Reviews - Blackfish City | The StoryGraph

983 reviews for:

Blackfish City

Sam J. Miller

3.61 AVERAGE

artemishi's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous dark emotional tense 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

Characters: 9, I couldn't tell who was an MC and who was secondary, or perhaps it just shifted through the course of the book, but I really enjoyed that. No character was without violence of some sort, no character was without noble drives. Everyone was morally grey and felt justified. So everyone felt real and immediate.

Atmosphere: 7, although the socio-economic situation felt very real, some of the physical atmosphere was difficult to picture on the macro level. What compelled me to read was the characters' journeys, more than an immersive setting.

Writing: 9, some lovely turns of phrase, some very believable dialogue, and language that is just futuristic enough patois to contribute to the environment without causing confusion. I would absolutely read something else by this author.

Plot: 8, the pacing was relatively consistent, though there were several turns that took it from what seemed like adventure or revenge fantasy into a more complex dystopian, and each of those shifts pumped the breaks a bit.

Intrigue: 8, I was happy to have this on audiobook while I was doing move-related things. I wouldn't say I'd rather be reading it than doing anything else, but it kept my attention.

Logic: 9, the world building was very well done. There's an anonymous broadcast called City Without a Map, which is the vehicle for which the reader is given exposition on the setting, which worked well without being overly data-dumpy. No character acted outside their interests or fears, and none of the established logic was broken.

Enjoyment: 8, I consistently enjoyed the imaginative yet very plausible feel of this story, both its human elements and its AI dystopian/utopian aspects.

stellajo's review against another edition

4.0

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel, though long passages describing the setting may impede some readers. Science fiction worlds require a fair bit of explanation, and a degree of information dumping is unavoidable. Many authors attempt to weave the setting into conversation and internal dialog. In Blackfish City, a mysterious publication entitled “City without a Map” relays much background information en block. As a reader, I’m okay with setting infodumps (and flash backs and told tales and long asides) just as long as the information is interesting and well presented. “City without a Map” is fascinating, can be poetic, and the publication is a mystery, pulling the reader deeper into the story. Additional backstory is dropped between the action as rumination, which slows down the story, but a fair bit of wisdom is mixed in with the “tell.”

In addition, multiple characters tell the story, and their lives glance off each other until the characters convene, and the threads braid together into one story. Some readers find multiple points of view confusing, but I found each character’s voice sufficiently distinct to remember.

Even a reader fully immersed in the story may encounter a few believability issues. A few story threads occur, resolve or drift away with no explanation. A brain-injured character displays overly complex thought. Serious injuries don’t cause as much damage as expected. And a bike messenger becomes a computer genius rather rapidly.

But I’m happy to over look a few flaws for my take on the the bottom line message: we won’t evolve until we realize that we are the same, that we’re all traveling in the same direction, and that any individual advantage is likely an empty win.

wildadvent604's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

indigof0x's review against another edition

3.75

adventurous dark inspiring mysterious fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

bericheri's review against another edition

4.0

This was one of those novels that feels different from everything else I've read and also similar to a lot of things I've read.

The floating city of Qaanaq sits far to the north, in the Arctic circle. It's one of few remaining stable cities after the world flooded. A woman riding an orca and accompanied by a polar bear arrives one day and then disappears, looking for someone.

Told through the perspectives of several seemingly unconnected people, it slowly becomes clear what has brought the orcamancer to the city. Miller expertly explores a lot of concepts in a relatively short book: family, gender, sexuality, the AIDs epidemic, climate change, religion and poverty.

Well worth a read.