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seandelliot 's review for:
The Spare Man
by Mary Robinette Kowal
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'm a big fan of Kowal's Lady Astronaut series (albeit not really a fan of the name the series has been given, but I understand it fits with the time period being portrayed), and since she hasn't been kind enough to offer the next book in that sequence yet, figured I'd try another one of her offerings. The sci-fi aspects are really great, she does really good work buttoning down her science. I even had some questions (and I'm NOT a scientist) but she included a brief explanation in her afterward that settled things quite well. The only reason The Spare Man falls short of four stars is because I'm not really big on the murder-mystery genre. Kowal writes well, and the story and characters are more than engaging. The mystery is plenty mysterious, with some good twists and turns along the way. I'm not enamored of the drinking culture depicted. I find it somewhat ironic that Kowal says in the afterword that she's not a drinker, but every chapter opens with a cocktail recipe, and the social lives of every character revolves heavily on alcohol. I was able to take it as it was and enjoy the story overall. I really hope my fourth Lady Astronaut book is forthcoming though.