. This plays out against political wrangling, murder, beast-based mysteries, diminishing capability of their beast, and the young women struggling against the restrictions placed on them by their positions in the society.
Like her first book, I was impressed with Nicki Drayden’s inventiveness and the sheer bonkers aspect of parts of the story. I found I wasn’t always clear on some parts of the plot, which hinges, at times, on societal rules; that said, I did like the book, even with its sometimes confusing elements.
The story concerns two young women from different classes, who start as friends and grow to feel so much more for each other. This plays out against political wrangling, murder, beast-based mysteries, diminishing capability of their beast, and the young women struggling against the restrictions placed on them by their positions in the society.
Like her first book, I was impressed with Nicki Drayden’s inventiveness and the sheer bonkers aspect of parts of the story. I found I wasn’t always clear on some parts of the plot, which hinges, at times, on societal rules; that said, I did like the book, even with its sometimes confusing elements.
Needed another draft or two. Really great ideas, clumsy execution. But if you're into explicit, but only vaguely detailed tentacle porn, there is quite a bit of that.
Not my vibe, but might be someone elses. Felt a little rushed