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stacyaj's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
needleclicker's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-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
4.25
karinlib's review against another edition
4.0
I have really come to appreciate the world building in Aliette de Bodard's works. This novella is no exception.
emilyrandolph_epstein's review against another edition
5.0
There is something jewel-like in the way de Bodard writes. Each story a treasure.
whatsmacksaid's review against another edition
4.0
Utterly wonderful. I’ll definitely be picking up more Xuya stories.
soy_ahoy's review against another edition
5.0
Never thought I would need a lesbian romance between a scholar and a sentient spaceship but here we are, and I loved every minute of it.
whispertales's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
roadtripreader's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
In the future everything will be overlays, projections and avatars. - it should be depressing. But in the context of the Xuya Universe, it is somewhat fascinating. A 2.75 rounded up
It was okay. It could have been great or at least my definition of great. But the interaction between Van and Sunless Woods (though obviously meant to be wrought with tension and chemistry) came across more cardboard and pregnant silences that dragged and dragged. I understand in the context infantilizing a grown up in the ElderAunt-BigSis-Child system is a way to drive home the Matriarchal culture but I got tired of the titles. They weren't extensively used in Teamaster and Firestarter, but here "Child this and Child that" got old.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
In an entirely matriarchal Exam-driven intellectual society; with first and second mothers "Big Sis" and "Elder Aunts" - a scholar who doesn't belong (Van+Memimplant), a Mindship (Sunless Woods) and an elite student (Uyen) are saddled with a dead body in a study room - the beginnings of a great space whoddunit sprinkled with theft and skulduggery.
Character Development/Favorite Character:
Van has her own mind and a bastardized Scholar-AI mind nestled right next to it. What could go wrong?
The Wild orchard of Sunless Woods is at once badass, sneaky, haughty, majestic and something I can't put my finger on. Oh yeah and bloody arrogant.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene: :
Uyen and Van (with the help of Mem-implant) find literary allusions in paintings
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 "Good steeds don’t always get the proper grooms, or jade the right carver to make it come alive.” (Sunless Woods on the stupidity Class structures)
🖤 “Vân was the kind of person who walked through the world expecting it to kick her” (Sunless reading Van like a script)
🖤 “She was fierce and utterly compelling, the kind of leader people would follow into supernovas or fragmenting orbitals” (Van to Uyen)
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ Mindships and Mindship names
■Ancestral Mem-implants
■ Bot-wearing like jewellery or a scarf
■The Bare-House tokens
■Death by exile-implants
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Science Fiction Books by 2025
It was okay. It could have been great or at least my definition of great. But the interaction between Van and Sunless Woods (though obviously meant to be wrought with tension and chemistry) came across more cardboard and pregnant silences that dragged and dragged. I understand in the context infantilizing a grown up in the ElderAunt-BigSis-Child system is a way to drive home the Matriarchal culture but I got tired of the titles. They weren't extensively used in Teamaster and Firestarter, but here "Child this and Child that" got old.
Plot/Storyline/Themes:
In an entirely matriarchal Exam-driven intellectual society; with first and second mothers "Big Sis" and "Elder Aunts" - a scholar who doesn't belong (Van+Memimplant), a Mindship (Sunless Woods) and an elite student (Uyen) are saddled with a dead body in a study room - the beginnings of a great space whoddunit sprinkled with theft and skulduggery.
Character Development/Favorite Character:
Van has her own mind and a bastardized Scholar-AI mind nestled right next to it. What could go wrong?
The Wild orchard of Sunless Woods is at once badass, sneaky, haughty, majestic and something I can't put my finger on. Oh yeah and bloody arrogant.
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Scene: :
Uyen and Van (with the help of Mem-implant) find literary allusions in paintings
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Quotes:
🖤 "Good steeds don’t always get the proper grooms, or jade the right carver to make it come alive.” (Sunless Woods on the stupidity Class structures)
🖤 “Vân was the kind of person who walked through the world expecting it to kick her” (Sunless reading Van like a script)
🖤 “She was fierce and utterly compelling, the kind of leader people would follow into supernovas or fragmenting orbitals” (Van to Uyen)
Favorite/Curious/Ludicrous/Unique Concepts:
■ Mindships and Mindship names
■Ancestral Mem-implants
■ Bot-wearing like jewellery or a scarf
■The Bare-House tokens
■Death by exile-implants
StoryGraph Challenge: 1800 Books by 2025
Challenge Prompt: 150 Science Fiction Books by 2025
practisingmothman's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0