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suzjustsuz's review against another edition
4.0
Perhaps a 3.5ish, maybe a little more.
I'm confused about whether or not this is supposed to be a stand alone or will be a series. If it's the former then it ended with a lot of unresolved issues, if it's the latter then it still ended with a lot of unresolved issues and read a bit like a world building book. The characters are all quite difficult to warm up to, particularly the MCs of this first book, and there was never a clear sense of anyone that could be trusted at all.
Also, I didn't realize that the MC was going to be 17? 19? going on 12. The story provides reason for this paradigm in the MC, and it certainly will enable plenty of character growth if the book becomes a series, but it was more time than I wanted to spend in the head of an angsty but plucky, defiantly surly teen with abandonment issues. Then again, YA isn't my best thing.
Still, I'd be willing to read another to see where it was going. It's an interesting take on the alien-invader-body-snatcher, trust-no-one tropes.
ETA: I just learned that this is a spinoff book (although I'm still not sure if it will be a series) of another trilogy by this author called Tao. I may go back and read the original trilogy and see if it enriches my thoughts about this book.
I'm confused about whether or not this is supposed to be a stand alone or will be a series. If it's the former then it ended with a lot of unresolved issues, if it's the latter then it still ended with a lot of unresolved issues and read a bit like a world building book. The characters are all quite difficult to warm up to, particularly the MCs of this first book, and there was never a clear sense of anyone that could be trusted at all.
Also, I didn't realize that the MC was going to be 17? 19? going on 12. The story provides reason for this paradigm in the MC, and it certainly will enable plenty of character growth if the book becomes a series, but it was more time than I wanted to spend in the head of an angsty but plucky, defiantly surly teen with abandonment issues. Then again, YA isn't my best thing.
Still, I'd be willing to read another to see where it was going. It's an interesting take on the alien-invader-body-snatcher, trust-no-one tropes.
ETA: I just learned that this is a spinoff book (although I'm still not sure if it will be a series) of another trilogy by this author called Tao. I may go back and read the original trilogy and see if it enriches my thoughts about this book.
catsandvegetables's review against another edition
4.0
This book is by no means a masterpiece but what it was was really very enjoyable. This was my first introduction to this world and I have to say I really liked it and I really liked how it was done. I feel like I know (and like) the world but there at no point was a mass info-dumping, instead we mostly learn about the quasing the way Ella does, through her dreams. I really liked this gradual way of learning about the history of the quasing, and Io's part in it.
I feel like, with a lot of books that are the first in the series, they could quite easily be a standalone and I would prefer them as a standalone, but this is meant to be the first in the series. We're really not done yet, I want more time with the characters - I feel like I only really know Ella and Io, and Shura I guess but we're reminded at the end how little of her backstory we really know, how much she's keeping secret from even the reader. I want the next one, basically, and am very eager to go and read all of Wesley Chu's other books set in this world - I particularly liked Tao and very much look forward to spending more time with him.
I also really liked both Ella and Io, though I do get the Io is crazy annoying. I must say that I did not see the plot twist coming at all, Ella figured out before I did and I was just, like, 'wait, what???' I think I just really wanted to like Io and this just didn't feel right. I am looking forward to Io's character continuing to develop in the later books.
Also it was really cool to read a sci fi novel set in a country on earth that wasn't America or Britain.
Nooooooow we have the bad points. Although I did really like this book, the characters and the world, I did find the writing a bit clunky at times, kind of like it wasn't the final draft which I suppose maybe it will have some more polish before it's published? I did read an ARC to be fair and I don't really know anything about how these things work.
My only other real criticism is about the ending. Logically, it did have all the components of a good ending and set-up for the next book but somehow it just felt a little flat. I couldn't really say why though
I feel like, with a lot of books that are the first in the series, they could quite easily be a standalone and I would prefer them as a standalone, but this is meant to be the first in the series. We're really not done yet, I want more time with the characters - I feel like I only really know Ella and Io, and Shura I guess but we're reminded at the end how little of her backstory we really know, how much she's keeping secret from even the reader. I want the next one, basically, and am very eager to go and read all of Wesley Chu's other books set in this world - I particularly liked Tao and very much look forward to spending more time with him.
I also really liked both Ella and Io, though I do get the Io is crazy annoying.
Also it was really cool to read a sci fi novel set in a country on earth that wasn't America or Britain.
Nooooooow we have the bad points. Although I did really like this book, the characters and the world, I did find the writing a bit clunky at times, kind of like it wasn't the final draft which I suppose maybe it will have some more polish before it's published? I did read an ARC to be fair and I don't really know anything about how these things work.
leok's review against another edition
5.0
Well that was enjoyable.
