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valjeanval's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Ok, so the story itself isn't anything special in the McCaffrey catalog. Sentient fashion aliens and sexy rescue missions. I haven't read the rest of this series so maybe I would benefit more from knowing thr rest of the universe, but it's not one I'm going to remember. That said, the 70s pulp illustrations of this novella are really cool and are the actual reason I bought this one at the used book store. It's worth a flip through at the very least.
Content Warnings
Minor: Ableism
peterparker's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
The illustrations in this book are so beautiful! I am in love with how many they were able to fit in here and they match the story so well. I am a person that finds it hard to picture what I am reading. The spacing is never right or I imagine something much smaller than it should be when trying to picture it in my head.
The story can be a bit confusing but I would say it's a normal amount of sci-fi confusion. As you read you get the context clues of what certain things mean in this universe if you didn't get it the first time.
The story can be a bit confusing but I would say it's a normal amount of sci-fi confusion. As you read you get the context clues of what certain things mean in this universe if you didn't get it the first time.
goodfriendsgoodbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
emintobooks's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
felinity's review against another edition
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
moirwyn's review against another edition
3.0
This review originally appeared on my blog, Books Without Any Pictures:
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/07/08/mini-reviews-camping-edition/
The Coelura by Anne McCaffrey is a novella-length space opera about fashion, contracts, and alien life forms. It reminds me a little bit of the Kill La Kill anime, except pulpier and not quite as developed.
Contracts are very important in the world of Demeathorn. Rather than marriage, people enter into short-term contracts in order to conceive heirs. Caissa is the body heir to the Ambassador, which means she’s grown up to a life of privilege, but also that she owes it to her dad to arrange a beneficial contract when it’s time for her to bear her own heir. When her father tries to convince her to settle for someone below her standards, Caissa rides off into the sunset on her speeder. She hears a distress call and meets Murrell, a handsome young man who has connections to the Coelura, a sentient species that weaves/becomes super fashionable robes that respond to the wearer’s emotions, surroundings, etc. Caissa realizes that the Coelura need to be protected from the schemes of people like her father, and so determines to do whatever is in her power to help.
I’ve been a huge Anne McCaffrey fan ever since I first discovered her in high school. Her heroines are competent businesswomen, and I’ve always enjoyed how independent and assertive they are. Caissa is no different, and continually does her own thing while spinning it to fulfill her filial obligations. But even though I liked Caissa as a heroine, my overall thoughts on The Coelura were mixed.
Compared to McCaffrey’s other books, The Coelura meandered too much and didn’t feel like a cohesive story. The ending in particular hinted at unexpected characteristics of the Coelura themselves, but in a rushed and dismissive kind of way. Another 50 pages and an extra couple hours of editing could have done wonders for the story.
One the other hand, one of the really neat things about The Coelura was the art. This was a really short book, and the only reason that it approaches 150 pages is that there were so many full-page illustrations interspersed throughout. I love vintage pulpy SF/F artwork, so I was delighted to find so much of it.
Verdict: Not McCaffrey’s best work by a long shot, but a fun pulpy romp nonetheless.
http://bookswithoutanypictures.com/2016/07/08/mini-reviews-camping-edition/
The Coelura by Anne McCaffrey is a novella-length space opera about fashion, contracts, and alien life forms. It reminds me a little bit of the Kill La Kill anime, except pulpier and not quite as developed.
Contracts are very important in the world of Demeathorn. Rather than marriage, people enter into short-term contracts in order to conceive heirs. Caissa is the body heir to the Ambassador, which means she’s grown up to a life of privilege, but also that she owes it to her dad to arrange a beneficial contract when it’s time for her to bear her own heir. When her father tries to convince her to settle for someone below her standards, Caissa rides off into the sunset on her speeder. She hears a distress call and meets Murrell, a handsome young man who has connections to the Coelura, a sentient species that weaves/becomes super fashionable robes that respond to the wearer’s emotions, surroundings, etc. Caissa realizes that the Coelura need to be protected from the schemes of people like her father, and so determines to do whatever is in her power to help.
I’ve been a huge Anne McCaffrey fan ever since I first discovered her in high school. Her heroines are competent businesswomen, and I’ve always enjoyed how independent and assertive they are. Caissa is no different, and continually does her own thing while spinning it to fulfill her filial obligations. But even though I liked Caissa as a heroine, my overall thoughts on The Coelura were mixed.
Compared to McCaffrey’s other books, The Coelura meandered too much and didn’t feel like a cohesive story. The ending in particular hinted at unexpected characteristics of the Coelura themselves, but in a rushed and dismissive kind of way. Another 50 pages and an extra couple hours of editing could have done wonders for the story.
One the other hand, one of the really neat things about The Coelura was the art. This was a really short book, and the only reason that it approaches 150 pages is that there were so many full-page illustrations interspersed throughout. I love vintage pulpy SF/F artwork, so I was delighted to find so much of it.
Verdict: Not McCaffrey’s best work by a long shot, but a fun pulpy romp nonetheless.