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otds's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this one a lot, possibly more than the first book? I think it helped that a lot of the world building and stakes were already clear, and I also liked how this book leaned more into the weird theological side of its themes. Maybe just other things going on in my life, but for each of these books I found myself feeling really anxious as I was listening to the last third or so of them 🤷
On the whole I'm still honestly not quite sure how to feel about what the series is doing with gender, but at the very least I think it's interesting.
For the audiobook, I was a little sad to lose the narrator from book one, but I thought that the new narrator was actually really great as well.
On the whole I'm still honestly not quite sure how to feel about what the series is doing with gender, but at the very least I think it's interesting.
For the audiobook, I was a little sad to lose the narrator from book one, but I thought that the new narrator was actually really great as well.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Violence, and Sexual assault
rc_boxnut's review against another edition
Welp. This is definitely the weirdest thing I've read since Too Like the Lightning.
crimsoncor's review
3.0
There is something about this series, where it is interesting but not gripping that makes it take forever for me to get through the books. Like the previous book, it is long periods of theory interjected with short bursts of action and plot. The balance is a bit better in this book (given all the groundwork laid in the first book) and the continued onion peel unraveling of this theoretically "perfect" society is fascinating.
rotewaffel's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jrlagace's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
emanuele_zanellato's review
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
zaeritha's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.75
laurarhds's review
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
badmc's review
challenging
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Rereading this in 2024, my perspective has definitely shifted. The Madame's eccentric place, while still over the top, strikes me as more of a comical set design now. The constant twists and turns felt excessive at times, and the characters remain emotionally distant. On the other hand, the core ideas resonate more clearly.
__________________________
Here, the plot thickens. Oh boy, how it thickens. We still follow the crisis in this utopian 25th century world, where conspiracy upon conspiracy is unveiled.
This is a book with many surprises, and surprises upon surprises - like some kind of perverted matryoshka doll of fucked up leaders, messy communication, and alien way of thinking. Main points of the story are nicely resolved, albeit I still don't buy some of the concepts. For example, in my opinion, if something is oppressed (as gender and religion are here), it is bound to find more than one way of expressing itself. Concentrating it all in one place is... improbable. Also, it's a pity I didn't connect to any of the characters - they are still like puppets in some play where the pupeeter is really overdoing it. I mean, one of the major characters dies... and I couldn't care less. The death doesn't seem real.
Albeit the characters are still unlikable, the plot was easier to follow, and I found this book much easier to digest than the first one. It is a wild ride, one I intend to follow to its end. It was quite some time a book containing gore and full of characters I don't much care about managed to grab me!
__________________________
Here, the plot thickens. Oh boy, how it thickens. We still follow the crisis in this utopian 25th century world, where conspiracy upon conspiracy is unveiled.
This is a book with many surprises, and surprises upon surprises - like some kind of perverted matryoshka doll of fucked up leaders, messy communication, and alien way of thinking. Main points of the story are nicely resolved, albeit I still don't buy some of the concepts. For example, in my opinion, if something is oppressed (as gender and religion are here), it is bound to find more than one way of expressing itself. Concentrating it all in one place is... improbable. Also, it's a pity I didn't connect to any of the characters - they are still like puppets in some play where the pupeeter is really overdoing it. I mean, one of the major characters dies... and I couldn't care less. The death doesn't seem real.
Albeit the characters are still unlikable, the plot was easier to follow, and I found this book much easier to digest than the first one. It is a wild ride, one I intend to follow to its end. It was quite some time a book containing gore and full of characters I don't much care about managed to grab me!
cynicalplankton's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5