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tashachowdory 's review for:
Arabella of Mars
by David D. Levine
It was alright. The premise of the book is what drew me in - steampunk (ish) alternate history, space travel and a female protagonist. It's also that very nice brand of pulpy but not too trashy, so it's easy and fun to read, without making you feel you've wasted your time.
It also has a wonderfully diverse cast - it's not often you have a main character be Indian! (Sci-fi only likes Caucasians and aliens right?) And black people and aliens too - there are some undertones of colonial occupation and what that means. As well as some general racism but given the time period it's set in, I'm willing to let that go.
However, there are a few things that really don't sit well with me - mainly related to Arabella disguising herself as a boy - few questions:
1. How does her voice not give her away (or is it a Mulan type situation?)
2. Levine mentions that she gets her period for a couple of days a month WTF?! How is she dealing with that in close quarters with a predominantly male crew?
3. How does she get dressed? What does she wear? When/how does she wash her clothes?
I know these questions sound pedantic, but I guess by glossing over these things, or rather with Arabella only showing concern if anyone gets near her chest (which is also odd, because much is made of her being basically flat-chested (straight up and down). Also there's more than hint of the Mary Sue about her - learning how to work the automaton, being able to learn how to do sailor's type tasks in only a few weeks, talking down the Martians blah blah blah.
I guess I've become used to really nuanced characters (forget if they're male or female) and the somewhat one dimensionality of the characters in this was rather disappointing, i.e. all the English people have delicate sensibilities, everyone is sexist, but Arabella is wonderful etc etc.
Pretty sure I won't be reading the next one. It's bit Honor Harrington lite tbh.
It also has a wonderfully diverse cast - it's not often you have a main character be Indian! (Sci-fi only likes Caucasians and aliens right?) And black people and aliens too - there are some undertones of colonial occupation and what that means. As well as some general racism but given the time period it's set in, I'm willing to let that go.
However, there are a few things that really don't sit well with me - mainly related to Arabella disguising herself as a boy - few questions:
1. How does her voice not give her away (or is it a Mulan type situation?)
2. Levine mentions that she gets her period for a couple of days a month WTF?! How is she dealing with that in close quarters with a predominantly male crew?
3. How does she get dressed? What does she wear? When/how does she wash her clothes?
I know these questions sound pedantic, but I guess by glossing over these things, or rather with Arabella only showing concern if anyone gets near her chest (which is also odd, because much is made of her being basically flat-chested (straight up and down). Also there's more than hint of the Mary Sue about her - learning how to work the automaton, being able to learn how to do sailor's type tasks in only a few weeks, talking down the Martians blah blah blah.
I guess I've become used to really nuanced characters (forget if they're male or female) and the somewhat one dimensionality of the characters in this was rather disappointing, i.e. all the English people have delicate sensibilities, everyone is sexist, but Arabella is wonderful etc etc.
Pretty sure I won't be reading the next one. It's bit Honor Harrington lite tbh.