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xeyra1's review against another edition
2.0
This was a bit of a weird case of loving a concept and the world-building and the mysteries surrounding certain aspects of the story and being utterly bored through the process of reading the story itself. Sun of Suns has amazing conceptualization of a civilization composed of many cities/towns in wheels with artificial suns all within a sort of circle with 5.000 miles diameters, orbiting a major artificial star (the Sun of Suns of the title). Mankind in this bubble seems to be isolated and the last examples of true creative and mechanical thought. Outside of this bubble, there seems to exist an artificial intelligence that rules over mankind by making everything for them to the point where the process of building things seems to have disappeared from their history.
It is an amazing concept and I would have read so much more about this and this civilization and how everything works (and we did get some of that in the story). Instead, we get slapped with a boring, go from point A to B to C to D journey without much character development or even story development, with stakes you don't really give a damn to because you don't get to know any character well enough to care about them.
Time is lost in useless stuff that should have been spent making us care about what is going on. And not enough time is spent dealing with consequences of actions. Ships go on a mission, some skirmish happens with pirates, someone kills bridge crew as part of some ruse to convince pirates they're willing to be allies, then pirates are defeated and no consequences about the crew killed. Then apparently pirates are a threat and surrounding our 'heroes' trying to leave a certain planet and plans are made and then suddenly next chapter they're on their destination already, telling campfire stories -- so the conflict of escaping the pirate siege was basically dealt off story.
These things were a bit frustrating but most of all, my issue with the book was that it was such a slog to get through. I was bored and barely managed to keep my attention at some points and I'm not sure if it was me, the writing, the circumstances in my life that distracted me, or what, but it took me two weeks to get through a barely 350-page book and I considered DNFing it, but couldn't make myself do it because I picked it up for a read-along.
It is an amazing concept and I would have read so much more about this and this civilization and how everything works (and we did get some of that in the story). Instead, we get slapped with a boring, go from point A to B to C to D journey without much character development or even story development, with stakes you don't really give a damn to because you don't get to know any character well enough to care about them.
Time is lost in useless stuff that should have been spent making us care about what is going on. And not enough time is spent dealing with consequences of actions. Ships go on a mission, some skirmish happens with pirates, someone kills bridge crew as part of some ruse to convince pirates they're willing to be allies, then pirates are defeated and no consequences about the crew killed. Then apparently pirates are a threat and surrounding our 'heroes' trying to leave a certain planet and plans are made and then suddenly next chapter they're on their destination already, telling campfire stories -- so the conflict of escaping the pirate siege was basically dealt off story.
These things were a bit frustrating but most of all, my issue with the book was that it was such a slog to get through. I was bored and barely managed to keep my attention at some points and I'm not sure if it was me, the writing, the circumstances in my life that distracted me, or what, but it took me two weeks to get through a barely 350-page book and I considered DNFing it, but couldn't make myself do it because I picked it up for a read-along.
zaphod46's review against another edition
4.0
A decent steampunk story that takes place in a planet-sized gas bag. Towns
and nations form around small fusion engines that provide heat and light, but
also make any electromagnetic transmissions impossible.
and nations form around small fusion engines that provide heat and light, but
also make any electromagnetic transmissions impossible.
liketheday's review against another edition
2.0
There's action and explosions and double-crosses and love stories and it's all pretty standard science fictiony fare. I had quite a few problems with the plot and lack thereof, and with some questionable choices by the characters, but it turned out a lot better than I thought it was the first time I listened.
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jasonmark's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I don't understand people's motivation and the world is needlessly complex. Doesn't come off as mysterious just rambling. Really don't like that the only two women in the series are emotionless and scheming or emotionless and passive. Oh and the "I'm beautiful and I'll offer sex as a reward to the boring hero-like-dude for saving me" is 40 years out of date as a story line. You lost me there.
misterjay's review against another edition
4.0
Sun of Suns is, first and foremost, an adventure story. A very good adventure story. There are pirates, chases, intrigue, even a treasure hunt. Truthfully, there is nothing here that would be out of place in a Robert Louis Stevenson or Jack London novel. Except for the setting.
The world of Virga is an artificial world set inside a gas giant. Towns and cities are built from wood in circular wheels that spin to generate gravity. Apart from these rotating constructions, Virga is an environment of weightlessness. Light and heat come from artificial suns built near the floating cities; possession of such a sun provides the resources necessary for cities to become nations and this becomes a critical plot element.
Our protaganist is a young man, set on seeking revenge, yet learning the difference between the personal and the political through the course of the novel.
Schroeder's skill is in combining these elements into a fast paced, fun, novel. He keeps the action moving and uses the occasional break to show us more character development and the richness of the world he has created. In particular, the author has done a remarkable job in building his world. The science underlying the fiction sounds plausible, lending credence to the story in general.
Sun of Suns is book one in the Virga trilogy and I am eagerly awaiting book two.
The world of Virga is an artificial world set inside a gas giant. Towns and cities are built from wood in circular wheels that spin to generate gravity. Apart from these rotating constructions, Virga is an environment of weightlessness. Light and heat come from artificial suns built near the floating cities; possession of such a sun provides the resources necessary for cities to become nations and this becomes a critical plot element.
