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klparmley's review against another edition
3.0
This was good. I was sorry it only took 3 hours to listen to it. It is a sci fi horror story. Be warned; Scalzi has a gruesome imagination and his descriptions are very vivid.
lurker_stalker's review against another edition
4.0
Very good! Loved the way it ended. One for the re-read pile.
crunchylettuce's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I genuinely do not know how to feel about this book. Have I enjoyed it? Yes. Maybe. Sort of. It has a lot of interesting ideas, but is either way too short or way too long to explore them in the depth they deserve.
To quote a cinematic masterpiece: "It makes no goddamn sense... compels me, though."
To quote a cinematic masterpiece: "It makes no goddamn sense... compels me, though."
soniagracelm's review
4.0
For the full review, visit http://darkladyreviews.tumblr.com/
I’ve seen The God Engines described as dark fantasy, but I definitely put it in the sci-fi genre. It just happens to have some fantastic elements. It is unquestionably very dark though. There are a few really gruesome scenes, and Scalzi does not hesitate to describe every detail. I’m not especially squeamish, but if this were a movie I would probably have my eyes closed about a third of the time.
There’s an element of Stephen King-esque horror to it that made me not love it right off the bat, but while that element remains in the story, it doesn’t detract from the book. I ended up thinking it was one of the best dark sci-fi books I’d ever read. Scalzi is really good at twists, and this book contains a really excellent one. I won’t give it away, but I will say this: even if you don’t like it at first, don’t give up. Things are not always as they appear. I would also add a word of caution for people who love sci-fi and have never read John Scalzi: this is not representative of his work. The God Engines is very different from everything else he’s written.
I’ve seen The God Engines described as dark fantasy, but I definitely put it in the sci-fi genre. It just happens to have some fantastic elements. It is unquestionably very dark though. There are a few really gruesome scenes, and Scalzi does not hesitate to describe every detail. I’m not especially squeamish, but if this were a movie I would probably have my eyes closed about a third of the time.
There’s an element of Stephen King-esque horror to it that made me not love it right off the bat, but while that element remains in the story, it doesn’t detract from the book. I ended up thinking it was one of the best dark sci-fi books I’d ever read. Scalzi is really good at twists, and this book contains a really excellent one. I won’t give it away, but I will say this: even if you don’t like it at first, don’t give up. Things are not always as they appear. I would also add a word of caution for people who love sci-fi and have never read John Scalzi: this is not representative of his work. The God Engines is very different from everything else he’s written.
joshhall13's review against another edition
3.0
I started listening to this audiobook... and at about 20%, I needed to look down to double-check the author. Yep, it is a John Scalzi book.
Mr. Scalzi is clearly flexing his diverse genre author muscles! I'm impressed... but also a little bit whip-lashed from my expectations of what a "Scalzi Story" is.
Mr. Scalzi is clearly flexing his diverse genre author muscles! I'm impressed... but also a little bit whip-lashed from my expectations of what a "Scalzi Story" is.
qwedsa123's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
megadeathvsbooks's review
3.0
For about 3/4 of it, I enjoyed the concept, but then the ending nearly ruined it all. It turned into an awfully heavy allegory that could have used more finesse (or been avoided all together). A lot of potential but not the right execution.
asdvj's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
hectaizani's review against another edition
4.0
Darker and less comedic than most of Scalzi's oeuvre.