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amandelirium's review against another edition
5.0
Cassandra Rose Clarke is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors and with books like this, it's easy to see why. The world-building was incredible, the characterization was touching and on-point and even though the POV was split 4 ways, I never had the usual disappointment of moving to a less favorite character. They were all interesting in different ways.
If you're a fan of noir, slow-burn literary scifi or robot philosophy/politics, I highly recommend this one.
If you're a fan of noir, slow-burn literary scifi or robot philosophy/politics, I highly recommend this one.
manicventure's review against another edition
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
*Possible Spoilers*
Almost a DNF for me. This book had SO MUCH going for it. The world is very interesting, I saw another review describe it as "alternate history nior" which is very fitting. The story takes place in a dome city in Antarctica somewhere in the late 20th century but it's like the city is frozen (pun intended) in time in the 30s or 40s. You follow 4 main characters but REALLY you only push the story with the 3 ladies Eliana, Marianella, and Sofia. Eliana is the only female PI in the city, Marianella is an actress gone politician with a VERY big secret, and Sofia is an android trying to free herself from human prejudices and control. Then there's Diego's perspectives which always just feel like filler or a way to close off plot hole maybe? Its ashame since I felt like he had alot to give to the story with his background and obvious emotional conflict but he's just a character written to get a sheen of the oppositions movements which feels unnecessary most of the time. Which brings me to the main reason I dont think I really enjoyed this book despite the amazing premise. It really dragged. I was half way through the book and even with Marianella about to get thrown out of the dome which you think would be stressful and shocking....you as the reader are just sitting there going "is this ever going to go anywhere?". All in all I do think this is a good book with a fantastic plot, I just simply could not get past the pacing.
Almost a DNF for me. This book had SO MUCH going for it. The world is very interesting, I saw another review describe it as "alternate history nior" which is very fitting. The story takes place in a dome city in Antarctica somewhere in the late 20th century but it's like the city is frozen (pun intended) in time in the 30s or 40s. You follow 4 main characters but REALLY you only push the story with the 3 ladies Eliana, Marianella, and Sofia. Eliana is the only female PI in the city, Marianella is an actress gone politician with a VERY big secret, and Sofia is an android trying to free herself from human prejudices and control. Then there's Diego's perspectives which always just feel like filler or a way to close off plot hole maybe? Its ashame since I felt like he had alot to give to the story with his background and obvious emotional conflict but he's just a character written to get a sheen of the oppositions movements which feels unnecessary most of the time. Which brings me to the main reason I dont think I really enjoyed this book despite the amazing premise. It really dragged. I was half way through the book and even with Marianella about to get thrown out of the dome which you think would be stressful and shocking....you as the reader are just sitting there going "is this ever going to go anywhere?". All in all I do think this is a good book with a fantastic plot, I just simply could not get past the pacing.
loverlyreads's review against another edition
3.0
Our Lady of the Ice revolves around four characters: Eliana, Diego, Marianella, and Sophia in Hope City, a former Antarctican amusement park turned city. Mobsters, robots,and political intrigue make for a captivating Sci-fi thriller plot.
The problem is, as much as this was a five star plot, pacing issues and an anticlimactic ending drops five down to three. Maybe a 3.5 if a sequel is in the works
The problem is, as much as this was a five star plot, pacing issues and an anticlimactic ending drops five down to three. Maybe a 3.5 if a sequel is in the works
katierabalais's review against another edition
4.0
This book was a spur of the moment purchase at one of the most magical places in the world, Recycled Books in Denton, Texas. Everything about this was made for me to love it. Historical Revisionism that has technology significantly father advanced due to stream power, which allowed a Westworld style theme back to be safely built under a dome in Antarctica. Androids run the park, and are gaining sentience; a lady PI is dating the second-in-command of the biggest gangster on the continent; the city is breaking down; indepentace-focused terrorists are slowly deatrying the city. The ending was a little disappointing, but not enough to ruin my overall enjoyment of the book. Really good science fiction is one of life’s greatest joys.
accidentalspaceexplorer's review
adventurous
mysterious
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
4.25
I'm not quite sure how to feel about this one. I enjoyed reading it and was absolutely drawn in, but in the end I'm not sure I liked any of the main characters except Marianella, and I can't say that I liked her ending, either. It did go in an interesting direction, and some of the twists I missed, which I very much liked. This book doesn't pull punches with the ending or the events of the book, but I don't think I'm happy it ended realistically.
