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4.03 AVERAGE
4.03 AVERAGE
Fantastic read. I love a good sci-fi and this is a cracker. A little “Long road to a small angry planet” in some ways - but yeah, refreshing. I finished this one in like four hours. Can’t wait for the second one next year!!! 😍😍
Usually I love Maria Snyder's books. I think she has a talent for creating complex and intriguing fantasy worlds and interesting characters that pull you in.
This time around, I was astonished to feel like I was stuck in a juvenile YA nightmare.
Lyra sounded and acted more like a 12 year old child than almost an adult. All her interactions with friends and family were marked by endless ridiculousness and childish behavior.
On top of that, I didn't really feel like the world building was executed well, this time around. The premise was intriguing, with using the famous terracotta warriors and placing them all over the galaxy. That could have been a really interesting story. Kind of like Stargate SG1. But in the end nothing felt right and world building was abandoned for the sake of creating superficial, childish characters.
Lyra, apart from being overly childish, is also painted as a Mary Sue, to which I have an immediate, allergic reaction. When her friend gives the speech at her funeral, I could only face palm it was so over the top.
And that's another thing; I found the entire premise with having kids have private funerals for the people leaving really troubling. I mean Lyra's brother decides to travel to Earth when he's 18, the parents are ok with it and BOOM, basically by the time he arrives on Earth they will all be dead. And everytime Lyra's parents decide to travel to another planet, it means basically dealing with every one in their environment dying because you won't ever see them again... Since Lyra talks about moving so often, basically her parents make her lose her friends every couple of years... That's quite brutal.
Apart from this weird setting, I found that her parents seem to go back and forth between parental neglect and overbearing and the mixture did not work.
Finally we have the romantic interest with her wannabe enemy turned lover and I just have to say that was painful to read. There is no chemistry, no genuine emotion, nothing. It's just two childish teenagers stuck on a ship.
Plotwise, I don't know what to say. There really wasn't all that much. It's like all these disappointing characters take up all the space (pun intended) and there's no room for a story to unfold...
All in all, this was a disappointing read and I was quite shocked to find that Snyder's writing this time around was sloppy, juvenile and not at all intriguing. Quite sad.
This time around, I was astonished to feel like I was stuck in a juvenile YA nightmare.
Lyra sounded and acted more like a 12 year old child than almost an adult. All her interactions with friends and family were marked by endless ridiculousness and childish behavior.
On top of that, I didn't really feel like the world building was executed well, this time around. The premise was intriguing, with using the famous terracotta warriors and placing them all over the galaxy. That could have been a really interesting story. Kind of like Stargate SG1. But in the end nothing felt right and world building was abandoned for the sake of creating superficial, childish characters.
Lyra, apart from being overly childish, is also painted as a Mary Sue, to which I have an immediate, allergic reaction. When her friend gives the speech at her funeral, I could only face palm it was so over the top.
And that's another thing; I found the entire premise with having kids have private funerals for the people leaving really troubling. I mean Lyra's brother decides to travel to Earth when he's 18, the parents are ok with it and BOOM, basically by the time he arrives on Earth they will all be dead. And everytime Lyra's parents decide to travel to another planet, it means basically dealing with every one in their environment dying because you won't ever see them again... Since Lyra talks about moving so often, basically her parents make her lose her friends every couple of years... That's quite brutal.
Apart from this weird setting, I found that her parents seem to go back and forth between parental neglect and overbearing and the mixture did not work.
Finally we have the romantic interest with her wannabe enemy turned lover and I just have to say that was painful to read. There is no chemistry, no genuine emotion, nothing. It's just two childish teenagers stuck on a ship.
Plotwise, I don't know what to say. There really wasn't all that much. It's like all these disappointing characters take up all the space (pun intended) and there's no room for a story to unfold...
All in all, this was a disappointing read and I was quite shocked to find that Snyder's writing this time around was sloppy, juvenile and not at all intriguing. Quite sad.
Navigating the Stars is a fascinating, beautifully written book, that is utterly engaging and enthralling at all times. There is a rather heavy component of physics at the start of the book, and at various other parts of the book, for which if this is not your thing, you may find a little daunting, but it is easy enough to compartmentalise ‘technical – don’t need to know’ and just move on with an abundant slew of story lines that cover a variety of genres, from Sci-fi, Romance, full-on Action and even a bit of Horror – this book has something for everyone.
