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A review by prationality
Starlight by Jennifer M. Eaton
1.0
Well folks I did it. I made it through this book. It was HARD y'all. I almost gave up seven times.
What I liked:
- Dobby
- the natives
- the ecosystem and the carefully thought out ways it worked*
- Emily
What I didn't like:
- just about everything else
The opening with Mia getting excited for her new job and then super wary because protocols are being tossed out faster than you can blink, had me interested. The fact Stevenson sent her out for exploring DESPITE het not being certified for it, also interesting but in a more "dafuq dude" way (incidentally later on we find out she minored in "indigenous people" at the academy and I eye-rolled hard)
And then we get the Vincent and his gang of bullies.
This is 2020 and the bad guy has devolved into an insane (military commander) tyrant who considers himself not a monster because he doesn't force himself on women (he said this not two paragraphs after telling Mia he'd enjoy breaking her spirit, tying her down on a bed would be fun and she'd learn a woman's place is on her knees). This isn't the extent of his tyranny - he also wants to destroy the planet for power and profit.
Mia and Jason are busy falling into a tense kind of mistrustful love which is mildly icky because he's 30 years older than her technically (timey wimey age things not withstanding) and she grew up worshipping his legend. The author also references a lot of recent history to the reader pop culture and events.
Mia alternates between using the brain she was born with and being so annoyed by Jason that she doesn't listen out of a misplaced arrogance that nearly kills her. Twice. Jason for his part spends more time agonizing over the fact Mia may not like him to be useful.
Anyhow, not recommended, read Carol Van Natta, Linea Sinclair or Veronica Scott for better scifi romance that blends aspects of genres together.
(* Being barely conversant in science, the world built here sounds reasonable and therefore the science spoke sounded likely. I have no idea if any of what's written here holds up.
What I liked:
- Dobby
- the natives
- the ecosystem and the carefully thought out ways it worked*
- Emily
What I didn't like:
- just about everything else
The opening with Mia getting excited for her new job and then super wary because protocols are being tossed out faster than you can blink, had me interested. The fact Stevenson sent her out for exploring DESPITE het not being certified for it, also interesting but in a more "dafuq dude" way (incidentally later on we find out she minored in "indigenous people" at the academy and I eye-rolled hard)
And then we get the Vincent and his gang of bullies.
This is 2020 and the bad guy has devolved into an insane (military commander) tyrant who considers himself not a monster because he doesn't force himself on women (he said this not two paragraphs after telling Mia he'd enjoy breaking her spirit, tying her down on a bed would be fun and she'd learn a woman's place is on her knees). This isn't the extent of his tyranny - he also wants to destroy the planet for power and profit.
Mia and Jason are busy falling into a tense kind of mistrustful love which is mildly icky because he's 30 years older than her technically (timey wimey age things not withstanding) and she grew up worshipping his legend. The author also references a lot of recent history to the reader pop culture and events.
Mia alternates between using the brain she was born with and being so annoyed by Jason that she doesn't listen out of a misplaced arrogance that nearly kills her. Twice. Jason for his part spends more time agonizing over the fact Mia may not like him to be useful.
Anyhow, not recommended, read Carol Van Natta, Linea Sinclair or Veronica Scott for better scifi romance that blends aspects of genres together.
(* Being barely conversant in science, the world built here sounds reasonable and therefore the science spoke sounded likely. I have no idea if any of what's written here holds up.