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4.17 AVERAGE
4.17 AVERAGE
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
What a fantastic read. No one is writing such deep and personal characters. Anyone reading a novel in the Planetfall universe can find one of their own flaws in the characters Emma Newman has written. Each of the three books can standalone, and offer very satisfying endings and complete story arcs. The series as a whole is a masterpiece. I am hoping beyond hope for a fourth book, but I am very excited to get into Emma Newman's fantasy series.
I was putting off reading Before Mars because I was in a streak where I didn't get into anything I was reading. I have enjoyed Newman's work before so I didn't want that to happen with hers. I shouldn't have worried because Before Mars had me gripped from the very beginning and delivered continuously.
In a dystopian future, Anna is a geologist by profession, painter by hobby. Her boss, the owner of a mega-corporation, sends her to his space station in Mars to paint some exclusive, mega-expensive Mars paintings. But just as she arrives, she finds a note by not other than herself warning her not to trust a member of the crew and so starts a locked-room mystery (in space!) with a lot of character depth and character development.
As I have read Planetfall and After Atlas, I knew some of the twists and turns and had a lot more context in general but this book had so much going for it that I didn't mind at all. Anna was such an interesting main character - her anxiety, her difficulties in being a mother (and how it is handled was great) and her relationship with the rest of the crew. I read it so quickly and most of it was because the technology Newman writes about fascinates me.
In a dystopian future, Anna is a geologist by profession, painter by hobby. Her boss, the owner of a mega-corporation, sends her to his space station in Mars to paint some exclusive, mega-expensive Mars paintings. But just as she arrives, she finds a note by not other than herself warning her not to trust a member of the crew and so starts a locked-room mystery (in space!) with a lot of character depth and character development.
As I have read Planetfall and After Atlas, I knew some of the twists and turns and had a lot more context in general but this book had so much going for it that I didn't mind at all. Anna was such an interesting main character - her anxiety, her difficulties in being a mother (and how it is handled was great) and her relationship with the rest of the crew. I read it so quickly and most of it was because the technology Newman writes about fascinates me.
adventurous
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Characters
Anna Kubrin - a geologist and artist who has been sent to Mars - is the main character. As is typical of all the Planetfall books, the story is told in the first person through her point of view. It's also a typical thing that Anna is struggling with some issues and is brilliantly fleshed out. We get to know her intimately thanks to the depth of Emma Newman's writing. Other characters are the crew living on the Mars base, each of them is unique and feels real.
World-building
Emma Newman has created an immersive, well-researched world, depicting various aspects of living on Mars. A lot of the tech is common for the Planetfall world, some of it is specific to Mars. Again, extensive world-building and interesting technology is something I've come to associate with author's style. The book can be classified as hard sci-fi.
Plot
The plot is straightforward, even though it's told in a non-linear way and a lot of information is provided through flashbacks, memories and immersive recordings that Anna watches (which is again something typical of Emma Newman's style, at least in the Planetfall series).
Impressions
I loved the book. Even though I deduced part of the mystery early on from the previous novels in the series, it still had a lot to offer and surprise me with. The book can be read as a standalone, and I believe it can be more unpredictable this way.
The flaws and struggles of the main character are the focus of the story along with the Martian mystery. Anna Kubrin struggles with her motherhood and marriage. Through her, the author creates a compelling and profound portrayal of postnatal depression.
You might enjoy the book if you are into Mars, high-tech, sci-fi thrillers and liked other Planetfall books. You can also start with this book and see if you want to proceed with the series.
Check out my website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors for more reviews, lists, interviews, short stories and more.
Anna Kubrin - a geologist and artist who has been sent to Mars - is the main character. As is typical of all the Planetfall books, the story is told in the first person through her point of view. It's also a typical thing that Anna is struggling with some issues and is brilliantly fleshed out. We get to know her intimately thanks to the depth of Emma Newman's writing. Other characters are the crew living on the Mars base, each of them is unique and feels real.
World-building
Emma Newman has created an immersive, well-researched world, depicting various aspects of living on Mars. A lot of the tech is common for the Planetfall world, some of it is specific to Mars. Again, extensive world-building and interesting technology is something I've come to associate with author's style. The book can be classified as hard sci-fi.
Plot
The plot is straightforward, even though it's told in a non-linear way and a lot of information is provided through flashbacks, memories and immersive recordings that Anna watches (which is again something typical of Emma Newman's style, at least in the Planetfall series).
