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spitzig's review against another edition
3.0
Disappointing.
For one thing, it's one of those books that might be called Science Fantasy. The "science" focused on is psychic stuff. There is space travel, but all the "action" takes place in two places, and not much travelling is done. Also, Bigfoot is a reality. So, very little Science in the Science Fiction.
My bigger problem with the book is that not much happened.
A couple of the characters were relatively well done.
For one thing, it's one of those books that might be called Science Fantasy. The "science" focused on is psychic stuff. There is space travel, but all the "action" takes place in two places, and not much travelling is done. Also, Bigfoot is a reality. So, very little Science in the Science Fiction.
My bigger problem with the book is that not much happened.
A couple of the characters were relatively well done.
scheu's review against another edition
5.0
Continuing the story of the Remillards from Intervention. Just as good, but largely free of action, so anyone who found the previous book to be a little slow will feel the same about this volume. An underappreciated series.
shottsea's review against another edition
4.0
This book had crazy vocabulary and it took a bit to get into the story, but I couldn't stop reading. I ordered the second book in the series through my library and can't wait to find out more about the characters.
Don't bother reading this book if you don't plan on reading the whole series though, because none of the plot lines were wrapped up by the end of this book really, there's great development, lots of excitement, and many deaths, but every bit of new information leads to more questions; looking forward to getting the rest of the story.
Don't bother reading this book if you don't plan on reading the whole series though, because none of the plot lines were wrapped up by the end of this book really, there's great development, lots of excitement, and many deaths, but every bit of new information leads to more questions; looking forward to getting the rest of the story.
branch_c's review
4.0
After the necessary but comparatively mundane prologues of Surveillance and Metaconcert, here's where the Milieu Saga starts to catch up with the Pliocene Exile as far as fun and excitement.
The story of Jack's beginning intertwines with the rise of Fury and Hydra, and it was almost as thrilling as the first time I read it and didn't already know the identity of Hydra. Like all great mysteries, in hindsight the clues were all there for the reader to see.
And while this book is named for Jack, the real protagonist here is Marc. The mature, world-weary, and morally questionable anti-hero we knew from the Pliocene series is reinvented here as a brilliant and scheming yet principled teenager with the mental power to get away with almost anything. His thoughts and actions here lay the groundwork for his development in the final two books.
Nostalgically familiar from prior readings, this book still manages to come across as fresh and innovative. A fantastic chapter in a wonderful saga.
The story of Jack's beginning intertwines with the rise of Fury and Hydra, and it was almost as thrilling as the first time I read it and didn't already know the identity of Hydra. Like all great mysteries, in hindsight the clues were all there for the reader to see.
And while this book is named for Jack, the real protagonist here is Marc. The mature, world-weary, and morally questionable anti-hero we knew from the Pliocene series is reinvented here as a brilliant and scheming yet principled teenager with the mental power to get away with almost anything. His thoughts and actions here lay the groundwork for his development in the final two books.
Nostalgically familiar from prior readings, this book still manages to come across as fresh and innovative. A fantastic chapter in a wonderful saga.
laileanah's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
Racial slur applied to Native American/First Nations women that would've been inappropriate when this was published in the early 90's. Racial slur to refer to Asian people in general or Chinese people specifically.
Not only that the white supremacist and ahistorical sentiment that NA/FN marginalized genders give birth easier and safer than white mages is a flat out lie. As soon as the United States, Canada and other colonialist powers took charge childbirth became extremely dangerous for everyone not white.
What's more this is still horrifically true today. No one in the USA, Canada & UK faces worse maternal outcomes than Black and NA/FN Mages.
What's more due to rampant genocidal practices inherent to capitalism, NA/FN Peoples collectively make up only about 1% of the population of North America. So this entire idea is dangerously fascist not to mention ridiculous and genocidal as fuck.
Reference to Asian person as 'oriental'. Asians are humans, Oriental usually references colonialist styling or design choices. This is repeated quite a bit.
Tons of elitism in relation to The Remillard's who are wildly talented which seems to be used to excuse or negate their bad behavior and poor leadership. They also employ tons of nepotism as a family, beyond inherited spots at Ivy League University and other elite expensive schools and beyond the privilege of their wealth and status. Though I can't for the life of me figure out why a family descended from such elite genes and with talents unmatched in the entire Galactic Milieu would need such handouts.
