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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
I received an e-ARC from Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.
A unique matriarchal society set in space and filled with sci-fi goodness and a tiny bit of horror concerning the idea of bodies. I liked the ideas behind the story and how the characters tried to race against time as the Sister wants to get power in her own hands. The lost star goes to the slightly YA feeling of the book. If it had more pages and it was set in the Adult spectrum of readers then it would be even more spectacular.
A unique matriarchal society set in space and filled with sci-fi goodness and a tiny bit of horror concerning the idea of bodies. I liked the ideas behind the story and how the characters tried to race against time as the Sister wants to get power in her own hands. The lost star goes to the slightly YA feeling of the book. If it had more pages and it was set in the Adult spectrum of readers then it would be even more spectacular.
I loved a lot of the weirdness and originality and delightfully disgusting body horror. It has fabulous world building! The story, which centers on a unique matriarchal society living inside a giant space beast, is quite unlike anything I've read before - there's so much shit and puke and oozing viscera all over the place.
The final third, though, has to be one of the most hair pullingly frustrating things I've read in a long time. It just took such a huge and shockingly swift downturn in quality. Suddenly plot threads were left dangling all over the place, emotional development stalled, and character consistency went out the window (one example is)
Overall I mostly think that the story was too ambitious for the space it had, with too many different competing ideas and none of them properly developed (one example of many is). It really needed at least another 100-200 pages to flesh out the latter part of the story, or alternately, it could have worked well as a solid novella if the focus had been narrowed slightly. Either would have been better than this messy, disjointed ending.
I was also disappointing in the way nothing ever seems to stick; the story consistently insulates the reader from any intense emotions (of which there should be many given the events) and the general brutality of it all. But I wanted to feel all of that. Give me MORE BRUTALITY. I wish she'd pushed it to the max, or that it was categorized as YA so that at least I'd gone in with different expectations.
Anywho. Yeah. I went to bed frustrated and had bad dreams, so I'm just going to stop now before I get even more ranty :/
The final third, though, has to be one of the most hair pullingly frustrating things I've read in a long time. It just took such a huge and shockingly swift downturn in quality. Suddenly plot threads were left dangling all over the place, emotional development stalled, and character consistency went out the window (one example is
Spoiler
the entire plotline with Seske's sister, including the whole conspiracy and complete lack of consequences, the odd way that Seske reacts, the fact that Seske in any way trusts her in the conclusion, the way the sister just...disappears and is never referred to again??Overall I mostly think that the story was too ambitious for the space it had, with too many different competing ideas and none of them properly developed (one example of many is
Spoiler
the "rebellion" that comes out of nowhere and ends almost immediatelyI was also disappointing in the way nothing ever seems to stick; the story consistently insulates the reader from any intense emotions (of which there should be many given the events) and the general brutality of it all. But I wanted to feel all of that. Give me MORE BRUTALITY. I wish she'd pushed it to the max, or that it was categorized as YA so that at least I'd gone in with different expectations.
Anywho. Yeah. I went to bed frustrated and had bad dreams, so I'm just going to stop now before I get even more ranty :/
Not in the head space for child labor and death and class inequality
As good as the "world-building" is, the story itself felt stilted and the ending was especially unsatisfying. 2.5 stars
adventurous
funny
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I re-read this so I will have the details fresh in my mind for the sequel.
Though I could do without some of the third act deaths. I love the world building. People inhabiting beasts in space is such a unique idea.
I enjoyed this voyage, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Sure as sure as sure.
Though I could do without some of the third act deaths. I love the world building. People inhabiting beasts in space is such a unique idea.
I enjoyed this voyage, and I can't wait to see what happens in the next book. Sure as sure as sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal cruelty, Sexism
Moderate: Animal death, Violence
Minor: Death
4.5 stars. We round up in this house. I’m confused about what happened to sister-kin. But I am also willing to admit that I fall asleep during audiobooks sometimes. I don’t think I did during this book because I was enraptured. But I honestly don’t remember what happened. It would’ve earned a full 5 if I wasn’t so hung up on my own confusion.
What a delight! The twists the turns the exciting world! Audiobook for the 15/10 win! Little love stories. Little intrigue. Everyone’s an asshole and no one is! Only wanted to yell a few times and now I’m gonna need to read the next one now.
This was one of my airport books, so it took several months to finish it. However, I enjoyed the story, characters, and particularly enjoyed the world-building within the book. I think there's additional books, so I look forward to more.
adventurous
funny
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
I have so many feelings about this book I have no idea how to rate it properly. Overall positive feelings though, really cool world building that I adore and I do like the characters overall. I do have a bias towards sapphics