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karinlib's review
4.0
What a great story! This was my introduction to the Liaden Universe series, and I loved it. I am looking forward to reading the second book in which Theo Waitley is the main character.
05/08/2018: I have started Fledgling again. I am re-reading in chronological order, which I am enjoying very much.
03/07/2020: It is truly great to be reading this again.
08/8/2021: Oh what an addiction. I love Daav/Jen Sar and his relationship with Theo
04/29/2023: Read again.
05/08/2018: I have started Fledgling again. I am re-reading in chronological order, which I am enjoying very much.
03/07/2020: It is truly great to be reading this again.
08/8/2021: Oh what an addiction. I love Daav/Jen Sar and his relationship with Theo
04/29/2023: Read again.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
4.0
This novel is part of the authors' lovely Liaden Universe works, and is the first book in an arc centered on Theo Waitley. It is not quite the equal of my favorite Liaden Universe books, but few books are. And it was exactly what I needed in the past ten days: something to distract me, to take me into another world, complete with characters I cared about and who cared about each other.
There is an underlying sweetness to many of the Liaden works that I think comes from the authors' fondness for their characters. I could offer quibbles, for instance that it is hard for me to believe in a distant future where humans need to do math in order to pilot their FTL spaceships. But I throw my quibbles under the bed where they won't be noticed. This book warmed my heart.
There is an underlying sweetness to many of the Liaden works that I think comes from the authors' fondness for their characters. I could offer quibbles, for instance that it is hard for me to believe in a distant future where humans need to do math in order to pilot their FTL spaceships. But I throw my quibbles under the bed where they won't be noticed. This book warmed my heart.
jmoses's review
5.0
If you've never read anything in the Liaden Universe, this is probably not the place to start. It's the first in a non-mainline series, so it's *really* light on any sort of backstory, and assumes you're familiar with the universe. Although you'll still enjoy it, you'll get more out of it if you know something about the world.
I like Theo as a character, and the story in this is good. The writing, as always for Miller and Lee, is excellent, and I had a hard time putting this down to get on with my life (and my sleep).
I like Theo as a character, and the story in this is good. The writing, as always for Miller and Lee, is excellent, and I had a hard time putting this down to get on with my life (and my sleep).
claygirley's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
This is my favorite Liaden book yet!
kimbah's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
reasie's review
4.0
It took me a long time to find a copy of this after a friend recommended it to scratch my "science fiction high school" itch.
It reads too YA for my tastes, but if you like high school stories, particularly if you're fond of Harry Potter but wished it had science instead of magic (me) and no Chosen Ones (also me) I say contact me and I'll give you my copy because, again, it was hard to find. Out of print and ten years old. Le sigh.
I will say that I kept wondering "Why IS it that "Clumsy" is the go-to YA heroine Fault? I don't get it. I don't quite believe in a teen being particularly more clumsy than others without a disability. I'd have preferred it if Theo had been born with inner ear problems, say, or one leg shorter than the other... or would that have made all the people chastising her for not 'managing her physical challenge' too evil?
I dunno. This book is really three stars for me, because of the constant trope of herione-does-nothing-wrong-is-punished-for-it, which could have even dropped it to two stars but was saved by sympathetic-adults and liberal cat scenes.
I raised it to four stars not to punch down on a book that seems to unfairly have vanished from shelves. I really do believe my friends who read YA would like it a lot more than I did.
It reads too YA for my tastes, but if you like high school stories, particularly if you're fond of Harry Potter but wished it had science instead of magic (me) and no Chosen Ones (also me) I say contact me and I'll give you my copy because, again, it was hard to find. Out of print and ten years old. Le sigh.
I will say that I kept wondering "Why IS it that "Clumsy" is the go-to YA heroine Fault? I don't get it. I don't quite believe in a teen being particularly more clumsy than others without a disability. I'd have preferred it if Theo had been born with inner ear problems, say, or one leg shorter than the other... or would that have made all the people chastising her for not 'managing her physical challenge' too evil?
I dunno. This book is really three stars for me, because of the constant trope of herione-does-nothing-wrong-is-punished-for-it, which could have even dropped it to two stars but was saved by sympathetic-adults and liberal cat scenes.
I raised it to four stars not to punch down on a book that seems to unfairly have vanished from shelves. I really do believe my friends who read YA would like it a lot more than I did.
felinity's review
5.0
This is another of the books which I almost immediately re-read to see how Theo changed during the book. Having done that, I went out to the library and grabbed as many of these books as I could find on the shelves, having no patience for using the request system as I do normally. That should tell you something.
wunder's review against another edition
3.0
I'm glad that Lee & Miller are back in Liaden, because their excursion into an origin story was disappointing.
Unfortunately, this book is for devotees only, maybe a side effect of the on-line publishing and revision by subscription.
It is great to be back in this world, but I wish we had a story. We follow Theo through the school day and various experiences (not quite "adventures") until she gets back. She makes a few decisions to defy her mother, but those turn out to be reasonable choices. She's exceptional and is still figuring it out. That's about it.
This feels like a vastly expanded character study for a later Liaden "thrills and romance" book. It is 100 pages until we get something that moves the plot forward and 200 until we get a twist. The last third of the book picks up tempo a bit.
Finally, I'm just not convinced about Theo. Someone who's lived in that society her whole life shouldn't be that clueless and Lee & Miller give some sort of "she's special" hint and go on. And how can she be startled by the spartan apartment when all her friends live in identical ones?
None of the Liaden background is explained, so a lot of this will go over the heads of people new to the series, an odd decision for their first book with a major publisher. You get that "Pilot" is special, but no one explains "Scout" or "Balance", and there is no indication that Theo has any idea what that means.
The non-Theo characters are better drawn than Theo and the worldbuilding is fine, if a little over-the-top.
I'm hoping that this new series will eventually lift off, but this first book is a ground-hugger.
Unfortunately, this book is for devotees only, maybe a side effect of the on-line publishing and revision by subscription.
It is great to be back in this world, but I wish we had a story. We follow Theo through the school day and various experiences (not quite "adventures") until she gets back. She makes a few decisions to defy her mother, but those turn out to be reasonable choices. She's exceptional and is still figuring it out. That's about it.
This feels like a vastly expanded character study for a later Liaden "thrills and romance" book. It is 100 pages until we get something that moves the plot forward and 200 until we get a twist. The last third of the book picks up tempo a bit.
Finally, I'm just not convinced about Theo. Someone who's lived in that society her whole life shouldn't be that clueless and Lee & Miller give some sort of "she's special" hint and go on. And how can she be startled by the spartan apartment when all her friends live in identical ones?
None of the Liaden background is explained, so a lot of this will go over the heads of people new to the series, an odd decision for their first book with a major publisher. You get that "Pilot" is special, but no one explains "Scout" or "Balance", and there is no indication that Theo has any idea what that means.
The non-Theo characters are better drawn than Theo and the worldbuilding is fine, if a little over-the-top.
I'm hoping that this new series will eventually lift off, but this first book is a ground-hugger.