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lolasreviews's review
4.0
I enjoyed Overload Flux, the first book in this series so much, that I dived right into book 2 after I finished it. Minder Rising has a very different tone and focus than the first book in the series, but I think the different approach totally worked here. We get to see a whole other side of the universe and a different perspective and it was great!
I had a great time reading Minder Rising. Minder Rising is quite gently paced and I mean that in a positive way. The plot points slowly emerge and progress and I loved seeing how it all played out. Where in book 1 the focus is more on the suspense and mystery and there's some action as well. This one is focused more on the characters and their stories and a hint of suspense. Which works great for this story and I really enjoyed the book and I thought it was interesting how different the tone was compared to book 1.
It's told from dual point of views, Lièrén got hurt in an accident and slowly he starts finding out truths and discovered that makes him doubt the CPS a bit more. Where Imara has a son who has a very strong minder talent and later in the book he has to go in for minder testing and the CPS becomes very interested in him.
I loved the character driven nature and the gentle pace of this book. I didn't connect as fast with the two main characters as I did with the main character in book 1, but the more I read the more they grew on me. And by the end of the book I was really fond of Lièrén and Imara and the side characters Derrit and Rayle were great too. The character really come to live in this book and I enjoyed reading about them and seeing them all interact with each other.
It was interesting to see Lièrén slowly figure out the truth of what happened to his field team unit and also some things that were going on in the CPS. He is quite the naive character at first and it's sad when that gets broken and he realizes what's really going on around him and how much he didn't notice at first. I liked how his personality was this fun combination of quirkiness and a sort of formal polite behavior that was uniquely Lièrén. At the end of the book he has to choose between his job and helping the women and kid he grew to care about and I was so curious to see how it all would play out. And I can only say that the conclusion was very satisfying and resolved all the plot point in a great way.
Imara is a great character too, she cares a lot about her son and she is a very confident and capable character. I liked her filer minder talent, which seems so handy and fit her. And there's a great twist surrounding her character later in the book. I liked how determined she was to do the best for her son, with working two books and also what she does later in the book to protect him. It really shows how far she is willing to go for him. I liked seeing that. Derrit was fun to read about too, I liked seeing him interact with his mother and Lièrén.
The romance is a very slow burn, but it worked here. I liked how they slowly got to know each other and even when they realized their mutual attraction it took them a long time to act on their feelings. I wouldn't have minded a bit more time seeing them as an actual couple as now there were very few scenes with that. And they made for such a great couple, I just wanted a bit more of it. But I am hoping we'll get to see them again in later books. I did think they were great for each other and this author really writes her romances well. Imara resists Lièrén for a long time because he is a transient, but she falls in love with him anyway as her heart doesn't listen to her head. And Lièrén knows his job will take him away from here and while thought he was fine with that he realizes he wants more out of his life.
While it's set in the same world as book 1, there is very little connection between the two books so far, but there are hints in how it all ties together. I think there is an overarching plot line that's slowly emerging and the main telling about that is done in the epilogues actually. There were a few times where they mentioned the case Luka worked on in book 1 as that's connected to Lièrén as well and Imara has met Luka, but that's basically it. I am very curious to see how the series progresses and if we will see the main characters from the first two books again.
I loved how we learn more about the world in this book. Because of the different setting and focus and Lièrén working for the CPS, so we learn a lot more about the CPS. It also was great to see more of this big planet which was the center of all the politics. It was a very different part of the universe we got to see and at the end there is a bit of other parts of the galaxy we get to see as well, which was pretty intriguing. The whole world feels so real and well thought out, even tough there is still so much to discover, which makes me even more excited to read more books in this series.
To summarize: this was another awesome book. It has a gentle pace and slow build romance that totally worked here. The tone and focus of this one is very different than book 1, but I liked how this provided a very different feel of the world and what's going on. While the main characters took some time to grow on me, by the end I was really fond of them and was sad to say goodbye to them. The slow build romance fits the pace of the book, although I was sad we didn't get to see more of them as a couple. The storylines surrounding Lièrén and the CPS and some difficult decisions he has to make were very interesting and I also liked how the plot line surrounding Derrit's minder talents progressed. This book gives another view of the world and I enjoyed my time spent with this book and learning more about this world. All in all this was a great book and I am hoping to pick up the next book soon.