None the less The Family arranges for Marc to receive University credit in exchange for working for the family which they seemed to feel entitled to why hiding a serious crimes, while holding government leadership positions as the rulers of Earth/humanity since other magnates were also hiring family. Marc is excused from studying his basics while studying for his bachelors. Again he started University very young, why would he need to finish quickly? Why would courses be altered for him? The nepotism is gross and annoying.
All while claiming the working class work ethic, as a family, which applied to their great-grandfather as even their grandfather attended elite schools and advised governmental world leaders.
The treatment of operants as 'homo superior' is genocidal and cringey. The treatment of latents as either greatful for the fringe benefits of operants or angry that they can't join the elite.
I hate the treatment of Black/African and Asian people in this universe who are disproportionately latent when compared to white or NA/FN which apparently also applies to Polynesian peoples.
This feels like the authors response to grumblings about affirmative action. As in this universe Black/Africans and Asians want their own planets and resources are earmarked based on operant ability. Leaving Black/African and Asian folks bitter angry and rebellious. It's annoying and racist.
Why would operants need more resources? Aren't they Homo Superior? Why would homo superior need whole planets? Or take advantage of legacy placement at elite universities? If their DNA is so superior, let them prove it by having the least resources.
Let's save resources for homo-sapiens since they couldn't possibly compete.
Plus lots of passing off white folks from other western nations as 'diversity'😩
Lots of fascist parroting about humans being most comfortable amongst 'their own kind'. 🙄
This has ableism in its premise, as most systems focused on family and bloodline inevitably do. The idea that illness is character building and suffering physical pain makes a person more noble. It's just ableist bullshit.
Jon is disabled but after using his illness as largely trauma porn he masks as a standard human. His family doesn't really accept or embrace his differences.
His temperament also feels a great deal like ableism rife with disability porn aspects.
Then we get into the colonialism aspects of the basic story. Humanity is sheparded by a supposedly advanced alien races that limits pregnancy/forces abortions and practices the death penalty, but is also peaceful 🤣😠clearly a white American wrote this nonsense.
Advanced societies won't have death penalty, prison or police, much less The death penalty.
This feels like an argument that colonialism was harsh but advanced peoples know best.
Only colonization didn't happen because white were more advanced than those they colonized. No, they were actually less advanced as can be seen from their horrible behaviors.
Still much of sci fi and fantasy struggles with colonialist themes.
Not only that the white supremacist and ahistorical sentiment that NA/FN marginalized genders give birth easier and safer than white mages is a flat out lie. As soon as the United States, Canada and other colonialist powers took charge childbirth became extremely dangerous for everyone not white.
What's more this is still horrifically true today. No one in the USA, Canada & UK faces worse maternal outcomes than Black and NA/FN Mages.
What's more due to rampant genocidal practices inherent to capitalism, NA/FN Peoples collectively make up only about 1% of the population of North America. So this entire idea is dangerously fascist not to mention ridiculous and genocidal as fuck.
Reference to Asian person as 'oriental'. Asians are humans, Oriental usually references colonialist styling or design choices. This is repeated quite a bit.
Tons of elitism in relation to The Remillard's who are wildly talented which seems to be used to excuse or negate their bad behavior and poor leadership. They also employ tons of nepotism as a family, beyond inherited spots at Ivy League University and other elite expensive schools and beyond the privilege of their wealth and status. Though I can't for the life of me figure out why a family descended from such elite genes and with talents unmatched in the entire Galactic Milieu would need such handouts.
None the less The Family arranges for Marc to receive University credit in exchange for working for the family which they seemed to feel entitled to why hiding a serious crimes, while holding government leadership positions as the rulers of Earth/humanity since other magnates were also hiring family. Marc is excused from studying his basics while studying for his bachelors. Again he started University very young, why would he need to finish quickly? Why would courses be altered for him? The nepotism is gross and annoying.
All while claiming the working class work ethic, as a family, which applied to their great-grandfather as even their grandfather attended elite schools and advised governmental world leaders.
