A review by thecurseofchris
Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis

2.0

I really wanted to like this book. It's a first contact story set in the late 2000s, what more could I have asked for? Unfortunately, "Axiom's End" is an overly long novel that's not really well-written to begin with, and in hindsight, not a ton happens until you get later on in the story. Advance the plot, or trim up your chapters. I don't need endless pages of character exposition when I don't really like them to begin with. Just get to the point. And don't get me started on the relationship between the protagonist and the alien...blegh. Maybe the sequel will help save this one, but I'm not optimistic. I doubt this book would have received as much notoriety had it not been for the author's YouTube channel, which I have never seen before so this review was not influenced by that.

The one positive thing I will say about this book is that I think despite its flaws, it makes for a decent (and that's being generous) intro to sci-fi for someone who may want to get into the genre without feeling too overwhelmed. But there are far better books out there.