Reread and audiobook review
After I finished listening to Overload Flux I dove right into Minder Rising afterwards. This is my re-read review and audiobook review as I read it in e-format the first time.
Just like the first time I was again surprised at the difference in tone that Minder Rising had compared to Overload Flux, but as I had now expected that I found I was able to enjoy it even more than the first read through. And while I love the first book a bit more than this one, Minder Rising is a great read and the difference in tone totally works for this story. Now knowing what's coming next some of the hints and events had more impact.
This series has so much happening and quite a bit of foreshadowing and early hints going on and that makes it a delight to re-read. And spending time with the characters I've grown fond of certainly helps too.
I really like Lièrén, Imara and also Imara's son Derrit and bartender Rayle (I had to look up both their names spelling from my previous review as someone due to the audio I had no idea how their names were spelled). The slow burn romance between Lièrén and Imara is so much fun to see unfold and I also liked seeing how Lièrén interacts with Derrit. I liked Rayle even more than in the first read. He's such a fun character to read about.
Seeing Lièrén go from naive and sheltered to opening his eyes to what the CPS does and finding what he can do about it is great to see. And also how he opens his heart and finds his home by surrounding himself with people he cares about. In a sense both Lièrén and Imara's lives really get upended and changed in this book and I love the last few chapters seeing where they end up.
Again the narration was so well done. I really like Nichole Poole's way of narrating and I think her style fits this book well. She handles the accents really well and it was fun to hear her pronounce the foreign words this book has. I had to get used to Lièrén's voice a bit for a while as it seemed a bit too close to Luka's voice from book 1, but I ended up liking it in the end. Imara. Derrit and Rayle's voice she handled really well and their voices really reflected their personalities. I am not sure if it's because of the audio or the re-read, but I find it easier to follow the story and the multiple threads and hints than when I first read it, which is great.
To summarize: I loved listening to Minder Rising. I really enjoyed the narration and as I love this series so much it's great to re-read it this way. I liked getting to spend some time with Lièrén, Imara, Derrit and Rayle. See imara and Lièrén fall in love. And see how Lièrén's life changes so much over the course of this book and seeing him become more aware of what the CPS is doing and fighting for what he believes is the right mission. All the little hints of foreshadowing are easier to spot now that I have an idea of what's coming next. Nichole Poole does a great job with the narration, she handles the accents so well and I like hearing how she pronounces the foreign words. On to Pico's Crush next!
I had a great time reading Minder Rising. Minder Rising is quite gently paced and I mean that in a positive way. The plot points slowly emerge and progress and I loved seeing how it all played out. Where in book 1 the focus is more on the suspense and mystery and there's some action as well. This one is focused more on the characters and their stories and a hint of suspense. Which works great for this story and I really enjoyed the book and I thought it was interesting how different the tone was compared to book 1.
It's told from dual point of views, Lièrén got hurt in an accident and slowly he starts finding out truths and discovered that makes him doubt the CPS a bit more. Where Imara has a son who has a very strong minder talent and later in the book he has to go in for minder testing and the CPS becomes very interested in him.
I loved the character driven nature and the gentle pace of this book. I didn't connect as fast with the two main characters as I did with the main character in book 1, but the more I read the more they grew on me. And by the end of the book I was really fond of Lièrén and Imara and the side characters Derrit and Rayle were great too. The character really come to live in this book and I enjoyed reading about them and seeing them all interact with each other.
It was interesting to see Lièrén slowly figure out the truth of what happened to his field team unit and also some things that were going on in the CPS. He is quite the naive character at first and it's sad when that gets broken and he realizes what's really going on around him and how much he didn't notice at first. I liked how his personality was this fun combination of quirkiness and a sort of formal polite behavior that was uniquely Lièrén. At the end of the book he has to choose between his job and helping the women and kid he grew to care about and I was so curious to see how it all would play out. And I can only say that the conclusion was very satisfying and resolved all the plot point in a great way.
Imara is a great character too, she cares a lot about her son and she is a very confident and capable character. I liked her filer minder talent, which seems so handy and fit her. And there's a great twist surrounding her character later in the book. I liked how determined she was to do the best for her son, with working two books and also what she does later in the book to protect him. It really shows how far she is willing to go for him. I liked seeing that. Derrit was fun to read about too, I liked seeing him interact with his mother and Lièrén.
