Authors: Elliot Ackerman & James Stavridis
Publication Date: March 9, 2021
Length: 320 pages
Read Date(s): April 18, 2021 – April 20, 2021
⭐⭐⭐
Book Review – 2034: A Novel of the Next World War
Tag: Review
Audiobook Review – Doctor Who: The Minds of Magnox
Goodreads Synopsis
A brand new standalone adventure for the Tenth Doctor, which also forms part of the Time Lord Victorious story arc, read by Jacob Dudman.
The Doctor travels with Brian, the Ood assassin, to the planet Magnox, one of the greatest receptacles of knowledge the universe will ever know. The Doctor needs to ask a vital question, but the answer is Grade 1 Classified! In order to gain an audience with the Minds of Magnox themselves he must take a dangerous test. Is he smart enough to get through?
Meanwhile, Brian gets involved with the criminal fraternity and is given a job: to assassinate the Minds of Magnox. However, others also have the planet within their sights….
Jacob Dudman reads this exclusive audio adventure by Darren Jones, and this edition also features a short coda to the story.
My Review
What I Liked
This is probably my favorite story, so far, of the Time Lord Victorious multimedia project. It is a tight story with an interesting, self-contained plot. While it is clearly interconnected with the overarching story of the event, it tells a good story of its own, which some other entries were lacking. I liked the premise of a planet ruled by people who have access to all the information in the universe and the answer to every question. I also enjoyed seeing the Doctor become obsessed with discovering whether his actions in other parts of the TLV event had made the universe a better place. The consequences of this obsession are ironic given the harm caused by it. This entry also contained another stand out performance by Brian the Ood, which I absolutely loved. He really is such a demented, yet fun, character.
The narration really brought this story to another level, as well. It was top notch, and Jacob Dudman did a great job impersonating the Doctor and making Brian the Ood sound eery. The coda was also fantastic and is probably my favorite scene from all of Time Lord Victorious, so far.
What I Didn’t Like
There isn’t really anything negative that stands out to me about this story.
Final Thoughts
Overall, this audiobook is a great entry in the Time Lord Victorious event. It has a fun and interesting story with fantastic narration. Therefore, I rate it 5 out of 5 stars. If you are a fan of Doctor Who, I recommend it!
ARC Review: The Year Before the End
***I received a free copy of this book from the author. My review has been completed voluntarily and is my honest opinion.***
Plot Summary
Aliens have finally made contact and seem to be interested in helping humanity join the larger galactic stage. However, many think the aliens have other nefarious ideas and are worried the building of a gate to connect Earth to the wider galaxy will bring nothing but conquest and domination from the stars. Amidst this backdrop, Zo learns of plans that the aliens will indeed attack Earth once the gate is built and agrees to have her crew participate in a mission to stop it. Along the way, she learns nothing is as it seems and not all people, even those close to you, can be trusted. Now she and her crew must run for their lives and attempt to prevent calamity from unfolding.
What I Liked
This was a solid science fiction story. I liked it’s take on what would happen if beings from other worlds made contact with humans. The various reactions described were very different, and it was a realistic approach to the topic. I think it is logical to assume some people would view the aliens as opportunity while others would see them as dangerous, and I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between the two factions play out throughout the novel. I also appreciated the amount of science present in this science fiction. I felt as though I understood what was going on, and how it was happening, fairly well thanks to the descriptions.
I enjoyed all the characters in this book, but I liked Zo and Clarice the most. They were the characters with the most background information. The rest of the crew were fun to read too, but I still felt like I didn’t really know them very well by the end of the book. With Zo, I enjoyed the backstory of how she became captain and liked how capably she led the crew. Clarice is probably my favorite, though, because I loved the exploration of how she integrated technology with her body.
The descriptions in this book were very detailed. The author did a great job making the battle and chase scenes feel realistic. There is plenty of action throughout the book, which keeps things fairly fast-paced for much of the story, especially the latter half. I also enjoyed author’s descriptions of locations, and I felt I was looking out at Mars with a vivid image in my mind. I loved the way he described the movement of the crew through the spaceships; it made me feel as though I was there bouncing around with them.
What I Didn’t Like
Even though I enjoyed the detail in the descriptions throughout the book, I found it made the book harder to read, especially the first half. There were parts that read almost like a technical manual rather than a novel. I had to take breaks or re-read some passages to fully understand or grasp the image or information trying to be conveyed. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing because I enjoyed it once I wrapped my head around it, but sometimes it made the reading tedious.