Like I said, I have complicated feelings about this but was very much drawn in and compelled by the story, I'll definitely be checking out something else Cassandra Rose Clarke has written!
Like I said, I have complicated feelings about this but was very much drawn in and compelled by the story, I'll definitely be checking out something else Cassandra Rose Clarke has written!
the_discworldian's review against another edition
4.0
A version of this review appeared on my blog, drinkingandink.
Reading Challenge: “A Science-Fiction Novel”
You should probably read this book. It’s not like anything else you’ve ever read, but at the same time it’s like a lot of things you’ve read. It’s a film noir, complete with scrappy PI; it’s a political thriller with gangsters and politicians equally corrupt; it’s a robot revolution. It’s kind of like Blade Runner in a steampunk 1960s. And did I mention it takes place in Antarctica?
Noir really was the main impression this book left with me, and in spite of it being pretty cinematic, I kind of hope they never make it into a movie. Not now. Diego could have been played by Alan Ladd, Marianella by Veronica Lake. Sofia, the beautiful robot, could have been Grace Kelly (I know I’m mixing my eras here, but it doesn’t matter in fantasy casting). Lauren Bacall would’ve made a good Eliana, and Luciano strikes me as a young Paul Newman. It’s an easy book to fantasy cast because of the types and because of the type of story.
This is not a perfect book, though. There may be some mild unmarked spoilers ahead, so you've been warned:
Most of my complaints are character-related. In spite of being the person with the biggest changes in her character arc, Marianella was weirdly uninteresting. I couldn’t quite figure it out. She was kind of bland, even when wrestling with some very complex issues. I also didn’t understand her religion. She seemed to be the only character, not just of the main characters but in the entire world, who was religious. There was never any explanation, implicit or explicit, why. “Sacrilege” was dropped as a term a few times, not just by her, but it seemed out of place. Overall Hope City appeared to be a very secular society. It was puzzling, especially given the title of the book.
Diego’s perspective, meanwhile, was much worse. There was no depth to it. I was actually waiting for the surprise twist that Diego was an android, because his main character trait was that he had been programmed for loyalty. When I really question what purpose it served including his perspective, other than to establish that humans are also programmable if you really think about it. I was always much more interested in Eliana, Sofia, and Luciano (whose perspective we never got, and I was sorry about that).
The overarching plot probably wasn’t great, but there were two things that were: one, more interesting than great, was that the narrative took a very neutral perspective on the android/human conflict. Oddly neutral. It was an interesting choice to make. And two, there were some great scenes. Really great scenes. The Last Night celebration. The gala. Sofia’s reprogramming. The attack on Cabrera’s headquarters (bonus points for double intensity). The rainstorm. Those are scenes that are going to stay with me, even if I forget about the political maneuvering.
So, basically: it’s a good book, not perfect, but unique and interesting and certainly engaging. You should probably go read it.
Reading Challenge: “A Science-Fiction Novel”
You should probably read this book. It’s not like anything else you’ve ever read, but at the same time it’s like a lot of things you’ve read. It’s a film noir, complete with scrappy PI; it’s a political thriller with gangsters and politicians equally corrupt; it’s a robot revolution. It’s kind of like Blade Runner in a steampunk 1960s. And did I mention it takes place in Antarctica?
