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hanz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Graphic: Grief, Gun violence, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
shadyeglenn's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kvothe's review against another edition
4.0
Still good, but much less mystery driven than the first three, which made the book a bit weaker for me and made the ending less rewarding.
mabs's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
librarian_of_trantor's review against another edition
3.0
Disappointing compared to the other books in series. Too much of the action takes place in VR games for my tastes.
SERIOUS SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!
It will be interesting to see where Newman takes the story from here. We have an interstellar colony in crisis, built around an enigmatic artifact that appears to be drawing intelligent life there to transcend to some higher plane of existence. Earth suffered a nuclear war that may be the end of human life there. Another ship is on its way to the colony, a ship launched by genocidal religious fanatics who started said war so no one would follow them. But those on the ship who gave the order were killed for that crime, presumably creating serious leadership issues for the rest of the journey and its arrival at the colony. And the AI who runs the ship has become sentient and seems to have some serious mental health issues like all the main human protagonists. The fact that a handful of survivors from the doomed Martian colony are also on their way to the interstellar colony seems like a sidebar. But I could see Newman turning that into an interesting plot twist.
SERIOUS SPOILERS TO FOLLOW!!!
It will be interesting to see where Newman takes the story from here. We have an interstellar colony in crisis, built around an enigmatic artifact that appears to be drawing intelligent life there to transcend to some higher plane of existence. Earth suffered a nuclear war that may be the end of human life there. Another ship is on its way to the colony, a ship launched by genocidal religious fanatics who started said war so no one would follow them. But those on the ship who gave the order were killed for that crime, presumably creating serious leadership issues for the rest of the journey and its arrival at the colony. And the AI who runs the ship has become sentient and seems to have some serious mental health issues like all the main human protagonists. The fact that a handful of survivors from the doomed Martian colony are also on their way to the interstellar colony seems like a sidebar. But I could see Newman turning that into an interesting plot twist.
crimsonsparrow's review against another edition
5.0
The more time that goes by after finishing the final pages, the more I like this book. The beginning was cumbersome and overly complicated. It was slow to warm and slower to hook, but I felt like the payoff was worth it.
However, it was the meta-narrative, the one you really don't get until the very, very end, that was PURE GOLD.
Note: Trigger warnings for violence, exploitation, and a crap-load of expletives. Not recommended for kids under 13. Also, beware of two-dimensional NPC's.
However, it was the meta-narrative, the one you really don't get until the very, very end, that was PURE GOLD.
Note: Trigger warnings for violence, exploitation, and a crap-load of expletives. Not recommended for kids under 13. Also, beware of two-dimensional NPC's.
weltenkreuzer's review against another edition
5.0
Ganz ähnlich wie in "Before Mars" erzählt Newman eine kompakte und vielleicht etwas zu stringente Geschichte. Gut geschrieben, intelligent konstruiert und nachdenklich.
kynan's review against another edition
4.0
Damn this woman can write! I had real trouble stopping reading and doing things like eating and sleeping, it's quite the page-turner!
kerstincullen's review against another edition
5.0
Wow. Gripping, thoughtful and packs a punch. One of the more interesting explorations of computer science and ethics I have read. I recognize the criticism about ace representation and harmful stereotypes, although I interpreted the main characters asexuality and severe trauma/attachment issues as two separate things. Still an incredible book.