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kylax2's review
A whole lot of nothing is happening for too long and none of many character introductions were very captivating.
chanlo1994's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I wasn't too sure of the character foils presented. I thought the crew Ocean was with didn't seem to go with her personality and therefore the initial tone of the book, but maybe it was the voice actor who I didnt enjoy so much. I did start enjoying the book about halfway through and I really liked the action scenes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Xenophobia, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Car accident
amy_rose29's review
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
caseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Grief, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Cursing, Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Alcohol, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
minayana's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
As a Korean American who was very excited to read a space opera where Korea dominates space travel, I’m very sad to say that this novel was very meh. Nothing particularly good about it, nothing particularly bad about it. Just meh.
It has a really interesting world that I don’t think was explained well, and I really couldn’t envision anything in the book. Some books can really pull off an “effortless” style where you’re just thrown into a world and you kind of just have to figure it out. I feel like the author was trying for that, but failed. I could be totally wrong though, cause to be honest I really was not able to concentrate on this book. The book synopsis doesn’t start until 50% in! And the first half you’re just following these characters that you don’t really care about in a world that you can’t really envision. And then all the buildup from that last 50% of the novel results in a super fast paced climax in like the last 5% of the book.
The author tries to bring up racial oppression towards non humans, with Haven being half Japanese and half an alien race……where on his alien planet he is discriminated against for being pale, and on earth is discriminated against for being a “vulture.” honestly don’t remember much about the alien race except that they have dark skin and Haven is seen as ugly for being pale…....very interesting choice in my opinion.
The audiobook narration was fine, nothing very impressive. I really didn’t like how the narrator voiced some of the side characters. I couldn’t tell you a thing about any of them except some of them are voiced with a really nasally voice lol. The crew is supposed to be a fun rag tag group of friends, but I really just didn’t care or feel connected to any of the characters, including the three MCs.
The actual writing style was good, and I’d be interested to read more from this author after she’s become a bit more experienced. I’d say try it and if you’re not into it 15% in, don’t bother continuing.
It has a really interesting world that I don’t think was explained well, and I really couldn’t envision anything in the book. Some books can really pull off an “effortless” style where you’re just thrown into a world and you kind of just have to figure it out. I feel like the author was trying for that, but failed. I could be totally wrong though, cause to be honest I really was not able to concentrate on this book. The book synopsis doesn’t start until 50% in! And the first half you’re just following these characters that you don’t really care about in a world that you can’t really envision. And then all the buildup from that last 50% of the novel results in a super fast paced climax in like the last 5% of the book.
The author tries to bring up racial oppression towards non humans, with Haven being half Japanese and half an alien race……where on his alien planet he is discriminated against for being pale, and on earth is discriminated against for being a “vulture.” honestly don’t remember much about the alien race except that they have dark skin and Haven is seen as ugly for being pale…....very interesting choice in my opinion.
The audiobook narration was fine, nothing very impressive. I really didn’t like how the narrator voiced some of the side characters. I couldn’t tell you a thing about any of them except some of them are voiced with a really nasally voice lol. The crew is supposed to be a fun rag tag group of friends, but I really just didn’t care or feel connected to any of the characters, including the three MCs.
The actual writing style was good, and I’d be interested to read more from this author after she’s become a bit more experienced. I’d say try it and if you’re not into it 15% in, don’t bother continuing.
saintalana's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
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
The beginning was pretty strong and continued to be compelling until around the 70% mark. I think at that part the pacing really felt off. most books go full speed at this point and hurtle towards the end. However this book slowed down to develop the romance which I think still felt rushed and a bit out of the blue. And the ending was really like... what?
There are a lot of cool elements and great world building. The characters all have distinct and interesting personalities. I think this books suffers from being too short. There are two different romance and three points of view, along with the main plot. This is too much to put into 362 pages so ultimately the romance suffered quite a bit. I wanted more of Sasani.
Will I read the second book? Yes but not in a rush
There are a lot of cool elements and great world building. The characters all have distinct and interesting personalities. I think this books suffers from being too short. There are two different romance and three points of view, along with the main plot. This is too much to put into 362 pages so ultimately the romance suffered quite a bit. I wanted more of Sasani.