It's been a while since I last read one of the Quasing books so I found myself a bit lost as I was force to recollect what had happened in the previous books. Luckily, Wesley Chu was clever in his use of hints throughout key points in the book. Subtlety reminding the reader of what’s transpired in previous books, without sounding like he was simply lifting whole passages from previous books.
The first 1/3 of the book was pretty much dedicated to introducing Ella Patal, Crate Town and its inhabitants. Something I knew was necessary to setup the characters and the events to come, but never felt it was a slog to get through. That being said, the pacing of the book only really started to pick up once the setup was complete, and an important Prophus agent(Cameron Tang) entered the story. Similar to previous Quasing books, once the action starts, it keeps going all the way to the end, with few respites in-between.
Finally, the last couple of lines in the book was not much of surprise, and heavily hinted upon through the various IO flashback chapter introductions. Having read similar story arcs in other Sci-Fi books, Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem book series being the first to come to mind,it's never a good thing when aliens want to build a communication array on Earth.
I'm looking forward to see where Wesley Chu takes this universe he's created, and sure I'll like to how the Black Cat will land on her feet after the next Genjix encounter.
It's been a while since I last read one of the Quasing books so I found myself a bit lost as I was force to recollect what had happened in the previous books. Luckily, Wesley Chu was clever in his use of hints throughout key points in the book. Subtlety reminding the reader of what’s transpired in previous books, without sounding like he was simply lifting whole passages from previous books.
The first 1/3 of the book was pretty much dedicated to introducing Ella Patal, Crate Town and its inhabitants. Something I knew was necessary to setup the characters and the events to come, but never felt it was a slog to get through. That being said, the pacing of the book only really started to pick up once the setup was complete, and an important Prophus agent
Finally, the last couple of lines in the book was not much of surprise, and heavily hinted upon through the various IO flashback chapter introductions. Having read similar story arcs in other Sci-Fi books, Cixin Liu's The Three-Body Problem book series being the first to come to mind,
I'm looking forward to see where Wesley Chu takes this universe he's created, and sure I'll like to how the Black Cat will land on her feet after the next Genjix encounter.
vinayvasan's review against another edition
4.0
Another fabulous book from Wesley Chu. 3rd book from him I have read this year and he doesnt disappoint
A new series set in the world of Tao, there was a chance that this could tread the usual terrain. 3 books into the Tao series, things were a bit less fresh and that was the fear heading into this book. But Wesley Chu manages to steer the book into decidedly new territory by setting it in a new territory (:P) and having new characters, both host and the Quasing. Ella Patel, host of an underachieving self-serving Quasing named Io, is super spunky, an almost the literary street rat. Having a voice in her head doesnt mean she ought to automatically listen to it makes this as a fun affair and things escalate as certain older characters make their appearance
As with the Tao series, this book is also quite fun, pacy and packs in the right amount of twists and betrayals. The ending tease is quite good heralding a possible solution to the long gestating Quasing problem but in true style expecting this to be far more complicated
Certain things bugged me despite the awesomeness of the book. For a book thats set in India, some of the naming and circumstances felt way odd. Might work for other folks but was a jarring note right throughout the book. I actually winced a few times when I read certain names, which is a bit sad given how good the book is
A new series set in the world of Tao, there was a chance that this could tread the usual terrain. 3 books into the Tao series, things were a bit less fresh and that was the fear heading into this book. But Wesley Chu manages to steer the book into decidedly new territory by setting it in a new territory (:P) and having new characters, both host and the Quasing. Ella Patel, host of an underachieving self-serving Quasing named Io, is super spunky, an almost the literary street rat. Having a voice in her head doesnt mean she ought to automatically listen to it makes this as a fun affair and things escalate as certain older characters make their appearance
As with the Tao series, this book is also quite fun, pacy and packs in the right amount of twists and betrayals. The ending tease is quite good heralding a possible solution to the long gestating Quasing problem but in true style expecting this to be far more complicated
Certain things bugged me despite the awesomeness of the book. For a book thats set in India, some of the naming and circumstances felt way odd. Might work for other folks but was a jarring note right throughout the book. I actually winced a few times when I read certain names, which is a bit sad given how good the book is
writingcoe's review against another edition
4.0
Exciting, action-filled and dramatic! This is a sci-fi adventure, although it's set on Earth and the aliens aren't little green men (both of which are definite pluses). It's a mix of action and thriller, with some nice tense moments; a good read for anyone who likes either of those genres! I haven't read the rest of the series - although I believe they're set in the same world, not necessarily concurrent. Certainly it doesn't affect this book if you haven't read any of the others.
