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4.16 AVERAGE
4.16 AVERAGE
emotional
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
La madurez, la vida de Anki, las circunstancias donde se proyecta el futuro de supervivencia, y a pesar de eso, resulta que nunca es suficiente la adversidad, siempre el humano encuentra tiempo para matarse unos a otros. El comportamiento jerarquíco según esto, provocaría esta disocación contradictoria humana.
¿Y que tal ese cuarto plante?
¿Y que tal ese cuarto plante?
challenging
dark
hopeful
medium-paced
challenging
dark
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
While I was almost completely unable to sympathize with the Oankali in "Dawn," the first book of the Xenogenesis series, I found myself much more able (and willing) to relate this time in Adulthood Rites, and it made a big difference in my enjoyment of the series.
Our main character is Akin, a construct baby (part human and part Oankali) born to the previous book's protagonist - Lilith. After being kidnapped by rebel humans as a child, Akin finds himself in an interesting position as the only being truly able to understand the struggles and opinions of both sides of the Earth situation. As such, it makes it easier for all readers, as both sides are discussed and respected equally. It doesn't matter who you're rooting for - there's something for you in this novel no matter what.
I was also relieved to find much less creepy Ooloi manipulation and much more human to human (or human to construct) interaction. At first, I wanted to hear more from Lilith, but it wasn't long before I'd grown attached to Akin and his mission. Whereas I was lukewarm about continuing the series after "Dawn," I'm now determined to finish it.
Our main character is Akin, a construct baby (part human and part Oankali) born to the previous book's protagonist - Lilith. After being kidnapped by rebel humans as a child, Akin finds himself in an interesting position as the only being truly able to understand the struggles and opinions of both sides of the Earth situation. As such, it makes it easier for all readers, as both sides are discussed and respected equally. It doesn't matter who you're rooting for - there's something for you in this novel no matter what.
I was also relieved to find much less creepy Ooloi manipulation and much more human to human (or human to construct) interaction. At first, I wanted to hear more from Lilith, but it wasn't long before I'd grown attached to Akin and his mission. Whereas I was lukewarm about continuing the series after "Dawn," I'm now determined to finish it.
Alright, and now for the second of the Lilith's Brood trilogy.
Again, as I said in my review for Dawn, the world-building in this story is masterful. The craft that went into building not only the Oankali and their culture but also their biology, their worldview, their sexuality, their understanding of humans, and their purely altruistic but tyrannical intentions is perfectly crafted. The first book has incredible world-building, and then with the next two books, the world-building only gets better and more complicated because it too evolves as the story and the cross-bred characters mature as well.
The only thing that holds this book back is that the pacing slows to a crawl for a better part of this story. While I still greatly enjoyed this novel, I believe this one to be the weakest of the three but only by a hair. The action of the story feels a little... subplot-like within the trilogy as a whole. When I started reading the third novel, other than a decision made at the end of the second affecting parts of third (involving Mars), I wasn't quite sure why that character was important to follow in terms of plot. Having said that, the character of this novel is important because it takes the world-building of the previous novel and dives deeper. Now we have commentary about colorism, masculinity, and the identity within culture. Just as the first, though the plot and action could be strengthened, the world-building and its commentary make for wildly powerful storytelling.
Again, as I said in my review for Dawn, the world-building in this story is masterful. The craft that went into building not only the Oankali and their culture but also their biology, their worldview, their sexuality, their understanding of humans, and their purely altruistic but tyrannical intentions is perfectly crafted. The first book has incredible world-building, and then with the next two books, the world-building only gets better and more complicated because it too evolves as the story and the cross-bred characters mature as well.
The only thing that holds this book back is that the pacing slows to a crawl for a better part of this story. While I still greatly enjoyed this novel, I believe this one to be the weakest of the three but only by a hair. The action of the story feels a little... subplot-like within the trilogy as a whole. When I started reading the third novel, other than a decision made at the end of the second affecting parts of third (involving Mars), I wasn't quite sure why that character was important to follow in terms of plot. Having said that, the character of this novel is important because it takes the world-building of the previous novel and dives deeper. Now we have commentary about colorism, masculinity, and the identity within culture. Just as the first, though the plot and action could be strengthened, the world-building and its commentary make for wildly powerful storytelling.
I always feel strange judging a series by an individual piece, especially right in the middle. I can say, for the most part, I enjoy this unique post-apocalyptic world Octavia Butler has built.
And I am absolutely invested in what happens to these Resister Akjai Humans, but how Akin plans to get any of them to stop being assholes long enough to get to Mars is anyone’s guess.
