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A review by perilous1
Firefly: What Makes Us Mighty by M.K. England
3.0
2.5 Stars
As episodic books go, this was pretty standard and formulaic. Nothing much was added to the canon as far as worldbuilding or character backgrounds are concerned. There's a light touching on Zoe's PTSD from the Battle of Serenity, and a scene expanding on Inara's tea ceremony. Otherwise, there are just reinforcing callbacks to episodes that would have come earlier in the series. (i.e. referencing Jane's betrayal of the Tams, and Shepherd Book's willingness to shoot kneecaps--the latter of which was perhaps overdone a bit in the name of fan service.)
There are three major female side characters introduced. They're all presented as tough and competent leaders in their own right, on the side of righteousness against an inexplicably misogynistic rich guy and his pampered followers. (Handmaid's Tale in Space, anyone?) Though unfortunately, not enough time is spent on any of these women for one to grow particularly attached--and/or concerned for their survival.
This leads me to my primary criticism:
There simply wasn't much tension for a higher-action emphasis plotline. Obviously, there's already a bit of a challenge present--given fans know the ultimate fate of everyone on the crew (ala the movie Serenity), so there's no reason to worry for any of them on this job. There's a passing sense of injustice regarding the treatment of unknown civilians in the midst of a blossoming civil war, and some shock value added in terms of war crimes.
But to risk sounding as callous as Jayne here... the plight of the newly introduced characters never felt personal. (Indeed, Jayne's qualms over whether or not to kill his new drinking buddies when they turn up on the wrong side of things seemed more compelling than the overall plight of the common folk or their heroine leaders.)
Don't get me wrong; this was a more enjoyable ride than Lovegrove's Ghost Machine, and the characterization of Serenity's crew held up far more true than Lovegrove's Life Signs. (Here's hoping Tim Lebbon returns for another crack at this series.) I actually rounded up my rating because this installment portrayed Zoe and Wash's relationship with such respectful accuracy, I had to sit up and gratefully take notice. M. K. England is a competent writer--and I suspect from said writing, a fan of the show. This plot, and its execution, just came off more generic than I would have preferred.
As episodic books go, this was pretty standard and formulaic. Nothing much was added to the canon as far as worldbuilding or character backgrounds are concerned. There's a light touching on Zoe's PTSD from the Battle of Serenity, and a scene expanding on Inara's tea ceremony. Otherwise, there are just reinforcing callbacks to episodes that would have come earlier in the series. (i.e. referencing Jane's betrayal of the Tams, and Shepherd Book's willingness to shoot kneecaps--the latter of which was perhaps overdone a bit in the name of fan service.)
There are three major female side characters introduced. They're all presented as tough and competent leaders in their own right, on the side of righteousness against an inexplicably misogynistic rich guy and his pampered followers. (Handmaid's Tale in Space, anyone?) Though unfortunately, not enough time is spent on any of these women for one to grow particularly attached--and/or concerned for their survival.
This leads me to my primary criticism:
There simply wasn't much tension for a higher-action emphasis plotline. Obviously, there's already a bit of a challenge present--given fans know the ultimate fate of everyone on the crew (ala the movie Serenity), so there's no reason to worry for any of them on this job. There's a passing sense of injustice regarding the treatment of unknown civilians in the midst of a blossoming civil war, and some shock value added in terms of war crimes.
But to risk sounding as callous as Jayne here... the plight of the newly introduced characters never felt personal. (Indeed, Jayne's qualms over whether or not to kill his new drinking buddies when they turn up on the wrong side of things seemed more compelling than the overall plight of the common folk or their heroine leaders.)
Don't get me wrong; this was a more enjoyable ride than Lovegrove's Ghost Machine, and the characterization of Serenity's crew held up far more true than Lovegrove's Life Signs. (Here's hoping Tim Lebbon returns for another crack at this series.) I actually rounded up my rating because this installment portrayed Zoe and Wash's relationship with such respectful accuracy, I had to sit up and gratefully take notice. M. K. England is a competent writer--and I suspect from said writing, a fan of the show. This plot, and its execution, just came off more generic than I would have preferred.