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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
laurareads87's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
This is the third story I've read in the Universe of Xuya, a large collection of relatively stand-alone short stories and novellas set in a world where, in the author's words, "Asia became dominant, and where the space age has Confucian galactic empires of Vietnamese and Chinese inspiration: scholars administrate planets, and sentient spaceships are part of familial lineages." I have enjoyed them all.
"Seven of Infinities" follows Vân, a tutor with a secret that would cost her her job, and The Wild Orchid In The Sunless Woods, a mindship who isn't who she appears to be. When Uyên, the young woman Vân tutors, receives a mysterious visitor who promptly dies on her floor, the characters must investigate to find out who might be targetting one or more of them and why.
I really like the Xuya universe as a setting. I liked the character development in this story, which felt thorough despite the novella's short length. What didn't work for me was the romance, which felt very abrupt.
"Seven of Infinities" follows Vân, a tutor with a secret that would cost her her job, and The Wild Orchid In The Sunless Woods, a mindship who isn't who she appears to be. When Uyên, the young woman Vân tutors, receives a mysterious visitor who promptly dies on her floor, the characters must investigate to find out who might be targetting one or more of them and why.
I really like the Xuya universe as a setting. I liked the character development in this story, which felt thorough despite the novella's short length. What didn't work for me was the romance, which felt very abrupt.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Death
Minor: Gore
madarauchiha's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-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
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Medical content, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Torture, Suicide, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Torture
bookwyrmknits's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This is a fun space opera novella, which is part mystery, part romance, and part heist. (Though the heist isn't as big a part of the story as it could have been. I personally had no problem with it not playing a bigger part in the story, but I would LOVE backstory novellas about Sunless Woods and crew pulling off some of the real heists mentioned in this story.) I liked the characters, though I didn't connect very strongly to any one of them. Actually, I think the one that I liked best by the end is the Laureate mem-implant.
This is a fun romp, and could be an entry point to de Bodard's Universe of Xuya if you wanted. I have read several—but by no means near all—of the other stories in this universe, and while they might have helped my understanding of some of the tech used here, I don't think they're necessary in order to enjoy this story.
This is a fun romp, and could be an entry point to de Bodard's Universe of Xuya if you wanted. I have read several—but by no means near all—of the other stories in this universe, and while they might have helped my understanding of some of the tech used here, I don't think they're necessary in order to enjoy this story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
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