Will I read the second book? Yes but not in a rush
abilee's review
adventurous
emotional
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
4.5
I really loved the characters and world, and found the relationships between the characters so heartwarming. I'm looking forward to the next in the series!
jessica_thelen's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
I ended up enjoying the book overall but the pacing is very inconsistent. The first third of the book was confusing and difficult to get through but at the halfway point the book started to pickup to the point that I wanted to keep reading to find out what happens.
I’m hoping there will be a sequel to finish the story out since there were still some unresolved plot lines.
I’m hoping there will be a sequel to finish the story out since there were still some unresolved plot lines.
willrefuge's review
3.0
7 / 10 ✪
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/04/23/oceans-godori-by-elaine-u-cho-review/
Ocean Yoon has never felt much at home anywhere, at least not since she left Jeju, and what she’d imagined to be her destiny as a haenyeo—one of the legendary pearl divers, which the women in her family had belonged to for generations. Generations broken when Ocean’s mother refused her entry into their ranks.
In the years since, the stars have opened up before her, but nothing has ever stuck. The Alliance, Officer’s school, a Captain’s eye candy, and now the XO on a small, nominally affiliated vessel. But while Ocean can’t seem to find her place, her best friend Teo knows his.
Second son of the Anand Tech empire, he isn’t the face of the company like his father and brother. Instead, his business all takes place in the shadows. Someone to schmooze, someone to fuck, someone frame, someone to kill… well, can’t have that tied to the family business. That’s where Teo comes in: part backup plan and expendable. But when his family is murdered, Teo is thrust into the spotlight. Especially when someone wearing his brother’s face declares him the executioner.
And it’s up to Ocean and her crew to save him.
—
Sigh… I knew as soon as I finished this one that the review was going to be a pain to write.
Let me start with what I liked.
I loved the characters, the setting, the story—even though the whole “ragtag band trying to clear an innocent ‘man framed for murder” is a bit cliché. I loved how the characters interacted within the scope of the universe, their backstories and how these determined the direction they’d take in the confines of the plot. The only hiccup to this was Dae, whose character was inconsistent at best (as if the author decided at some point that they needed someone on the crew to play antihero).
I’m not going to dwell on the romance, which sometimes felt forced and others flowed naturally—about how most romances seem to go.
I don’t read a whole lot of independently published novels, because they’re so hit-or-miss. At the 90% mark, I was already reexamining my choices, as I wound down on one of favorite books of the year.
And then it ended.
In reading other reviews leading up to writing this, I noted how much some other people loved the “cliffhanger” at book’s end. Which I just… don’t understand. Because Ocean’s Godori doesn’t so much tease the next entry in the series as it does… well, fail to tell a complete story.
There is no, absolutely NO resolution to ANY part of the plot. Everyone is left in the wind. Everything up in the air. When I was young, I remember learning that a story needs a beginning, middle, and end. Ocean’s Godori doesn’t even bother trying with an ending. In fact, it seemed we skipped the conclusion entirely.
When a serial pulls a cliffhanger, they do so on the finale—or midseason finale, at least—when the show has been established, and the audience has experienced at least some level of resolution. They DO NOT put a cliffhanger in the pilot, before any part of the already fledgling story has been resolved. Not unless they’re begging to get canceled, at least.
TL;DR
I… I don’t know what to say about this one. How do you rate something like that? The story was amazing, up til it… didn’t resolve anything, ended so abruptly that I genuinely missed it the first time around and read into the afterword before becoming so confused that I skipped back and reread the entire chapter. And yes, I know that was a run-on sentence. The point is, I’m annoyed to the point of feeling betrayed, and I don’t see how anything in the second book can make everything better. For all I know it’s going to just pick up where Book #1 left off before going and pulling the same shit and making you pick up the next entry to (MAYBE) find out what happens at the end.