The treatment of operants as 'homo superior' is genocidal and cringey. The treatment of latents as either greatful for the fringe benefits of operants or angry that they can't join the elite.
I hate the treatment of Black/African and Asian people in this universe who are disproportionately latent when compared to white or NA/FN which apparently also applies to Polynesian peoples.
This feels like the authors response to grumblings about affirmative action. As in this universe Black/Africans and Asians want their own planets and resources are earmarked based on operant ability. Leaving Black/African and Asian folks bitter angry and rebellious. It's annoying and racist.
Why would operants need more resources? Aren't they Homo Superior? Why would homo superior need whole planets? Or take advantage of legacy placement at elite universities? If their DNA is so superior, let them prove it by having the least resources.
Let's save resources for homo-sapiens since they couldn't possibly compete.
Plus lots of passing off white folks from other western nations as 'diversity'😩
Lots of fascist parroting about humans being most comfortable amongst 'their own kind'. 🙄
This has ableism in its premise, as most systems focused on family and bloodline inevitably do. The idea that illness is character building and suffering physical pain makes a person more noble. It's just ableist bullshit.
Jon is disabled but after using his illness as largely trauma porn he masks as a standard human. His family doesn't really accept or embrace his differences.
His temperament also feels a great deal like ableism rife with disability porn aspects.
Then we get into the colonialism aspects of the basic story. Humanity is sheparded by a supposedly advanced alien races that limits pregnancy/forces abortions and practices the death penalty, but is also peaceful 🤣😠clearly a white American wrote this nonsense.
Advanced societies won't have death penalty, prison or police, much less The death penalty.
This feels like an argument that colonialism was harsh but advanced peoples know best.
Only colonization didn't happen because white were more advanced than those they colonized. No, they were actually less advanced as can be seen from their horrible behaviors.
Still much of sci fi and fantasy struggles with colonialist themes.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism and Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Sexism, Xenophobia, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide
wyrmbergmalcolm's review against another edition
5.0
Despite being a long and 'wordy' tome that covers only a couple of years of the Remillard dynasty where the titular character isn't even born for the first 3/4 of the book, this was compelling reading. The strongest element of the book is Uncle Rogi, the narrator, who is a lovable rogue who somehow carries the entire Remillard clan through all their trials and tribulations. The character of Marc is also very relatable while he's still yet to begin his obsessions over Mental Man.
This book also deals with some philosophical and cultural discussions including God, equality, eugenics and freedom.
There's also a serial killer going about bumping off characters occasionally. This adds a good bit of mystery and impending threat to the story.
As a reread, I had forgotten quite a bit of it, but had retained enough to know the main beats. The 'spoiler' at the beginning of the book featuring the Remillard family tree including birth and death dates should be avoided as a first read to avoid giving away certain plot details.
Totally compelling and hugely enjoyable.
This book also deals with some philosophical and cultural discussions including God, equality, eugenics and freedom.
There's also a serial killer going about bumping off characters occasionally. This adds a good bit of mystery and impending threat to the story.
As a reread, I had forgotten quite a bit of it, but had retained enough to know the main beats. The 'spoiler' at the beginning of the book featuring the Remillard family tree including birth and death dates should be avoided as a first read to avoid giving away certain plot details.
Totally compelling and hugely enjoyable.
majkia's review against another edition
5.0
My favorite series. May has created the greatest bad guy ever!
florestanposts's review
adventurous
mysterious
medium-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? No
5.0
katmarhan's review against another edition
5.0
10/10
What a unique book—a survival story (really, two of them—Rogi and Teresa in the wilderness and then Jack after his birth), but also the stories of the seeds of rebellion, the diabolical plots of the murderous Hydra and Fury, and the politics of bringing the human of Earth into the Galactic Milieu. Can’t wait to continue this series!
What a unique book—a survival story (really, two of them—Rogi and Teresa in the wilderness and then Jack after his birth), but also the stories of the seeds of rebellion, the diabolical plots of the murderous Hydra and Fury, and the politics of bringing the human of Earth into the Galactic Milieu. Can’t wait to continue this series!
domesticat's review
4.0
I liked this the best of the series so far. The narrative flow was stronger and more sure, like she'd found her voice.