Our protaganist is a young man, set on seeking revenge, yet learning the difference between the personal and the political through the course of the novel.
Schroeder's skill is in combining these elements into a fast paced, fun, novel. He keeps the action moving and uses the occasional break to show us more character development and the richness of the world he has created. In particular, the author has done a remarkable job in building his world. The science underlying the fiction sounds plausible, lending credence to the story in general.
Sun of Suns is book one in the Virga trilogy and I am eagerly awaiting book two.
adamrshields's review against another edition
3.0
Decent book. Full review at http://bookwi.se/sun-of-suns-by-karl-schroeder/
peapod_boston's review against another edition
4.0
I'm normally drawn more to fantasy than science fiction, but I thoroughly enjoyed the first novel of Schroeder's Virga Cycle. Set in a fullerene balloon in space, the novel explores on a very technical level what the world would be like. Every 10-20 pages, the reader sees something new that makes him or her think, "Of course it would work that way!" At the same time, Schroeder tells a tale of space pirates, naval battles, and personal courage that uses all the best pulp tropes to good effect. An excellent novel and an enjoyable read.
darkstar_pl's review against another edition
3.0
Bardzo fajny setting, który jest najmocniejszą stroną powieści. Jest oryginalnie, bo nie dostajemy po raz kolejny przestrzeni kosmicznej, planet i latającego wokół nich tałatajstwa. W pewnym sensie jest to podobna koncepcja, ale jednak nie. Tutaj mamy do czynienia z Virgą - wielkim balonem wypełnionym powietrzem, w którym żyją ludzie - zamiast planet spotkamy tam dryfujące skały i kule wody oraz drewniane miasta-państwa. Świat dzieli się na ciepłe i zdatne do życia obszary oświetlane światłem sztucznych słońc oraz zimne i wymarłe obszary "zimy", gdzie nie dociera żadne światło i brakuje tlenu. W Virdze nie ma ciążenia, więc grawitacja musi być wytwarzana w sposób sztuczny poprzez ruch wirowy. W takich warunkach żyje młody Hayden Griffin - świetny pilot-amator z rodu Aerie. Niestety Aerie ma swego ciemiężyciela w postaci migrującej nacji Slipstreamu. Dążenia niepodległościowe Aerie spełzają na niczym kiedy w wyniku ataku Slipstreamu na nowobudowane słońce giną rodzice Haydena. Szczęśliwie ocalały poprzysięga on zemstę na admirale, który dowodził statkiem flagowym wroga - dalej sprawy biorą własny obrót i nie do końca wszystko wychodzi zgodnie z planem. Nie chcę nic spojlerować, dlatego wspominam tylko o takim ogólnym zarysie fabuły.
Na początku byłem tą książką wręcz zachwycony, urzekł mnie świat przedstawiony o niezwykle oryginalnym settingu. Latające w powietrzu statki, konflikt Aerie ze Slipstreamem oraz bohaterowie - to wszystko przywodziło mi na myśl serię Final Fantasy. Czułem się tak, jakbym *czytał* kolejną grę z tej serii. Ale już w niedługim czasie miałem wrażenie, że dalszą część książki napisał kto inny, albo autor pisał ją w innym okresie. Wyszło szydło z worka i okazało się, że bohaterowie są strasznie naiwni, a intrygi brak. Niestety wtedy zacząłem się nudzić. I tak jakoś dotrwałem do końca, nie było źle, ale moje trzy gwiazdki na Goodreads są trochę naciągane. Na pewno nie mam specjalnie ochoty sięgać po kolejne tomy w najbliższym czasie.
Panie Watts, myślę, że to dobrze, że zachował pan swoje jądro.
Na początku byłem tą książką wręcz zachwycony, urzekł mnie świat przedstawiony o niezwykle oryginalnym settingu. Latające w powietrzu statki, konflikt Aerie ze Slipstreamem oraz bohaterowie - to wszystko przywodziło mi na myśl serię Final Fantasy. Czułem się tak, jakbym *czytał* kolejną grę z tej serii. Ale już w niedługim czasie miałem wrażenie, że dalszą część książki napisał kto inny, albo autor pisał ją w innym okresie. Wyszło szydło z worka i okazało się, że bohaterowie są strasznie naiwni, a intrygi brak. Niestety wtedy zacząłem się nudzić. I tak jakoś dotrwałem do końca, nie było źle, ale moje trzy gwiazdki na Goodreads są trochę naciągane. Na pewno nie mam specjalnie ochoty sięgać po kolejne tomy w najbliższym czasie.
Panie Watts, myślę, że to dobrze, że zachował pan swoje jądro.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
3.0
I wanted to like this more. Tons and tons of cool ideas layered a top of a lost heir last hope to save his people. But there was no flow to this book. This was that book that made me think that I just couldn't read like I used to. It could be me, but it seems more likely to be the book. The best part of the book was its implied world-building - the slipstream artificial world-space with manufactured suns. And cities with different purposes and styles including some of them stay still and others migrating. But the ships and the characters were never detailed enough to take real life. And the outside world being some sort of singularity waiting to break-in, didn't improve anything.
spinnerroweok's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting world building. Lots of action. Really a 3.5 star book. Entertaining but not gripping.