Scan barcode
A review by alina_leonova
Unfathomable Chance by K.T. Munson
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
Characters
Diana is the main character and the only point of view throughout the story. There are also a few friends of hers, a few family members and a whole lot of aliens, many of whom are not very different from people. Diana was quite a sympathetic character. I can't say that I connected with her, but I was interested enough. I could understand her motivations and wished her well. The rest of the characters were not particularly fleshed out.
World-building
The world-building is minimal. Even though Diana visits various planets and meets lots of creatures, there is only enough information to understand what's going on.
Plot
The plot is straightforward, simple and easy to follow. The main story deals with Diana's adventures in space, but there is also an alien romance sub-plot.
Impressions
It was an easy, short, lighthearted and quite fun read with some humor. This isn't serious sci-fi where you'll get to know alien worlds and cultures, explore interplanetary political relationships or learn something about science. If that's what you are looking for, this book is definitely not for you. It has a clear YA feel, it's written in a simple language and there are no real-world issues. It's fast-paced and has lots of adventures. However, Diana always got from each seemingly tough situation easily thanks to the bracelet, that's why most of the action scenes lacked emotional tension for me. Only closer to the end of the book the stakes got higher when it was revealed that Diana and the people she loved could actually get hurt. To me personally, the book would be more appealing if that was the case all along.
I also got a bit confused about all the secondary characters. Many of them were only introduced briefly and reappeared later, and I couldn't remember who was who. It was often hard to understand their motivations when they suddenly changed their minds and decided to help Diana even though they'd just been trying to hurt her. In the end, Diana solved a certain mystery after a dream that she had, but I saw no connection between what happened in the dream and the conclusions that she made. Might be just me though.
All in all, it's a very light, kind and fun book. It explores the importance of friendship and helping each other out. I think it's more suitable for teenagers and young adults. It can be called sci-fi because of all the aliens and space travel, but you can also view it as fantasy because there is no real science involved.
You might enjoy this book if you are into light, fast-paced YA space adventures and alien romances and aren't looking for serious adult sci-fi.
This review was first published on my blog about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors . Check it out for more reviews, interviews, lists and short stories.
Diana is the main character and the only point of view throughout the story. There are also a few friends of hers, a few family members and a whole lot of aliens, many of whom are not very different from people. Diana was quite a sympathetic character. I can't say that I connected with her, but I was interested enough. I could understand her motivations and wished her well. The rest of the characters were not particularly fleshed out.
World-building
The world-building is minimal. Even though Diana visits various planets and meets lots of creatures, there is only enough information to understand what's going on.
Plot
The plot is straightforward, simple and easy to follow. The main story deals with Diana's adventures in space, but there is also an alien romance sub-plot.
Impressions
It was an easy, short, lighthearted and quite fun read with some humor. This isn't serious sci-fi where you'll get to know alien worlds and cultures, explore interplanetary political relationships or learn something about science. If that's what you are looking for, this book is definitely not for you. It has a clear YA feel, it's written in a simple language and there are no real-world issues. It's fast-paced and has lots of adventures. However, Diana always got from each seemingly tough situation easily thanks to the bracelet, that's why most of the action scenes lacked emotional tension for me. Only closer to the end of the book the stakes got higher when it was revealed that Diana and the people she loved could actually get hurt. To me personally, the book would be more appealing if that was the case all along.
I also got a bit confused about all the secondary characters. Many of them were only introduced briefly and reappeared later, and I couldn't remember who was who. It was often hard to understand their motivations when they suddenly changed their minds and decided to help Diana even though they'd just been trying to hurt her. In the end, Diana solved a certain mystery after a dream that she had, but I saw no connection between what happened in the dream and the conclusions that she made. Might be just me though.
All in all, it's a very light, kind and fun book. It explores the importance of friendship and helping each other out. I think it's more suitable for teenagers and young adults. It can be called sci-fi because of all the aliens and space travel, but you can also view it as fantasy because there is no real science involved.
You might enjoy this book if you are into light, fast-paced YA space adventures and alien romances and aren't looking for serious adult sci-fi.
This review was first published on my blog about sci-fi by women and non-binary authors . Check it out for more reviews, interviews, lists and short stories.