While the set-up at first seems fairly simplistic (there's a good side and a bad side, and the Baddy Is Bad) it gets more complex later on. I admit I struggled a little to follow the twists, but that's more my not reading closely enough than any fault of the writing! Certainly it makes for some interesting action twists in the second half of the book. I liked Ella and the other characters are fun, nasty, interesting and attractive - Chu's writing is fun and the character descriptions definitely give you enough insight into the figures that surround Ella.
So overall, it's fun, action-filled, and worth a read if you like action sci-fi - I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up any of the others, but it was certainly a good recommendation!
While the set-up at first seems fairly simplistic (there's a good side and a bad side, and the Baddy Is Bad) it gets more complex later on. I admit I struggled a little to follow the twists, but that's more my not reading closely enough than any fault of the writing! Certainly it makes for some interesting action twists in the second half of the book. I liked Ella and the other characters are fun, nasty, interesting and attractive - Chu's writing is fun and the character descriptions definitely give you enough insight into the figures that surround Ella.
So overall, it's fun, action-filled, and worth a read if you like action sci-fi - I'm not sure if I'm going to pick up any of the others, but it was certainly a good recommendation!
reubend1ca9's review against another edition
4.0
A fun little science fiction novel set in India. I really liked the female protagonist.
biblioholicbeth's review against another edition
3.0
Ella - a girl who lives in the slums of India and gets by as a thief and con artist. Io - an alien who must inhabit the body of a human in order to survive on our planet. One with a smart mouth and street skills with no family, the other with knowledge and a plan. When they end up together, things may never be the same...for either of them.
The Rise of Io is an interesting take on the whole "aliens" concept. Typically, the aliens have come to Earth specifically for a purpose, raise hell (or not), and that is what keeps the story moving. However, this book is more about what happens when the aliens themselves end up splitting into factions and causing war and chaos on the planet they are trying to anxiously to leave. There are no special powers, no space weapons - just the ability to inhabit the bodies and minds of humans, and turn it into a partnership.
The characters are pretty well developed. Ella is a tough-talking orphan that lost her mother during the war and has no idea what became of her father. As the main character, the majority of the story revolves around her and her dealing with the unexpected gain of Io, the alien that unexpectedly decided to join with her when the prior host was killed. Io fails a bit as a character until the last 1/3 or so of the book, being more the voice in Ella's head without much background given. The remainder of the characters were interested, if occasionally a little bit one-dimensional. However, since this is the first book in a trilogy, there is reason to believe that there will be more character development to come in the remaining two books.
The main setting in the book is the slum, Crate Town, that Ella has grown up in. The descriptions of Crate Town, and its surrounding environs, were excellent - to the point that it almost felt familiar while reading. The descriptions of the Quasing planet (where Io came from) however, left some to be desired. Again, it's possible that there will be more information forthcoming, and since the majority of the story takes place in India, it's not too terrible for the story to have little description of Io's home planet. It just sort of feels...incomplete.
Overall, The Rise of Io was a fairly engrossing book, and one that was enjoyable to read. The back-and-forth dialogue between Ella and Io, or...well...Ella and just about *anyone* was entertaining. It did seem to take a bit too long to get to the point at times, but once it started moving, it kept a quick pace. Book #2 will certainly be on the radar when it releases, and Ella has quite a choice ahead of her - as does Io (no spoilers).
The Rise of Io is an interesting take on the whole "aliens" concept. Typically, the aliens have come to Earth specifically for a purpose, raise hell (or not), and that is what keeps the story moving. However, this book is more about what happens when the aliens themselves end up splitting into factions and causing war and chaos on the planet they are trying to anxiously to leave. There are no special powers, no space weapons - just the ability to inhabit the bodies and minds of humans, and turn it into a partnership.
The characters are pretty well developed. Ella is a tough-talking orphan that lost her mother during the war and has no idea what became of her father. As the main character, the majority of the story revolves around her and her dealing with the unexpected gain of Io, the alien that unexpectedly decided to join with her when the prior host was killed. Io fails a bit as a character until the last 1/3 or so of the book, being more the voice in Ella's head without much background given. The remainder of the characters were interested, if occasionally a little bit one-dimensional. However, since this is the first book in a trilogy, there is reason to believe that there will be more character development to come in the remaining two books.
