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starccato's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Racism, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Murder, Colonisation, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Medical trauma, and Alcohol
Minor: Death of parent and Abandonment
ninjamuse's review against another edition
adventurous
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Terminal illness, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Medical content, Religious bigotry, Colonisation, and War
Minor: Torture and Murder
oliverreeds's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I really enjoyed this book, the plot, and the characters. My first 5 star of the year.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Body horror, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Genocide, Gore, Gun violence, Torture, Violence, Blood, Police brutality, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Death of parent, Murder, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
azrah786's review against another edition
4.0
[This review can also be found on my BLOG]
**I received a proof copy from Angry Robot Books in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, death, body horror, medical trauma, vomit, drug use
A highly enjoyable sci-fi debut that you'll love if you’re a fan of high-stakes heists and daring rescue missions!
Taking place in a galaxy where 3 factions – Ascetic, Ossuary and Pyrite – vie for supremacy, Bluebird follows a factionless, gunslinging rebel named Rig who has fled her life as a Pyrite weapon’s developer and now works as part of the Nightbirds, a resistance organisation that helps to free other indentured individuals and their families.
However, her past and her ex-faction are always on her heels since she stole schematics to a weapon when she made off, and things become more dire when her sister’s life is thrown into the mix. Thus with the help of some of her associates, her Librarian girlfriend and a reluctant ally, who happens to be a kickass bounty hunter, Rig sets out to save her sister as well as keep what she stole out of faction hands.
This book was a whole lot of fun! Though the pacing was a bit here and there and the protagonist had a tendency to repeat her thoughts, Pierlot has balanced an action packed space adventure with a thought provoking exploration of colonial themes. Through the primary storyline and an accompanying side story told through recurring interludes, we’re introduced to an array of morally ambiguous characters that you want to immediately rally behind and given a glimpse at a rich, Star Wars-esque universe that you just want to discover more of.
For a standalone the worldbuilding packs just enough background on the characters and setting in a way that is not overly excessive as to draw away from the main plot. Though it is obvious that the plot is but a small story in a bigger saga and it would be cool if this was ever expanded on in the future, I'm especially curious to know more about the Nightbirds!
Rig is a spunky individual who fights her battles with quippy remarks just as much as she does with her twin guns, Panache and Pizzazz. Her escapades have her jumping from one planet to another, giving us a glimpse at the varying ways of life and political tensions under the 3 factions in power. In fact each of the primary characters showcase varying aspects of the subjugation of these factions, the obligations they feel towards them and the inner conflicts they each face as a result. I found the character arc of Ginka, the bounty hunter, to be the most interesting to follow.
The character relationships were also particularly well written. There were some romance subplots present, more or less falling in with the forbidden love trope that were equal parts sweet and angst ridden. However, I’ve got to say it was the friendship that formed between Rig and Ginka that stole the show for me – I just love me some good old reluctant teamwork paired with witty banter that results in camaraderie!
All in all despite being a little predictable, the story was highly entertaining all the way through and I look forward to seeing what Pierlot writes next!
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars
**I received a proof copy from Angry Robot Books in exchange for an honest review**
CW: violence, gun violence, blood, gore, death, body horror, medical trauma, vomit, drug use
A highly enjoyable sci-fi debut that you'll love if you’re a fan of high-stakes heists and daring rescue missions!
Taking place in a galaxy where 3 factions – Ascetic, Ossuary and Pyrite – vie for supremacy, Bluebird follows a factionless, gunslinging rebel named Rig who has fled her life as a Pyrite weapon’s developer and now works as part of the Nightbirds, a resistance organisation that helps to free other indentured individuals and their families.
However, her past and her ex-faction are always on her heels since she stole schematics to a weapon when she made off, and things become more dire when her sister’s life is thrown into the mix. Thus with the help of some of her associates, her Librarian girlfriend and a reluctant ally, who happens to be a kickass bounty hunter, Rig sets out to save her sister as well as keep what she stole out of faction hands.