I also did not like the romance in this book. Luckily, it played only a small part. However, the one major romance scene was seriously problematic. It was steeped in sexual harassment and applied the use of a power differential and intoxication to obtain companionship. I cringed while reading it and hope the author does better with future outings for these characters.
Final Thoughts
If you like science fiction that is heavy on science and descriptions of how things work, this is probably a great book for you. There is also plenty of great action, political intrigue, and interesting uses of technology. Therefore, I rate the book 4 out of 5 stars.
ARC Review – The Broken Heart of Arelium
Plot Summary
Reed starts out guarding the wall of the Pit on what seems to be a quiet night like all the other boring nights that came before. All of a sudden, the warning beacons are lit, and Reed’s life changes in an instant. Swarms of greylings and other vicious monsters from the Pit spew forth in numbers not seen for hundreds of years, which threatens to plunge the lands into ruin. He and a mysterious Knight of the Twelve must rush to warn the city of Arelium about the oncoming hordes before it is too late. Reed, the Knight, and the city’s leaders then fight to keep everything around them safe, but they face unknown obstacles rooted in secrets from the past.
What I Liked
All of the typical fantasy elements were here, and I enjoyed each of them, for the most part. The story had an interesting premise, and I loved learning about the world in which the characters lived. There was a deep sense of mystery surrounding the lore of this world, which was one of the first things that made me want to read more. The author created a history and culture that I continue to want to learn more about.
The character I enjoyed the most was Reed. His story was engaging, and he had the best characterization in the book. I liked seeing him go from being a bored guardian on the wall of the Pit to being a real leader and hero. The exploration of his motives and background was well-done. His last scene of the book was one of the most emotionally charged because of the build-up his character received throughout the story.
The description of the battle scenes was epic. The author did a phenomenal job of making me feel like I was watching the fighting take place. I loved the detail in the descriptions of the greylings and the carnage they wrought. I actually cringed a few times because some of the portrayals of maiming were that vivid. The descriptions of damage to character’s eyes really got to me because I have a weird fear about my own eyes being damaged.
Finally, the ending was intense. I’m still not sure if it was a good or bad intense, overall, but there were things I liked about it. I love a good curve ball, and this one packed some super curvy ones (more on this in a bit). I was shocked at some of the revelations, and they added a great deal of interesting history to this world that I assume will be explored in other books.
What I Didn’t Like
Even though I liked some of the revelations at the end of the book, many of them seemed to come out of nowhere. As I said above, I like curve balls in stories, but I prefer for there to be an aha moment where the clues from earlier in the book come together to show me what I missed. I didn’t get that from this book. The revelations at the end felt tacked on rather than the outcome of earlier story or character development, which is not as satisfying.
Also, the book really could have used at least another round of edits. There were several mistakes, including misnaming characters. The dialogue felt very unnatural, especially in the first half of the book. The way certain things were said just felt off and took me out of the story on several occasions.
The execution of the plot and the pacing of the story were a bit rough. Character monologues with giant info dumps were rampant throughout the text, and it bogged down the story quite a bit. One of the monologues even made no logical sense. A severely wounded character, who was coughing up blood, relayed the entire events of a battle before passing out. No character with wounds like that would make it through a monologue that is a chapter long, especially when a few lines would have been all that was necessary to relay the needed information. The plot seemed to jump from info dump to battle scene and back again without many scenes for good character development. This is probably why I only came away caring about Reed. The rest of the characters fell flat and just seemed like props to dump information or move the plot along.
Final Thoughts
The Broken Heart of Arelium delivered an interesting fantasy tale with fascinating lore, excellent battle depictions, and a wild ride of an ending. The execution of the story was a bit wobbly with stiff dialogue, numerous info dumps, and uneven character development. However, there was enough interesting details and gory battle scenes here to keep me intrigued despite the flaws. Therefore, I rate the book 3 out of 5 stars.
Have you read this book? If so, what did you think?
Book Review – Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious: All Flesh Is Grass
Summary
This story picks up where The Knight, The Fool, & The Dead left off, with the 10th Doctor facing off with the Kotturuh to defeat death once and for all. Unexpectedly, two earlier versions of himself, the 8th and 9th Doctors, have teamed up with the Daleks and the vampires to stop him. Major battles ensue, and the Doctors’ alliances become tenuous and fraught with peril. The 10th Doctor struggles to accept that no one should have the power over life and death, including himself, while attempting to prevent his supposed allies from wreaking havoc throughout the Dark Times.
What I Liked
This is a fun adventure with multiple doctors. I enjoyed getting to read them playing off each other, especially the 8th doctor interacting with his two later versions. The story was action-packed with several battles and a lot going on to tie the disparate story threads of Time Lord Victorious together. So, it was never boring. Brian the Ood and Mr. Ball were once again a comical treat, and I hope they show up in more media outside of Time Lord Victorious. I also found the idea of the Doctors fighting each other to be an interesting premise, and seeing the 10th Doctor truly adopt the mantle of Time Lord Victorious as he tries to control time and defeat death was magnificent to read.
What I Didn’t Like
The pacing of this story was strange. It seemed to jump from battle to battle with little breathing room or explanation of what was going on. I figured it all out before the end, but a little more down time in the story would have probably helped keep the story from feeling too jumpy. I also wish more time was devoted to the 10th Doctor when he was the Time Lord Victorious. It is such an interesting idea, and he did not take on that mantle for very long in the book. I would have loved to see him struggle with it a bit more.
I was also disappointed that the Kotturuh were defeated so quickly. I really liked their introduction in the last book and wish they had been a bit more formidable since they were literally death-bringers. Instead, this book was yet another Dalek story. Don’t get me wrong, I love the Daleks. However, I also wanted something fresh from the overall story of this book and multimedia project, and I didn’t get that from this at all. It felt like I was reading about Time War Part 2 by the end of the book.
Final Thoughts
All Flesh Is Grass was a fitting crescendo to the Time Lord Victorious project. It is a short, fast-paced read and a fun multi-doctor story. Just like many of the other Time Lord Victorious works, this book is fun, yet somewhat frustrating, because it does not live up to its full potential. However, despite the weird pacing and rehash of previous story beats and monsters, the interaction between the Doctors and getting to see even a glimpse of the 10th Doctor take on the Time Lord Victorious mantle is worth giving it a read. Therefore, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
ARC Review: A Song of Steel
***Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing a copy of the book for my fair and honest review!***
Goodreads Synopsis
Alternate history – 1116 AD. Three hundred years of cruel Viking raids have finally united Christian Europe against the pagan Northlands. A great crusade has been called to pacify the wild Norse kingdoms. The banner of the cross has been raised against the north, and all the power and fury of the west rides under it.
Ordulf, a talented young German swordsmith, is ripped from his comfortable life and cast into the bloody chaos of the crusade. As fate deals him a cruel blow in the lands of his enemies, he will have to forge a new path through the chaos, or be consumed by it.
In the Northlands, three rival kingdoms must unite to survive the onslaught. But can any man, king or commoner, unite the bickering brotherhood of the Norse? Or is the time of the Vikings finally drawing to a violent end. Heroes will fail, kings will fall, and ordinary people will fight for the right to a future.
What I Liked
I loved this book. It pulled me in from the very start with the mystery surrounding the sword and kept me hooked throughout the story with the great characterization and beautifully written battle sequences. This author definitely has a way with words that constantly left me wanting to read just one more page.
The characters in this book were fantastic. They felt like real people, and it was easy to understand their motivations and emotions because the author did a great job of making me feel like I know these people. The two main protagonists, Ordulf and Ragnvald, were particularly well-crafted. I enjoyed jumping between the two because it gave the perspectives of both sides of the war and provided a window into the unique strengths and weaknesses of each culture. Their stories also complemented each other well, with one character being older and more experienced and the other young and naive. However, I appreciated that they were both on similar journeys that required shedding off some of the ways of their pasts to embrace a new future and ensure their survival.
The prose throughout the story was exquisitely detailed and beautifully written. The battle sequences were especially well-done. They made me feel like I was going into battle with the characters and had just the perfect amount of gore to be realistic without overdoing it. I was also pleasantly surprised with how well the writing pulled me into parts of the story I would have otherwise found boring. A great deal of time in this novel was spent on describing the forging of weapons. This is something I’ve never been very interested in before, but this author’s prose was spell-binding enough to keep me hooked throughout those parts of the book. I feel as though I came away from the story with a better understanding of metallurgy and had fun learning about it, which is something I never expected going into this book.
I also greatly enjoyed the information about Norse culture displayed throughout this book. I didn’t know much about it prior to reading the story, and I am now interested to learn more. The author weaved the information skillfully throughout the narrative, and I never felt like I was being taught anything about history. However, I learned a lot from this book, and it has whetted my appetite to learn more!
Things I Didn’t Like
Nothing. I loved everything about this book, and I cannot wait for the next one to be released.
Final Thoughts
If you enjoy historical fiction or fantasy books, this might just be the book for you. The writing is wonderful, and the characters are realistic and fun to read. The battle sequences are outstanding, and I loved learning about Norse culture and metallurgy because the information is presented in engaging bits throughout the story. Therefore, I rate this book 5 out of 5 stars.
ARC Review – Foretold
***Thank you to NetGalley and Uproar Books for providing a copy of the book for my fair and honest review!***
Summary
Cassie stares across the street in horror as a boy dies from being hit by a car. Except it didn’t really happen. She initially brushes it off as a manifestation of her OCD until she learns that she has the gift of scrying, seeing events that will happen in the future. Cassie then decides to spend the summer training to become a scryer as part of her effort to save the boy from the accident. Along the way, she makes her first friends since the death of her mother and gets pulled into political conspiracies while trying to cope with her OCD and grief.
What I Liked
The depiction of OCD in this book was spectacular. The author did an excellent job of providing a vivid picture of what it is like inside the head of someone with this disorder. As a therapist, I also enjoyed seeing the character use some of the most common therapeutic techniques often taught to clients with this disorder. Additionally, I just loved the premise of turning something that many people see as a liability into a superpower of sorts. This book did that very well. It did a great job of showing the potential impacts of grief on a family and friend system, as well. Seeing how Cassie began to open up despite her grief was one of my favorite things about the book. Overall, I was really impressed with the tackling of mental health topics in this book.
The idea of the ‘coil’ was a really interesting one. It provided the story with a perfect test for the main character. It made use of interesting imagery and mystery while requiring the characters to overcome their fears in an inventive way. It also provided a great obstacle to someone with OCD since completing the task successfully required control over one’s mind.
While a lot of the plot was predictable, there were some surprises at the end that I did not see coming, which makes me interested to see where the story goes. There were also surprises about some of the characters that I enjoyed, and I was happy to see some assumptions about particular characters turned on their head throughout the story. It helped to keep the story engaging.
What I Didn’t Like
Large parts of this book were nothing but an info dump. After Cassie started her training, there were countless descriptions of her learning stuff in class. It felt like I was sitting in the classroom with her, which is what I assume the author was going for. However, I wish the world-building would have been more organic and allowed me to learn about the world from the things happening to the character rather than being taught the information. And despite all the info dumps, I don’t feel like I know this world all that well. I still don’t understand the coil or the society of scryers much better than before starting the book.
The writing of the romance in this book made me cringe. The language used and the insta-love were annoying. And for the love of God, why did there have to be a love triangle. It was completely unnecessary and added nothing to this story.
Final Thoughts
This book was an enjoyable read that boldly tackled tough mental health topics in an imaginative and unique way. Despite the clunkiness of the world-building in numerous info dumps and the cringy romance, there was a lot to like. Therefore, I rate this book 3 out of 5 stars and recommend it for individuals interested in mental health, fantasy, or love triangles. 😁
Book Review – Star Wars: Shadow Fall
I move forward, because dwelling on my shame doesn’t help anyone.
Shadow Fall, page 333
Summary
Shadow Fall is the second book of the Alphabet Squadron trilogy by Alexander Freed. This story sets off in the aftermath of the destruction and revelations that occurred in the first book. Yrica Quell and the rest of Alphabet Squadron are attempting to defeat Imperial remnants on a planet of strategic value to the New Republic. They decide to lay a trap to lure the elusive and dangerous Shadow Squadron to them. The goal is to minimize losses and defeat them without ship to ship combat. Against this backdrop, the crew of Alphabet Squadron struggle to overcome their own demons and the impacts of war on their psyche.
What I Liked
I enjoyed this book more than the first book in this series. This was largely because I liked the characters more in this book than the last. They faced interesting dilemmas and almost all of them experienced some character growth. Each character seemed to portray a different struggle commonly faced by those involved in war. I particularly enjoyed Yrica’s journey of dealing with her shame and guilt…even though the outcome made me angry at the character. I also liked seeing Wyl come into his own as a leader while struggling to deal with how best to use his empathy for others in a war-time setting. Chas’s journey to figure out where she belongs after the war was also compelling. Overall, the characters were one of the greatest parts of the novel.
I also loved the way this author depicted the battles and flight sequences. He does a fantastic job of making you feel like you are in the trenches or cockpit with the characters. These descriptions and the peeks into the character’s mindsets during the battles made the last half of the book hard to put down. The ending of the book left me wanting more, and I am looking forward to reading the last book in the series.
Another random tidbit…I enjoyed the torture robot turned therapist droid, IT-O. His backstory was expanded upon in this book and was well-done. His interactions with Yrica were one of my favorite things about the book.
What I Didn’t Like
This book was difficult to get through in the beginning. The first third of this book was mind-numbingly boring to me. There was some characterization and a small amount of flight battles in that bit, but it wasn’t very interesting. I almost gave up on it, and I do not DNF books very often, especially Star Wars books. The plot also seemed very forced at different points in the story and felt as though certain things happened only because they had to in order to move the story along. I was a bit disappointed that Kairos got sidelined for most of the book, especially since most of the other characters grew throughout the story. I’m hoping she will be more of a major player in the next book because I want to learn more about her.
Wrap-Up
In summary, this book was a mix of beautiful battle descriptions, interesting character growth, boring swaths of writing, and a somewhat shaky plot. It did a pretty good job of tackling the mindset of those experiencing brutal warfare and processing the impact of shame and guilt on the psyche of soldiers. However, it was a very boring read for most of the first half of the book and sidelined one of the most interesting characters. So, I rate it 3 out of 5 stars.
Wrap-Up: March 2021
This month has been an absolute whirlwind. I can’t believe it is already over! The months of this year seem to be flying by quickly. Luckily, I’ve been able to find a lot of great books to enjoy this month. I’ve made significant progress toward my reading goal for this year and am on track to beat it if I can manage to keep up this same pace. We’ll see if life continues to allow it to happen. Regardless, I am excited to reflect on my reading journey from this month. So, without further ado… Here is my wrap-up for March 2021!
What I Read
Master Thief/Lesser Evils by Sophie Iles/Simon Guerrier ⭐⭐⭐
These Doctor Who short audio dramas follow the Master during two of his adventures, which are tangentially connected to other outings in the Time Lord Victorious multimedia project. They are both interesting, straightforward stories that I found fun to listen to.
He Kills Me, He Kills Me Not by Carrie Thompson ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This is another audio drama from the Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious crossover event. It follows the 8th Doctor as he discovers a world that is different than it should be. The theme of the story is Western, and it is a fun introduction to Brian the Ood.
Amazing Spider-Man: Sins Rising by Nick Spencer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This collection of Spider-Man comics pits the web crawler against a resurrected Sin Eater. I enjoyed reading it and found the parallels with violence extremists to be interesting.
Amazing Spider-Man: Green Goblin Returns by Nick Spencer ⭐⭐⭐⭐
These comics make up the conclusion to the Sins Rising story line. In them, Spider-Man must decide whether he is willing to let Norman Osborn be cleansed to prevent him from committing future evil acts. It is an interesting moral dilemma that is fairly well executed.
Into the Dark by Claudia Gray ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The first YA entry in the Star Wars: The High Republic multimedia event was a lot of fun to read. It follows the adventures of several Jedi as they get stranded on an ancient space station after the hyperspace disaster. See the full review!
Solaris Seethes by Janet McNulty ⭐⭐
This book had the potential to be a great story. It had an interesting premise and was filled with fun adventures. It followed a group of people determined to find six crystals before they could be merged into a galaxy-dominating super-weapon. Unfortunately, the writing style was quite annoying and difficult to read. See the full review!
The Enemy of My Enemy by Tracy Ann Barnes ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This next story in the Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious event follows the 8th Doctor as he helps the Daleks broker a peace treaty with a race of people who shouldn’t exist. It was a fun story in which the Daleks were incredibly smart and ruthless. See the full review!
Doctor Who Annual 2021 by Paul Laing ⭐⭐⭐
I bought this book for the Time Lord Victorious background information, but it also has diary entries from the characters of Series 12 of Doctor Who that describe each of the episodes. It is a quick, informative read. See the full review!
Incursion by Mitchell Hogan ⭐⭐⭐⭐
I loved this book. It is an interesting fantasy novel with a unique magic system and great characters. It follows a young man as he attempts to pass his trials to become a Knight while grappling with the darkness rising within him. See the full review!
