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3.37 AVERAGE
3.37 AVERAGE
I was automatically prejudiced against this book because I'm sick of books about men's wives or daughters. But this book was delightful, complex, and interesting—even if the end is heartbreaking. And even if there wasn't quite as much closure as I would have liked. And right up until that very heartbreaking end, it really made me want to travel.
Goofy names with random apostrophes do not a science fiction novel make. But it could be useful in getting a 12 year old girl to read something "science fiction" esque before you spring some Heinlen or Asimov on her.
This was a pretty decent read. It is basically a British colonial story but with all the places and cultures changed so that the author didn't have to be historically or culturally accurate. It is a young adult book, but I thought that the writing (in terms of word choice, etc.) was still a bit juvenile for the actual story.
*slight spolier*
The protagonist would have to be the heiress of a not-so-small country to actually be successful in her financial venture at the end of the book. That was the one detail that stood out to me as being entirely implausible.
*slight spolier*
The protagonist would have to be the heiress of a not-so-small country to actually be successful in her financial venture at the end of the book. That was the one detail that stood out to me as being entirely implausible.
I generally like Sharon Shinn books, but I can't recommend this one.
I found the central character, Averie, very annoying. Her adventures in the borderlands reminded me of the beginning of Robin McKinley's far superior, [b:The Blue Sword|407813|The Blue Sword (Damar, #1)|Robin McKinley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286927812s/407813.jpg|2321296]. Averie comes to a colonial outpost to visit her father and her fiance. There are tensions between the newcomers and the native folk, whom she learns about in much the way a British colonial might learn about Indians a hundred years ago.
Her disenchantment with her fiance is derigeur for this type of book, as is her interest in a native soldier. The supposedly surprise ending is predictable. There are a few instances where the psychology was no convincing. However, there were aspects of the world-building that were captivating, so it wasn't a total waste of my time.
I've enjoyed every other Sharon Shinn book, so if you don't like this one, don't let it discourage you from reading another.
I found the central character, Averie, very annoying. Her adventures in the borderlands reminded me of the beginning of Robin McKinley's far superior, [b:The Blue Sword|407813|The Blue Sword (Damar, #1)|Robin McKinley|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1286927812s/407813.jpg|2321296]. Averie comes to a colonial outpost to visit her father and her fiance. There are tensions between the newcomers and the native folk, whom she learns about in much the way a British colonial might learn about Indians a hundred years ago.
Her disenchantment with her fiance is derigeur for this type of book, as is her interest in a native soldier. The supposedly surprise ending is predictable. There are a few instances where the psychology was no convincing. However, there were aspects of the world-building that were captivating, so it wasn't a total waste of my time.
I've enjoyed every other Sharon Shinn book, so if you don't like this one, don't let it discourage you from reading another.