A review by laurareads87
The Spare Man by Mary Robinette Kowal

adventurous lighthearted mysterious fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

3.5

I liked The Spare Man, but not as much as the author's Lady Astronaut books which I *really* like.  What worked for me was the setting - a multiple-ringed luxury cruise spaceship! - and the way it creates a 'locked room' around the murder mystery.  I also liked how Kowal represented a future where sharing pronouns is normalized (and using gender neutral pronouns and honorifics when unknown is the default).  I appreciated the representation of disability.  What didn't entirely work for me were the characters - many felt rather flat.  I thought there was some effective misdirection and a few great twists in the plot, but a few too many brand new elements, some of them rather cliche, were introduced right at the very end to make the mystery work.  
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