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A review by branch_c
Flotsam by R.J. Theodore
3.0
This book gets high marks for the imaginative setting and backstory. I’ve never read anything quite like it, though I suppose the “world” has something in common with harder SF such as Niven’s Smoke Ring.
The characters and their situation, meanwhile, are somewhat stereotypical, conveying a definite Firefly feel: the small, scrappy crew with differing personalities and motivations, but a shared loyalty to ship, to captain, and to each other.
The writing is a mixed bag for me: Theodore’s language is polished and evocative, with often elegant turns of phrase and engaging dialog. The use of nautical terminology is above average, with no obvious silliness or misunderstandings common to writers who’ve clearly never set foot on a boat. And the story itself is creative and unpredictable, with everything from bar brawls to alchemist gods and alien starships.
But it’s a bit heavy on mundane description, with arguably excessive detail about the characters’ appearance and clothing, and the placement of items in the airship cabins. The grander details about the environment, on the other hand, are sketchier than they could be. It’s an orbiting ring of debris, I guess? But with an atmosphere? And there’s gravity in which “down” is not toward Nexus, but toward the orbital plane? Also, did I miss what fuels the airships? The alchemical “magic” fits uneasily with the more scientific explanations here. Likewise the Five alchemists: worshipped as gods, but the justification for this is lacking. Even if they “created” the people of this world, they come across as simply more powerful people, not exactly deserving of faith and awe - I guess I’m with Hankirk on this.
And as a whole, the narrative didn’t hold my interest as it should have, given the ostensibly interesting sequence of events. The pace feels strangely slow, and the tone somewhat emotionally flat, taking itself perhaps a bit too seriously, while several characters seem to swing from being callous to empathetic and back again.
And finally, it ends uncertainly, but on a decidedly down note, in the expectation that the reader will want to pick up the next in the series to continue the adventure. While the book certainly has its positive aspects, I’m not sure I’m up for that.
The characters and their situation, meanwhile, are somewhat stereotypical, conveying a definite Firefly feel: the small, scrappy crew with differing personalities and motivations, but a shared loyalty to ship, to captain, and to each other.
The writing is a mixed bag for me: Theodore’s language is polished and evocative, with often elegant turns of phrase and engaging dialog. The use of nautical terminology is above average, with no obvious silliness or misunderstandings common to writers who’ve clearly never set foot on a boat. And the story itself is creative and unpredictable, with everything from bar brawls to alchemist gods and alien starships.
But it’s a bit heavy on mundane description, with arguably excessive detail about the characters’ appearance and clothing, and the placement of items in the airship cabins. The grander details about the environment, on the other hand, are sketchier than they could be. It’s an orbiting ring of debris, I guess? But with an atmosphere? And there’s gravity in which “down” is not toward Nexus, but toward the orbital plane? Also, did I miss what fuels the airships? The alchemical “magic” fits uneasily with the more scientific explanations here. Likewise the Five alchemists: worshipped as gods, but the justification for this is lacking. Even if they “created” the people of this world, they come across as simply more powerful people, not exactly deserving of faith and awe - I guess I’m with Hankirk on this.
And as a whole, the narrative didn’t hold my interest as it should have, given the ostensibly interesting sequence of events. The pace feels strangely slow, and the tone somewhat emotionally flat, taking itself perhaps a bit too seriously, while several characters seem to swing from being callous to empathetic and back again.
And finally, it ends uncertainly, but on a decidedly down note, in the expectation that the reader will want to pick up the next in the series to continue the adventure. While the book certainly has its positive aspects, I’m not sure I’m up for that.