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3.81 AVERAGE
3.81 AVERAGE
adventurous
challenging
funny
hopeful
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
I love Science Fiction. I don't read enough of it but this is one of those books that makes me remember why I think this genre in the hands of the right people is magical.
The characters in this are what make this book special. From the very beginning you know all the twists and turns the author is going to throw at you but that doesn't make this journey any less enjoyable.
I do feel like Zanj and Viv had more chemistry than the main love interest but they are also meant to be mirrors of one another so I understand the moves made by the author.
Above all the world building could have had a few more pages. Specifically the bleed. But stellar work overall.
Gladstone is one of the most underrated authors and along with Mieville, Valente and Kiernan one of my absolute idols.
This book is undoubtedly a love letter to older Science Fiction Films and Novels and part of the joy of reading it is seeing those moments and laughing at them along with Viv.
Next time a man wants to know how to write women, particularly strong ones. He should read one of Gladstone's books.
The characters in this are what make this book special. From the very beginning you know all the twists and turns the author is going to throw at you but that doesn't make this journey any less enjoyable.
I do feel like Zanj and Viv had more chemistry than the main love interest but they are also meant to be mirrors of one another so I understand the moves made by the author.
Above all the world building could have had a few more pages. Specifically the bleed. But stellar work overall.
Gladstone is one of the most underrated authors and along with Mieville, Valente and Kiernan one of my absolute idols.
This book is undoubtedly a love letter to older Science Fiction Films and Novels and part of the joy of reading it is seeing those moments and laughing at them along with Viv.
Next time a man wants to know how to write women, particularly strong ones. He should read one of Gladstone's books.
I want to call The Empress of Forever mind blowing but that is just hyperbole. The beginning is completely ordinary and familiar but the stakes immediately grow higher and higher until it isn’t just body and metal integrity of the main characters on the line but the entire galaxy. In all the elaborate architecture of this book the connections between the main characters grounds the story and connects with the reader. You don’t have to be a genius tech innovator thrust into an epic space battle to feel for someone afraid they’ll lose their girlfriend to her dream job, for example. It is clear from the reviews that this book isn’t for everyone but I am delighted I went along for the ride.
adventurous
mysterious
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
There are some interesting bits, but ultimately it's a silicon valley billionaire redemption story, and even if that billionaire is a lesbian, it's still not particularly compelling.
Started off slow, but then I really got into it. It's not as light-hearted/funny as Guardians of the Galaxy, but I enjoyed a lot of things about it--like the way the characters come together and their relationships, the action scenes, and the lesbian romance).
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
This was a fun story, but the writing… tried me. I found myself way too often falling asleep mid-page with this book, in a way that I don't with most books. In the end, I resorted to enlarging the print on my Kindle so that, when I woke up from one of those inattentive moments, I didn't have as much to re-read before making progress. I liked the characters and the story, but the pacing felt so… slow… to… me. And that really dragged down my enjoyment of the book.
Max Gladstone branches out from fantasy as social commentary on modern economics and related social trends to space opera as commentary on Silicon Valley billionaire culture. And because this is Max Gladstone, he knocks it out of the park.
It's properly weird modern space opera, with cyborgs, AI, hyperspace and nanotech, with enough glittering technobabble to sate a fan of early Charles Stross. It's also a story about found family in the best way, and a story about coming to terms with yourself. It reminds me a lot of the Wizard of Oz, and I suspect that's not accidental.
Gladstone continues to be one of the best SF/F writers working today. Strongly recommended, especially for people who found the most recent Star Wars movie disappointing. (This last sentence will almost certainly be true no matter when you read it)
It's properly weird modern space opera, with cyborgs, AI, hyperspace and nanotech, with enough glittering technobabble to sate a fan of early Charles Stross. It's also a story about found family in the best way, and a story about coming to terms with yourself. It reminds me a lot of the Wizard of Oz, and I suspect that's not accidental.
Gladstone continues to be one of the best SF/F writers working today. Strongly recommended, especially for people who found the most recent Star Wars movie disappointing. (This last sentence will almost certainly be true no matter when you read it)
Wow, just, wow.
A very fun and quick read, I didn't expected to enjoy the ride this much :)
A very fun and quick read, I didn't expected to enjoy the ride this much :)
You should read this book if:
-you have ever been the author of your own problems but still had to fix it all anyway;
-you have ever thought how nice it would be if you had a superpowerful friend who would just smash enemies for you;
-you enjoy space opera, but wish it would lighten up sometimes;
-you occasionally wake up at night worried about what the internet of things is scheming behind your back;
-you're just, like, bad at personal conversations.
Look, just go read it. It's really fun.
-you have ever been the author of your own problems but still had to fix it all anyway;
-you have ever thought how nice it would be if you had a superpowerful friend who would just smash enemies for you;
-you enjoy space opera, but wish it would lighten up sometimes;
-you occasionally wake up at night worried about what the internet of things is scheming behind your back;
-you're just, like, bad at personal conversations.
Look, just go read it. It's really fun.