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iam's review
2.0
This wasn't bad, but ultimately it simply was not what I wanted it to be; a case of my personal preferences not matching with what happened in the book.
This was the case from the very start already. As soon as it was clear there was aliens and alien tech, I wanted more from them, and while they play a big role they are remained passively in the background, more an object or concept without agency around which the plot revolves and active actors. And I just didn't like that.
And this just kept happening. I didn't enjoy the way the plot developed, the things that happened, the decisions the characters made, and so on. It certainly made me feel things, just nothing good.
Still I encourage anyone to give it a try if it sounds interesting, but personally it ended up not being my thing.
This was the case from the very start already. As soon as it was clear there was aliens and alien tech, I wanted more from them, and while they play a big role they are remained passively in the background, more an object or concept without agency around which the plot revolves and active actors. And I just didn't like that.
And this just kept happening. I didn't enjoy the way the plot developed, the things that happened, the decisions the characters made, and so on. It certainly made me feel things, just nothing good.
Still I encourage anyone to give it a try if it sounds interesting, but personally it ended up not being my thing.
pufforrohk's review
2.0
Architects of Memory is a promising read, but I found it disappointing in the end.
I'm always looking for space adventures, and the beginning of this novel gave me flashbacks of the first Expanse novels. A crew of a small ship is working together and gets stuck in something way bigger than they expected. Alien technology is also thrown in.
I do not want to give the impression that it's derivative. Corporations control humanity and "indentures" must serve for years before gaining citizenship. While in the Expanse the crew becomes a family, this does not hold true for Architects of Memory, which spends a lot of the book on intra-crew conflicts.
This novel also starts in media res, both from the point of view of the character's life and the global plot. The book is set in the aftermath of a major battle won against the alien Vai. The more you go into the mysteries of the novel, the more you need to understand what happened in the previous years. My issue with this approach is that the author does not give a clear timeline of these events. I struggled to understand the discoveries of the main characters since they had much more information than I did.
I started losing interest in the second half of the novel. The reveals about the Alien motivation and the main antagonist felt cliché. The non-stop action exhausted me, as did the characters shouting at each other without breaks.
This novel is a dark space-operatic thriller with flawed characters and complex backstories, but it's not for me.
I'm always looking for space adventures, and the beginning of this novel gave me flashbacks of the first Expanse novels. A crew of a small ship is working together and gets stuck in something way bigger than they expected. Alien technology is also thrown in.
I do not want to give the impression that it's derivative. Corporations control humanity and "indentures" must serve for years before gaining citizenship. While in the Expanse the crew becomes a family, this does not hold true for Architects of Memory, which spends a lot of the book on intra-crew conflicts.
This novel also starts in media res, both from the point of view of the character's life and the global plot. The book is set in the aftermath of a major battle won against the alien Vai. The more you go into the mysteries of the novel, the more you need to understand what happened in the previous years. My issue with this approach is that the author does not give a clear timeline of these events. I struggled to understand the discoveries of the main characters since they had much more information than I did.
I started losing interest in the second half of the novel. The reveals about the Alien motivation and the main antagonist felt cliché. The non-stop action exhausted me, as did the characters shouting at each other without breaks.
This novel is a dark space-operatic thriller with flawed characters and complex backstories, but it's not for me.
hiimkayte's review
2.0
Started with a lot of promise, but fell apart as it wore on. Easy read, but not great. Feels like an action sci-fi movie that has cool concepts and great special effects at the expense of characters and a rational plot.
sofiaswingstedt's review
5.0
Imaginative, unique and full of great female characters <3 I have no complaints.
grid's review
5.0
Wow. I ripped through this book.
It may have been somewhat circumstantial. I haven’t been reading much lately. Started a handful of books that I just couldn’t get into. Played 130-odd hours of a video game and did little else. So my brain was starved for this: interesting science fiction narrative packed with ideas and intrigue.
I’m not usually into the slavery/indentured humans narratives. I quit a book earlier this year that was full of future slavery. I just… it’s too soon. Too close to home. Too plausible.
Anyway, that was only one aspect of this novel, and while it was still painful to read, there was enough distraction with all the alien tech and political intrigue. I won’t try to describe it. It was a quick read. Definitely enjoyed it. I will read the sequel immediately.
It may have been somewhat circumstantial. I haven’t been reading much lately. Started a handful of books that I just couldn’t get into. Played 130-odd hours of a video game and did little else. So my brain was starved for this: interesting science fiction narrative packed with ideas and intrigue.
I’m not usually into the slavery/indentured humans narratives. I quit a book earlier this year that was full of future slavery. I just… it’s too soon. Too close to home. Too plausible.
Anyway, that was only one aspect of this novel, and while it was still painful to read, there was enough distraction with all the alien tech and political intrigue. I won’t try to describe it. It was a quick read. Definitely enjoyed it. I will read the sequel immediately.
napearson's review
2.0
It was a scifi book. That's about all I feel about it. Cover spoils the twist, which is bad on the publisher's part. Characters were about as deep as a puddle. For a first effort, it's good, especially the real gut-punch of an ending.
firefly's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Violence, War, Grief, Chronic illness, Gore, and Death
Moderate: Death
Minor: Medical trauma and Medical content
gv53's review
4.0
Fully charged, exciting, and devastating science fiction. Super fun read, looking forward to the sequel!
jerseygrrrl's review against another edition
DNF. I don't know why, but the book didn't grab me.