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reclusivereader's review against another edition
4.0
I'm not sure I appreciated how well timed this particular plot point was in the show. Or maybe it was less obvious, had less room to breathe? But in book five in this series we sort've break the formula. Yes, there are still political machinations. Yes, there are still horrible events that the Roci crew have to battle out to survive and attempt to overcome and or make right. But this time they are doing it.. separately.
This instalment definitely had more of a domestic feel to it which is sort've ironic considering everyone went solo for reasons. Instead we have side quests and different dynamics with different pairings due to both location and necessity. And it was fun. I enjoyed so much of the crew's internal considerations and observations of the distance and lack of connection. It added an element of tension to the events that snowballed throughout the story and let me tell you.. that was already pretty tense.
The political and planetary landscape has shifted in such a brutal and forever changed kind of way and the implications are almost bigger than discovering a ring of wormholes. Especially considering who was part of it and how it went down. But don't worry, aliens are still on the board and still very much a player! Just like the players involved in the new reality of Earth will be, too. For some reason I thought we'd have that plot contained to one book but even with how chonky these books are that would've been hard to do.
But, to take some of the sting out of the awfulness of this new fate, we had some good page time with Bobbie and more of Chrisjen that we've had in a while. And she's, well. For all that she's a conjuring of words she's pretty much indescribable. Some of her dialogue was just incredible. But it wasn't all fun and games and cussing. This story, though with huge humanity-spanning implications, also dealt with some very personal issues. I mentioned the word domestic about the book's early vibe and that's true here, too. One of our crew confronts some of their past and traumas and darker moments and it was hard and incredibly moving and I appreciated that even with all the other themes and spectacles, the authors never forget the human touch.
So, yes, still enjoying the hell out of this, still recommending this series fully. And though I don't want to say I'm losing steam even after consuming almost two thousand pages of this world in a handful of days, I maaay be taking a tiny little palate cleanser break after the next novella. But with the way these reviews are spread out, you won't notice. Just keepin' it real for the record.
This instalment definitely had more of a domestic feel to it which is sort've ironic considering everyone went solo for reasons. Instead we have side quests and different dynamics with different pairings due to both location and necessity. And it was fun. I enjoyed so much of the crew's internal considerations and observations of the distance and lack of connection. It added an element of tension to the events that snowballed throughout the story and let me tell you.. that was already pretty tense.
The political and planetary landscape has shifted in such a brutal and forever changed kind of way and the implications are almost bigger than discovering a ring of wormholes. Especially considering who was part of it and how it went down. But don't worry, aliens are still on the board and still very much a player! Just like the players involved in the new reality of Earth will be, too. For some reason I thought we'd have that plot contained to one book but even with how chonky these books are that would've been hard to do.
But, to take some of the sting out of the awfulness of this new fate, we had some good page time with Bobbie and more of Chrisjen that we've had in a while. And she's, well. For all that she's a conjuring of words she's pretty much indescribable. Some of her dialogue was just incredible. But it wasn't all fun and games and cussing. This story, though with huge humanity-spanning implications, also dealt with some very personal issues. I mentioned the word domestic about the book's early vibe and that's true here, too. One of our crew confronts some of their past and traumas and darker moments and it was hard and incredibly moving and I appreciated that even with all the other themes and spectacles, the authors never forget the human touch.
So, yes, still enjoying the hell out of this, still recommending this series fully. And though I don't want to say I'm losing steam even after consuming almost two thousand pages of this world in a handful of days, I maaay be taking a tiny little palate cleanser break after the next novella. But with the way these reviews are spread out, you won't notice. Just keepin' it real for the record.
myidlehand's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
medium-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
3.5
brittanylillyy's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
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
5.0
simon_'s review against another edition
5.0
Great character building from the crew of the Rocinante.
rolyatkcinmai's review against another edition
4.0
The middle act is a complete slog, but luckily it does pick back up for the final ten or twelve chapters which is why I've put it at 4.
At this point I'm finishing this series just because of the time invested already. They're fine, but it's clear that the interesting parts of the universe are not what the authors are interested in, and so every single book focuses on human squabbles with each other instead. The scale of the terrorism in this book (billions killed) as retribution for what is effectively high taxation isn't even believable in any way.
At this point I'm finishing this series just because of the time invested already. They're fine, but it's clear that the interesting parts of the universe are not what the authors are interested in, and so every single book focuses on human squabbles with each other instead. The scale of the terrorism in this book (billions killed) as retribution for what is effectively high taxation isn't even believable in any way.
timcooper99's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
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? Yes
4.25
nairam1173's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
4.0
I remember not liking this one as much--probably because the Rocinante crew splits up, and I don't think Amos and Alex have POV voices that are very strong, so it doesn't feel like we're learning that much more about them; we just need to be where they are for the plot.
But! The plot is actually very compelling, we get Bobbie and Avasarala back, and Naomi's storyline is EXCELLENT.
But! The plot is actually very compelling, we get Bobbie and Avasarala back, and Naomi's storyline is EXCELLENT.
comrade_stina's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
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
5.0