Impressions
I loved the book. Even though I deduced part of the mystery early on from the previous novels in the series, it still had a lot to offer and surprise me with. The book can be read as a standalone, and I believe it can be more unpredictable this way.
The flaws and struggles of the main character are the focus of the story along with the Martian mystery. Anna Kubrin struggles with her motherhood and marriage. Through her, the author creates a compelling and profound portrayal of postnatal depression.
You might enjoy the book if you are into Mars, high-tech, sci-fi thrillers and liked other Planetfall books. You can also start with this book and see if you want to proceed with the series.
Check out my website about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors for more reviews, lists, interviews, short stories and more.
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
Well, I guess since I read this before Ariadne, I guess I'll have to write an actual review this time! So, once again, this series follows a completely different set of characters (though there are mentions of familiar ones) and takes a different kind of story and a different example of mental trauma in a protagonist. (well, actually, several examples in this one!)
Newman does an excellent job with characterization and with exploring the mental states of her protagonists, as well as the causes and possible paths to healing. The story itself, however, didn't work for me very well. Now, while thrillers are typically hard sells for me, the bigger issue is that I understood almost every secret before it was revealed. It's partly because the clues seemed rather obvious, but also because events of the prior book also provide plenty additional clues. (I wonder if this would be more satisfying for me if it were read as book two? But then aspects of book two would be spoiled by this one...) I believe it would have been a more satisfying read for me if the curtains were pulled earlier and the ramifications explored at more length.
That said, the book certainly sets up yet another intriguing plot thread that should connect to the climax of the series... It makes me wonder how many novels are planned for the series and how things will work out once each thread meets. Will it become a tangle or a tapestry? And which would be more satisfying?
Newman does an excellent job with characterization and with exploring the mental states of her protagonists, as well as the causes and possible paths to healing. The story itself, however, didn't work for me very well. Now, while thrillers are typically hard sells for me, the bigger issue is that I understood almost every secret before it was revealed. It's partly because the clues seemed rather obvious, but also because events of the prior book also provide plenty additional clues. (I wonder if this would be more satisfying for me if it were read as book two? But then aspects of book two would be spoiled by this one...) I believe it would have been a more satisfying read for me if the curtains were pulled earlier and the ramifications explored at more length.
That said, the book certainly sets up yet another intriguing plot thread that should connect to the climax of the series... It makes me wonder how many novels are planned for the series and how things will work out once each thread meets. Will it become a tangle or a tapestry? And which would be more satisfying?
Actual rating: 4.5 stars
Wow. This was just SO GOOD. I had actually seen this book first out of the series, but I figured I should read the first two (though they're technically standalones) before jumping in to this particular installment. I'm glad that I did that, and I'd recommend reading Planetfall and After Atlas to get the most out of this book (though it would be fine on its own I think).
This was by far my favorite book in the series! I found this mystery to be very compelling, and I really wanted to know what was going on. It's fast paced and easy to read. We do have some interesting tech, as well as an intriguing AI.
Emma Newman does an excellent job with the characters. Anna is my favorite character of the series so far. I found her to be extremely compelling and realistic. She struggles with postpartum depression, which is not something I generally see in books and definitely appreciated. She certainly has a troubled past, but I felt very sympathetic towards her. I liked how she's both a geologist and an artist! Not only are the mental health representations in these books great, but this particular one also had a non-binary character.
Content warnings for postpartum depression and abuse
Wow. This was just SO GOOD. I had actually seen this book first out of the series, but I figured I should read the first two (though they're technically standalones) before jumping in to this particular installment. I'm glad that I did that, and I'd recommend reading Planetfall and After Atlas to get the most out of this book (though it would be fine on its own I think).
This was by far my favorite book in the series! I found this mystery to be very compelling, and I really wanted to know what was going on. It's fast paced and easy to read. We do have some interesting tech, as well as an intriguing AI.
Emma Newman does an excellent job with the characters. Anna is my favorite character of the series so far. I found her to be extremely compelling and realistic. She struggles with postpartum depression, which is not something I generally see in books and definitely appreciated. She certainly has a troubled past, but I felt very sympathetic towards her. I liked how she's both a geologist and an artist! Not only are the mental health representations in these books great, but this particular one also had a non-binary character.
Content warnings for postpartum depression and abuse
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Review first published on The Curious SFF Reader
Anna Kubrin’s dream was to go to Mars. From the moment she discovered her passion for rocks and history, she knew she wanted to become a geologist. However, she didn’t expect that she would earn her golden ticket to Mars because of her paintings and not because of her qualifications as a geologist. As it happens, the husband of her boss is a fan of her art and he wants her to paint Mars with material taken from the red planet. As crazy as it might be, Anna cannot say no to this out of the blue opportunity and decides to drop everything for her dream.