The story follows young Lyra Daniels who is 17AU years old (AU meaning actual years because she travels through space and time – thanks to Einstein’s principles of time travel, a 90 day trip for her, will add 50yrs of time to the ‘real’ universe, so going from point A to B means that everybody else ages by 50yrs, whilst those on the ship only age by 90days – thus the rather confusing Physics aspect of the book at times).
Lyra does not want to go, wanting to stay on her current home of Xinji with her friends (one of the main ones being Lan, who she is planning, or was, to go to University with). However, a new discovery has been made on the planet of Yulin, of Terracotta Warriors, the same that were unearthed in China all those years ago, and have now been found on over 21 newly colonised planets across the Galaxy. Unfortunately (or Fortunately??), for Lyra, her Parents are the preeminent experts in Terracotta Warriors, and have been assigned the lead role in excavation of this new find. Being that Lyra is not an adult, she must go with them.
On this trip, Lyra meets a rather good looking, (but totally unsociable), 17yr old boy called Niall, who calls her out on her ‘Worming’ activities – the term used for hacking what in the future is their internet – known as the Q-Net, and what controls pretty much everything, from communications, to the ships operations. Worming allows Lyra to access things she shouldn’t, and she was taught by a boy called Jarren on Xinji, Jarren being a somewhat expert at it, but also having been caught multiple times.
Upon reaching Yulin, we learn that Niall is to be put off the ship with his father, the Chief of Security on the ship, and now Chief of Security on the Planet. Niall is also a Security Officer in Training.
During the initial stages on the planet, whilst investigating the dig site, Lyra touches a heart that has been found with the Warriors, which then crumbles, coating her arms in some substance.
It is from this point that the story goes from a lesson in physics, a slowly burning romance story, some very clever world building, and an introduction to the various characters, to a full-on action packed thrill ride in which you seriously just can’t stop reading for a minute as you have to know what is going to happen next. Snyder grabs you and takes you on this running, looking over your shoulder expecting to die any second (and some do), absolutely breathtaking, joyride that will leave you at the end sitting there going, where is the next book. If you don’t own it, you will be sitting there at 3am in the morning, trying to buy it.
Lyra Daniels is brilliant, her character is at times naïve, almost irritating in some of the silly decisions she makes in relation to her relationships, but then you remember, she is a 17yr old kid, who has been picked up and bounced from planet to planet, with this weird concept of social time in which they make kids come together for a mandatory period to interact, but it is under the watchful eye of a guardian babysitter, so it can’t be natural. Snyder has created this amazing teenage girl, who is incredibly realistic (I have one, I know), but she is highly intelligent, and responds so well, based on her upbringing. It is very clever.
Snyder’s other characters are equally as well written, from the sullen, shielded, but ultimately looking for friendship or love Niall, to the utterly broken Chief, to the Fiercely overprotective Parents (the Mother is just brilliant), and each of the security officers are wonderful. Jarren is masterful.
Whilst the physics is a little difficult, maybe not quite right, overcooked for some, too difficult for others, as a whole, the world building is not only beautiful, it is incredibly well done, and creates the perfect environment for each of the different storylines that take place.
Ultimately, this is one of the more impressive stories I have read this year, easily one of the most extraordinary, compelling, and creative stories I have read in this genre I have read in years. It is one that anyone who has any interest in Sci-Fi, regardless of your different tilt (Mi/Space Opera/etc etc) will not only get something out of, but will utterly love. Do yourself a favour and get into it.
The story follows young Lyra Daniels who is 17AU years old (AU meaning actual years because she travels through space and time – thanks to Einstein’s principles of time travel, a 90 day trip for her, will add 50yrs of time to the ‘real’ universe, so going from point A to B means that everybody else ages by 50yrs, whilst those on the ship only age by 90days – thus the rather confusing Physics aspect of the book at times).
Lyra does not want to go, wanting to stay on her current home of Xinji with her friends (one of the main ones being Lan, who she is planning, or was, to go to University with). However, a new discovery has been made on the planet of Yulin, of Terracotta Warriors, the same that were unearthed in China all those years ago, and have now been found on over 21 newly colonised planets across the Galaxy. Unfortunately (or Fortunately??), for Lyra, her Parents are the preeminent experts in Terracotta Warriors, and have been assigned the lead role in excavation of this new find. Being that Lyra is not an adult, she must go with them.
