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daja's review against another edition
I liked the ideas but I don’t think I’m in the mood for an anthropological book exploring different cultures with a very slow romance.
meganb_w's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-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
5.0
One of the best books I've read in a long time. Despite a fairly quick moving plot, the character development is perfect and you feel like you know each character personally. I had ordered the next two books available before I made it to page 100 because I was already enthralled.
being_b's review against another edition
3.0
Twenty pounds of ideas in a five-pound bag. The travelogue elements were absolutely charming and creative, but the characterization was frustratingly tell-don't-show and plot elements seemed to spring out randomly.
annemaries_shelves's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Best of All Possible Worlds is a fascinating, practically episodic, exploration of different human cultures, grief, and one's self. And a slowburn love story.
For such a short book (~335 pages including two short stories), there's a lot packed into the worldbuilding and Lord is a great storyteller. There were parts of the book (notably about the Caretakers) where I felt like I'm missing information, but I'm guessing that future books in the series will address those elements.
Essentially there are several different human species and one - the Sadiri - have recently lost their entire planet (very Vulcan-like, down to the telepathic/psionic skills). Those who survive are struggling to rebuild. A few Sadiri launch a cultural/scientific expedition on Cygnus Beta, a melting pot planet of multiple human species to see what heritage cultures remain from older Sadiri groups. Once we start on the expedition, most every chapter follows a different heritage group or event experienced by our expedition group.
Our main character, Grace Delarua is a science government employee on Cygnus Beta tasked with supporting the expedition. She's a fascinating character and liaison and I really loved her narrative voice. The slow character development of her own and that of her relationship with Dllenahkh was so good. Theirs is a slow burn romance built on mutual respect and friendship and I loved seeing their regard for each other grow. All of the characters were interesting and their dynamics were enjoyable to read. The psionic element was unique (if reminiscent at times to Star Trek) and I'd like to see how that's explored in future books.
If you like your stories to have very well-realized world building, languages, cultures, and a heavy focus on this element of a story, then I definitely recommend The Best of All Possible Worlds. There's a lot to sink your teeth into.
For me, the episodic element for the middle 75% made it easy to pick it up and put it down - there wasn't a lot of tension or other driving force that kept me turning the page. Part of it might be due to the energy levels I had in March while reading it though, to be fair.
Overall, very enjoyable and really well crafted - I look forward to reading more by Karen Lord.
For such a short book (~335 pages including two short stories), there's a lot packed into the worldbuilding and Lord is a great storyteller. There were parts of the book (notably about the Caretakers) where I felt like I'm missing information, but I'm guessing that future books in the series will address those elements.
Essentially there are several different human species and one - the Sadiri - have recently lost their entire planet (very Vulcan-like, down to the telepathic/psionic skills). Those who survive are struggling to rebuild. A few Sadiri launch a cultural/scientific expedition on Cygnus Beta, a melting pot planet of multiple human species to see what heritage cultures remain from older Sadiri groups. Once we start on the expedition, most every chapter follows a different heritage group or event experienced by our expedition group.
Our main character, Grace Delarua is a science government employee on Cygnus Beta tasked with supporting the expedition. She's a fascinating character and liaison and I really loved her narrative voice. The slow character development of her own and that of her relationship with Dllenahkh was so good. Theirs is a slow burn romance built on mutual respect and friendship and I loved seeing their regard for each other grow. All of the characters were interesting and their dynamics were enjoyable to read. The psionic element was unique (if reminiscent at times to Star Trek) and I'd like to see how that's explored in future books.
If you like your stories to have very well-realized world building, languages, cultures, and a heavy focus on this element of a story, then I definitely recommend The Best of All Possible Worlds. There's a lot to sink your teeth into.
For me, the episodic element for the middle 75% made it easy to pick it up and put it down - there wasn't a lot of tension or other driving force that kept me turning the page. Part of it might be due to the energy levels I had in March while reading it though, to be fair.
Overall, very enjoyable and really well crafted - I look forward to reading more by Karen Lord.
Content Warnings
Minor: Domestic abuse
leniverse's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
nfiertz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
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? It's complicated
redshoeson's review against another edition
4.0
I wish the goodreads system allowed for decimals; I'd definitely give this is 3.5 stars. Overall, the world-building was thorough and unique enough to set this book apparent from other universes (e.g. Star Trek, Star Wars) while still allowing it to be accessible to any reader. The romance is subtle enough to allow the sci-fi themes to standout, but sweet enough to be believable. My only nitpick was that the main character occasionally drifted into Mary Sue territory, especially during dialogue. The other characters were strong enough to ground her, though, which made the book relatable. Recommended to those who enjoy a light romance and a lot of sci-fi.