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A review by camillessi
The Mimicking of Known Successes by Malka Ann Older
lighthearted
mysterious
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
4.25
I'm shocked this book has such a low rating. It was delightful. I honestly went in expecting more of a hard sci-fi action adventure, but it turned out to be almost a cozy mystery that just happened to take place on Jupiter.
The worldbuilding is fantastic. It's so far removed from our world, as it takes place several centuries into the future, and I worried I would be confused or lost like I have been in certain other similar books. But it was weaved in so seamlessly with enough explanation without infodumping, that I felt immersed into this world. I only wish there had been a clearer description of what these platform cities looked like. I felt like I couldn't get a clear picture in my mind.
At first I felt a little disappointed that the romance wasn't as apparent as I had anticipated, but in the end it seemed to go along well with the tone of the story. It did come off slightly dry, and I think had this book been a novel rather than a novella, I believe it could have gotten a little deeper. I would have loved to understand more of what happened between Mossa and Pleiti when they were in university.
My last little nitpick was the oddly formal dialogue. That tends to take me out of a story. It did keep standing out to me, but rather than a sense of awkward writing, it seemed to be intentional. So although it was slightly jarring, I don't presume it to be a case of bad writing.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Before I even finished it, I checked out the sequel on Libby. It was such a pleasant surprise to find a cozy sci-fi mystery with sapphic main characters. I usually read before going to bed, and this was the perfect one to wind down with.
Already started the second book, and I'm enjoying it as well!
The worldbuilding is fantastic. It's so far removed from our world, as it takes place several centuries into the future, and I worried I would be confused or lost like I have been in certain other similar books. But it was weaved in so seamlessly with enough explanation without infodumping, that I felt immersed into this world. I only wish there had been a clearer description of what these platform cities looked like. I felt like I couldn't get a clear picture in my mind.
At first I felt a little disappointed that the romance wasn't as apparent as I had anticipated, but in the end it seemed to go along well with the tone of the story. It did come off slightly dry, and I think had this book been a novel rather than a novella, I believe it could have gotten a little deeper. I would have loved to understand more of what happened between Mossa and Pleiti when they were in university.
My last little nitpick was the oddly formal dialogue. That tends to take me out of a story. It did keep standing out to me, but rather than a sense of awkward writing, it seemed to be intentional. So although it was slightly jarring, I don't presume it to be a case of bad writing.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Before I even finished it, I checked out the sequel on Libby. It was such a pleasant surprise to find a cozy sci-fi mystery with sapphic main characters. I usually read before going to bed, and this was the perfect one to wind down with.
Already started the second book, and I'm enjoying it as well!