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friedatweehuysen's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
When I started reading, I had no idea where I was going and where it would lead. Incredible world building, it's like I was right there. The characters were so real that I wanted to be friends with them.
I didn't see all of what happened coming either.
And the doggie, aww.
I didn't see all of what happened coming either.
And the doggie, aww.
hank's review
5.0
Loved it! Weird-ish although not so weird it is unintelligible, great characters including the dog and a brand new weird universe. I already own the next two plus [b:We Broke the Moon|56761964|We Broke the Moon|Masha du Toit|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1611130063l/56761964._SY75_.jpg|88716266] . So far I am a fan of du Toit and not just because Anna likes her.
starry1086's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
otterforce's review against another edition
5.0
I've loved the worlds created in Masha's previous books. She has a way of creating places and people that are familiar enough to understand at first glance yet different and complex enough to make you think and want to explore.
While I wouldn't call it a fast-paced read, the story never drags and there's always a new element to the story coming--sometimes from where you'd least expect.
As with [b:Wolf Logic|25278931|Wolf Logic|Masha du Toit|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428083307s/25278931.jpg|45004972], this book includes an alternate POV that fascinated me.
The book is a complete story on it's own, but I can't wait to see what the next part(s) holds.
While I wouldn't call it a fast-paced read, the story never drags and there's always a new element to the story coming--sometimes from where you'd least expect.
As with [b:Wolf Logic|25278931|Wolf Logic|Masha du Toit|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1428083307s/25278931.jpg|45004972], this book includes an alternate POV that fascinated me.
The book is a complete story on it's own, but I can't wait to see what the next part(s) holds.
blobaloo's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating world, great story! I'd love to read more from this author. I'd say it's a 4.5 for me only because the ending was a bit too neat. It was an ending I was hoping for but the way it got there was a bit hard to swallow.
barb4ry1's review against another edition
3.0
As a dog person, I like the idea of including a cybernetically enhanced dog as one of the POVs. The Babylon Eye opens with no world-building, just smells, and sounds. Then we get to the prison where an inmate with the past gets an offer that sounds too good to be true. Meet Elke Veraart, an eco-terrorist and a talented trainer of gardags, cybernetically enhanced attack dogs. When one of the most advanced gardags, Meisje, disappears during a mission on a Portal-Station out to sea, influential people offer Elke the deal. If she finds the dog, she’ll win back her freedom.
The story is told from two points of view, one human second canine, and is set in Cape Town, South Africa. I loved the setting and both characters. Meisje felt real and believable. Du Toit wrote her POV well and captured her dual nature. Meisje is a dog with doggy needs, but also an enhanced and intelligent creature able to mind-link with a human handler. She can’t talk, but she understands human language and pays attention to details and smells. She evades capture and proves her intelligence repeatedly.
Elke is a character with a past. Suicidal, lonely, and filled with guilt, but also principled and dependable. On the outside, she looks angry (for example her body modifications include long horns), on the inside she remains emotionally vulnerable, complex and careful. After loosing home as a young teenager, she joined a gang that hunted poachers and assassinated them. I have a feeling what happened to her then still shapes her life now, many years later.
Aside from political intrigue, sci-fi elements, the story has also an ecological message. The main protagonist used to be an eco-terrorist. The world is running on empty and people deal with an energy crisis, climate change, rising sea levels, pollution and the destruction of the natural world. Humanity survived the first contact with aliens (Strangers) and there’s even a black market for an alien world-contraband. All of those elements blend in an intriguing vision of the future.
The Babylon Eye has it all - strong, relatable characters, solid vision, good, utilitarian writing. Unfortunately, it lacks focus. I felt as if it couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. As a result, parts of the text felt unfocused and uninspired and this significantly decreased my enjoyment in the story.
Try it, though, to see what African indie sci-fi scene has to offer. Neatly edited and relatively, The Babylon Eye entertains and differs from most western sci-fi in a good way.
The story is told from two points of view, one human second canine, and is set in Cape Town, South Africa. I loved the setting and both characters. Meisje felt real and believable. Du Toit wrote her POV well and captured her dual nature. Meisje is a dog with doggy needs, but also an enhanced and intelligent creature able to mind-link with a human handler. She can’t talk, but she understands human language and pays attention to details and smells. She evades capture and proves her intelligence repeatedly.
Elke is a character with a past. Suicidal, lonely, and filled with guilt, but also principled and dependable. On the outside, she looks angry (for example her body modifications include long horns), on the inside she remains emotionally vulnerable, complex and careful. After loosing home as a young teenager, she joined a gang that hunted poachers and assassinated them. I have a feeling what happened to her then still shapes her life now, many years later.
Aside from political intrigue, sci-fi elements, the story has also an ecological message. The main protagonist used to be an eco-terrorist. The world is running on empty and people deal with an energy crisis, climate change, rising sea levels, pollution and the destruction of the natural world. Humanity survived the first contact with aliens (Strangers) and there’s even a black market for an alien world-contraband. All of those elements blend in an intriguing vision of the future.
The Babylon Eye has it all - strong, relatable characters, solid vision, good, utilitarian writing. Unfortunately, it lacks focus. I felt as if it couldn’t really decide what it wanted to be. As a result, parts of the text felt unfocused and uninspired and this significantly decreased my enjoyment in the story.
Try it, though, to see what African indie sci-fi scene has to offer. Neatly edited and relatively, The Babylon Eye entertains and differs from most western sci-fi in a good way.
yolandie_horak's review against another edition
4.0
I really enjoyed this book. The thing that drew me to it most (besides the awesome cover) was the interesting setting. I've never read anything by Masha du Toit before, though I do have Crooks and Straights on my kindle. Point is, I didn't know what to expect, but the book turned out to be awesome.
The setting is a subject that I can yap about for ages. Coming from South Africa, it was particularly fabulous to read something from my part of the world. Including the slang I grew up with made it even cooler. Then seeing Cape Town in this futuristic, cyber-driven world was great, and the added alien presence even better. The aliens are diverse and nuanced, and I'd love to read more about them and their worlds. The Babylon Eye itself was really interesting too, a portal between the real and the strange worlds. Hell yeah, I'd like to go there!
As if all that wasn't enough, the characters are great too. Elke is a lot different from me, but she was written so well that I could connect with her, feel her struggles and worry with her. Few writers manage to draw you in so well. Reading from Meisje's perspective was awesome too, and an interesting twist on what you usually come across in novels.
Overall, a plot that leaves no room for boring moments, fast-paced and delivered well. In fact, it leaves you wanting more. A read I recommend to anyone.
The setting is a subject that I can yap about for ages. Coming from South Africa, it was particularly fabulous to read something from my part of the world. Including the slang I grew up with made it even cooler. Then seeing Cape Town in this futuristic, cyber-driven world was great, and the added alien presence even better. The aliens are diverse and nuanced, and I'd love to read more about them and their worlds. The Babylon Eye itself was really interesting too, a portal between the real and the strange worlds. Hell yeah, I'd like to go there!
As if all that wasn't enough, the characters are great too. Elke is a lot different from me, but she was written so well that I could connect with her, feel her struggles and worry with her. Few writers manage to draw you in so well. Reading from Meisje's perspective was awesome too, and an interesting twist on what you usually come across in novels.
Overall, a plot that leaves no room for boring moments, fast-paced and delivered well. In fact, it leaves you wanting more. A read I recommend to anyone.
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