I heard Imago is disturbing. Don’t know if that bodes well for the Akjai Humans or the Martian Colony. Just leave those feral, rapey humans to the Oankali for processing into DNA pulp to feed to the Chkchkchkwhatwhat ship and it’ll probably be ok.
And I am absolutely invested in what happens to these Resister Akjai Humans, but how Akin plans to get any of them to stop being assholes long enough to get to Mars is anyone’s guess.
I heard Imago is disturbing. Don’t know if that bodes well for the Akjai Humans or the Martian Colony. Just leave those feral, rapey humans to the Oankali for processing into DNA pulp to feed to the Chkchkchkwhatwhat ship and it’ll probably be ok.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-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
First things first what the f was that ending now I'll have to read imago too that's not fair.
Secondly what we're getting at here is that human resistance hate oankali they think of them as ugly little worms. They treated our protag weirdly and always hoped to have a "pure human baby" and could never really accept a semi human/oankali baby as one of their own. And the protagonist loves and is willing to fight for resistance because they've been done wrong bec they got their exclusive human only reproductive rights taken away and they want no mixing with the oankalis. Which they got stripped off of because they were violent not understanding the gravity of the situation that their wars led to the destruction of the earth and other humans and yet they were still fighting when saved. And they're SAing women. And so I am supposed to feel bad for them? Because as the protagonist suggested, "Their anger is misplaced. They're innocent". And I tried to see public opinion. Most of them believed that Oankalis were colonizers? I mean sure they're a little weird and want humans to subsume with their genetic material sort of. But once again humans brought it to themselves by acting like a bunch of idiots by wreaking havoc by all and any violence that could be possible. What was the first thing they did in a bunch of years of making towns? They made GUNS. Woww. Oankalis gave them an option to either have humans survive as a race together with oankalis which would soon technically kind of degrade into an amalgamation or perish as they already were because of the war that they had or they could go to MARS and they STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. So literally while resistance is planning on how to kill Oankali we see people who live in Oankali villages and "thinking they're betraying their own kind" "Hoping they were part of resistance" It's just weird. Atp I hope they had left the humans to die. And I go on reddit and see all these people in favour of the resistance. Like buddy you're exactly the kind of person who would've killed lilith. Anyways tell me I'm playing devil's advocate Idc. I stand by my point. It's atrocious.
Next, I like the Oankali consensus and then give Akin the right to do whatever he could.
Finally it felt like it ended just before it got interesting. And honestly I might even be pushed to read Imago now. I like world building. I like hating on humans.
Also especially how it made me feel weird and conflicted. The human contradiction felt just as real and it made me confront uncomfortable things. It started strong and dragged midway then suddenly became extremely interesting near the end.
Secondly what we're getting at here is that human resistance hate oankali they think of them as ugly little worms. They treated our protag weirdly and always hoped to have a "pure human baby" and could never really accept a semi human/oankali baby as one of their own. And the protagonist loves and is willing to fight for resistance because they've been done wrong bec they got their exclusive human only reproductive rights taken away and they want no mixing with the oankalis. Which they got stripped off of because they were violent not understanding the gravity of the situation that their wars led to the destruction of the earth and other humans and yet they were still fighting when saved. And they're SAing women. And so I am supposed to feel bad for them? Because as the protagonist suggested, "Their anger is misplaced. They're innocent". And I tried to see public opinion. Most of them believed that Oankalis were colonizers? I mean sure they're a little weird and want humans to subsume with their genetic material sort of. But once again humans brought it to themselves by acting like a bunch of idiots by wreaking havoc by all and any violence that could be possible. What was the first thing they did in a bunch of years of making towns? They made GUNS. Woww. Oankalis gave them an option to either have humans survive as a race together with oankalis which would soon technically kind of degrade into an amalgamation or perish as they already were because of the war that they had or they could go to MARS and they STILL HAD A PROBLEM WITH IT. So literally while resistance is planning on how to kill Oankali we see people who live in Oankali villages and "thinking they're betraying their own kind" "Hoping they were part of resistance" It's just weird. Atp I hope they had left the humans to die. And I go on reddit and see all these people in favour of the resistance. Like buddy you're exactly the kind of person who would've killed lilith. Anyways tell me I'm playing devil's advocate Idc. I stand by my point. It's atrocious.
Next, I like the Oankali consensus and then give Akin the right to do whatever he could.
Finally it felt like it ended just before it got interesting. And honestly I might even be pushed to read Imago now. I like world building. I like hating on humans.
Also especially how it made me feel weird and conflicted. The human contradiction felt just as real and it made me confront uncomfortable things. It started strong and dragged midway then suddenly became extremely interesting near the end.
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
Incredibly insightful as Butler always is!