kpeninger 's review for:

The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

4.0

adventurous lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: No

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

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(I was in the middle of writing this review when my power went out. Curses.) This book is a romp and it isn't trying to be anything more than that. This book isn't trying to impart meaning or be an allegory or reflect truths about real life - it's just mimicking some of the classic tropes from the Golden Age of Mystery (specifically the wealth, the alcohol, and the perceived glamour - it's specifically riffing on The Thin Man), but setting it In Spaaaaaace. That means if you want your sci-fi to have a meaning to it, you probably should skip this one. However, if you want something very lighthearted, something where the whole purpose is just to have fun, this might be for you. The characters were pretty fun (I love Fantine, the lawyer, best of all) and the setting is interesting and the mystery is simple but enjoyable. This was a nice little diversion for an afternoon; I had a good time.