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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a delightful and swift-moving murder mystery, set on an intergalactic cruise ship, starring an amazing (billionaire?, if not, then exceedingly rich) engineer/inventor/celebrity, her new husband, and most importantly (to me) her Westie service dog, Gimlet. The author creates a complete world on the cruise ship, with details she borrows from the here-and-now (terribly strange artwork that one finds on cruise ships) and details of the far-future (most everything else). World-building occurs very naturally, in a largely unobtrusive way as the protagonists navigate the ship and the murders. The solution was satisfying, with no loose ends, and I highly recommend the book to readers looking for a fast-paced murder mystery in a very different locale.
As a side-note, I thought having each chapter not only start with a cocktail recipe, but having those cocktail names describe the action of the chapter to be brilliant. Also, every four or five cocktails had no alcohol (mocktails), which was great to see!
I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
As a side-note, I thought having each chapter not only start with a cocktail recipe, but having those cocktail names describe the action of the chapter to be brilliant. Also, every four or five cocktails had no alcohol (mocktails), which was great to see!
I received this digital ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
i can’t lie i had a GREAT time. like the setting and writing style just fit me so perfectly. a fun little murder mystery on a space cruise with kind of the old school feel?? yeh, that hit the nail on the head.
like it’s the type of mystery i really enjoy where there’s a set of characters and suspects, and you try to puzzle out which one of them it is.
and gimlet??? yeh, we love gimlet. shal and tesla really got me too with their relationship, i’ll be honest. like yknow what i’ll allow them to be lovey dovey. it fit them.
my biggest annoyance was just how i felt like it ended without like nicely wrapping up all the loose ends ://
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was… terrible.
Perhaps that’s unfair. There’s a fair bit in this book that’s enjoyable: a good depiction of chronic pain, service animals, and a mostly ungendered society. The worldbuilding is sparse, but what we do get is quite interesting.
Unfortunately, it’s completely bogged down by the lead character, who’s almost intolerable: an extremely privileged woman who wields her power like a club to get what she wants, at the expense of most everyone around her. That she is often right in doing so doesn’t make it feel right; it feels forced at best. Even after being explicitly told by her partner that she’s running roughshod over people, she doesn’t stop her behavior.
More than that, the plot is… murky. For a mystery, it offers more questions than answers, and doesn’t follow up on its loose threads.
Frankly, this is really just a mess. Disappointing because I’ve enjoyed other books by the author, but this one really fell flat for me. At least it was a quick read.
Perhaps that’s unfair. There’s a fair bit in this book that’s enjoyable: a good depiction of chronic pain, service animals, and a mostly ungendered society. The worldbuilding is sparse, but what we do get is quite interesting.
Unfortunately, it’s completely bogged down by the lead character, who’s almost intolerable: an extremely privileged woman who wields her power like a club to get what she wants, at the expense of most everyone around her. That she is often right in doing so doesn’t make it feel right; it feels forced at best. Even after being explicitly told by her partner that she’s running roughshod over people, she doesn’t stop her behavior.
More than that, the plot is… murky. For a mystery, it offers more questions than answers, and doesn’t follow up on its loose threads.
Frankly, this is really just a mess. Disappointing because I’ve enjoyed other books by the author, but this one really fell flat for me. At least it was a quick read.
Overall: 7.5/10
Representation: 100/10
Plot: 6/10
Character development: 5/10
Writing: 5/10
Who I would recommend it to: queer crips who want to see themself represented who also like sci-fi
I admit to reading this book mostly for the representation, and for that, it did not disappoint. In a society where gender itself is almost entirely gone, pronouns are given as introduction (even second hand ones), masculine- and feminine-presenting are how people are described, and a cane-using service dog-owning main character, representation is everywhere. The plot was not spectacular. It’s not a typical whodunnit but it’s also not a romance. Overall, it’s a fun space adventure that could have been better, but as long as you’re not expecting to read the next best book ever, it’s good.
Representation: 100/10
Plot: 6/10
Character development: 5/10
Writing: 5/10
Who I would recommend it to: queer crips who want to see themself represented who also like sci-fi
I admit to reading this book mostly for the representation, and for that, it did not disappoint. In a society where gender itself is almost entirely gone, pronouns are given as introduction (even second hand ones), masculine- and feminine-presenting are how people are described, and a cane-using service dog-owning main character, representation is everywhere. The plot was not spectacular. It’s not a typical whodunnit but it’s also not a romance. Overall, it’s a fun space adventure that could have been better, but as long as you’re not expecting to read the next best book ever, it’s good.