The romance is a very slow burn, but it worked here. I liked how they slowly got to know each other and even when they realized their mutual attraction it took them a long time to act on their feelings. I wouldn't have minded a bit more time seeing them as an actual couple as now there were very few scenes with that. And they made for such a great couple, I just wanted a bit more of it. But I am hoping we'll get to see them again in later books. I did think they were great for each other and this author really writes her romances well. Imara resists Lièrén for a long time because he is a transient, but she falls in love with him anyway as her heart doesn't listen to her head. And Lièrén knows his job will take him away from here and while thought he was fine with that he realizes he wants more out of his life.
While it's set in the same world as book 1, there is very little connection between the two books so far, but there are hints in how it all ties together. I think there is an overarching plot line that's slowly emerging and the main telling about that is done in the epilogues actually. There were a few times where they mentioned the case Luka worked on in book 1 as that's connected to Lièrén as well and Imara has met Luka, but that's basically it. I am very curious to see how the series progresses and if we will see the main characters from the first two books again.
I loved how we learn more about the world in this book. Because of the different setting and focus and Lièrén working for the CPS, so we learn a lot more about the CPS. It also was great to see more of this big planet which was the center of all the politics. It was a very different part of the universe we got to see and at the end there is a bit of other parts of the galaxy we get to see as well, which was pretty intriguing. The whole world feels so real and well thought out, even tough there is still so much to discover, which makes me even more excited to read more books in this series.
To summarize: this was another awesome book. It has a gentle pace and slow build romance that totally worked here. The tone and focus of this one is very different than book 1, but I liked how this provided a very different feel of the world and what's going on. While the main characters took some time to grow on me, by the end I was really fond of them and was sad to say goodbye to them. The slow build romance fits the pace of the book, although I was sad we didn't get to see more of them as a couple. The storylines surrounding Lièrén and the CPS and some difficult decisions he has to make were very interesting and I also liked how the plot line surrounding Derrit's minder talents progressed. This book gives another view of the world and I enjoyed my time spent with this book and learning more about this world. All in all this was a great book and I am hoping to pick up the next book soon.
Reread and audiobook review
After I finished listening to Overload Flux I dove right into Minder Rising afterwards. This is my re-read review and audiobook review as I read it in e-format the first time.
Just like the first time I was again surprised at the difference in tone that Minder Rising had compared to Overload Flux, but as I had now expected that I found I was able to enjoy it even more than the first read through. And while I love the first book a bit more than this one, Minder Rising is a great read and the difference in tone totally works for this story. Now knowing what's coming next some of the hints and events had more impact.
This series has so much happening and quite a bit of foreshadowing and early hints going on and that makes it a delight to re-read. And spending time with the characters I've grown fond of certainly helps too.
I really like Lièrén, Imara and also Imara's son Derrit and bartender Rayle (I had to look up both their names spelling from my previous review as someone due to the audio I had no idea how their names were spelled). The slow burn romance between Lièrén and Imara is so much fun to see unfold and I also liked seeing how Lièrén interacts with Derrit. I liked Rayle even more than in the first read. He's such a fun character to read about.
Seeing Lièrén go from naive and sheltered to opening his eyes to what the CPS does and finding what he can do about it is great to see. And also how he opens his heart and finds his home by surrounding himself with people he cares about. In a sense both Lièrén and Imara's lives really get upended and changed in this book and I love the last few chapters seeing where they end up.
Again the narration was so well done. I really like Nichole Poole's way of narrating and I think her style fits this book well. She handles the accents really well and it was fun to hear her pronounce the foreign words this book has. I had to get used to Lièrén's voice a bit for a while as it seemed a bit too close to Luka's voice from book 1, but I ended up liking it in the end. Imara. Derrit and Rayle's voice she handled really well and their voices really reflected their personalities. I am not sure if it's because of the audio or the re-read, but I find it easier to follow the story and the multiple threads and hints than when I first read it, which is great.
