Scan barcode
A review by leonidskies
Synthetic Sea by Franklyn S. Newton
hopeful
tense
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? It's complicated
2.75
I read a copy of this book as a judge for the Self Published Sci Fi Competition - these are my personal thoughts rather than an indication of the book's performance in the competition.
This book has a lot to offer - a strong sense of place and deliciously created atmosphere, a very sweet romance (t4t!!!!), and super interesting work relating to synthetic bodies and everything attached to a world where that's possible.
I really enjoyed those parts of the book, and revelled in what felt like the author's joy in writing them. I especially adored the transness of this book and its romance - Guin and Ryoma are both a delight and the queernormativity was effortless.
Unfortunately, this book really needed a much more thorough edit, on both a copy editing and developmental editing level. If you're happy to look past the comma splicing and want to enjoy a romance book with a sci fi setting based on its vibes, though, this is probably a strong contender for you!
This book has a lot to offer - a strong sense of place and deliciously created atmosphere, a very sweet romance (t4t!!!!), and super interesting work relating to synthetic bodies and everything attached to a world where that's possible.
I really enjoyed those parts of the book, and revelled in what felt like the author's joy in writing them. I especially adored the transness of this book and its romance - Guin and Ryoma are both a delight and the queernormativity was effortless.
Unfortunately, this book really needed a much more thorough edit, on both a copy editing and developmental editing level. If you're happy to look past the comma splicing and want to enjoy a romance book with a sci fi setting based on its vibes, though, this is probably a strong contender for you!