Reviews

Die Verstoßenen by M.K. England

readingrainey's review against another edition

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4.0

Very fun read. I'm a sucker for snark and dry humor so this was right up my alley. It was a lot lighter in actually space action then I hoped but of what there was, was great. Excellent representation of sexualities, gender identities, and race. I really appreciated the amount of Eastern Culture and religion. I think most white writers and readers especially American ones, forget not only that Islam is just as big as Christianity, but that most of the world are not infact white devout Christians. So it nice to see that reflected in the space colonies that humans settled in this books. I really enjoyed Nax as a main character. It was refreshing to see a male main character struggle with aniexty with out violence as a coping mechanism. To be able to see in his head the same thought patterns that I personally and so many others that suffer with anxiety have is the kind of mental health representation we need more of.
The one thing I wish we would of got more of was the other characters. You only ever get to know them superficially. Which was really disappointing for characters that had such rich potential.
But with that being said, I really did enjoy this book over all, and I can't wait to read what M.K. England writes next.

jlbn's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced

2.75

whitneymouse's review against another edition

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It doesn’t feel right to give this a rating, but it’s my first DNF of 2019. This was just a mess.

I made it about 100 pages into it. The main character is diverse for no reason other than to be diverse. He’s bisexual and suffers from the stereotype of being attracted to anything that moves. He’s also sexually attracted to spaceships to the point where he wonders if he’s “aerosexual”. The spaceship in question is made by Honda for some reason and it just makes it sound like a mid-level sedan instead of a beautiful ship.

The author uses the phrase “thoroughly distracting” to describe minor actions by two different characters within 5 pages.

The side characters are diverse for diversity’s sake.

Also, I was promised Breakfast Club mixed with Guardians of the Galaxy and the only thing this has in common is misfits in space.

It just was a train wreck for me. I’m sure there are people who love this. It’s just not my cup of tea.

jvaz's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

queerbookqueen's review against another edition

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5.0

A save-the-universe sci-fi adventure with a flirtatious bi protagonist? Um yes please!!! This book is the complete opposite of a disaster.

Imagine a beautiful queer future with just a dash of space terrorism, 350 pages of flirting in the face of certain death, and crime, oh so much crime.

I adored this book so freaking much and recommend to literally everybody in this entire world (and universe I guess). All the characters are

themdolawrian's review against another edition

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adventurous fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

gitruz's review against another edition

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adventurous funny medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

wannabekingpin's review against another edition

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4.0

all reviews in one place:
night mode reading
;
skaitom nakties rezimu

About: They were great at what they aimed for. And yet, they got scratched for this or that nonetheless. So there they were, failed pilots and whatnots, packing their bags to go back home as warning sirens flared and got silenced just as abruptly. In those short moments they had to decide their own fates, and those, as it later turned out, of human colonies. Meet the Swift Kick crew, the most diverse and fiercest little group of misfits any terrorists have ever seen.

Out there there is a terrorist group that calls itself Earth First. Their philosophies all lean on one idea: get rid of the colonies. Some think we should take care of our own planet first. Others believe Earth to be sacred. Either way, they’re up to some murder, and the space station those kids were on? Oh, that was just the start.

Mine: Once again, a mediocre story that you’ve definitely read before under different names, circumstances, titles. But saved by really great and diverse characters. All of the skin colors, all of the sexual orientations. The bisexual guy was actually bi, not just by the title author would slap on to get diversity points. Religions are on board too. One young woman is practicing, and has hijabs to fit a situation. She’s a badass hacker too, and, my favorite, a rebel. And if that’s not yet representing, there’s a transgender woman too. Full, glorious set. The story itself is fast paced. Just as you get through what seemed a longish personal episode, grenades are flying, bullets are whistling. It’s written in real fun speech manner too, no sugarcoating, straight to the point, with no high and mighty phrases. But, as I said, the plot has been chewed on plenty by now. So it’s as predictable as they get, with merely different details.

All in all, I’m going to give it a strong 4 out of 5. It was an easy, fun, fast read. If you feel like supporting diversity in literature, this is one of the books to take and review, I feel.

cdale's review against another edition

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

hastings91's review against another edition

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3.0

Despite only giving this book 3 stars, I legitimately enjoyed it. It’s honestly what I wanted Aurora Rising to be - a fun space romp about a classic five-man-band and their wacky hijinks. The characters are funny and diverse if not particularly developed, there are cool world building concepts even if they aren’t explained particularly well or cohesively. I especially liked all the muslim representation in both the characters and the world. The plot itself is structured well enough and the storytelling is clear enough that this was an enjoyable book specifically for what it set out to do, and some types that’s okay. (If you want a more stunning take on some of these ideas on the other hand, I’d recommend Invictus by Ryan Graudin)