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wasauthor's review
5.0
I received an advance reader copy of A Swift Kick to the Thorax for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The author has a knack for crafting book titles that grab the reader’s attention and make them grin as they wonder what magic is contained beyond it. Like [b:Spectacular Silver Earthling|61350893|Spectacular Silver Earthling|Mara Lynn Johnstone|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656320768l/61350893._SY75_.jpg|96758050] before it (a book that's every bit as wonderful as its title suggests), A Swift Kick to the Thorax’s title perfectly sells the tone of the book. And, once again, this book is every bit as wonderful as its title suggests.
Being by the author of Spectacular Silver Earthling, I was hoping for great things. While I would love a sequel to that book, A Swift Kick to the Thorax is just as entertaining as a sequel to Johnstone’s previous novel would be, possibly even moreso.
A Swift Kick to the Thorax is set at some point in the future, where humanity has taken to the stars, and follows a veterinarian, Robin, looking after Earthling animals that have been transported to a planet she resides on. Despite similarities with Spectacular Silver Earthlings (humans on an alien world with a focus on animalia of some description), the author tells a completely different story. This time, after a swarm of rabbits invades the planet, Robin must get to the source of the outbreak, a failure of quarantine that humans are blamed for, that threatens Earth’s fragile standing in the interplanetary alliance. It shares the same sense of humour and tone as Johnstone’s previous novel, and if you’re a fan of that, you'll love this.
A Swift Kick to the Thorax has a sense of freewheeling fun. Reading this book is an absolute joy from start to finish, and it gives the distinct impression that the author had an absolute joy writing it. This joy is infectious, ensuring the reader’s smile stretches from ear to ear, only subsiding once they reach the end of the tale. It's packed full of PG-rated humorous situations, great characters and witty one-liners, and brings them about in a thoroughly entertaining way that feels natural, ensuring it doesn’t break the reader’s suspension of disbelief.
This isn’t a particularly long novel, and the length feels perfect for the story and tone. It quickly sets the scene and introduces the world, and soon introduces the threat of a lone rabbit out in the wild. From there, the plot ramps up into high gear, with plenty of fun twists and turns. Throughout this, the author introduces readers to an alien landscape and plenty of alien races (particularly Rockbacks, or "turtledillos," thanks to their resemblance of a cross between a turtle and an armadillo. The book uses its space well, and gets through quite a bit, ensuring that it keeps the reader entertained without ever outstaying its welcome.
The prose is (predominantly) written in the first person perspective, courtesy of its point of view characters. The majority of these belong to Robin, with fellow human Jacinta and turtledillo Zephyr also narrating a number of chapters. Even a gorilla named Dragon, who communicates only by sign language narrates a few chapters, albeit in the third person. While the Dragon chapters set themselves apart from the others due to his third person narration and short, blunt sentences, each point of view character has their own unique voice which adds to the flavour.
While all the characters are engaging, the four POV characters fare the strongest, and are a joy to follow, with their different quirks. The characters all play off each other beautifully, with plenty of wit to go around, whether it’s within the narration, or the dialogue, in which characters bounce off each other brilliantly. A Swift Kick to the Thorax also includes some LGBTQI+ representation, mentioned in passing in a way that works for the characters, without being the focus of who they are.
This is a book written with one express purpose: to entertain the reader, and it does so without letting up. It constantly amuses with its situations, its plot and its characters, while still telling a story where the reader is invested in the stakes. Through all the humour, the author introduces readers to a great sci-fi world that's entertaining to explore.
My full review will be available on my website from 21 November 2022. To read it, and a host of other reviews, click here.
The author has a knack for crafting book titles that grab the reader’s attention and make them grin as they wonder what magic is contained beyond it. Like [b:Spectacular Silver Earthling|61350893|Spectacular Silver Earthling|Mara Lynn Johnstone|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1656320768l/61350893._SY75_.jpg|96758050] before it (a book that's every bit as wonderful as its title suggests), A Swift Kick to the Thorax’s title perfectly sells the tone of the book. And, once again, this book is every bit as wonderful as its title suggests.
Being by the author of Spectacular Silver Earthling, I was hoping for great things. While I would love a sequel to that book, A Swift Kick to the Thorax is just as entertaining as a sequel to Johnstone’s previous novel would be, possibly even moreso.
A Swift Kick to the Thorax is set at some point in the future, where humanity has taken to the stars, and follows a veterinarian, Robin, looking after Earthling animals that have been transported to a planet she resides on. Despite similarities with Spectacular Silver Earthlings (humans on an alien world with a focus on animalia of some description), the author tells a completely different story. This time, after a swarm of rabbits invades the planet, Robin must get to the source of the outbreak, a failure of quarantine that humans are blamed for, that threatens Earth’s fragile standing in the interplanetary alliance. It shares the same sense of humour and tone as Johnstone’s previous novel, and if you’re a fan of that, you'll love this.
A Swift Kick to the Thorax has a sense of freewheeling fun. Reading this book is an absolute joy from start to finish, and it gives the distinct impression that the author had an absolute joy writing it. This joy is infectious, ensuring the reader’s smile stretches from ear to ear, only subsiding once they reach the end of the tale. It's packed full of PG-rated humorous situations, great characters and witty one-liners, and brings them about in a thoroughly entertaining way that feels natural, ensuring it doesn’t break the reader’s suspension of disbelief.
This isn’t a particularly long novel, and the length feels perfect for the story and tone. It quickly sets the scene and introduces the world, and soon introduces the threat of a lone rabbit out in the wild. From there, the plot ramps up into high gear, with plenty of fun twists and turns. Throughout this, the author introduces readers to an alien landscape and plenty of alien races (particularly Rockbacks, or "turtledillos," thanks to their resemblance of a cross between a turtle and an armadillo. The book uses its space well, and gets through quite a bit, ensuring that it keeps the reader entertained without ever outstaying its welcome.
The prose is (predominantly) written in the first person perspective, courtesy of its point of view characters. The majority of these belong to Robin, with fellow human Jacinta and turtledillo Zephyr also narrating a number of chapters. Even a gorilla named Dragon, who communicates only by sign language narrates a few chapters, albeit in the third person. While the Dragon chapters set themselves apart from the others due to his third person narration and short, blunt sentences, each point of view character has their own unique voice which adds to the flavour.
While all the characters are engaging, the four POV characters fare the strongest, and are a joy to follow, with their different quirks. The characters all play off each other beautifully, with plenty of wit to go around, whether it’s within the narration, or the dialogue, in which characters bounce off each other brilliantly. A Swift Kick to the Thorax also includes some LGBTQI+ representation, mentioned in passing in a way that works for the characters, without being the focus of who they are.
This is a book written with one express purpose: to entertain the reader, and it does so without letting up. It constantly amuses with its situations, its plot and its characters, while still telling a story where the reader is invested in the stakes. Through all the humour, the author introduces readers to a great sci-fi world that's entertaining to explore.
My full review will be available on my website from 21 November 2022. To read it, and a host of other reviews, click here.
needleclicker's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
mary243getz's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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? No
4.5
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