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4.11 AVERAGE

adventurous dark tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

This was probably the most emotionally frustrating book yet. I was constantly angry at the head of security and Holden's inability to just solve his problems old west style. The engineer's and their little fighting squad were also impossible to tolerate. I spent a lot of time wondering if this is really how it would play out in real life with real people, and sadly I think this may not be too far off the mark. It's incredible how quickly groupthink can get wrapped up in justified violence.

Thematically, much of this book seemed to be focused on how small groups stratify, dehumanize, and become violent towards each other.

I did feel that the head of security was a little bit of a flat bad guy. He was kind of all corporate evil with little to make him feel like a real human being. We could argue sociopath, but I'm getting kinda tired of having a sociopath character in every book.

There were some little moments that I thought were so good. Like when the kid is about to go try to do something to Holden, but the lady scientist intervenes. It felt so tense, so real.

Side note, I also thought it was kinda ridiculous how long they dragged out the thing with Holden's medicine. You really expect me to believe that wouldn't have been one of the very first things they tried?


I'm not loving how Holden always wants to abandon everything. This man has absolutely no sense of exploration or discovery. Also kinda wild to me that they broke all the systems. I'm kinda on the evil guy's side with this one. Destroying a fully functioning billion year old system is peak arrogance. Also, if I read this correctly, it killed Miller for realsies? Why in the hell would Holden remove the slime from the ship then. Miller has been a key ally and source of information for two books in a row, and we seem to have thrown away humanity's only connection with the protomolecule.

Anyway, still a very enjoyable book, and I look forward to the next ones.
adventurous tense fast-paced
inspiring mysterious slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Diverse cast of characters: Yes


adventurous mysterious tense medium-paced
adventurous mysterious fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: No

these books are so fucking good. i’m not sure why there was such a long break for me between reading the first two, then continuing on, but i’m so back on the hype train for this series. overall, the story here was rather simple, but it’s written in such a way that the story just keeps unfolding and the drama with it.

i feel like this is the textbook example of how you make a simple conflict between two groups of people in isolated space super fucking interesting.

can’t wait for more!
adventurous challenging hopeful inspiring medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Plot
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Seems like stories that seemed a little more boring in the TV series, are more interesting ones in the books. Meaning that I really liked this one.