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uncreativeoops's review
adventurous
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Military space opera that switches between space battles and what I can only call slice of life. Pacing was a all over the place because of that. The worldbuilding was interesting but the characters were a bit lacking and stereotypical. I lost track of the abbreviations, side characters, and the plot a bit tbh.
athowse's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
jujujuris's review against another edition
- 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
3.75
This book throws you into the action and does it with ease. Nbaro is the kind of character you want to root for and I loved the rest of the cast. I just found some things unnaturally convenient but otherwise this was a good time.
Space by Hootie & the Blowfish
Space by Hootie & the Blowfish
islandgypsygirl's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Just a LOT of telling. A LOT of the minutae. A LOT of the main character being a genius and absolutely perfect and unimpeachable.
This whole book feels as if I am watching all the scenes from a distance. There is no emotion. There is no feeling. Even when people die. It is narrated in such a detached way. And I feel like things just happen.
This was such a difficult book to get into. And I eventually ended up reading the whole thing just to get it over with.
I have no intention of reading the next book, no.
This whole book feels as if I am watching all the scenes from a distance. There is no emotion. There is no feeling. Even when people die. It is narrated in such a detached way. And I feel like things just happen.
This was such a difficult book to get into. And I eventually ended up reading the whole thing just to get it over with.
I have no intention of reading the next book, no.
claytell's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed the last sentence. And this is what I was waiting for the entire book to read. To have some direction and reason to move through each page. So . . I guess this book was really not for me. But I might read the next.
oberonmallory's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
dawn_marie's review against another edition
2.0
Artifact Space by Miles Cameron was a bit hit and miss for me, leaving me with an overall feeling of “meh.”
The premise of the story is quite interesting: humanity has colonized space, and in doing so established a trade route, culminating at Tradepoint – a weigh station (of sorts) where humans and an alien species (called Starfish by humans) trade the mysterious and valuable xenoglas for human items. Following in the tradition of the merchant marines, the “greatships” move goods and people along the trade route. The greatships are a critical cog in ensuring the survival of humanity and are thought to be nearly indestructible. But then the unimaginable happens, greatships are being destroyed. Marca Nbaro, the orphaned scion of one of the great patrician families looks to escape her less than pleasant life at the Orphanage and run away from her past, does so by faking her papers/background to join the crew of the greatship Athens.
Mr. Cameron’s world building is lovely, filled with lots of details (sometimes overwhelmingly so) about star systems, ship operations, environments, and traditions. I did appreciate the use of navy tradition and terminology – especially when the characters mention they don’t know why.
The writing style is simple and direct making this a rather easy read – especially in the sections with a ton of minute details regarding ship systems, star navigation, or history of “alien” artifacts. The pace vacillates between glacially slow and breakneck; however, I think it works in this context because it nicely illustrates life aboard the ship – long periods of boredom interspersed with frenetic activity.
Where the story lost me was in the characters, all of whom were flat and two dimensional. I found a lot of the interactions/reactions between the characters unrealistic, i.e., I found Nbaro especially annoying; she was such a Mary Sue . . . of course she instantly makes friends with everyone, of course all the men desire her, of course she’s the fastest at fighting, of course she is the only one to notice the threat to the Athens (twice!), of course she is smarter than everyone except the AI and one neuroenhanced individual, and so on. For someone who supposedly had such a traumatic past, she appears extremely well adjusted (even with the self-doubt talk, it wasn’t unreasonable considering she is in a new environment).
While the plot (even with some major holes) was entertaining and the world building top notch, the extreme unlikability of the main character (Nbaro) made Artifact Space a less than enjoyable read. The ending didn’t help either.
The premise of the story is quite interesting: humanity has colonized space, and in doing so established a trade route, culminating at Tradepoint – a weigh station (of sorts) where humans and an alien species (called Starfish by humans) trade the mysterious and valuable xenoglas for human items. Following in the tradition of the merchant marines, the “greatships” move goods and people along the trade route. The greatships are a critical cog in ensuring the survival of humanity and are thought to be nearly indestructible. But then the unimaginable happens, greatships are being destroyed. Marca Nbaro, the orphaned scion of one of the great patrician families looks to escape her less than pleasant life at the Orphanage and run away from her past, does so by faking her papers/background to join the crew of the greatship Athens.
Mr. Cameron’s world building is lovely, filled with lots of details (sometimes overwhelmingly so) about star systems, ship operations, environments, and traditions. I did appreciate the use of navy tradition and terminology – especially when the characters mention they don’t know why.
The writing style is simple and direct making this a rather easy read – especially in the sections with a ton of minute details regarding ship systems, star navigation, or history of “alien” artifacts. The pace vacillates between glacially slow and breakneck; however, I think it works in this context because it nicely illustrates life aboard the ship – long periods of boredom interspersed with frenetic activity.
Where the story lost me was in the characters, all of whom were flat and two dimensional. I found a lot of the interactions/reactions between the characters unrealistic, i.e.,
Spoiler
she murders a man in City and is rescued by the crew (this after being on board less than two weeks), the skipper learns that Nbaro faked her papers/background and just shrugs it off as no big deal.While the plot (even with some major holes) was entertaining and the world building top notch, the extreme unlikability of the main character (Nbaro) made Artifact Space a less than enjoyable read. The ending didn’t help either.
egid's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? No
4.5
Couldn't put it down. Grinned constantly at characters and situations, in large part because Cameron's writing feels authentic and honest and gets out of the way to let everything else shine.
Yeah, the MC is good at everything. Yes, it’s a little distracting. But it was in no way a dealbreaker for me — the worldbuilding and nods to historical naval fiction (Hornblower, Aubrey/Maturin) and nonfiction are a lot of fun.
Even if you're not into military sci-fi, this comes highly recommended. It's got flashes of historical inspiration woven throughout, a clever setup, and it moves fast without feeling shoddy. The only ding against it, in my eyes, is that it ends on a big ol' cliffhanger.
Yeah, the MC is good at everything. Yes, it’s a little distracting. But it was in no way a dealbreaker for me — the worldbuilding and nods to historical naval fiction (Hornblower, Aubrey/Maturin) and nonfiction are a lot of fun.
Even if you're not into military sci-fi, this comes highly recommended. It's got flashes of historical inspiration woven throughout, a clever setup, and it moves fast without feeling shoddy. The only ding against it, in my eyes, is that it ends on a big ol' cliffhanger.
aderby's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
thejacksavant's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0