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chawlios's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
fast-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
4.0
reuben_surrender's review against another edition
4.0
Not sure how I stumbled upon this, but I only heard the audiobook. As an audiobook, it was great for long road trips (had to drive 13 hours from Chicago to NOLA and back). The thing about audiobooks is that you really need the story to be relatively linear since your attention is on the road most of the time. So this book really fits the bill. It is tinged with humor, the voice over is dead on and the different characters have their own personalities. Enjoyed it tremendously for the road and if you are into action storylines. It's a science fiction, but it's not a -hard- science fiction so there isn't much world-building involved.
anoblesoul's review against another edition
4.0
Wesley Chu does it again. Having previously devoured The Lives of Tao, this was another page-turner I literally could not put down. Now I'm on a mission to hunt down all of his other books.
The Lives of Tao had a fascinating premise. The Rise of Io completely sprang it in a different direction and had a compelling character in Ella. She rocks!
The Lives of Tao had a fascinating premise. The Rise of Io completely sprang it in a different direction and had a compelling character in Ella. She rocks!
mierkat's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.5
davecapp's review against another edition
4.0
This book is part sci-fi, part social commentary, part action adventure, part revisionist history, all tied together with compelling characters and razor sharp whit. Basically a rollicking adventure that takes place in Crate Town where the remnants of India’s civilization lives after a huge civil war between two alien factions. Wesley Chu’s integration of an alien culture that’s been on earth before man with their subtle, yet directed impact on humanities growth (good and bad) is fascinating, and amazingly plausible. This book is a keeper, and the exploits of Io and Ella Patel beg for a sequel.
crasscasualty's review against another edition
4.0
Fun world & characters; good pacing. I'll be picking up the next one.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
A twist on a sf trope - basically a Goa'uld or Dominion/Founders knock-off. Didn't quite realize at the start that this was the first book in a second series - I probably would have read the first series first. Dark. And the main protagonist and brain sucker are neither one all that likable. There was a certain amount of drudgery in this one. The characters had potential as did the setting but they didn't reach that potential. But good enough to try the first book.
erikbail's review against another edition
4.0
Fun borderline YA book in India about secret agents and aliens. 3.8 stars for sure for novel plot concept that moves quickly
mcallan0627's review against another edition
2.0
This one was a DNF for me. I absolutely loved the main character, but at some point the political intrigue overcame the sci-fi in plot time, and I lost interest. If you're looking for a political thriller with some sci-fi thrown in, this one is for you!