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lbelow's review
This book might actually be great, but the audiobook? Give it a pass. The narrator does a flat voice for all Alloys which actually makes no sense because they are not machine intelligences, they are genetically engineered beings.
lizshayne's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I was really in the mood for a good space opera and that is exactly what this book delivered. Also the plot was kind of gonzo and things I expected to happen at the end of the book appeared around the middle third and it was just a fun ride, albeit one that was not entirely evenly paced.
One of the things I found super interesting about the background of the world is the invention of disorders - AAD (ambition and acquisitiveness disorder), which is only bad when humans have it and it really points out the way that cultures pathologize the things they don't like. It's an invitation to think about which of our current disorders are "inconvenience to those in charge" disorders even as the reality - both in the text and outside of it - is more complicated. You can see the way that Divya is thinking about societies and how they evolve and where we might go one day. There's so much to unpack in the background even as the story of humanity growing up, again, plays out in the foreground. I do really appreciate SF stories that are also about "if I could have any society, what might it be interesting to see"?
One of the things I found super interesting about the background of the world is the invention of disorders - AAD (ambition and acquisitiveness disorder), which is only bad when humans have it and it really points out the way that cultures pathologize the things they don't like. It's an invitation to think about which of our current disorders are "inconvenience to those in charge" disorders even as the reality - both in the text and outside of it - is more complicated. You can see the way that Divya is thinking about societies and how they evolve and where we might go one day. There's so much to unpack in the background even as the story of humanity growing up, again, plays out in the foreground. I do really appreciate SF stories that are also about "if I could have any society, what might it be interesting to see"?
5erinnicole's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
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
3.5
I felt so many different ways about this book at different points! It took me weeks to get into it and then loved it and then almost abandoned it and was then surprised by an ending that I did not hate.
I think overall it was longer than it needed to be, and there were, at times, too many characters to keep track of. That said it had a clear voice and message, and was in the end much more optimistic about humans than sci-fi tends to be. I found the morals and ethics interesting and the politics stressful.
I think overall it was longer than it needed to be, and there were, at times, too many characters to keep track of. That said it had a clear voice and message, and was in the end much more optimistic about humans than sci-fi tends to be. I found the morals and ethics interesting and the politics stressful.
breading_books's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
verumsolum's review against another edition
4.75
What a book! After the tiniest bit of bewilderment at this world like, but unlike, our own, I really grew to love our protagonist and get caught up in her story.
I have only one worry about continuing this series: I don’t know how a second book will relate to this one (so I am slightly worried that my expectations for it will be too great). But that doesn’t sound like s a good reason to avoid reading it sometime soon
I have only one worry about continuing this series: I don’t know how a second book will relate to this one (so I am slightly worried that my expectations for it will be too great). But that doesn’t sound like s a good reason to avoid reading it sometime soon
karolina_kat's review against another edition
4.0
I was flip-flopping a bit on how to rate this book? A 3 at times, a 4 at others. In the positive - the setting, the world, the underlying story were all great. On the other some elements felt rushed, and certain aspects of the world would do with a bit more exposition. Ultimately, the unique idea for the universe and the setting won, and I decided to round this up.
It felt like a very familiar story in a world millennia away.
It felt like a very familiar story in a world millennia away.
ezra8's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-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
3.0
eastofthesunwestofthemoon's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
wviellevoye's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0