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openess's review
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
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? No
3.75
lillist's review
5.0
5 Stars - Scientists doing science and planning, what's not to love?
Devon's Island is a book that might not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me! Basically the premise is that a stinking rich businessman and a conglomerate of additional investors (some of them countries, but they'd rather stay unnamed) are planning to realize a mission to mars. Not just some exploration but the actual establishment of a colony that is self-sufficient from day one, no return tickets for any of the colonists!
So they put together a team of experts who are then to recruit further experts in their field to bring together the knowledge and personality traits to make such a mission a success. They have around 3 years to make it happen, which is not a lot of time indeed.
And so we follow the ever growing team in chapters that are being told from the perspective of one of the team members as they plan and solve problems. Some might find that boring but honestly, I could have read a book several times as long that delves even more into all of the little details. There is SO MUCH to consider for a functioning colony and every single one of these issues is absolutely fascinating. Not to forget keeping the people with the money happy at the same time ...
Si Clarke made a point of putting together a very diverse team and played quite smartly with my preconceptions about the expected gender of some of the team members. It turned out that several of the characters who I had assumed to be male turned out to be women after all. Chapeau!
Also, Georgie was an absolute gem, my favourite character for sure.
If there is a caveat then it is the sheer number of team members - I did not always remember 100 % who is who, but there were usually enough hints to help my memory. It ended up being not confusing which I think is quite a feat and shows good storytelling.
Devon's Island is a book that might not be for everyone, but it certainly was for me! Basically the premise is that a stinking rich businessman and a conglomerate of additional investors (some of them countries, but they'd rather stay unnamed) are planning to realize a mission to mars. Not just some exploration but the actual establishment of a colony that is self-sufficient from day one, no return tickets for any of the colonists!
So they put together a team of experts who are then to recruit further experts in their field to bring together the knowledge and personality traits to make such a mission a success. They have around 3 years to make it happen, which is not a lot of time indeed.
And so we follow the ever growing team in chapters that are being told from the perspective of one of the team members as they plan and solve problems. Some might find that boring but honestly, I could have read a book several times as long that delves even more into all of the little details. There is SO MUCH to consider for a functioning colony and every single one of these issues is absolutely fascinating. Not to forget keeping the people with the money happy at the same time ...
Si Clarke made a point of putting together a very diverse team and played quite smartly with my preconceptions about the expected gender of some of the team members. It turned out that several of the characters who I had assumed to be male turned out to be women after all. Chapeau!
Also, Georgie was an absolute gem, my favourite character for sure.
If there is a caveat then it is the sheer number of team members - I did not always remember 100 % who is who, but there were usually enough hints to help my memory. It ended up being not confusing which I think is quite a feat and shows good storytelling.
nowjamie's review
adventurous
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
stephbookshine's review against another edition
5.0
*I received a free copy of this book, with thanks to the author. The decision to review and my opinions are my own.*
Despite the title, this story is more about Gurdeep and Georgie than Devon, although it does touch on various characters as the story unfolds.
I absolutely loved this gentle story about preparing for the colonisation of Mars – all about the planning, people and psychology involved. The pace is slow and thoughtful, and the whole concept makes for an utterly fascinating sci-fi read, standing out as unique among other space-based stories.
In addition to the fresh plot, another big draw here is the diversity of the characters involved and the different perspectives in the moral debates they engage in. And the real-life science section at the end adds a whole raft of background data to the worldbuilding, for those interested in what makes it all work.
I was so immersed in the potential colony and the challenges they faced and problem-solved, so absolutely NEED to find out what happens next. Luckily, the sequel, Livid Skies, is already available, so you – and I – can get an immediate fix of neurodiverse, LGBTQIA+ science fiction and find out whether humanity can survive on Mars after destroying itself on Earth.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2021/10/17/catch-up-quickies-12/
Despite the title, this story is more about Gurdeep and Georgie than Devon, although it does touch on various characters as the story unfolds.
I absolutely loved this gentle story about preparing for the colonisation of Mars – all about the planning, people and psychology involved. The pace is slow and thoughtful, and the whole concept makes for an utterly fascinating sci-fi read, standing out as unique among other space-based stories.
In addition to the fresh plot, another big draw here is the diversity of the characters involved and the different perspectives in the moral debates they engage in. And the real-life science section at the end adds a whole raft of background data to the worldbuilding, for those interested in what makes it all work.
I was so immersed in the potential colony and the challenges they faced and problem-solved, so absolutely NEED to find out what happens next. Luckily, the sequel, Livid Skies, is already available, so you – and I – can get an immediate fix of neurodiverse, LGBTQIA+ science fiction and find out whether humanity can survive on Mars after destroying itself on Earth.
Review by Steph Warren of Bookshine and Readbows blog
https://bookshineandreadbows.wordpress.com/2021/10/17/catch-up-quickies-12/
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