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avelinereynard's review against another edition
4.0
3.5/5 stars
My lasting impression of this story was simply, "that was fine." Not great or amazing, but a pleasantly short and enjoyable read. The characters were endearing, the prose and pacing were sharp, and I appreciated the glimpses of intriguing world-building that we were offered.
The characters were the highlight for me: Quill's arc was definitely not new (impulsive, immature guy who tries to manipulate his way out of situations and gets in trouble when he can't keep things in his pants learns what it feels like to actually be nice to and help other people) but, like. It's a good one? And it was well done here. Hunter ran a little flatter for me personally, but I was still rooting for him, and wanted them both to succeed.
However, there were a few issues that impacted my enjoyment: I felt that the writing could have used a bit of a tighter edit, particularly in the beginning, both in word/phrasing choice and flow, and in some of the content that left my suspension of disbelief a little shaky. The worldbuilding just scratched the surface of some of the ideas—a situation where originality and the brevity of a short story felt like it lessened the enjoyment of the work.
Most significantly, the villain/antagonist was unfortunately very one-dimensional—the kind of character that exists to serve the story, but who borders on evil just for the sake of it.
Overall, for what it is, I wouldn't have any hesitations about suggesting this to anybody with a particular fondness for cyborgs and personhood arcs.
My lasting impression of this story was simply, "that was fine." Not great or amazing, but a pleasantly short and enjoyable read. The characters were endearing, the prose and pacing were sharp, and I appreciated the glimpses of intriguing world-building that we were offered.
The characters were the highlight for me: Quill's arc was definitely not new (impulsive, immature guy who tries to manipulate his way out of situations and gets in trouble when he can't keep things in his pants learns what it feels like to actually be nice to and help other people) but, like. It's a good one? And it was well done here. Hunter ran a little flatter for me personally, but I was still rooting for him, and wanted them both to succeed.
However, there were a few issues that impacted my enjoyment: I felt that the writing could have used a bit of a tighter edit, particularly in the beginning, both in word/phrasing choice and flow, and in some of the content that left my suspension of disbelief a little shaky. The worldbuilding just scratched the surface of some of the ideas—a situation where originality and the brevity of a short story felt like it lessened the enjoyment of the work.
Most significantly, the villain/antagonist was unfortunately very one-dimensional—the kind of character that exists to serve the story, but who borders on evil just for the sake of it.
Overall, for what it is, I wouldn't have any hesitations about suggesting this to anybody with a particular fondness for cyborgs and personhood arcs.
lleullawgyffes's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
candidceillie's review
5.0
Junk Mage is a novella that I’ve been wanting to read for a while. When Cooper got the rights back from NSP and self-published it, I knew the time was right! I read this sweet story in one sitting and was delighted the whole time. If you want sweet ownvoices m/m science fiction, I highly recommend it!
rissa53's review
4.0
New author for me!
I really liked this - what an interesting world!!!! I wanted more - that ending was such a tease! :) More Quill and Hunter!
I am definitely going to go through this author's backlist!
I really liked this - what an interesting world!!!! I wanted more - that ending was such a tease! :) More Quill and Hunter!
I am definitely going to go through this author's backlist!
iguana_mama's review against another edition
4.0
Cross-posted at Shelf Inflicted and at Outlaw Reviews
I will start out by saying that I love short stories. Whereas a novel can take its time fleshing out characters and developing a compelling plot, a short story leaves the writer with little wiggle room for going off on tangents. A good short story should feel complete, and not like an outline of a novel.
The author did a superb job setting up the world and creating an interesting cast of characters. I liked that it was told from the quirky technomancer Quill’s perspective. He is funny, thoughtful, and easygoing and I was comfortable spending time in his head. Hunter, the cyborg guarding the parts that Quill needs to repair his broken ship, was a bit more introverted. It was fun watching Quill’s and Hunter’s friendship develop into something deeper.