To summarize: I loved listening to Minder Rising. I really enjoyed the narration and as I love this series so much it's great to re-read it this way. I liked getting to spend some time with Lièrén, Imara, Derrit and Rayle. See imara and Lièrén fall in love. And see how Lièrén's life changes so much over the course of this book and seeing him become more aware of what the CPS is doing and fighting for what he believes is the right mission. All the little hints of foreshadowing are easier to spot now that I have an idea of what's coming next. Nichole Poole does a great job with the narration, she handles the accents so well and I like hearing how she pronounces the foreign words. On to Pico's Crush next!
leesarpel's review
4.0
CPS agent Lièrén Sòng is recovering from a he’s-got-lots-of-new-vat-grown-internal-organs injury, doing clerical work by day and drinking soda at night at the Quark and Quasar pub. The bartender, Imara Sesay, works two jobs to help support her and her son Derrit, and the two of them have become friends during his convalescence. After an unpleasant bar incident, Imara asks Lièrén to help her son control his minder talents before his government aptitude test, and Lièrén agrees. Meanwhile, members of Lièrén’s team are dying suspiciously. Imara and Lièrén get closer while he uncovers damning information about the local CPS testing program and his own team. Can he both stay alive and help her keep her son safe? Is there any future for a road crew chief and man subject to military deployment?
My squees
Lièrén is not a conventional hero. He’s deferential without any irony, polite and honorable. It’s so good to see East Asian males as a desirable subject. He’s running Confucian firmware on his brain, too: he respects his elders for being such, wouldn’t think to break the rules as anything but a late resort, and values his extended family greatly. He doesn’t think of himself as a good person due to the things he’s done in CPS service, but he’s principled and disciplined.
Imara isn’t a conventional heroine. She may work two jobs and be a widow supporting a kid, but she’s not downtrodden or victimized. When she’s in her element on the road or at the bar, she’s competent. When scary things happen, she’s scared, but thinks quickly to deal with it. Imara feels like a complete character, her actions feel believable. She's world-wiser than Lièrén since she's older and not the semi-sheltered agent used to living in hotels and ships, but they fit together well. Their romance is a slow burn, with both of them mindful of the obstacles to their togetherness. The rest of the story is also paced that way, starting sedately and growing progressively faster.
The secondary characters are memorable too. Derrit, Lièrén’s family, Imara’s deceased husband, the other bartender, Imara’s road crew, and the CPS officers all have their own agendas and drive the action. Some of them are good people who did harmful things, and some are morally dark gray but try to do some good deeds. Everybody’s more than plausible. Even the organizations are nuanced, there are good and bad people in the bureaucracies. No Evil Empire here. The truth is that there are lots of players in problematic organizations, most well-meaning and trying to do their best jobs, some malicious, and some who are not quite competent.
My grumbles
I had to read the last few chapters more than once to check whether I’d missed anything. Did Lièrén ever tell Imara what was up with his job and his team dying? He is keeping secrets from her, but I imagine she’d ask, “so what was with those people trying to mess you up?” I am curious as to how he’d answer. Because of the time lapse some developments seem a bit sudden. Maybe they could have felt a bit less so if I’d known the extent of the contact Imara and Lièrén had during their separation.
My squees
Lièrén is not a conventional hero. He’s deferential without any irony, polite and honorable. It’s so good to see East Asian males as a desirable subject. He’s running Confucian firmware on his brain, too: he respects his elders for being such, wouldn’t think to break the rules as anything but a late resort, and values his extended family greatly. He doesn’t think of himself as a good person due to the things he’s done in CPS service, but he’s principled and disciplined.
Imara isn’t a conventional heroine. She may work two jobs and be a widow supporting a kid, but she’s not downtrodden or victimized. When she’s in her element on the road or at the bar, she’s competent. When scary things happen, she’s scared, but thinks quickly to deal with it. Imara feels like a complete character, her actions feel believable. She's world-wiser than Lièrén since she's older and not the semi-sheltered agent used to living in hotels and ships, but they fit together well. Their romance is a slow burn, with both of them mindful of the obstacles to their togetherness. The rest of the story is also paced that way, starting sedately and growing progressively faster.