So, would I recommend this one? Ye gods… no. No, I can’t. The ebook is $12 and doesn’t even tell a story. Despite 90% of it being an amazing read, that end bit soured everything for me. Or maybe you’ll be one of those people that seemed to love the “cliffhanger” and overlook the whole zero resolution thing. I’m annoyed that this crashed so abruptly. I’m annoyed that I STILL want to know what happens and kinda want to read the next one. I’m annoyed that I feel like I have to justify this.
As I said, I knew this was going to suck to write.
https://arefugefromlife.wordpress.com/2024/04/23/oceans-godori-by-elaine-u-cho-review/
Ocean Yoon has never felt much at home anywhere, at least not since she left Jeju, and what she’d imagined to be her destiny as a haenyeo—one of the legendary pearl divers, which the women in her family had belonged to for generations. Generations broken when Ocean’s mother refused her entry into their ranks.
In the years since, the stars have opened up before her, but nothing has ever stuck. The Alliance, Officer’s school, a Captain’s eye candy, and now the XO on a small, nominally affiliated vessel. But while Ocean can’t seem to find her place, her best friend Teo knows his.
Second son of the Anand Tech empire, he isn’t the face of the company like his father and brother. Instead, his business all takes place in the shadows. Someone to schmooze, someone to fuck, someone frame, someone to kill… well, can’t have that tied to the family business. That’s where Teo comes in: part backup plan and expendable. But when his family is murdered, Teo is thrust into the spotlight. Especially when someone wearing his brother’s face declares him the executioner.
And it’s up to Ocean and her crew to save him.
—
Sigh… I knew as soon as I finished this one that the review was going to be a pain to write.
Let me start with what I liked.
I loved the characters, the setting, the story—even though the whole “ragtag band trying to clear an innocent ‘man framed for murder” is a bit cliché. I loved how the characters interacted within the scope of the universe, their backstories and how these determined the direction they’d take in the confines of the plot. The only hiccup to this was Dae, whose character was inconsistent at best (as if the author decided at some point that they needed someone on the crew to play antihero).
I’m not going to dwell on the romance, which sometimes felt forced and others flowed naturally—about how most romances seem to go.
I don’t read a whole lot of independently published novels, because they’re so hit-or-miss. At the 90% mark, I was already reexamining my choices, as I wound down on one of favorite books of the year.
And then it ended.
In reading other reviews leading up to writing this, I noted how much some other people loved the “cliffhanger” at book’s end. Which I just… don’t understand. Because Ocean’s Godori doesn’t so much tease the next entry in the series as it does… well, fail to tell a complete story.
There is no, absolutely NO resolution to ANY part of the plot. Everyone is left in the wind. Everything up in the air. When I was young, I remember learning that a story needs a beginning, middle, and end. Ocean’s Godori doesn’t even bother trying with an ending. In fact, it seemed we skipped the conclusion entirely.
When a serial pulls a cliffhanger, they do so on the finale—or midseason finale, at least—when the show has been established, and the audience has experienced at least some level of resolution. They DO NOT put a cliffhanger in the pilot, before any part of the already fledgling story has been resolved. Not unless they’re begging to get canceled, at least.
TL;DR
I… I don’t know what to say about this one. How do you rate something like that? The story was amazing, up til it… didn’t resolve anything, ended so abruptly that I genuinely missed it the first time around and read into the afterword before becoming so confused that I skipped back and reread the entire chapter. And yes, I know that was a run-on sentence. The point is, I’m annoyed to the point of feeling betrayed, and I don’t see how anything in the second book can make everything better. For all I know it’s going to just pick up where Book #1 left off before going and pulling the same shit and making you pick up the next entry to (MAYBE) find out what happens at the end.
So, would I recommend this one? Ye gods… no. No, I can’t. The ebook is $12 and doesn’t even tell a story. Despite 90% of it being an amazing read, that end bit soured everything for me. Or maybe you’ll be one of those people that seemed to love the “cliffhanger” and overlook the whole zero resolution thing. I’m annoyed that this crashed so abruptly. I’m annoyed that I STILL want to know what happens and kinda want to read the next one. I’m annoyed that I feel like I have to justify this.
As I said, I knew this was going to suck to write.