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eric_conrad's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
reasie's review against another edition
4.0
WELL!
It's got lots of high concept, the strength of the story is in the detailed cases of nature-vs-nurture, which provides us with a lot of well-realized portraits. There are a lot of actions and plot-asides that feel... extraneous. I do wonder why they are in there. But when it comes to the central plot, the plot-movements are nice and neat. I mean, like how we are presented with the final evidence as to whether Jordon killed Ari Emory. You just get the info, cold and complete. I like that a lot.
I don't like anything with Mikhail Corain. After getting all the way through Cyteen, I find I could have skipped all scenes with him and missed nothing at all. He's... not really in the story.
The book gripped me and I devoured it. I couldn't put it down. I dreamed about it at night. But I also felt immensely frustrated with it, like I was being forced to read because the plot points I cared about were promised, and held off.
And it's one of those endings where from this point you can tell it will be resolved at some point in the near future, but you don't get the payoff of actual resolution. There were so many questions unanswered.
And no sex on-screen. PITY!
It's got lots of high concept, the strength of the story is in the detailed cases of nature-vs-nurture, which provides us with a lot of well-realized portraits. There are a lot of actions and plot-asides that feel... extraneous. I do wonder why they are in there. But when it comes to the central plot, the plot-movements are nice and neat. I mean, like how we are presented with the final evidence as to whether Jordon killed Ari Emory. You just get the info, cold and complete. I like that a lot.
I don't like anything with Mikhail Corain. After getting all the way through Cyteen, I find I could have skipped all scenes with him and missed nothing at all. He's... not really in the story.
The book gripped me and I devoured it. I couldn't put it down. I dreamed about it at night. But I also felt immensely frustrated with it, like I was being forced to read because the plot points I cared about were promised, and held off.
And it's one of those endings where from this point you can tell it will be resolved at some point in the near future, but you don't get the payoff of actual resolution. There were so many questions unanswered.
And no sex on-screen. PITY!
katmarhan's review against another edition
4.0
8/10
I can’t believe I am writing this, but I thought this was a bit anti-climatic as an ending to the Cyteen trilogy. I know that’s an odd thing to say because the story does build to a big climax, but so many questions are either left unanswered or I am unable to ferret out the answers.
I understand that the author added a fourth book, [b:Regenesis|3689197|Regenesis (Cyteen, #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316469120l/3689197._SY75_.jpg|8754115] some years later, so maybe that will bring more resolution to the lingering issues.
I can’t believe I am writing this, but I thought this was a bit anti-climatic as an ending to the Cyteen trilogy. I know that’s an odd thing to say because the story does build to a big climax, but so many questions are either left unanswered or I am unable to ferret out the answers.
I understand that the author added a fourth book, [b:Regenesis|3689197|Regenesis (Cyteen, #4)|C.J. Cherryh|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1316469120l/3689197._SY75_.jpg|8754115] some years later, so maybe that will bring more resolution to the lingering issues.
imitira's review
3.0
[book: Cyteen], as a whole, is supposed to be a classic. I'm not sure I buy it. It isn't bad, in the way of slightly dated SF, but it just isn't all that exciting. Maybe it's good if you're looking for context around [author: C. J. Cherryh]'s world, but, honestly, I find this vastly overrated.
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