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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
I decided to read this after watching the first episode of the new anime that was made from this really good space opera I really loved this book for such an old book it was so well written I liked all of the characters they were also well written. I really liked the characters they were so well written the ones I liked best were Reinhard, Yang Wen Li they were so very interesting I really enjoyed reading about them. I really liked the story even with its long and drawn out explaining of things it was well written and I look forward to reading volume 2.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
*3.75 stars
Although I'll admit to being a big fan of the anime I genuinely think that this is a great book to start off the epic space opera that is legend of the galactic heroes. It's military sci-fi that is highly enjoyable. Though I will admit to their being a whole lot of characters, only a select few are really that important, mostly Reinhard and Yang.
The different societal ideologies are very interesting too. The book is about a dictatorship vs. a democracy and this was very interesting. Despite the fact that the Empire (dictatorship) has an inept ruler it can still run efficiently due to the fact that there is no need for any approval regarding commands given from higher ups whereas in the Alliance (democracy) we are shown an incredibly corrupt government and all the messy politics involved in actually doing something. Oftentimes in the Alliance an obviously stupid plan can be put into action simply because of the high level of corruption present. I often found myself as frustrated with the Alliance government as the rest of the characters were.
I love how the book doesn't take the easy route and say "dictatorships are bad, democracy is good". It shows all sides of both, making it easy to like both sides and leads to a more interesting philosophical conflict.
Although I'll admit to being a big fan of the anime I genuinely think that this is a great book to start off the epic space opera that is legend of the galactic heroes. It's military sci-fi that is highly enjoyable. Though I will admit to their being a whole lot of characters, only a select few are really that important, mostly Reinhard and Yang.
The different societal ideologies are very interesting too. The book is about a dictatorship vs. a democracy and this was very interesting. Despite the fact that the Empire (dictatorship) has an inept ruler it can still run efficiently due to the fact that there is no need for any approval regarding commands given from higher ups whereas in the Alliance (democracy) we are shown an incredibly corrupt government and all the messy politics involved in actually doing something. Oftentimes in the Alliance an obviously stupid plan can be put into action simply because of the high level of corruption present. I often found myself as frustrated with the Alliance government as the rest of the characters were.
I love how the book doesn't take the easy route and say "dictatorships are bad, democracy is good". It shows all sides of both, making it easy to like both sides and leads to a more interesting philosophical conflict.
adventurous
informative
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Don't know if it's the translation but a bit on the dryer side.
Alright, there's no getting around it: I'm going to be honest and admit that I don't think I would have enjoyed this book as much without the stellar narration of Tim Gerard Reynolds. I was introduced to TGR through his work in reading Pierce Brown's Red Rising trilogy, which fully convinced me that I will listen to just about anything this man reads. He could read me the dictionary and I'd still be there. There's something about his voice and the way he delivers his narration that completely captivates me.
And this book is no exception. In fact, the very reason I chose audio over print or digital was because I saw that Tim Gerard Reynolds was going to be the reader.
While I went into this novel because of a book club in which I participate, I was already vaguely aware of Legend of the Galactic Heroes prior to picking up Dawn. As a fan of both anime and science-fiction, I had heard Heroes brought up many a time as a kind of "hallmark series" for science-fiction anime lovers from many fans and reviewers of the genre. It's been adapted for anime, manga, PC games, and even a stage play -- let's just say that Galactic Heroes has gotten around since Dawn's initial publication in 1982.
Now it has finally been translated into English for non-Japanese readers like myself to consume, and I have a feeling my star-rating would be at least one star lower had I chosen a different consumption format (i.e. print or digital over audio). I did enjoy the book, don't get me wrong, but there are some things that definitely irked me while listening.
The writing style is very "cut and dry" with the kind of "this happened and then this happened and then this happened"-style that detaches me from the reading experience. This particular style is something I've noticed more in science fiction than any other genre I've read, so perhaps it comes with the territory. That being said, I think the style actually does a disservice to the various battle sequences that Tanaka peppers throughout the novel. I didn't feel any serious excitement or tension going into them because the language wasn't sumptuous or evocative; it wasn't sucking me in as much as it should. Again, with Reynolds' narration, which buoyed it up just enough to pique my interest, the different accents and voices of the characters helped to keep me involved. But the book should not be dependent upon its narrator, no matter how good he/she is.
