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timinbc's review against another edition
3.0
One reviewer called it a "character-based story;" another called it a "soap opera in space." They're both right. But the author has also done a LOT of hard-SF research and extrapolation about how to get around in the atmosphere if this planet.
Like many books these days, this one tries to push quite a few diversity buttons at once, and does so well. Occasionally it occurs to me that the diversity of a story should not exceed the diversity of its setting; but I balance that with "the old white engineers had 50 years, let's balance for a while."
Early on I wondered why so few people seemed to die in this viciously harsh environment, and I had to tell myself that all the careless ones died a generation ago. To the author's credit, not everyone we meet makes it to the end.
I understand that the author had to decide to take the larger setting as a given, and just tell us that some thousands of people are "farming" Venus. It would have been incredibly hard to write, but I think there's a good book in the how-did-they-get-to-there part of this story. What came after the probes? How did they discover the trawlers? How did they decide that they could be adapted, and what was the death rate among early colonists? How did they get all the high-tech stuff TO Venus, and most of all why isn't there a giant hi-tech orbiting platform that doesn't have to fight Venus constantly?
Still not sure about the believability of the in-atmosphere travel, with the spur-of-the-moment 8-hours-in-a-wingsuit trips, the planes, drones, etc. etc. but I was impressed by the calculations on winds, updrafts, varying speeds relative to the surface, etc.
Like many books these days, this one tries to push quite a few diversity buttons at once, and does so well. Occasionally it occurs to me that the diversity of a story should not exceed the diversity of its setting; but I balance that with "the old white engineers had 50 years, let's balance for a while."
Early on I wondered why so few people seemed to die in this viciously harsh environment, and I had to tell myself that all the careless ones died a generation ago. To the author's credit, not everyone we meet makes it to the end.
I understand that the author had to decide to take the larger setting as a given, and just tell us that some thousands of people are "farming" Venus. It would have been incredibly hard to write, but I think there's a good book in the how-did-they-get-to-there part of this story. What came after the probes? How did they discover the trawlers? How did they decide that they could be adapted, and what was the death rate among early colonists? How did they get all the high-tech stuff TO Venus, and most of all why isn't there a giant hi-tech orbiting platform that doesn't have to fight Venus constantly?
Still not sure about the believability of the in-atmosphere travel, with the spur-of-the-moment 8-hours-in-a-wingsuit trips, the planes, drones, etc. etc. but I was impressed by the calculations on winds, updrafts, varying speeds relative to the surface, etc.
scigeek22's review against another edition
5.0
I first want to say thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read and review this book. The House of Styx is my first introduction to Derek Künsken, and it certainly won’t be the last time I read him.
As a biochemist, immunologist and educator, this book just flowed through my mind with such ease wanting to be taken in to this world. The first thing that grabbed me about the book was how effortless his descriptive prose was. Künsken describes the environment of Venus so well it just keep pulling me in. I was not bothered by the intermittent "French" words as some may have. Having the knowledge of "French" allowed me to flow through this book with ease. The book felt so real that I could really believe this type of thing might not be far away.
What really makes this novel shine are the characters. The loss the D’Aquillion’s have experienced in their time on Venus is palpable to a reader as does the ruthless environment they work to domesticate. Künsken does a brilliant job. I almost cried a few times reading this story, and the massive cliff-hanger, I was so shocked and had to check that I had not missed something to the book.
I highly recommend this to SF fans and those who maybe teetering on the edge of SF. I cannot wait to see what happen as the secret the D’Aquillion’s have found is probed even further.
As a biochemist, immunologist and educator, this book just flowed through my mind with such ease wanting to be taken in to this world. The first thing that grabbed me about the book was how effortless his descriptive prose was. Künsken describes the environment of Venus so well it just keep pulling me in. I was not bothered by the intermittent "French" words as some may have. Having the knowledge of "French" allowed me to flow through this book with ease. The book felt so real that I could really believe this type of thing might not be far away.
What really makes this novel shine are the characters. The loss the D’Aquillion’s have experienced in their time on Venus is palpable to a reader as does the ruthless environment they work to domesticate. Künsken does a brilliant job. I almost cried a few times reading this story, and the massive cliff-hanger, I was so shocked and had to check that I had not missed something to the book.
