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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Ok. I liked this book. I really did like it. HOWEVER, it has problems. First, there are a lot of great concepts and ideas, but they come at you all at once. Second, by the time you connect to a character they are already gone. Third, more than once the pacing shifted from being too slow to too fast. Honestly, this book felt like it was supposed to be three books. I wish it was three books, that way I could get time with the characters and slowly be introduced to the ideas involving terraforming, personhood, corporatocracy and effective activism. Everything and everyone is dumped on you all at once, which lowered my engagement a lot. I still want a copy of this book for myself, I just wish this was executed better.
I get it, the author is vegan. No really, I think they made the point. Over and over. Preachy and boring, do not recommend.
A good book with great worldbuilding (I especially enjoyed the emphasis on sustainability), but it relies a little too much on character stereotypes [1] and has a few plot holes [2] and potential plot points that end up going nowhere [3]. It also drew a _little_ too much attention to remote video calling, in my opinion (seems like it was trying to relate to the new climate of remote work, which is not a bad thing - just seemed a bit heavy-handed).
[1]
[2]
[3]
[1]
Spoiler
Long acting as the person who should be on the same team, but ends up defecting. Or Misha & Sulfur having a rough start to their work relationship, then falling in love with each other.[2]
Spoiler
If Mounts (and Blessed) are people, why couldn't they just say that? Their limiter only blocks multisyllable words. And besides, Zest seems to know about the limiters in her role as a bioengineer. So this shouldn't exactly be a secret... And how, exactly, does a train live a normal, non-train life? They're a train. It seems like their only option would be to live in their remote 24/7, which sounds unappealing and gives weight to Misha's argument against them. (Not that flying, talking trains aren't cool. Those sound amazing.)[3]
Spoiler
Whistle can finally speak his mind, he's enraged, and...Part 1 ends. Huh? No closure on that at all. And based on what happens in Part 2, there weren't even any revelations about that! It's all business as usual. Cylindra implies that the Archaea are forced to keep decanting more Archaea because that's what Verdance templated them to do. Sulfur has a crisis of confidence - and then does nothing with that information.
First I’d like to thank @torbooks for providing me with this review copy!
This was SUCH an interesting book. The book starts off following Destry, who works for the Environmental Rescue Team, devoted to protect a collapsing ecosystem. Her series of choices leads to changes on the planet that we follow for thousands of years.
I don’t read scifi too often (not for any particular reason, I’m working on it) but I’m very glad I read this one. The constant action, mix of AI, hominids, and animals makes the book so interesting. Full of lessons in ecosystems, environmentalism, and the effects of capitalism.
This was SUCH an interesting book. The book starts off following Destry, who works for the Environmental Rescue Team, devoted to protect a collapsing ecosystem. Her series of choices leads to changes on the planet that we follow for thousands of years.
I don’t read scifi too often (not for any particular reason, I’m working on it) but I’m very glad I read this one. The constant action, mix of AI, hominids, and animals makes the book so interesting. Full of lessons in ecosystems, environmentalism, and the effects of capitalism.
I started this 5 days ago and only read 70 pages. I liked the beginning, but this is so slow. I‘m bored and it definitely isn‘t grabbing me. I liked the plot of what I read, but the writing is not working for me.
I looked at some reviews, chatted with some buddies who have read this. This is what I took away: Pretty miserable throughout. Dehumanisation and corporate interests, people treated as tools, quasi slavery—not helping. I read in a thread that the different parts drop the running characters and start with other characters, not referencing the old characters anymore—I don‘t like that either. It‘s a pity, really, because I liked the plot so far. I just don’t like the writing or the journey this story seems to be taking.
DNF after chapter 10, on page 76, at 22%. This was not my jam.
challenging
dark
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
inspiring
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No