As for the characters...meh? Like the writing style, they're fairly straightforward with little more to them than what we get within their initial introductions. I found this lack of growth frustrating. Yes, I am aware this is a 10-book series, but there should still be small-scale character development, especially within the first novel. There is also the problem of the two protagonists, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen Li, never physically interacting. A game of "cat and mouse" is all well and good, but you do need to have your characters in the same room at some point. I was practically begging for these two to speak, to give me some sense of why I should be invested in their rivalry.
Furthermore, what this book really needed to do was give me a reason to care about the Free Planets Alliance. I mean, I get it: never-ending war between them and the Galactic Empire because of differences in ideology, but...why am I supposed to care? I found all of the characters of the Empire far more interesting, probably because Lohengramm -- although criminally underused in this book, which seemed to focus far more on Yang -- was a more dynamic character than his counterpart.
On the whole, this would normally be a 3-star book: yeah, it's fine, but I don't think it's anything to call home about due to an overly-dry writing style and characters that go effectually nowhere. But Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration shines in the face of these challenges. He adopted a plethora of accents for the myriad of side-characters, manipulated his pacing and pitch throughout the battle sequences, and brought life to what was otherwise a "meh" kind of story.
Would I read the sequels? Only if Reynolds is back to narrate.
And this book is no exception. In fact, the very reason I chose audio over print or digital was because I saw that Tim Gerard Reynolds was going to be the reader.
While I went into this novel because of a book club in which I participate, I was already vaguely aware of Legend of the Galactic Heroes prior to picking up Dawn. As a fan of both anime and science-fiction, I had heard Heroes brought up many a time as a kind of "hallmark series" for science-fiction anime lovers from many fans and reviewers of the genre. It's been adapted for anime, manga, PC games, and even a stage play -- let's just say that Galactic Heroes has gotten around since Dawn's initial publication in 1982.
Now it has finally been translated into English for non-Japanese readers like myself to consume, and I have a feeling my star-rating would be at least one star lower had I chosen a different consumption format (i.e. print or digital over audio). I did enjoy the book, don't get me wrong, but there are some things that definitely irked me while listening.
The writing style is very "cut and dry" with the kind of "this happened and then this happened and then this happened"-style that detaches me from the reading experience. This particular style is something I've noticed more in science fiction than any other genre I've read, so perhaps it comes with the territory. That being said, I think the style actually does a disservice to the various battle sequences that Tanaka peppers throughout the novel. I didn't feel any serious excitement or tension going into them because the language wasn't sumptuous or evocative; it wasn't sucking me in as much as it should. Again, with Reynolds' narration, which buoyed it up just enough to pique my interest, the different accents and voices of the characters helped to keep me involved. But the book should not be dependent upon its narrator, no matter how good he/she is.
As for the characters...meh? Like the writing style, they're fairly straightforward with little more to them than what we get within their initial introductions. I found this lack of growth frustrating. Yes, I am aware this is a 10-book series, but there should still be small-scale character development, especially within the first novel. There is also the problem of the two protagonists, Reinhard von Lohengramm and Yang Wen Li, never physically interacting. A game of "cat and mouse" is all well and good, but you do need to have your characters in the same room at some point. I was practically begging for these two to speak, to give me some sense of why I should be invested in their rivalry.
Furthermore, what this book really needed to do was give me a reason to care about the Free Planets Alliance. I mean, I get it: never-ending war between them and the Galactic Empire because of differences in ideology, but...why am I supposed to care? I found all of the characters of the Empire far more interesting, probably because Lohengramm -- although criminally underused in this book, which seemed to focus far more on Yang -- was a more dynamic character than his counterpart.
On the whole, this would normally be a 3-star book: yeah, it's fine, but I don't think it's anything to call home about due to an overly-dry writing style and characters that go effectually nowhere. But Tim Gerard Reynolds' narration shines in the face of these challenges. He adopted a plethora of accents for the myriad of side-characters, manipulated his pacing and pitch throughout the battle sequences, and brought life to what was otherwise a "meh" kind of story.
Would I read the sequels? Only if Reynolds is back to narrate.
I watched the whole anime about a year ago. Heard it came out with a translated version. Giving that a go. I enjoy reading it so far. It certainly reminds me of the old anime. I'm annoyed at what Yang has to deal with where Reinhard seems to be fortunate to have good people behind him. I'm going to keep reading this series.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
slow-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Violence
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Death of parent
Also a side character forced to become a concubine.
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes