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manuphoto's reviews
871 reviews
A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
adventurous
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Palace intrigues, a fish out of water, all set in a society with remarkably advanced technology, but that still uses physical mail.
Hum... let's have a deeper look.
It's basically a political thriller with a space opera background. It has funny characters, although they often correspond to some clichés. The plot itself is good, but a bit light given the length of the novel, and it shows, especially around the mid-mark. The first third and last third of the book are actually better.
This is also Martine's first novel, and it shows. She definitely can write, she has talent, and obviously knows her craft. But sometimes, she doesn't know which level of language to use, which tone or pace. It can get a bit messy, a bit muddy, mixed with moments of literary brilliance.
Honestly, for a first novel, it's quite an achievement. Most I've read have many repetitions, or are too inspired by other novels (although this one reminded me a lot of the Vorkosigan series by Bujold). But here, Martine manages to avoid lots of traps. She still has work to do to find her own real voice, but that's an excellent start, and I suspect that the sequel is even better written.
The characters are well-defined, thankfully, since the naming conventions can be... confusing. There is a logic to it, though, so at least one can find solace in that. But it does feel a bit pushed on the reader: "Look, here's a society that chooses its names completely differently from us! But does everything else like we do..." Again, I'll allow it; it's a first novel, and the author had to find some particularities to embellish her story.
As I've said, the plot can feel a bit thin at times, although just enough happens that we are never bored and actually want to read more. Some characters are very forgettable, while others are more nuanced, and I found myself interested in their stories.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this, and I was impressed by the tightness of the whole experience, given that it's a first novel. It's a mid-ranking Hugo winner, but it's a solid read nonetheless. Now, on to the sequel!
Hum... let's have a deeper look.
It's basically a political thriller with a space opera background. It has funny characters, although they often correspond to some clichés. The plot itself is good, but a bit light given the length of the novel, and it shows, especially around the mid-mark. The first third and last third of the book are actually better.
This is also Martine's first novel, and it shows. She definitely can write, she has talent, and obviously knows her craft. But sometimes, she doesn't know which level of language to use, which tone or pace. It can get a bit messy, a bit muddy, mixed with moments of literary brilliance.
Honestly, for a first novel, it's quite an achievement. Most I've read have many repetitions, or are too inspired by other novels (although this one reminded me a lot of the Vorkosigan series by Bujold). But here, Martine manages to avoid lots of traps. She still has work to do to find her own real voice, but that's an excellent start, and I suspect that the sequel is even better written.
The characters are well-defined, thankfully, since the naming conventions can be... confusing. There is a logic to it, though, so at least one can find solace in that. But it does feel a bit pushed on the reader: "Look, here's a society that chooses its names completely differently from us! But does everything else like we do..." Again, I'll allow it; it's a first novel, and the author had to find some particularities to embellish her story.
As I've said, the plot can feel a bit thin at times, although just enough happens that we are never bored and actually want to read more. Some characters are very forgettable, while others are more nuanced, and I found myself interested in their stories.
Overall, I quite enjoyed this, and I was impressed by the tightness of the whole experience, given that it's a first novel. It's a mid-ranking Hugo winner, but it's a solid read nonetheless. Now, on to the sequel!
Nunavik by Michel Hellman
emotional
sad
fast-paced
4.0
Un livre assez chargé d’émotion et de tendresse. Il dénonce la situation dans laquelle on maintient les Inuits tout en montrant les beauté du Grand Nord.
Le Comte de Monte-Cristo - Tome I by Alexandre Dumas
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Du grand Dumas. Un plaisir à redécouvrir. L’écriture est sublime, les personnages saisissants et l’intrigue enivrante.
Le tout est conçu avec un soin remarquable pour emmener les lecteurs du Château d’If aux salons parisiens, en passant par le Colisée de Rome et la campagne provençale.
Pas la peine de s’épancher d’avantage, c’est un grand roman dont j’ai bien hâte de lire la suite.
Le tout est conçu avec un soin remarquable pour emmener les lecteurs du Château d’If aux salons parisiens, en passant par le Colisée de Rome et la campagne provençale.
Pas la peine de s’épancher d’avantage, c’est un grand roman dont j’ai bien hâte de lire la suite.
Downbelow Station by C.J. Cherryh
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Although it precedes Cyteen and is set in the same universe, it reads very differently. Instead of a slow-paced intellectual psychological tale, we have a space opera with some deeper themes touched upon.
Despite its grand scale, lots of action, and interesting characters, I think that Downbelow Station is not as coherent or good as the sum of its parts. The different facets of the story are quite well done, but it always lacks a unifying element to make me really care about what happens to the characters and their world. Pell Station is supposed to be that link, but somehow, at least for me, it fails to evoke concern for its fate.
That being said, I found some characters well-executed. Elene is a great character, and Signy would make a fantastic villain in a movie. Josh is also interesting, and his storyline with Signy is troubling.
The rivalry between the Konstantins and Lukases felt a bit silly to me. I understand that this universe is based on the role of certain families, but it didn’t work for me. I just don’t see how human colonization of the universe could operate that way.
The other villains, or pseudo-villains, like Jon Lukas or Mazian, felt very cliché. Union is also not very well defined, although that is addressed in Cyteen.
Cherryh’s prose is less dense here than in Cyteen, so on a sentence-by-sentence basis, it was not tedious to read. Some chapters were actually gripping! But overall, the themes of the book seemed eroded by all the storylines. And I’ve not even mentioned the Downers, those “simple” aliens who stand by while humans kill each other. They are probably the most underdeveloped idea of sentient aliens I’ve ever encountered. They don’t serve much purpose, and we never really get to know them. Maybe they get more attention in the sequels, but here, they often feel dull and uninteresting, especially in the first two-thirds of the novel. A missed opportunity for me, as the core idea is actually good.
And that sums it up for me: a nice core concept, but too many ideas thrown in too many different directions. I appreciate a multilayered story; I usually love those, but here… I don’t know, it never felt totally connected or coherent. I liked, sometimes very much, many elements of this story, but I never loved the ensemble. It’s one of those frustrating novels for me because it has this “almost there” feeling—that feeling that it’s “almost” a great novel. It is good, don’t get me wrong, and it’s not a slog. But it’s not fantastic either.
The Diamond Age: Or, a Young Lady's Illustrated Primer by Neal Stephenson
dark
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
To appreciate this book, you need to get through the first 100 pages. Stephenson builds a fairly original and complex world during this first fifth of the novel. You’ll be lost at times, understanding the words but not their relation to the story. However, it will all make sense eventually—until it sometimes stops making sense. It’s complicated.
I experienced something similar with Snow Crash, although the world made sense a bit quicker in that novel than in The Diamond Age. Once the different elements align and the relationships between characters, locations, and events become clearer, I started really enjoying the book and understood much of what had happened before. Tricky author Stephenson! But he knows how to reward his readers most of the time. He can be a little “style over substance” at times, with too many rabbit holes for him to send us down to showcase his storytelling chops. This is especially true after the 50% mark in the novel, where I often found myself thinking, “Do I really need to know all these tiny details about this world? I’ve got enough to imagine them in my own way.” But I guess Stephenson had a very precise idea of how this world should look, leaving little to the imagination.
That being said, Stephenson also tackles very important and difficult themes. For example, his depiction of child abuse is very vivid, and I was quite moved by it. There is also a reflection on how privileged people interact with poorer ones and the cycle of violence and scarcity that affects them. It’s done in a clear but not too on-the-nose way, using this imagined future to discuss our own—something I always find interesting in sci-fi. That being said, the imagined future is close enough to our reality that it doesn’t take much effort to understand what he’s getting at. It does remove a bit of the “magic,” but it’s a fair trade, I guess.
In the last third of the book, I found the chapters to be wildly unequal in quality. Some are amazing: tight, efficient, with deep emotional impact. Others show Stephenson’s tendency to indulge in fanciful writing. It’s a shame, as it distracts from the core of the novel.
It’s a bit frustrating. Stephenson has the writing talent, imagination, skill, and thoroughness, but he seems too in love with his own writing, which I find a bit tedious and detrimental. At a certain point, it doesn’t serve the story and lacks balance. The last 100 pages or so are quite afflicted by this. There are some remarkable and bonkers action scenes, but the whole thing becomes convoluted and sometimes confusing.
Although I enjoyed this book and found it stimulating, relevant, and brilliant at times, it won’t rank as high in my evaluation as I feel it should have. It should be in my top ten, among those 4.5-5 star books that I recommend to anyone, but it falls short of that.
Mile End by Michel Hellman
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
3.75
Un joli petit livre, rigolo et touchant. Ayant moi-même vécu mon adolescence dans le quartier Mile-End, ça m’a rappelé des souvenirs.
Hominids by Robert J. Sawyer
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-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
3.75
This is my first novel by Robert J. Sawyer; I’ve been looking forward to it for quite some time.
The core idea of the book is very cool and is introduced in a punchy, effective way. It does feel a bit 90s TV (a sort of X-Files vibe), but it’s interesting nonetheless.
From the get-go, Sawyer’s prose is straightforward and efficient. Don’t expect anything lyrical—it’s not the point here—but it’s clear and easy to read without ever feeling dumbed down. Not an easy feat, as authors tend to be boring or frustrating when they try to be more readable. Sawyer manages to avoid these traps—nicely done!
I also liked the whole Canadian vibe of the book, which is fairly absent from most sci-fi novels. Everything that doesn’t happen in space is either in the USA, Europe, or Southeast Asia. It was nice to see some Canadians, Québécois, and local entities represented—I really enjoyed that. Although I felt that the Québécois slang was sometimes misused, I can imagine it’s very hard to place for a non-Québécois author. It’s really me being hard on him here.
Be aware that the book can surprise with its violence (only one real occurrence). It sort of comes out of nowhere, which is the intent, I guess, to intensify the effect. I don’t mind that actually, but some might, so I thought I should mention it.
The novel is fast-paced, a bit too much for my taste. As I’ve said, it feels very TV-like, like an episode unfolding before our eyes. On the one hand, it’s very entertaining and enjoyable; on the other hand, it lacks depth and gravitas, at least for me, but maybe I’m a snob.
It’s strange—I’ve read some John Scalzi stuff that is even faster-paced and worked a bit better, maybe because the core concepts are so bonkers that the fast pacing makes a lot of sense. Sawyer gives us a much more interesting premise than most of Scalzi’s work, but he treats it in a way that makes me want him to slow down and let me immerse myself more in the story. His ideas are great, his characters are great—they are also very diverse, which is fantastic—and it all happens in my country. All those are positives. But I always found myself wanting more attention to those elements, for a slower-paced tale.
It really comes down to me, the reader. I like a slower burn when exploring big ideas. Vernor Vinge does that beautifully, as does Kim Stanley Robinson. Sawyer is clearly aiming for something different here. Although I enjoyed reading this story a lot, I’m not sure that it’ll stay with me as much as it should have. It does feel like a missed opportunity in a way.
It explores very important themes—prejudice, social and sexual statuses, violence, our humanity, etc. And you can see Sawyer does have many things to say; he clearly thought all of it through and it transpires through the novel. I just wish it transpired a bit slower. It’s really a detail in his whole approach when you think about it, but one that mattered to me a lot.
In the second half of the book, Sawyer does slow down a bit and focuses on some aspects of our society, especially religion and physics. But even then, it feels a bit superficial and "too easy," if that makes sense.
I'm really torn here. This is an intelligent, thought-provoking book... that reads like a quick-paced adventure novel. It's a weird mix, and I think it’d be better served with a slower pace and more analytical plotting. Then again, maybe Sawyer did just that in the sequels—I don’t know.
Nevertheless, Hominids is very interesting, quite original, and very enjoyable to read.
L'Incal, intégrale by Mœbius, Alejandro Jodorowsky
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
(English below)
Une bande dessinée audacieuse au graphisme surréaliste et à grande échelle.
L’Incal marque par des idées farfelues, son humour grinçant, ses scènes d’actions explosives et son côté totalement déjanté.
Les textes de Jodorowsky sont remarquablement fluides compte tenu du contexte étrange dans lequel ils évoluent. Les dessins de Mœbius servent remarquablement bien l’histoire, notamment par des changement de d’échelle et un dynamisme absolument remarquable.
L’impact de cette œuvre sur le monde de la bande dessinée est indéniable. Il n’y a qu’à lire les Doom Patrol de Morrison pour comprendre. Sortis peu après, ils sont très inspirés de L’Incal.
Côté négatif, l’intrigue est parfois si biscornue qu’on s’y perd et les personnages, bien que clairement définis, ne sont pas attachants. Il y a donc toujours une distance entre nous et l’histoire, un manque de proximité. Ça reste néanmoins une BD très puissante, riche et que je recommande chaudement.
—
A daring comic with surreal, large-scale graphics.
L'Incal is full of wacky ideas, wry humor, explosive action scenes and total madness.
Jodorowsky's texts are remarkably fluid, given the strange context in which they evolve. Mœbius's drawings serve the story remarkably well, with changes of scale and an absolutely remarkable dynamism.
The impact of this work on the world of comics is undeniable. You only have to read Morrison's Doom Patrol to understand. Released shortly afterwards, they are very much inspired by The Incal.
On the negative side, the plot is sometimes so convoluted that you get lost in it, and the characters, though clearly defined, are not endearing. So there's always a distance between us and the story, a lack of closeness. Nonetheless, it's a very powerful, rich comic that I highly recommend.
Une bande dessinée audacieuse au graphisme surréaliste et à grande échelle.
L’Incal marque par des idées farfelues, son humour grinçant, ses scènes d’actions explosives et son côté totalement déjanté.
Les textes de Jodorowsky sont remarquablement fluides compte tenu du contexte étrange dans lequel ils évoluent. Les dessins de Mœbius servent remarquablement bien l’histoire, notamment par des changement de d’échelle et un dynamisme absolument remarquable.
L’impact de cette œuvre sur le monde de la bande dessinée est indéniable. Il n’y a qu’à lire les Doom Patrol de Morrison pour comprendre. Sortis peu après, ils sont très inspirés de L’Incal.
Côté négatif, l’intrigue est parfois si biscornue qu’on s’y perd et les personnages, bien que clairement définis, ne sont pas attachants. Il y a donc toujours une distance entre nous et l’histoire, un manque de proximité. Ça reste néanmoins une BD très puissante, riche et que je recommande chaudement.
—
A daring comic with surreal, large-scale graphics.
L'Incal is full of wacky ideas, wry humor, explosive action scenes and total madness.
Jodorowsky's texts are remarkably fluid, given the strange context in which they evolve. Mœbius's drawings serve the story remarkably well, with changes of scale and an absolutely remarkable dynamism.
The impact of this work on the world of comics is undeniable. You only have to read Morrison's Doom Patrol to understand. Released shortly afterwards, they are very much inspired by The Incal.
On the negative side, the plot is sometimes so convoluted that you get lost in it, and the characters, though clearly defined, are not endearing. So there's always a distance between us and the story, a lack of closeness. Nonetheless, it's a very powerful, rich comic that I highly recommend.
The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
It’s not every day that I read a sci-fi novel based on a Danish fairy tale, so I had no idea what to expect from this book. Add to that the fact that it was my first Joan D. Vinge novel, and I was really going into the unknown.
The book started fairly slowly, with Vinge establishing the rules of her universe step by step, with just enough characters and locations to make the whole thing seem coherent and interesting. I thought she did a great job with her world-building, presenting it through the eyes of multiple characters. It felt a bit like a mix of Asimov’s Foundation universe with a bit of Dune’s fantasy. Although Vinge’s characters are much better than Asimov’s, and her writing is better than Herbert’s (at least in Dune), her concepts are not as creative or original. Nothing is perfect, I guess!
The whole novel is centered around a love story, something I usually don’t care for much. It actually works well here, even if it was a little tedious at times. But that tediousness was compensated by the actions of secondary characters who kept the whole thing moving forward, at least in the first half of the book.
In the second half, things get bogged down. The central character, Moon, proves to be quite uninteresting, although the rest of the cast is multilayered. I cared a lot more about them than her. They all seem to have arcs; she just goes through the motions with a clear goal in sight. She’s consistent, but I found her development thin, especially compared to the other characters.
An example is Jerusha, the police officer. She’s very well handled, and Vinge uses her to demonstrate very intelligently how sexism happens at every level of power structures and how the game is rigged against women. Very well done here.
The novel also tackles colonialism, prejudice, and bigotry in good ways. But it does so a bit too slowly and sometimes with a lack of focus or pacing that makes the whole thing feel dense.
So, this novel has many qualities, but sadly it’s not better than the sum of its parts. It’s good, tackles some very important themes, and has some very compelling characters, but it lacks something. A layer of coherence or improved pacing to make it an excellent novel. It’s frustrating, especially given how good Vinge’s prose is; I can see a great novel here, but I’m only reading a good one. A tad disappointing, in a good way, if that makes sense.