However, the moment Anna arrives to Mars, she knows something isn’t right. She takes an immediate dislike to the station psychologist and the feeling isn’t eased when she finds a handwritten note in her bedroom warning her not to trust the woman. The thing is, Anna is sure she’s the one who wrote the note. It doesn’t help that some of her possessions are missing from her cargo. But how is this possible when she just arrived?
Before Mars is the third book in the Planetfall series but like the other books, it can be read as a standalone story. However, I think that if you want to really understand everything in this story, reading After Atlas first would help. I personally haven’t read the first book Planetfall and I understood everything just fine. I liked After Atlas when I read it two years ago but I didn’t find it very memorable. It had interesting ideas but I found the story pretty forgettable (except the ending but again, I mostly forgot about it until I was reminded of it during Before Mars).
Let’s just say that, even if I was intrigued by the world, I probably wouldn’t have continued with this series if Before Mars hadn’t been shortlisted for the BSFA. I decided to read this year’s shortlist because I was very curious about the different titles and I’m glad I decided to read Before Mars. It’s very different from After Atlas and it worked a lot better for me. I was immediately pulled in: I started reading this on a train and I almost missed my stop. And I read this book in three days.
I loved the tension in this book, the mystery elements were introduced early on. When Anna discovers the warning message in her bedroom written by her hand, I knew I was in for a ride. I loved the almost claustrophobic atmosphere of this book: Anna is confined with four people and she doesn’t know if she can trust any of them. She cannot even trust the station’s AI because its only interest is to protect Gorb Corp, not the actual people on the planet. She also questions why she was even sent to Mars in the first place, it surely wasn’t because of her job as a geologist but, sending her on an another planet just to paint seems like a huge waste of money.
However, Anna herself is unreliable. She’s haunted by disturbing events that happening during her childhood involving her father. She knows that her decision to go to Mars wasn’t just motivated by science and her love of rocks and art. She’s fleeing her family and her responsabilities back on Earth: a daughter she doesn’t know how to love, an overbearing husband, a sister who doesn’t want to talk to her anymore and a father she’ll never be able to face again.
I loved how this book discussed motherhood and pregnancy can affect somebody. Anna is without a doubt suffering from post natal depression and she feels horrible because of it. On Earth, each time she talks about her struggles, people found her heartless and abnormal. Her husband doesn’t try to understand her either. Her lab needs money to run and she doesn’t know where to find the funding to keep it afloat. Her only escape is her art and, when she’s presented with a chance to run away on another planet entirely, she takes it.
Anna is not a particularly likeable character, she can appear selfish and self-centered in many ways but I could always understand her. She’s struggling to adapt in this unfamiliar environment and she doesn’t know if she can trust herself. I found the balance between Anna’s own selfdoubt and the weird things happening on the station thrilling. At various points, I thought Anna was delusional just to change my mind a few paragraphs later.
If I had to complain about something though, it would be that I didn’t think this book needed an epilogue. If you read the book, please tell me if you had the same issue, personally I had a hard time suspending my disbelief during the last scene. It felt completely unbelievable and I don’t think it added anything to the story. I would have enjoyed the story better without it.
Still, I enjoyed this book a lot and I would highly recommend it.
4.5 stars.
Anna Kubrin’s dream was to go to Mars. From the moment she discovered her passion for rocks and history, she knew she wanted to become a geologist. However, she didn’t expect that she would earn her golden ticket to Mars because of her paintings and not because of her qualifications as a geologist. As it happens, the husband of her boss is a fan of her art and he wants her to paint Mars with material taken from the red planet. As crazy as it might be, Anna cannot say no to this out of the blue opportunity and decides to drop everything for her dream.
However, the moment Anna arrives to Mars, she knows something isn’t right. She takes an immediate dislike to the station psychologist and the feeling isn’t eased when she finds a handwritten note in her bedroom warning her not to trust the woman. The thing is, Anna is sure she’s the one who wrote the note. It doesn’t help that some of her possessions are missing from her cargo. But how is this possible when she just arrived?
Before Mars is the third book in the Planetfall series but like the other books, it can be read as a standalone story. However, I think that if you want to really understand everything in this story, reading After Atlas first would help. I personally haven’t read the first book Planetfall and I understood everything just fine. I liked After Atlas when I read it two years ago but I didn’t find it very memorable. It had interesting ideas but I found the story pretty forgettable (except the ending but again, I mostly forgot about it until I was reminded of it during Before Mars).