On this trip, Lyra meets a rather good looking, (but totally unsociable), 17yr old boy called Niall, who calls her out on her ‘Worming’ activities – the term used for hacking what in the future is their internet – known as the Q-Net, and what controls pretty much everything, from communications, to the ships operations. Worming allows Lyra to access things she shouldn’t, and she was taught by a boy called Jarren on Xinji, Jarren being a somewhat expert at it, but also having been caught multiple times.
Upon reaching Yulin, we learn that Niall is to be put off the ship with his father, the Chief of Security on the ship, and now Chief of Security on the Planet. Niall is also a Security Officer in Training.
During the initial stages on the planet, whilst investigating the dig site, Lyra touches a heart that has been found with the Warriors, which then crumbles, coating her arms in some substance.
It is from this point that the story goes from a lesson in physics, a slowly burning romance story, some very clever world building, and an introduction to the various characters, to a full-on action packed thrill ride in which you seriously just can’t stop reading for a minute as you have to know what is going to happen next. Snyder grabs you and takes you on this running, looking over your shoulder expecting to die any second (and some do), absolutely breathtaking, joyride that will leave you at the end sitting there going, where is the next book. If you don’t own it, you will be sitting there at 3am in the morning, trying to buy it.
Lyra Daniels is brilliant, her character is at times naïve, almost irritating in some of the silly decisions she makes in relation to her relationships, but then you remember, she is a 17yr old kid, who has been picked up and bounced from planet to planet, with this weird concept of social time in which they make kids come together for a mandatory period to interact, but it is under the watchful eye of a guardian babysitter, so it can’t be natural. Snyder has created this amazing teenage girl, who is incredibly realistic (I have one, I know), but she is highly intelligent, and responds so well, based on her upbringing. It is very clever.
Snyder’s other characters are equally as well written, from the sullen, shielded, but ultimately looking for friendship or love Niall, to the utterly broken Chief, to the Fiercely overprotective Parents (the Mother is just brilliant), and each of the security officers are wonderful. Jarren is masterful.
Whilst the physics is a little difficult, maybe not quite right, overcooked for some, too difficult for others, as a whole, the world building is not only beautiful, it is incredibly well done, and creates the perfect environment for each of the different storylines that take place.
Ultimately, this is one of the more impressive stories I have read this year, easily one of the most extraordinary, compelling, and creative stories I have read in this genre I have read in years. It is one that anyone who has any interest in Sci-Fi, regardless of your different tilt (Mi/Space Opera/etc etc) will not only get something out of, but will utterly love. Do yourself a favour and get into it.
adventurous
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Thoroughly enjoyable!! Can’t wait to read the next one❤️
- YES WHAT AMAZING WRITING
- I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and it was very easy to fall into the world of this book
- the characters have great defining traits and aren’t just shells of characters. I adored lyra and her antics
- the pacing was well done, and there was heaps going on the held my interest
- The set up of the enimies was well done and (though expected) interesting to read
- the romance was refreshing because there wasn’t any ya troupes, and I appreciate that
- the paren TS acted LIKE ACTUL PARENTS!!! In ya parents are always so lenient and way too chill, these parents were realistic and caring
- YES WHAT AMAZING WRITING
- I thoroughly enjoyed the plot and it was very easy to fall into the world of this book
- the characters have great defining traits and aren’t just shells of characters. I adored lyra and her antics
- the pacing was well done, and there was heaps going on the held my interest
- The set up of the enimies was well done and (though expected) interesting to read
- the romance was refreshing because there wasn’t any ya troupes, and I appreciate that
- the paren TS acted LIKE ACTUL PARENTS!!! In ya parents are always so lenient and way too chill, these parents were realistic and caring
Eagerly awaiting finishing Uni for the semester so I can finally find time to sit down and read this book - full review to come later!
After 2 DNFs, I needed to reread an old favorite + bonus points because I can finally read the sequel I didn't have last time.
It's a must read if you like mysterious sci-fi books, sassy MCs (slightly cringey at points but who am I kidding, I loved it), banter, parents who DON'T disappear and actually offer support ♥ Of course, there's a bit of romance thrown in there as well
It's a must read if you like mysterious sci-fi books, sassy MCs (slightly cringey at points but who am I kidding, I loved it), banter, parents who DON'T disappear and actually offer support ♥ Of course, there's a bit of romance thrown in there as well
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Very unique idea could have been executed better. But overall fun ride.
That was smth. Had to read it in a day. I’m gonna swallow this trilogy.