Noir really was the main impression this book left with me, and in spite of it being pretty cinematic, I kind of hope they never make it into a movie. Not now. Diego could have been played by Alan Ladd, Marianella by Veronica Lake. Sofia, the beautiful robot, could have been Grace Kelly (I know I’m mixing my eras here, but it doesn’t matter in fantasy casting). Lauren Bacall would’ve made a good Eliana, and Luciano strikes me as a young Paul Newman. It’s an easy book to fantasy cast because of the types and because of the type of story.
This is not a perfect book, though. There may be some mild unmarked spoilers ahead, so you've been warned:
Most of my complaints are character-related. In spite of being the person with the biggest changes in her character arc, Marianella was weirdly uninteresting. I couldn’t quite figure it out. She was kind of bland, even when wrestling with some very complex issues. I also didn’t understand her religion. She seemed to be the only character, not just of the main characters but in the entire world, who was religious. There was never any explanation, implicit or explicit, why. “Sacrilege” was dropped as a term a few times, not just by her, but it seemed out of place. Overall Hope City appeared to be a very secular society. It was puzzling, especially given the title of the book.
Diego’s perspective, meanwhile, was much worse. There was no depth to it. I was actually waiting for the surprise twist that Diego was an android, because his main character trait was that he had been programmed for loyalty. When
Spoiler
he ran into the conflict between his boss Cabrera and his girlfriend Eliana, his only thought basically boiled down to “this sucks.” There was no denial, no thinking about a way he could reconcile the conflict, absolutely zero insight, not a second questioning his loyalty to his boss even though we already know he doesn’t like the things he has to do for Cabrera. That whole chapter was essentially “I don’t like this – oh no, an explosion!” and that was the last we heard from him directly.The overarching plot probably wasn’t great, but there were two things that were: one, more interesting than great, was that the narrative took a very neutral perspective on the android/human conflict. Oddly neutral. It was an interesting choice to make. And two, there were some great scenes. Really great scenes. The Last Night celebration. The gala. Sofia’s reprogramming. The attack on Cabrera’s headquarters (bonus points for double intensity). The rainstorm. Those are scenes that are going to stay with me, even if I forget about the political maneuvering.
So, basically: it’s a good book, not perfect, but unique and interesting and certainly engaging. You should probably go read it.
imitira's review against another edition
3.0
I liked it well enough, mostly for the evocative world building. The characters tended to the one-dimensional side, which only really worked for the robots.
beckylej's review against another edition
4.0
Hope City, Antarctica was once the tourist destination of tourist destinations. An amusement park filled with wonders and robots. But when the park shut down the workers stayed, making a permanent home for themselves beneath the domes that made this unwelcoming area bearable.
Eliana Gomez is a private investigator who has lived her entire life under the domes. In truth, she longs to leave for the mainland but the trip is a costly one she's not sure she'll ever afford. That is until Marianella Luna makes a visit to her office. It seems Lady Luna in in possession of some quite damning documents, documents someone has recently taken it upon themselves to liberate her of. She wants them back and she wants Eliana to find them.
The case turns out to be a rather simple one, but one that puts Eliana and Lady Luna right in the crosshairs of a local mob boss. The very same boss Eliana's lover works for. But the money brought in by the case and those that come after ensure Eliana will finally have the opportunity to leave. If she can survive until Spring.
I was pretty anxious to read this one from the get go. It sounded like one of the most unique PI novels I'd come across in a LONG time and that definitely turned out to be the case with Cassandra Rose Clarke's latest.
Not only is the Antarctica setting one I've never seen before, but the subtle twisting of the world was also a stand out. The book itself is not set in our present but instead just a few decades after the park shut down (which was in the 1940s). The world is very insular, all but shutting down outside contact through winter, but there are outside influences from South America. Mostly, though, Hope City is ruled by the "City" powers and the mob.
