Reviews tagging 'Suicidal thoughts'

The Vela: The Complete Season 1 by Becky Chambers, Rivers Solomon, Yoon Ha Lee, S.L. Huang

1 review

imyril's review

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adventurous tense fast-paced
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I hoovered this up when it first came out, snared by a combination of favourite authors tackling topics close to my heart as a star system tears itself apart in the face of a self-inflicted crisis. The inner planets powered their wasteful lifestyles by harvesting the sun; as its heat begins to fail, the outer planets are paying the price. One by one, they are becoming uninhabitable – and the waves of refugees who dare the void in cobbled-together spaceships are finding they are unwelcome on worlds newly-aware of the cost of a growing population.

The series starts on cushy Khayyam, where the president sees political capital in taking in the last ship to escape frozen Eratos. When the Vela disappears en route, Ekrem sends his favourite mercenary – an outworld refugee herself – and his youngest child to bring them home. But as Asala and Niko investigate, they realise that seemingly benign acts may mask ruthless ambition. Nobody’s hands will stay clean in the face extinction.

It’s an AMAZING pitch and – as you’d expect from the author line-up – brilliantly diverse, with trans and nonbinary protagonist, much queer loving and more action (mostly from Asala). On first read (original reviews of each episode here), I found it good if a little uneven, especially on pacing. As a reread, I found it much more satisfying; largely, I think, down to the epic narration by Robin Miles. Miles is expressive, has a knack for distinct (and consistent) voices and her performance had me giggling and gasping in public (I listen to audio reads when out for walks).

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