This book was a whole lot of fun! Though the pacing was a bit here and there and the protagonist had a tendency to repeat her thoughts, Pierlot has balanced an action packed space adventure with a thought provoking exploration of colonial themes. Through the primary storyline and an accompanying side story told through recurring interludes, we’re introduced to an array of morally ambiguous characters that you want to immediately rally behind and given a glimpse at a rich, Star Wars-esque universe that you just want to discover more of.
For a standalone the worldbuilding packs just enough background on the characters and setting in a way that is not overly excessive as to draw away from the main plot. Though it is obvious that the plot is but a small story in a bigger saga and it would be cool if this was ever expanded on in the future, I'm especially curious to know more about the Nightbirds!
Rig is a spunky individual who fights her battles with quippy remarks just as much as she does with her twin guns, Panache and Pizzazz. Her escapades have her jumping from one planet to another, giving us a glimpse at the varying ways of life and political tensions under the 3 factions in power. In fact each of the primary characters showcase varying aspects of the subjugation of these factions, the obligations they feel towards them and the inner conflicts they each face as a result. I found the character arc of Ginka, the bounty hunter, to be the most interesting to follow.
The character relationships were also particularly well written. There were some romance subplots present, more or less falling in with the forbidden love trope that were equal parts sweet and angst ridden. However, I’ve got to say it was the friendship that formed between Rig and Ginka that stole the show for me – I just love me some good old reluctant teamwork paired with witty banter that results in camaraderie!
All in all despite being a little predictable, the story was highly entertaining all the way through and I look forward to seeing what Pierlot writes next!
Final Rating – 4/5 Stars
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Violence, and Blood
Moderate: Gore, Vomit, and Medical trauma
graculus's review against another edition
3.0
Since I've been reading SFF for longer than I care to think about, one of the things I'm always looking for is a book that's going to knock my socks off, taking me somewhere I've not been before, but sadly Bluebird is just not that book.
The basic premise is that it's set in a universe divided between three factions, each with their own way of doing things and each resolutely convinced that their way is The Right Way. Our protagonist, Rig, is a former scientist and member of a minority group who'd been doing research for one of those factions, only to realise that this particular research makes for an ideal targetted weapon since it can be used on groups of people with specific DNA (like, for example, the group she's a part of).
Understandably, she decides to go on the run and while doing so, we meet both her librarian girlfriend and a mysterious woman with deadly prostheses who calls herself Ginka. Since the book is interspersed with short chapters about an assassin working for a different faction, it doesn't take much figuring out that Ginka's original mission was to retrieve Rig (or, more importantly, her research) and deliver it to the faction to which she belongs.
Bluebird is an entertaining enough book but somehow for me it lacks that certain something that takes a book from 'solidly good' to 'great'. The overall world-building is nicely done, the characterisation is pretty solid most of the time, it just never quite manages to take that final step - there are no reveals I didn't see coming and in the end I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the whole experience.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion on the book in question.
The basic premise is that it's set in a universe divided between three factions, each with their own way of doing things and each resolutely convinced that their way is The Right Way. Our protagonist, Rig, is a former scientist and member of a minority group who'd been doing research for one of those factions, only to realise that this particular research makes for an ideal targetted weapon since it can be used on groups of people with specific DNA (like, for example, the group she's a part of).
Understandably, she decides to go on the run and while doing so, we meet both her librarian girlfriend and a mysterious woman with deadly prostheses who calls herself Ginka. Since the book is interspersed with short chapters about an assassin working for a different faction, it doesn't take much figuring out that Ginka's original mission was to retrieve Rig (or, more importantly, her research) and deliver it to the faction to which she belongs.
Bluebird is an entertaining enough book but somehow for me it lacks that certain something that takes a book from 'solidly good' to 'great'. The overall world-building is nicely done, the characterisation is pretty solid most of the time, it just never quite manages to take that final step - there are no reveals I didn't see coming and in the end I was left feeling a little underwhelmed by the whole experience.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest opinion on the book in question.
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror and Medical trauma