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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The main character is kind of a Marry Sue, and super unrelatable. It gets annoyingly sexual for a bit at the end of chapter 19, and I'm not enjoying the book enough to put up with lesbian smutt.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
A wild ride, full to bursting with bizarre SF ideas and beings. A little too full and a little too wild for me to get really immersed, if I'm honest, which is why it took me so long to read. I've noticed this before: SF novels that mention a huge number of cool concepts shallowly, rather than exploring just a few deeply in a slightly more familiar setting, are harder for me to emotionally engage with. I'm going to put that down to a personal taste thing, since there seem to be plenty of people who don't have that problem.
That said, a cast of likable characters with strong personalities and solid thematic and philosophical throughlines of the meaning of identity, self, and personal growth made the story quite satisfying. The book evoked for me a kind of affectionate nostalgia for Star Trek, as well as strong Evangelion vibes (in the thematic sense more than the surface content) and a little Utena thrown in. The acknowledgements suggest a whole host of influences that include at least Star Trek and Utena, so my brain was somewhat on the mark.
That said, a cast of likable characters with strong personalities and solid thematic and philosophical throughlines of the meaning of identity, self, and personal growth made the story quite satisfying. The book evoked for me a kind of affectionate nostalgia for Star Trek, as well as strong Evangelion vibes (in the thematic sense more than the surface content) and a little Utena thrown in. The acknowledgements suggest a whole host of influences that include at least Star Trek and Utena, so my brain was somewhat on the mark.
adventurous
medium-paced
I expected more from this book. I wish it had been more coherent, more solid, more everything. The ending especially felt like a deep letdown + there was a lot of random new fights happening that I cared little for. Started out feeling like it was a 4 star book, ended up on 2.5.
adventurous
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Another book where the major voice is the main character psychoanalyzing herself. There's slightly more excuse for it here that in many books but still it means whenever you're in danger of empathizing with her she steps in and does it for you. Combine that with merely ok worldbuilding that throws too much ultratech around for you to care about any of it and at 80% I check out because I have stuff I could reread that is much better.