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lj_mx18's review against another edition
lighthearted
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Overall, I most enjoyed the build up of interpersonal relationships, and elements of the worldbuilding that included the social etticute of the victorian era. However, the implications of a continue british empire were glossed over and simplified in order to keep the focus on the characters. I think if you are wanting this book to go into details about this extreme colonization, you will be greatly disappointed as it goes into it all very matter of factly, and attempts to mention other countries and culture "blending" with the british empire. This ignores the aspects of other cultures that would be lost and require assimilation, thought the book actively critiques assimilation being pushed? So it feels kind of like the author wanted to have her cake( fun victorian era YA romance with a "melting pot" world) and eat it too (acknowledge systemic issues cause by british colonization, without addressing them). I also believe it implies the U.S. breaking away from the British Empire led to how preposterous it is, despite much of how the U.S. is presently and would be in this book, would be tied to the British, as it was not Indigenous people that had been encroached upon leading a revolution, it was british descendents to... the british.
Anyway, I listened to the audiobook so I can't give good insight into the pacing or repitiveness I saw others mentioned. However, I did find there was a lot of mulling over the same things without communication/change even when steps had been acknowledged to change a situation. This stressed me out and bothered me.
I quite enjoyed Elizabeth and Margarets initial friendship, and I wish the perspectives didn't jump around so much.
I would have liked to have a greater insight into some of the characters motivations, I don't feel was fleshed out.
Spoilers:
While I did enjoy aspects of Margaret and Helenas relationship, the aspect of them knowingly NOT communicating with August really bothered me. I also found that Margaret's affection for Helena seemed like it could have had more build up, honestly on both sides.
I think if the world building had honestly been less, it would have been better to have that time spent on the characters, because it feels like it is meant to be a character driven book, but the author also wants to tell us about the new and improved british empire with acknowledging that just because cultures "blended", it doesn't mean there wouldn't have been great losses for many people, and that acknowledging peoples presence is not the same as acknowledging that many countries would still be ruled by the British Monarchy???
I think if the author focused more on the following it would have been more enjoyable:
-Focus on where the british empire is, and instead of trying to shine such a positive light on the current state of the empire in cannon, either choose to spread out the world and create a more plot based narrative, or turn away from the empire as a focus, and just say... the empire still has harmed many and is doing what it can to ammend things, but it feels too much like there are no other countries taking issue, and just the U.S. being an annoyance/trade hinderance. Acknowledging the harm clearer, such as expanding on how much of Canada really would be governed by the First Nations would be more relevant, than acknowledging that the identity of two spirit is acknowledged... by the CHURCH OF ENGLAND... but not in a computer system. This inherently shows the eurocentric aspects of the colonial sci-fi in this.
I still enjoyed this book, but I think it is framed to be much more lighthearted than the horror story that is implied by the growth and control held by the empire, no matter how "great" it is trying to govern everyone.
I also thing genetic matching is always messy business, and while I do understand it's use in this story, I think not acknowledging the intention of blending European dna with other races as much as possible and the potential for eugenics/preventing certain people from reproducing was glossed over greatly. I also think the prospect of a colputer system not being inherently biased by its creators is unlikely. I truly think this would have been better as a fantasy inspired by the victorian era, or as a sci-fi with a stronger social message. I think the book is trying to do a lot, and ends up not making strong points in all wheelhouses because of this.
If you are looking for a lighthearted fun romance, there is a possibility you will enjoy this, but also a possibility the global implications will exhaust you, or the interpersonal strain will irritate you as well.
The audiobook voice actor did do an excellent job with the different accents, thought I am unqualified to say how accurate it is! Helens voice reminded me of the Countess of Grantham in downton abbey.
It does make me feel happy in any case to read ANY sapphic relationships, despite the flaws. T-T And I appreciate that because of their young young adult age there are no explicit sex scenes.
The authors note felt like a way to patch up and half ass accountability, which just felt disingenuous even if it was well intentioned.
Anyway, I listened to the audiobook so I can't give good insight into the pacing or repitiveness I saw others mentioned. However, I did find there was a lot of mulling over the same things without communication/change even when steps had been acknowledged to change a situation. This stressed me out and bothered me.
I quite enjoyed Elizabeth and Margarets initial friendship, and I wish the perspectives didn't jump around so much.
I would have liked to have a greater insight into some of the characters motivations, I don't feel was fleshed out.
Spoilers:
I think if the world building had honestly been less, it would have been better to have that time spent on the characters, because it feels like it is meant to be a character driven book, but the author also wants to tell us about the new and improved british empire with acknowledging that just because cultures "blended", it doesn't mean there wouldn't have been great losses for many people, and that acknowledging peoples presence is not the same as acknowledging that many countries would still be ruled by the British Monarchy???
