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wetdryvac's review
5.0
A lovely and well executed work. Just what I needed on a low day. I have no idea how many times I've re-read this one. A comfort read.
sashas_books's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
My book club’s choice ;)
Only a few pages in, I thought: “Right, this is going to be a NICE book, YA sci-fi novel that knows exactly what it’s doing. Yay!”
The book drops you in the middle of the action right away, so the worldbuilding feels quick and effortless. For a reader, it’s like putting on a pair of well-worn slippers. I still have quite a few questions, but I hope they will be answered in the next book – because I’ll definitely read it.
Tembi, the main character, is cool, inquisitive, eager, badass, has anger management issues and keeps her head (mostly) cool in a crisis. I adored her. Coming of age stories and plots where someone with special abilities goes to a very special school have been told countless times before. Telling such a story yet again, without making the reader yawn and cringe, is impressive.
I really enjoyed the idea of Deep, the alien intelligence, and its efforts to communicate and build relationships with Tembi and other Witches.
The second half of the book gets darker and darker – there is war and genocide, complicity through inaction, difficult choices.
And wait, supply chains? A sci-fi book that takes supply chains seriously? Give me more, please.
wordnerdy's review
5.0
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2019/11/2019-book-150.html
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/03/2021-book-60.html
This was a very compelling start to a sci-fi series that also includes some magical elements—namely, a sentient force in the universe that can communicate with certain people, called Witches, who can use it to teleport people and things all over the galaxy. Now it has chosen a little girl as a Witch, much younger than its usual selections—but why? Lots of adventure and learning to use powers and action and different kinds of humans, etc. I really liked the characters, relationships, and world building here, and will definitely read more of this series whenever it comes out. A-.
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/03/2021-book-60.html
This was a very compelling start to a sci-fi series that also includes some magical elements—namely, a sentient force in the universe that can communicate with certain people, called Witches, who can use it to teleport people and things all over the galaxy. Now it has chosen a little girl as a Witch, much younger than its usual selections—but why? Lots of adventure and learning to use powers and action and different kinds of humans, etc. I really liked the characters, relationships, and world building here, and will definitely read more of this series whenever it comes out. A-.
archergal's review
3.0
I liked this book. It posits a society where a sentient energy (the Deep) has decided that humans are pretty ok, and if it can help them move through various things and people through space pretty much instantaneously, it would be happy to do that.
The people who "control" the Deep are the Witches. It takes many years of training to get to even a tiny little level of "control," because the Deep is a bit capricious and doesn't really speak in words or understand words.
A certain amount of lore has built up among the Witches about the best ways to approach the Deep, but there's disagreement about that. Is the deep just a sentient energy field, or is it more like a big friendly dog that just wants to help without really understanding what's going on? Is it a tool, or is it a friend?
And it's possible that if the Witches consider changes in their relationship to the Deep , they might end up threatening the supply chains that keep dispersed humanity alive among the stars. That's not even counting changes brought about by wars.
This book is solidly on the bridge between fantasy and sf. There's a school for Witches, a plucky heroine and her plucky friends, and a way of transporting oneself instantly across the galaxy. There are also nanobots and Medkits that heal broken skulls in moments and FTL travel. But the FTL travel is still too slow to supply humanity-as-it-is.
Not sure that I'll read the sequels, but I might. I just have some other books I want to get through first.
The people who "control" the Deep are the Witches. It takes many years of training to get to even a tiny little level of "control," because the Deep is a bit capricious and doesn't really speak in words or understand words.
A certain amount of lore has built up among the Witches about the best ways to approach the Deep, but there's disagreement about that. Is the deep just a sentient energy field, or is it more like a big friendly dog that just wants to help without really understanding what's going on? Is it a tool, or is it a friend?
And it's possible that if the Witches consider changes in their relationship to the Deep , they might end up threatening the supply chains that keep dispersed humanity alive among the stars. That's not even counting changes brought about by wars.
This book is solidly on the bridge between fantasy and sf. There's a school for Witches, a plucky heroine and her plucky friends, and a way of transporting oneself instantly across the galaxy. There are also nanobots and Medkits that heal broken skulls in moments and FTL travel. But the FTL travel is still too slow to supply humanity-as-it-is.
Not sure that I'll read the sequels, but I might. I just have some other books I want to get through first.
_ellen_'s review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
violetshemitz's review
emotional
hopeful
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
maeve_spry's review
5.0
Creative romp
Fast paced fun prequel, and book one is finally out and waiting. If it’s anything like this, it’ll be a glorious read, and well worth the wait.
Fast paced fun prequel, and book one is finally out and waiting. If it’s anything like this, it’ll be a glorious read, and well worth the wait.