The secondary characters are memorable too. Derrit, Lièrén’s family, Imara’s deceased husband, the other bartender, Imara’s road crew, and the CPS officers all have their own agendas and drive the action. Some of them are good people who did harmful things, and some are morally dark gray but try to do some good deeds. Everybody’s more than plausible. Even the organizations are nuanced, there are good and bad people in the bureaucracies. No Evil Empire here. The truth is that there are lots of players in problematic organizations, most well-meaning and trying to do their best jobs, some malicious, and some who are not quite competent.
My grumbles
I had to read the last few chapters more than once to check whether I’d missed anything. Did Lièrén ever tell Imara what was up with his job and his team dying? He is keeping secrets from her, but I imagine she’d ask, “so what was with those people trying to mess you up?” I am curious as to how he’d answer. Because of the time lapse some developments seem a bit sudden. Maybe they could have felt a bit less so if I’d known the extent of the contact Imara and Lièrén had during their separation.
slc333's review
2.0
I received a copy of this book from publisher Broad Universe via Netgalley in return for an honest review.
This book was probably a 2.5 star for me. While I liked the idea behind the world building and the story, the pace was very slow, with not much happening in the way of action til about 2/3 the way in. I did like the characters but again would have preferred a much faster paced story with more action.
I also think starting with such a long and detailed prologue featuring a person who was not key to the story (in fact we never even see that person again) was a mistake. It fails to draw you in. A prologue about Lirien's crash would have made a lot more sense. I also found it odd that the epilogue focused on another character that was not central to the story at all (although I did wonder if this character featured in the first book which I haven't read).
This is the first book of this author's that I have read but the second book set in this world. Although it is pitched as a stand alone story, I sometimes felt a little lost in terms of the set up of the world and whether I was supposed to know some of the bit characters and I do wonder if I would have felt a little less bewildered if I had read book 1.
This book was probably a 2.5 star for me. While I liked the idea behind the world building and the story, the pace was very slow, with not much happening in the way of action til about 2/3 the way in. I did like the characters but again would have preferred a much faster paced story with more action.
I also think starting with such a long and detailed prologue featuring a person who was not key to the story (in fact we never even see that person again) was a mistake. It fails to draw you in. A prologue about Lirien's crash would have made a lot more sense. I also found it odd that the epilogue focused on another character that was not central to the story at all (although I did wonder if this character featured in the first book which I haven't read).
This is the first book of this author's that I have read but the second book set in this world. Although it is pitched as a stand alone story, I sometimes felt a little lost in terms of the set up of the world and whether I was supposed to know some of the bit characters and I do wonder if I would have felt a little less bewildered if I had read book 1.
sagauthor's review
5.0
Fun Science Fiction mystery with a little space opera and romance thrown in. Just as good as the first one.
spajonas's review
adventurous
mysterious
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
breaking_the_epigraph's review
2.0
This is my review and how I see it. Where does the beginning fall in this story? I am confused as how the initial character (who is nameless) fits into the chapters in between.
The relationship built between Agent Song, Imara and her son Derrit were purely evident and well written. It just the rest of the story that I could not follow.
This was my first time reading this author and I felt that I was missing a bigger piece of the puzzle in this story.
The relationship built between Agent Song, Imara and her son Derrit were purely evident and well written. It just the rest of the story that I could not follow.
This was my first time reading this author and I felt that I was missing a bigger piece of the puzzle in this story.
writeramyshannon's review
4.0
Great sequel
It's a great sequel to Overload Flux, and I'm glad I was able to read it so close to reading the first one. The characters were wonderful and not ones I will soon forget. In this book, there is a new set of characters, making me miss the ones from the first book, but I do like the new take on this story. It has a new dimension. The plot starts out a little slow and brings up a lot of backstory, but the action is there. Not disappointed in the least.
It's a great sequel to Overload Flux, and I'm glad I was able to read it so close to reading the first one. The characters were wonderful and not ones I will soon forget. In this book, there is a new set of characters, making me miss the ones from the first book, but I do like the new take on this story. It has a new dimension. The plot starts out a little slow and brings up a lot of backstory, but the action is there. Not disappointed in the least.
mousegoddess's review
5.0
Look if you haven't figured out I'm a sucker for single parents, skulduggery, conspiracy, chosen family, and bio or chosen family that will go to bat for their loved ones then I don't know what to tell you. I'm so happy with the story the periodic used of a rather out-of-date adjective didn't even faze me.
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