The main setting in the book is the slum, Crate Town, that Ella has grown up in. The descriptions of Crate Town, and its surrounding environs, were excellent - to the point that it almost felt familiar while reading. The descriptions of the Quasing planet (where Io came from) however, left some to be desired. Again, it's possible that there will be more information forthcoming, and since the majority of the story takes place in India, it's not too terrible for the story to have little description of Io's home planet. It just sort of feels...incomplete.
Overall, The Rise of Io was a fairly engrossing book, and one that was enjoyable to read. The back-and-forth dialogue between Ella and Io, or...well...Ella and just about *anyone* was entertaining. It did seem to take a bit too long to get to the point at times, but once it started moving, it kept a quick pace. Book #2 will certainly be on the radar when it releases, and Ella has quite a choice ahead of her - as does Io (no spoilers).
kamreadsandrecs's review against another edition
5.0
This review is based on an ARC of the book, given to me for free by the publisher, Angry Robot Books. This does not in any way affect my review. It is slated for release on October 4, 2016.
... All of that aside, what truly tickles me about this book is that it scratches an itch I have had for a while, but feared would never be satisfied. As I have mentioned earlier, I would love nothing more than to see a summer blockbuster feature a truly diverse cast, while giving women opportunities to shine as well-rounded, interesting characters. Since that does not seem likely to happen on the silver screen, given the way Hollywood is currently run, I have to look for that kind of setup elsewhere, and it is precisely the kind of setup that The Rise of Io provides: two women – one of whom is a woman of colour – pitted against each other in an action-packed story. Sure, there is a little romance, and sure, there are other, male characters (both white and of colour), but neither of those things get in the way of a story that is, at its core, about two amazing women, each with her own, complicated backstory and end-goals, trying to achieve what she wants to achieve before her rival beats her to the finish line. ...
Full review here: http://wp.me/p21txV-wk
... All of that aside, what truly tickles me about this book is that it scratches an itch I have had for a while, but feared would never be satisfied. As I have mentioned earlier, I would love nothing more than to see a summer blockbuster feature a truly diverse cast, while giving women opportunities to shine as well-rounded, interesting characters. Since that does not seem likely to happen on the silver screen, given the way Hollywood is currently run, I have to look for that kind of setup elsewhere, and it is precisely the kind of setup that The Rise of Io provides: two women – one of whom is a woman of colour – pitted against each other in an action-packed story. Sure, there is a little romance, and sure, there are other, male characters (both white and of colour), but neither of those things get in the way of a story that is, at its core, about two amazing women, each with her own, complicated backstory and end-goals, trying to achieve what she wants to achieve before her rival beats her to the finish line. ...
Full review here: http://wp.me/p21txV-wk
skjam's review against another edition
4.0
Note: This review contains SPOILERS for the previous Tao trilogy, of which I have previously reviewed The Deaths of Tao.
It has been a decade since the end of the Alien World War, when nations under the influence of either the Genjix or Prophus factions of the symbiotic Quasing, or who wanted to avoid joining either side, battled each other openly. The sudden cessation of direct hostilities left soldiers and refugees stranded far from home–and in some cases with no home to return to.
Such was the case of Ella Patel, mother dead and father disappeared presumed dead. She now lives in Crate Town, a neighborhood for displaced persons in northern India. Ella’s learned to survive with thievery and con games, but treats her accomplices well and pays proper respect to her community.
Outsiders are fair game though, and we first meet Ella when she’s on the run with medical supplies stolen from Pakistani gangsters. While hiding out, she witnesses two Westerners being attacked by dark figures. The man freezes, leaving the woman to fight on her own. Ella helps even the odds, but not enough to save the woman’s life. Something sparkling leaves the woman’s body and enters Ella.
Ella now finds herself bonded with the Prophus agent Io, and tasked with investigating a Genjix secret project. She has severe personality clashes with her new partner, and doesn’t trust the cowardly Hamilton, Io’s human assistant. But when she learns the Genjix project is threatening to destroy her home in Crate Town, Ella and Io must learn to work together.
To quickly recap some of the backstory: The Quasing are aliens who crashlanded on Earth millions of years ago. Unable to survive in Earth’s atmosphere, they must bond with the local beings as symbiotes. Ever since humans evolved, the Quasing have been guiding our civilization in an effort to gain the science to get back off Earth.
Some centuries back, the Quasing split into two political factions. The Genjix encourage their vessels to think of them as divine, and consider humans to be a resource to be expended as needed, and to be discarded when the time comes. The Prophus see humans as partners, and want humanity to thrive once the Quasing can leave. They’ve been involved in a quiet civil war ever since. The war turned hot when the existence of the Quasing was revealed to the humans, but right now it’s back to assassinations and secret projects.