I highly recommend this to SF fans and those who maybe teetering on the edge of SF. I cannot wait to see what happen as the secret the D’Aquillion’s have found is probed even further.
xantaranth's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-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? Yes
3.25
knittyreader's review against another edition
3.0
All aspects of this book are awesome in their own right. There is sci-fi about humanity living around Venus, trying to salvage whatever they can to survive. Gender identity, love, family, politics, equality for disabled people, they are all important issues and interesting, and they are all wonderfully woven together in this book.
Then why only three stars? It took too long for the story to land. Especially with quite a lot of worldbuilding at the start, and the author trying to cram in the starts of too many of these issues in too fast, it was often quite overwhelming and ... it was not actually confusing (I always got on the right track again pretty quickly), but it did sometimes feel that way.
All in all this book certainly is worth reading. Don't expect it to be easy to read though.
I received a free copy through Netgalley.
Then why only three stars? It took too long for the story to land. Especially with quite a lot of worldbuilding at the start, and the author trying to cram in the starts of too many of these issues in too fast, it was often quite overwhelming and ... it was not actually confusing (I always got on the right track again pretty quickly), but it did sometimes feel that way.
All in all this book certainly is worth reading. Don't expect it to be easy to read though.
I received a free copy through Netgalley.
draculaura21's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Family division. Gender identity. Ableism. Political Intrigue. Class dynamics. All these elements you wouldn't expect to find in a sci-fi space drama, but here we are. Derek Künsken has created a story as richly layered and volatile as Venus herself. The characters are complicated and damaged and at times, painfully real.
We can never truly know what it's like to live a life perpetually among the clouds (clouds that are constantly trying to kill you), but Künsken makes you really feel like you're there, flying through sulfuric acid rain and buffeted by constant storms. His action sequences are fast-paced and cinematic. I could definitely imagine watching these scenarios unfold on the big screen. While it did take me awhile to get used to the highly technical and scientific terms, the depth at which details are explained is a testament to the extensive research Künsken has done.
I've always been drawn to Venus, even as a young child. I loved the irony of a planet that is so beautiful and named after the Goddess of Love, but in reality is incredibly deadly. It is that very beauty that makes her so lethal. but is still determined to hide an ungliness under that myriad of sunset colors. If you've ever struggled with self-worth, this concept is one that is all too familiar. Pascale described it perfectly, "Venus isn't just a mirror. She's every mirror. We all see ourselves in her."
We can never truly know what it's like to live a life perpetually among the clouds (clouds that are constantly trying to kill you), but Künsken makes you really feel like you're there, flying through sulfuric acid rain and buffeted by constant storms. His action sequences are fast-paced and cinematic. I could definitely imagine watching these scenarios unfold on the big screen. While it did take me awhile to get used to the highly technical and scientific terms, the depth at which details are explained is a testament to the extensive research Künsken has done.
I've always been drawn to Venus, even as a young child. I loved the irony of a planet that is so beautiful and named after the Goddess of Love, but in reality is incredibly deadly. It is that very beauty that makes her so lethal. but is still determined to hide an ungliness under that myriad of sunset colors. If you've ever struggled with self-worth, this concept is one that is all too familiar. Pascale described it perfectly, "Venus isn't just a mirror. She's every mirror. We all see ourselves in her."
ameserole's review against another edition
3.0
I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
The House of Styx was a pretty interesting read. I mean how cool would it be to live on Venus? Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. On this planet, we get to see the colonist work, eat, and live. It was pretty cool to figure out how they harvest oxygen because that isn't something that I would automatically think of.
The one thing that I had a like/dislike relationship with was the wording. It was nice of the author to go into such great detail about certain things but at the same time I just felt like piles and piles of information were being dumped on top of me. My poor brain hurt that I had to take a breather, or two, just to digest everything my eyes saw.
Then on top of that, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters in this book. I really wanted to but it just never happened. Besides being disappointed about that, it was just an okay book with some frustrating parts.
The House of Styx was a pretty interesting read. I mean how cool would it be to live on Venus? Pretty freaking awesome if you ask me. On this planet, we get to see the colonist work, eat, and live. It was pretty cool to figure out how they harvest oxygen because that isn't something that I would automatically think of.