Oh, and there are robots. Robots that have started to become sentient. Which is an issue considering it's the robots that maintain the domes that house and protect the people living there. If the domes fail, that's it for Hope City. And during the Last Night celebration (the last night the ships leave for winter, marking the long wait for their return in the spring) the power begins to fail in the domes.
So the setting here is tense to begin with. There are wealthy folks and criminals who have little to worry about but the rest of the resources are stretched pretty thin. With power beginning to get spotty, everyone in Hope City is on edge. Everyone is looking for someone to blame. The robots are the first ones everyone turns to, but there are other factions at play as well including a group pushing for independence from the mainland. Marianella Luna is a player in the latter, pushing for Hope City to fund agricultural domes that would mean no longer relying on the mainland and the ships for food coming into the city.
Unfortunately, Marianella Luna's secret, the one she wants Eliana to help her keep, is big enough that it could ruin everything.
Our Lady of the Ice is super cool! If you're into unique settings and well built plots, not to mention fabulously fleshed out characters, I highly recommend checking this one out. It's a bit sci-fi, a bit mystery, and a bit gangster noir, but it's completely unlike anything I think I've ever had the pleasure of diving into!
Eliana Gomez is a private investigator who has lived her entire life under the domes. In truth, she longs to leave for the mainland but the trip is a costly one she's not sure she'll ever afford. That is until Marianella Luna makes a visit to her office. It seems Lady Luna in in possession of some quite damning documents, documents someone has recently taken it upon themselves to liberate her of. She wants them back and she wants Eliana to find them.
The case turns out to be a rather simple one, but one that puts Eliana and Lady Luna right in the crosshairs of a local mob boss. The very same boss Eliana's lover works for. But the money brought in by the case and those that come after ensure Eliana will finally have the opportunity to leave. If she can survive until Spring.
I was pretty anxious to read this one from the get go. It sounded like one of the most unique PI novels I'd come across in a LONG time and that definitely turned out to be the case with Cassandra Rose Clarke's latest.
Not only is the Antarctica setting one I've never seen before, but the subtle twisting of the world was also a stand out. The book itself is not set in our present but instead just a few decades after the park shut down (which was in the 1940s). The world is very insular, all but shutting down outside contact through winter, but there are outside influences from South America. Mostly, though, Hope City is ruled by the "City" powers and the mob.
Oh, and there are robots. Robots that have started to become sentient. Which is an issue considering it's the robots that maintain the domes that house and protect the people living there. If the domes fail, that's it for Hope City. And during the Last Night celebration (the last night the ships leave for winter, marking the long wait for their return in the spring) the power begins to fail in the domes.
So the setting here is tense to begin with. There are wealthy folks and criminals who have little to worry about but the rest of the resources are stretched pretty thin. With power beginning to get spotty, everyone in Hope City is on edge. Everyone is looking for someone to blame. The robots are the first ones everyone turns to, but there are other factions at play as well including a group pushing for independence from the mainland. Marianella Luna is a player in the latter, pushing for Hope City to fund agricultural domes that would mean no longer relying on the mainland and the ships for food coming into the city.
Unfortunately, Marianella Luna's secret, the one she wants Eliana to help her keep, is big enough that it could ruin everything.
Our Lady of the Ice is super cool! If you're into unique settings and well built plots, not to mention fabulously fleshed out characters, I highly recommend checking this one out. It's a bit sci-fi, a bit mystery, and a bit gangster noir, but it's completely unlike anything I think I've ever had the pleasure of diving into!
detailsandtales's review against another edition
4.0
I was on the fence as to whether to give this book a 3 or a 4. There were portions of it that didn't hold my interest, and there was more than one time when I was able to put down the book and not worry about how soon I'd get back to it. Other parts held my attention to the point where I couldn't stand walking away. As I got closer to the end, there were more and more scenes in the latter category, which is why I went with the higher rating. The book did a great job envisioning a dystopian world and the forces for social change - willing and unwilling, and what happens to people who get mixed up in events that are larger than them. It also had a complex plot with twists and surprises.