While our primary focus is on Ella and Io and their relationship, the book also follows top Genjix agent Shura as she tries to rise in the ranks against her personal enemies, and a certain returning character from the first trilogy.
Good: This book makes good use of contrast in protagonists from the previous trilogy. Ella is a streetwise refugee in an impoverished community, a huge change from Asian-American slacker turned combat operative Roen. And while Tao was a nobody on the ship that crashlanded who rose to the occasion and became a top agent for the Prophus, inhabiting such notables as Genghis Khan, Io had an important job aboard the starship but has been an utter failure as an agent, inhabiting losers and laughingstocks. This has made Io understandably bitter, and she often keeps important information from Ella, worsening their already shaky teamwork.
I like the way the Genjix motto “Conflict breeds Innovation” is both a strength and their greatest weakness as their internal politics take up an inordinate amount of their time and attention.
The book is a fast, fun read and the ending ramps up the pressure once again. How will humanity survive this one?
Less good: Once the returning character shows up, the focus shifts to the personal enmity between that person and Shura, taking page time away from the current protagonists.
Some people may find Io’s personality and actions too unsympathetic to swallow.
Overall: While this book can certainly be read without having gone through the original trilogy as there’s sufficient explanations of the background (and the twists will be harder to predict), I think reading the earlier books first will enhance your enjoyment. Recommended to SF action fans.
It has been a decade since the end of the Alien World War, when nations under the influence of either the Genjix or Prophus factions of the symbiotic Quasing, or who wanted to avoid joining either side, battled each other openly. The sudden cessation of direct hostilities left soldiers and refugees stranded far from home–and in some cases with no home to return to.
Such was the case of Ella Patel, mother dead and father disappeared presumed dead. She now lives in Crate Town, a neighborhood for displaced persons in northern India. Ella’s learned to survive with thievery and con games, but treats her accomplices well and pays proper respect to her community.
Outsiders are fair game though, and we first meet Ella when she’s on the run with medical supplies stolen from Pakistani gangsters. While hiding out, she witnesses two Westerners being attacked by dark figures. The man freezes, leaving the woman to fight on her own. Ella helps even the odds, but not enough to save the woman’s life. Something sparkling leaves the woman’s body and enters Ella.
Ella now finds herself bonded with the Prophus agent Io, and tasked with investigating a Genjix secret project. She has severe personality clashes with her new partner, and doesn’t trust the cowardly Hamilton, Io’s human assistant. But when she learns the Genjix project is threatening to destroy her home in Crate Town, Ella and Io must learn to work together.
To quickly recap some of the backstory: The Quasing are aliens who crashlanded on Earth millions of years ago. Unable to survive in Earth’s atmosphere, they must bond with the local beings as symbiotes. Ever since humans evolved, the Quasing have been guiding our civilization in an effort to gain the science to get back off Earth.
Some centuries back, the Quasing split into two political factions. The Genjix encourage their vessels to think of them as divine, and consider humans to be a resource to be expended as needed, and to be discarded when the time comes. The Prophus see humans as partners, and want humanity to thrive once the Quasing can leave. They’ve been involved in a quiet civil war ever since. The war turned hot when the existence of the Quasing was revealed to the humans, but right now it’s back to assassinations and secret projects.
While our primary focus is on Ella and Io and their relationship, the book also follows top Genjix agent Shura as she tries to rise in the ranks against her personal enemies, and a certain returning character from the first trilogy.
Good: This book makes good use of contrast in protagonists from the previous trilogy. Ella is a streetwise refugee in an impoverished community, a huge change from Asian-American slacker turned combat operative Roen. And while Tao was a nobody on the ship that crashlanded who rose to the occasion and became a top agent for the Prophus, inhabiting such notables as Genghis Khan, Io had an important job aboard the starship but has been an utter failure as an agent, inhabiting losers and laughingstocks. This has made Io understandably bitter, and she often keeps important information from Ella, worsening their already shaky teamwork.
I like the way the Genjix motto “Conflict breeds Innovation” is both a strength and their greatest weakness as their internal politics take up an inordinate amount of their time and attention.
The book is a fast, fun read and the ending ramps up the pressure once again. How will humanity survive this one?
Less good: Once the returning character shows up, the focus shifts to the personal enmity between that person and Shura, taking page time away from the current protagonists.
Some people may find Io’s personality and actions too unsympathetic to swallow.
Overall: While this book can certainly be read without having gone through the original trilogy as there’s sufficient explanations of the background (and the twists will be harder to predict), I think reading the earlier books first will enhance your enjoyment. Recommended to SF action fans.
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