The one thing that I had a like/dislike relationship with was the wording. It was nice of the author to go into such great detail about certain things but at the same time I just felt like piles and piles of information were being dumped on top of me. My poor brain hurt that I had to take a breather, or two, just to digest everything my eyes saw.
Then on top of that, I couldn't really connect with any of the characters in this book. I really wanted to but it just never happened. Besides being disappointed about that, it was just an okay book with some frustrating parts.
hank's review against another edition
3.0
The good things: Venus and the world Künsken creates is excellent. He definitely put some thought and research into how Venus is and how people might actually live there. Drifting/flying up and down the levels was a fun maze for the mind.
The not so good: Although I loved Quantum Magician and the followups, the writing here is weak at best. The characters all seem like silos, distinct, somewhat fleshed out yet not really meshing with each other. The society, although somewhat believable with our current bad guy of the day, banks, doesn't really function how I think it should. If there isn't enough resources to support an atypical kid, there absolutely, definitely won't be enough to support a sex change. Politically, grabbing a rival's habitat for spare parts for everyone else, would be far too transparent and a non-starter. The drug use and alcoholism also doesn't make a ton of sense given the, apparently, viciously tight resources.
4 stars for the world, 2 stars for the characters and writing. Too many books to read, I doubt I will continue with this series. Now I will go read Ryan's review and see what he thought.
The not so good: Although I loved Quantum Magician and the followups, the writing here is weak at best. The characters all seem like silos, distinct, somewhat fleshed out yet not really meshing with each other. The society, although somewhat believable with our current bad guy of the day, banks, doesn't really function how I think it should. If there isn't enough resources to support an atypical kid, there absolutely, definitely won't be enough to support a sex change. Politically, grabbing a rival's habitat for spare parts for everyone else, would be far too transparent and a non-starter. The drug use and alcoholism also doesn't make a ton of sense given the, apparently, viciously tight resources.
4 stars for the world, 2 stars for the characters and writing. Too many books to read, I doubt I will continue with this series. Now I will go read Ryan's review and see what he thought.
pilebythebed's review against another edition
4.0
After dealing with very far future antics involving multiple post-human species in The Quantum Magician and The Quantum Garden, Derek Künsken’s new novel which takes place in the near future, involves normal people and is set in the atmosphere of Venus feels positively grounded. That said, The House of Styx does revolve around a high concept discovery that could change humanity’s understanding of the universe, so there is that.
Pascal D’Aquillon lives with his father George-Ettienne, brother Jean-Eudes and little nephew Alexis. They live in a floating habitat that is part organic and farm the floating, endemic species that live in Venus’s acidic atmosphere. Down in the lower atmosphere they live separate from the main Venusian community that floats many kilometres above them. Living up in that milieu are Pascal’s sister, Marthe and brother Émile. Marthe is a member of the ruling Assembly of Venus but is finding herself sidelined and outmanoeuvred by the president who takes her riding orders from the Bank of Pallas. Émile, who has broken with his father, is seeing an artist and trying to connect more deeply with Venus. Everything changes when George-Ettienne discovers a strange storm in which air seems to be flowing into a cave at the bottom of a Venusian cavern, and he takes Pascal to investigate.
House of Styx is the first volume of a trilogy. So despite its length it is, by the end, almost a lengthy set up for what might come next. After making their discovery, Pascal and his family must recruit allies and pull off a daring heist to secure materials needed to further explore their find. Readers of Künsken’s early works will not be surprised by the heist element of the story, a device that was central to The Quantum Magician. And it is a device that he uses well, after spending much of the book setting up not only the characters who will be carrying out the mission but their adversaries.
While The House of Styx may be considered fairly “hard” science fiction (there is plenty here about the physics and makeup of the Venusian atmosphere), Künsken is also really interested in his characters. In his earlier books, the cast while engaging were all post-human in some ways. The D’Aquillon family, on the other hand is very human, with very human emotions and drives. Central to this is the journey of Pascal, a teenage boy who feels wrong in his body but has no idea how to process how he is feeling. But each of the main characters has a journey to make, and new alliances to build, giving this book plenty of heart.
Venus is a deadly environment. An atmosphere that is mainly carbon dioxide with sulphuric acid clouds, and intense heat and pressure at lower altitudes. Despite all of the familiarity they have with it and joy that the characters get in flying around in the Venusian atmosphere, Künsken never loses sight of the fact that this environment is incredibly dangerous. That there may be good reasons for the austerity measures that the government has put in place. So that while the reader is cheering for the group of underdogs at the centre of the story, it is hard not to consider them a little bit reckless. And Künsken does not let everyone move through unscathed.
The House of Styx is a page-turning opening salvo in what promises to be a great science fiction series. Full of engaging characters managing to live in a dangerous environment but with more than a hint of something decidedly unearthly to be further discovered (if they can avoid the attention of the authorities) in future volumes. And while there is no cliffhanger as such, with so much left unresolved, Künsken makes sure readers will be back for the sequel.
Pascal D’Aquillon lives with his father George-Ettienne, brother Jean-Eudes and little nephew Alexis. They live in a floating habitat that is part organic and farm the floating, endemic species that live in Venus’s acidic atmosphere. Down in the lower atmosphere they live separate from the main Venusian community that floats many kilometres above them. Living up in that milieu are Pascal’s sister, Marthe and brother Émile. Marthe is a member of the ruling Assembly of Venus but is finding herself sidelined and outmanoeuvred by the president who takes her riding orders from the Bank of Pallas. Émile, who has broken with his father, is seeing an artist and trying to connect more deeply with Venus. Everything changes when George-Ettienne discovers a strange storm in which air seems to be flowing into a cave at the bottom of a Venusian cavern, and he takes Pascal to investigate.
House of Styx is the first volume of a trilogy. So despite its length it is, by the end, almost a lengthy set up for what might come next. After making their discovery, Pascal and his family must recruit allies and pull off a daring heist to secure materials needed to further explore their find. Readers of Künsken’s early works will not be surprised by the heist element of the story, a device that was central to The Quantum Magician. And it is a device that he uses well, after spending much of the book setting up not only the characters who will be carrying out the mission but their adversaries.
While The House of Styx may be considered fairly “hard” science fiction (there is plenty here about the physics and makeup of the Venusian atmosphere), Künsken is also really interested in his characters. In his earlier books, the cast while engaging were all post-human in some ways. The D’Aquillon family, on the other hand is very human, with very human emotions and drives. Central to this is the journey of Pascal, a teenage boy who feels wrong in his body but has no idea how to process how he is feeling. But each of the main characters has a journey to make, and new alliances to build, giving this book plenty of heart.
Venus is a deadly environment. An atmosphere that is mainly carbon dioxide with sulphuric acid clouds, and intense heat and pressure at lower altitudes. Despite all of the familiarity they have with it and joy that the characters get in flying around in the Venusian atmosphere, Künsken never loses sight of the fact that this environment is incredibly dangerous. That there may be good reasons for the austerity measures that the government has put in place. So that while the reader is cheering for the group of underdogs at the centre of the story, it is hard not to consider them a little bit reckless. And Künsken does not let everyone move through unscathed.
The House of Styx is a page-turning opening salvo in what promises to be a great science fiction series. Full of engaging characters managing to live in a dangerous environment but with more than a hint of something decidedly unearthly to be further discovered (if they can avoid the attention of the authorities) in future volumes. And while there is no cliffhanger as such, with so much left unresolved, Künsken makes sure readers will be back for the sequel.
whami's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I tend not to like prequels, so even though I enjoyed Künsken's Quantum Evolution series, I put off reading this for too long. As I mentioned in a previous comment, I went into this confident that I knew the book I would be getting, but ended up being completely wrong. The book explored several concepts I wasn't expecting from this writer, most notably a gender identity story, and did it so deftly that it appeared effortless.
The pacing of the book was deliberate and slow, but Künsken painted such a wonderful picture of the society and the people in it that it was nice to linger for a while. There are many pages devoted to the the physics of Venus, both in the clouds and on the surface, and I imagine that some readers may get impatient, but I found them creative and interesting.
This is one of my two most favorite reads from 2023 and I'm eager to get into the next volume.
The pacing of the book was deliberate and slow, but Künsken painted such a wonderful picture of the society and the people in it that it was nice to linger for a while. There are many pages devoted to the the physics of Venus, both in the clouds and on the surface, and I imagine that some readers may get impatient, but I found them creative and interesting.
This is one of my two most favorite reads from 2023 and I'm eager to get into the next volume.