Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.91 AVERAGE
3.91 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I guess at some point, I have to admit to myself that just because I love an author doesn't mean I'm going to love everything they've written. The whole Patternist series has been that lesson for me. I was looking for something that just wasn't present in these pages. We can't win them all.
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
reflective
medium-paced
My least favorite of the Patternmaster series (well, I haven't read Survivor), but still wholly engrossing. An impressive first book. I liked Wild Seed best of the four Patternmaster books.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I read this last in Butler’s Patternist series, however, it was the first book in the series she wrote which made this seem a bit disjointed for me. The impressive thing is that Butler wrote this whole series backwards essentially! Reading this last, I could see the threads of the other books in the series, particularly Mind of My Mind and Clay’s Ark which I feel this book most closely resembles.
Taking it as its own microcosm, it’s not as well written as I’ve come to expect from her work (it’s her first book). The story is pretty far out without the framing of the other books in the series. It establishes some dynamics that become common in her (future) writings - the power exchange relationship between men and women and particularly how that juxtaposes to ownership - the structures of power within the social system or community she is exploring - the sexual dynamics and subversion & complexities of those dynamics & relationships - how one may traverse these systems as a survivor.
Not my favorite of the books by her I’ve read so far but an integral read to her canon nonetheless.
Taking it as its own microcosm, it’s not as well written as I’ve come to expect from her work (it’s her first book). The story is pretty far out without the framing of the other books in the series. It establishes some dynamics that become common in her (future) writings - the power exchange relationship between men and women and particularly how that juxtaposes to ownership - the structures of power within the social system or community she is exploring - the sexual dynamics and subversion & complexities of those dynamics & relationships - how one may traverse these systems as a survivor.
Not my favorite of the books by her I’ve read so far but an integral read to her canon nonetheless.