Even though Quill’s attitude kept me smiling much of the time, there was a touch of sadness involving Hunter’s past that I would have loved to see explored further.
This was a well-written, cleanly edited, and fast-paced story. Its format was too short to adequately contain everything explored here, so it felt slight at times.
While this was not the perfect short story, it was still a heck of a lot of fun.
*Review copy provided by NineStar Press.
I will start out by saying that I love short stories. Whereas a novel can take its time fleshing out characters and developing a compelling plot, a short story leaves the writer with little wiggle room for going off on tangents. A good short story should feel complete, and not like an outline of a novel.
The author did a superb job setting up the world and creating an interesting cast of characters. I liked that it was told from the quirky technomancer Quill’s perspective. He is funny, thoughtful, and easygoing and I was comfortable spending time in his head. Hunter, the cyborg guarding the parts that Quill needs to repair his broken ship, was a bit more introverted. It was fun watching Quill’s and Hunter’s friendship develop into something deeper.
Even though Quill’s attitude kept me smiling much of the time, there was a touch of sadness involving Hunter’s past that I would have loved to see explored further.
This was a well-written, cleanly edited, and fast-paced story. Its format was too short to adequately contain everything explored here, so it felt slight at times.
While this was not the perfect short story, it was still a heck of a lot of fun.
*Review copy provided by NineStar Press.
lillian_francis's review
4.0
I wasn't sure when I first started reading. The start seemed a little jumbled. But once Quill met Hunter everything slipped into place. Think space steampunk.
The story moved at a fast pace and is a quick read. About an hour from start to finish.
Would happily read more from this author and of this couple. To that end this is low/no steam; the MCs share one on page kiss.
The story moved at a fast pace and is a quick read. About an hour from start to finish.
Would happily read more from this author and of this couple. To that end this is low/no steam; the MCs share one on page kiss.
hartd's review
5.0
This was a great short read, and the length felt perfect for the story. While I would have enjoyed reading a book twice the length of this one just as much, because the writing is deft and appealing, this book has a good plot, interesting characters, and a satisfying resolution all packed in tightly, without feeling unfinished at all.
The main character, Quillian, is someone who always finds himself in trouble and has to use his wits and abilities to get himself out of it. He does a lot of magic. I've read way too many fantasy & sci-fi books, especially short ones, that have a great concept behind them, but the concept is only barely used, treated sort of like set dressing. That is not the case here at all. The title is completely appropriate. Quillian is a technomancer, and nearly everything in the plot springs from his magic and profession. There's some great worldbuilding, too. This book very much has the feel of Firefly or Farscape - a bit comedic, with strange aliens and original ideas, but the emotional moments make a big impact.
Quillian's love interest has faced a great deal of hardship, which made me really want to see him find happiness. The sex is implied / off-page, but it didn't seem like there was anything missing. The book is written in first person, and the writing style is informal and chatty, as though Quillian is telling you his story. It all works really well.
I am so excited to have discovered this book. I'll be reading the author's other published work asap.
As a sidenote, it was great to read a book that was proofread and edited so well!
The main character, Quillian, is someone who always finds himself in trouble and has to use his wits and abilities to get himself out of it. He does a lot of magic. I've read way too many fantasy & sci-fi books, especially short ones, that have a great concept behind them, but the concept is only barely used, treated sort of like set dressing. That is not the case here at all. The title is completely appropriate. Quillian is a technomancer, and nearly everything in the plot springs from his magic and profession. There's some great worldbuilding, too. This book very much has the feel of Firefly or Farscape - a bit comedic, with strange aliens and original ideas, but the emotional moments make a big impact.
Quillian's love interest has faced a great deal of hardship, which made me really want to see him find happiness. The sex is implied / off-page, but it didn't seem like there was anything missing. The book is written in first person, and the writing style is informal and chatty, as though Quillian is telling you his story. It all works really well.
I am so excited to have discovered this book. I'll be reading the author's other published work asap.
As a sidenote, it was great to read a book that was proofread and edited so well!
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