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thereadingrogue's review
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-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
2.5
Torn by this one.
On the one hand, I loved the exploration of sentience and what we call "humanity" through the exploration of the various sentient species.
The workings of the multiversal Earth-conglomerate, the hivemind alien fungus, the machine world, are all tiny fascinating details that paint an expansive and imaginative worldbuilding.
The AI characters are the compelling driving engine of this book's machinery, and as they're qite a weakness of mine, I loved reading them.
And though all characters first appear as scattered, albeit mildly connected ants among the vast universes, the way all the threads connected in the end was pleasurably clever.
But the book is very prone to long-winded explanations of the smallest of things. Many times the narrative goes on wild tangents, overexposing details that slow the plot and character development to molasses.
I found myself wishing for more mystery and focus, and frequently felt the weight of its 80 chapters.
As a first statement to a new world and characters, it firmly establishes what it sets out to but, worldbuilding and philosophical questionings aside, it didn't fascinate me as much as I expected.
On the one hand, I loved the exploration of sentience and what we call "humanity" through the exploration of the various sentient species.
The workings of the multiversal Earth-conglomerate, the hivemind alien fungus, the machine world, are all tiny fascinating details that paint an expansive and imaginative worldbuilding.
The AI characters are the compelling driving engine of this book's machinery, and as they're qite a weakness of mine, I loved reading them.
And though all characters first appear as scattered, albeit mildly connected ants among the vast universes, the way all the threads connected in the end was pleasurably clever.
But the book is very prone to long-winded explanations of the smallest of things. Many times the narrative goes on wild tangents, overexposing details that slow the plot and character development to molasses.
I found myself wishing for more mystery and focus, and frequently felt the weight of its 80 chapters.
As a first statement to a new world and characters, it firmly establishes what it sets out to but, worldbuilding and philosophical questionings aside, it didn't fascinate me as much as I expected.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Medical content, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Slavery, Violence, Torture, Murder, Blood, and Child death
Moderate: Confinement, Racism, Racial slurs, Dementia, Drug abuse, Xenophobia, and Mental illness
Minor: War and Trafficking
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