The Knight, The Fool, & The Dead by Steve Cole ⭐⭐⭐
The first novel in the Doctor Who: Time Lord Victorious event is a fun read that follows the 10th Doctor as he faces off against the Kotturuh. Can the Doctor defeat Death? Or, more importantly, should he? See the full review!
Monstrous Beauty by Scott Gray ⭐⭐
This comic follows the 9th Doctor and Rose as they explore the Dark Times. The story is a bit rushed, and I was confused about certain aspects of the story and overall timeline. However, it does provide some background info for other parts of Time Lord Victorious. See the full review!
Genex of Halcyon by Joshua Stelling ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This book is a beautifully written look into the potential future of mankind. While the story lacks a clear plot and is confusing at times, the world-building and exploration of deep themes is exceptional. See the full review!
Thurmond’s Saga by Robert John MacKenzie ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Thurmond is the most unlikely of heroes, but he dreams of becoming a professional adventurer. After being approached by a stranger to complete some odd tasks, he finds himself on the adventure of a lifetime. This is a fun fantasy story that I highly recommend. See the full review!
Shadow Fall by Alexander Freed ⭐⭐⭐
This second book in the Star Wars Alphabet Squadron trilogy is an improvement on the first novel. It delves deeper into the psyches of the characters and explores the impacts that war can have on a person. Full review is coming soon!
All Flesh Is Grass by Una McCormack ⭐⭐⭐
This book is the climax of the Doctor Who Time Lord Victorious event. It is filled with vampires, Daleks, and a fast-paced adventure. Full review is coming soon!
The House In the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
I cannot emphasize enough how much I love this book. It follows case worker Linus Baker as he investigates an orphanage that houses children who just happen to also be magical creatures. The character work, pacing, and emotional tone of this book are all fantastic. Full review is coming soon!
Minds of Magnox by Darren Jones (Narrated by Jacob Dudman) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
This Doctor Who Time Lord Victorious audiobook follows the 10th Doctor and Brian the Ood when they land on Magnox to find answers to an important question. The Doctor thinks the Minds of Magnox can give him answers, but, as usual, things don’t go the way the doctor has planned. This audiobook is a fun adventure that provides interesting background information on Brian. Full review is coming soon!
Jairus’s Girl by L.R. Hay ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Tammie is a young girl living in Israel during the time period of the life of Jesus. This book was written for children to provide a window into Jesus’s life, and it follows Tammie as she witnesses events firsthand. Full review is coming soon!
Final Thoughts
I can’t believe I read 18 books this month! I usually don’t even read that much in a year. I enjoyed a lot of good books, especially a great number of Doctor Who stories. I hope to finish Time Lord Victorious in the coming month or two. Check back tomorrow to see my reading goal for April 2021!
Have you read any of these books? What did you think? Leave a comment and let me know!
Book Review – Genex of Halcyon
Summary
The year is 2051, and the world is a very different place. Global warming has caused catastrophic crises throughout the planet, but the technological breakthroughs of the last 30 years have allowed humanity to progress past its old economic systems. People live in relative peace and harmony with all basic needs met. Genetic manipulation has also increased lifespans and given humans otherworldly qualities never seen before. This story follows a group of people as they navigate their day to day lives for the last three days of 2051. It explores the consequences of their choices on their personal relationships and, potentially, the rest of society.
Things I Liked
The writing in this book is beautiful. It is written almost like a narrative poem, and the author does an excellent job of setting up this futuristic world in a breathtaking way. I also loved the exploration of very deep themes in this book. It seemed almost philosophical in nature and tackled a wide range of issues, including death, free will, technology vs. privacy, and the impacts of genetic manipulation, among others. I enjoyed how much this book made me think and how the author painted a picture of an Earth so different yet grounded in the problems we face as a society today.
Things I Didn’t Like
The lyrical writing style, while beautiful, made the book difficult to follow at times. It also seemed that the major focus was on world-building rather than delivery of a solid, interesting plot. It seemed as though the things that happened were occurring only to drive the philosophical discussions rather than to tell a compelling story. I also failed to connect with the characters and didn’t really like any of them.
Final Thoughts
This book was a fascinating take on what the future of Earth and humanity may look like. The author used beautiful writing to organically weave a world that is fascinating while tackling some very deep and timely themes. However, the plot of the story is weak and difficult to follow, with characters that I didn’t really care about. Despite these flaws, I enjoyed the book and rate it 4 out of 5 stars. I recommend it for fans of science fiction that like a more philosophical approach to storytelling.