Let’s just say that, even if I was intrigued by the world, I probably wouldn’t have continued with this series if Before Mars hadn’t been shortlisted for the BSFA. I decided to read this year’s shortlist because I was very curious about the different titles and I’m glad I decided to read Before Mars. It’s very different from After Atlas and it worked a lot better for me. I was immediately pulled in: I started reading this on a train and I almost missed my stop. And I read this book in three days.
I loved the tension in this book, the mystery elements were introduced early on. When Anna discovers the warning message in her bedroom written by her hand, I knew I was in for a ride. I loved the almost claustrophobic atmosphere of this book: Anna is confined with four people and she doesn’t know if she can trust any of them. She cannot even trust the station’s AI because its only interest is to protect Gorb Corp, not the actual people on the planet. She also questions why she was even sent to Mars in the first place, it surely wasn’t because of her job as a geologist but, sending her on an another planet just to paint seems like a huge waste of money.
However, Anna herself is unreliable. She’s haunted by disturbing events that happening during her childhood involving her father. She knows that her decision to go to Mars wasn’t just motivated by science and her love of rocks and art. She’s fleeing her family and her responsabilities back on Earth: a daughter she doesn’t know how to love, an overbearing husband, a sister who doesn’t want to talk to her anymore and a father she’ll never be able to face again.
I loved how this book discussed motherhood and pregnancy can affect somebody. Anna is without a doubt suffering from post natal depression and she feels horrible because of it. On Earth, each time she talks about her struggles, people found her heartless and abnormal. Her husband doesn’t try to understand her either. Her lab needs money to run and she doesn’t know where to find the funding to keep it afloat. Her only escape is her art and, when she’s presented with a chance to run away on another planet entirely, she takes it.
Anna is not a particularly likeable character, she can appear selfish and self-centered in many ways but I could always understand her. She’s struggling to adapt in this unfamiliar environment and she doesn’t know if she can trust herself. I found the balance between Anna’s own selfdoubt and the weird things happening on the station thrilling. At various points, I thought Anna was delusional just to change my mind a few paragraphs later.
If I had to complain about something though, it would be that I didn’t think this book needed an epilogue. If you read the book, please tell me if you had the same issue, personally I had a hard time suspending my disbelief during the last scene. It felt completely unbelievable and I don’t think it added anything to the story. I would have enjoyed the story better without it.
Still, I enjoyed this book a lot and I would highly recommend it.
4.5 stars.
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
This seemed to me very similar in plots to a variety of other books I've recently read. It was like The Martian meets The Girl on the Train. It felt like while it took place on Mars, a lot of the actual action or page time in the book was devoted to the character's mindframe and the suspense. Don't get me wrong, there were some great questions about technology, which I'll get to below, but the suspense and characters sort of over powered the book. Anna is a great character, but I'm totally biased. I love when mothers portray a different image of motherhood than what we expect. For Anna, it wasn't this instant love connection with her child, and there are real struggles and challenges she has with being a mother. I almost skipped from these sections because they were fascinating.
(There's a bunch of "crazy" words thrown around. Mostly because Anna can be paranoid and the suspense. But still seemed insensitive).
My main concern with this book was pacing. It felt like there would be tons of suspense, then all introspection, then a tiny bit more suspense, and then repeat. It didn't feel fluid and it felt more like being jerked around.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-mars-emma-newman/
This seemed to me very similar in plots to a variety of other books I've recently read. It was like The Martian meets The Girl on the Train. It felt like while it took place on Mars, a lot of the actual action or page time in the book was devoted to the character's mindframe and the suspense. Don't get me wrong, there were some great questions about technology, which I'll get to below, but the suspense and characters sort of over powered the book. Anna is a great character, but I'm totally biased. I love when mothers portray a different image of motherhood than what we expect. For Anna, it wasn't this instant love connection with her child, and there are real struggles and challenges she has with being a mother. I almost skipped from these sections because they were fascinating.
(There's a bunch of "crazy" words thrown around. Mostly because Anna can be paranoid and the suspense. But still seemed insensitive).
My main concern with this book was pacing. It felt like there would be tons of suspense, then all introspection, then a tiny bit more suspense, and then repeat. It didn't feel fluid and it felt more like being jerked around.
full review: https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/review-mars-emma-newman/