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A review by libkatem
The Fated Sky by Mary Robinette Kowal
4.0
It has to be said, I really, really did love this book. Some spoilers ahoy: I think Kowal is really smart about complicating Elma's experiences, especially in terms of race. I'm glad that she got to sit in her wrongness and be wrong sometimes. Being a white ally is often learning when to shut the heck up and don't put your experience (as a Jewish lady astronaut) on people of color. And that's not even to put her in the same category with the suuuuuuuper raciest, apartheid supporting South African astronaut, so read that at your own risk. Those bits were necessarily difficult too. Not everything is peachy-keen on this mission.
And of course, I loved the continued relationship between Elma and Nathaniel, the best OTP I've had for awhile. They're so good together, even when they're butting heads and trying to figure out what their marriage is going to look like when she spends three years going to Mars and back. They are so so good.
One... drawback. Kowal danced around two of Elma's male crewmates being in a relationship with each other. We don't know details. We don't see their tiny intimacies, really. It's all very hush hush. And then one of them dies, very traumatically (because space is dangerous). I was upset by the 'kill your gays' violation. Please be better, Kowal. You're so good about representation, I'm not sure what happened here. I've already warned two people.
All that being said, I'm looking forward to the next book, and bummed as heck that it won't be out until 2020!
And of course, I loved the continued relationship between Elma and Nathaniel, the best OTP I've had for awhile. They're so good together, even when they're butting heads and trying to figure out what their marriage is going to look like when she spends three years going to Mars and back. They are so so good.
One... drawback. Kowal danced around two of Elma's male crewmates being in a relationship with each other. We don't know details. We don't see their tiny intimacies, really. It's all very hush hush. And then one of them dies, very traumatically (because space is dangerous). I was upset by the 'kill your gays' violation. Please be better, Kowal. You're so good about representation, I'm not sure what happened here. I've already warned two people.
All that being said, I'm looking forward to the next book, and bummed as heck that it won't be out until 2020!