I think if the author focused more on the following it would have been more enjoyable:
-Focus on where the british empire is, and instead of trying to shine such a positive light on the current state of the empire in cannon, either choose to spread out the world and create a more plot based narrative, or turn away from the empire as a focus, and just say... the empire still has harmed many and is doing what it can to ammend things, but it feels too much like there are no other countries taking issue, and just the U.S. being an annoyance/trade hinderance. Acknowledging the harm clearer, such as expanding on how much of Canada really would be governed by the First Nations would be more relevant, than acknowledging that the identity of two spirit is acknowledged... by the CHURCH OF ENGLAND... but not in a computer system. This inherently shows the eurocentric aspects of the colonial sci-fi in this.
I still enjoyed this book, but I think it is framed to be much more lighthearted than the horror story that is implied by the growth and control held by the empire, no matter how "great" it is trying to govern everyone.
I also thing genetic matching is always messy business, and while I do understand it's use in this story, I think not acknowledging the intention of blending European dna with other races as much as possible and the potential for eugenics/preventing certain people from reproducing was glossed over greatly. I also think the prospect of a colputer system not being inherently biased by its creators is unlikely. I truly think this would have been better as a fantasy inspired by the victorian era, or as a sci-fi with a stronger social message. I think the book is trying to do a lot, and ends up not making strong points in all wheelhouses because of this.
If you are looking for a lighthearted fun romance, there is a possibility you will enjoy this, but also a possibility the global implications will exhaust you, or the interpersonal strain will irritate you as well.
The audiobook voice actor did do an excellent job with the different accents, thought I am unqualified to say how accurate it is! Helens voice reminded me of the Countess of Grantham in downton abbey.
It does make me feel happy in any case to read ANY sapphic relationships, despite the flaws. T-T And I appreciate that because of their young young adult age there are no explicit sex scenes.
The authors note felt like a way to patch up and half ass accountability, which just felt disingenuous even if it was well intentioned.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility and Ableism
Minor: Transphobia, Slavery, Homophobia, Colonisation, and Racism
zombiezami's review against another edition
2.75
If you were to tell someone about a book focusing on a technofuturistic society in which coupling is largely decided by a dating site based in genetic testing, the British empire never fell, one of the characters is intersex, and the main characters essentially end up in a throuple , that person would likely think this was a fascinating book. In another author's hands (I'm thinking N.K. Jemisin in particular), it could have been. However, aside from a few moments, getting through this book was a trudge. It was incredibly boring and repetitive.
The characters really didn't have much personality, and I had trouble telling them apart. Up until the end, I was like, "Wait, which one is Helena again?" There were so many missed opportunities. For example, the author didn't explore the eugenicist implications of this genetic testing program, which definitely would have been an issue. Also, this is a society with robots part of everyday life, and they're barely mentioned. here were fucking pirates involved in one of the plotlines and, again, they're barely brought up. What do they want other than money? Is it no more complicated than that? What is an average person's daily life like in this society? You won't find out from reading this book.
Finally, I take issue with the author's framing of this society in the author's note as just "a little bit better" than what actually happened in history. Empires require incredible amounts of violence to expand and maintain. Surely the author could have explored possible contradictions between how the empire is on the surface and what people experience on a more in-depth level. But nope. It's just, "What if there was a British empire that respected your pronouns and said Black Lives Matter? uwu" And because of this surface-level plot, it felt like there were never any real stakes or point to any of the characters' actions.
The characters really didn't have much personality, and I had trouble telling them apart. Up until the end, I was like, "Wait, which one is Helena again?" There were so many missed opportunities. For example, the author didn't explore the eugenicist implications of this genetic testing program, which definitely would have been an issue. Also, this is a society with robots part of everyday life, and they're barely mentioned. here were fucking pirates involved in one of the plotlines and, again, they're barely brought up. What do they want other than money? Is it no more complicated than that? What is an average person's daily life like in this society? You won't find out from reading this book.
Finally, I take issue with the author's framing of this society in the author's note as just "a little bit better" than what actually happened in history. Empires require incredible amounts of violence to expand and maintain. Surely the author could have explored possible contradictions between how the empire is on the surface and what people experience on a more in-depth level. But nope. It's just, "What if there was a British empire that respected your pronouns and said Black Lives Matter? uwu" And because of this surface-level plot, it felt like there were never any real stakes or point to any of the characters' actions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, and Sexual content
Minor: Mental illness, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
victorianrogue's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Cursing, Death of parent, and Slavery
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