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tacochelle's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Essentially a Sherlock Holmes story set in an Asian-inspired future, right down to the drug addiction. Entertaining, but without the space setting it doesn't do anything new as a mystery.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use, Addiction, Death, and Murder
Minor: Trafficking and War
brogan7's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
3.5
The story is almost beyond following. While the premise is interesting enough--a mindship returning to "deep spaces," a site of trauma in their past, a murdered girl, and a detective with strange social graces, whose history and motivations are obscure...
But then, the world De Bodard creates is so strange and so without earth references, that it's quite difficult to follow, where are they going? Why are they going there?
De Bodard has a clear vision of this alternate world, and its rules and choices, it's only unfortunate she wasn't able to communicate it more clearly.
The mindship is already a thing to get your mind around, but then the mindship keeps casting itself as an avatar (but also only sometimes)--that's when it gets really trippy in terms of trying to imagine where the characters are in the story. Is the ship a ship? Is the ship a ship projecting itself as a smaller machine to meet with its clients? Where is the ship while the avatar is meeting? When the ship travels, what is the dock it is leaving from? What does it actually look like? Now she tells us the ship is in deep space. What is that, beyond this Alice-in-Wonderland feeling of swelling and shrinking? The ship gets nauseous. I have to wonder: do ships get nauseous? Is that a thing?
By this time, I'm not in the story anymore.
But then, the world De Bodard creates is so strange and so without earth references, that it's quite difficult to follow, where are they going? Why are they going there?
De Bodard has a clear vision of this alternate world, and its rules and choices, it's only unfortunate she wasn't able to communicate it more clearly.
The mindship is already a thing to get your mind around, but then the mindship keeps casting itself as an avatar (but also only sometimes)--that's when it gets really trippy in terms of trying to imagine where the characters are in the story. Is the ship a ship? Is the ship a ship projecting itself as a smaller machine to meet with its clients? Where is the ship while the avatar is meeting? When the ship travels, what is the dock it is leaving from? What does it actually look like? Now she tells us the ship is in deep space. What is that, beyond this Alice-in-Wonderland feeling of swelling and shrinking? The ship gets nauseous. I have to wonder: do ships get nauseous? Is that a thing?
By this time, I'm not in the story anymore.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use
Moderate: Death and Mental illness
TW: traumaidun_aurora's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
A quick, entertaining read that satisfied my craving for some sci-fi and mystery for the day.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug use, Child abuse, and Death
szuum's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use and Death
mar's review against another edition
mysterious
fast-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? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Moderate: Addiction and Drug use
Minor: Trafficking, War, and Suicidal thoughts
purplepenning's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Death
Moderate: Medical trauma
Minor: Trafficking and Suicidal thoughts
kaabtik's review
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A fresh reimagining of ACD's Sherlock Holmes, The Tea Master and the Detective is a short and fun read to finish within a day. I got lost in the technicalities behind The Shadow's Child and the other shipminds but that's on my peabrain. I wouldn't recommend this if you're going for the mystery and suspense aspect, as it was kind of lacking there. However, the unique premise, the beautiful integration of culture into science fiction, the vivid picture painted by the prose — this book delivered all of those and then some.
Seeing that it's part of a bigger universe, I'll be checking the rest out soon.
Seeing that it's part of a bigger universe, I'll be checking the rest out soon.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Drug use and Death
Minor: Medical trauma and War
mandkips's review
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Drug use, and Drug abuse
kristenhg's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction and Death
Minor: Trafficking
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