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the_wanlorn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
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? Yes
4.0
This one took a bit to get into because I do not care for Squishy, but it was still good.
paradoxically's review against another edition
3.0
What is it about these books that start off slow and make me think "Oh, disappointing, this is pretty average" until it creeps towards the end and all of the pieces start sliding together and I suddenly sit up and go, "Gimme more. Please. Right now. ...Please."
Boneyards is much like the last book in format--it alternates between first person POV (Boss) and third person POV (Squishy in this book). Unlike the last book it focuses a lot on Squishy, which was a bit unfortunate because Squisy has never been one of my much beloved characters. Even in this book I just barely tolerated her, which meant that any chance we had at getting back to Boss I latched on and just didn't want to leave. Not exactly an ideal reading headspace.
Also like the last book is that there's a pretty prominent time gap between book two and book three. Several years have gone by since City of Ruins and I'm of two minds about it. This, at least, helps speed the plot forward, but there is so much that we miss as readers that I wish I'd be able to read (such as the integration of Coop and his people, the fallout from the last book, and so on).
In one plot line, Boss and Coop have basically teamed up and they're looking for more clues to Fleet's past--because the man desperately wants to meet up with the Fleet, no matter that they'd all be strangers (if they're still around). This isn't easy. This isn't any fun either, and tensions are rather high. The second plot line involves Squishy and her quest to eradicate the Empire's research of 'stealth' technology. Things don't go as planned. Heh (understatement).
The characters are as complex as ever. One of my favorite things to read in the book is Coop and Boss's ever shifting dynamic--they're both strong leaders and there are times when one is better at a task than the other. Getting the other to realize this though... it takes a lot of (careful) juggling between the two. We also learn a lot more about Squishy and her motivations as well as her past. Nothing too jaw dropping (but like I said, I barely tolerate Squishy so anything she does tends to just make me shrug).
Unfortunately, while I greatly enjoyed the ending, the middle bits were strictly average for me. The books aren't exactly furiously paced, but disinterest towards certain characters just made it drag in parts. The ending was exciting, but it was over pretty quickly. The actual actions bits were very short and some character decisions were a bit underwhelming. But I still liked it. Just not as much as the previous two books. On the other hand, the next book seems like it'll be a lot of fun, so I am looking forward to that. 3 stars.
Boneyards is much like the last book in format--it alternates between first person POV (Boss) and third person POV (Squishy in this book). Unlike the last book it focuses a lot on Squishy, which was a bit unfortunate because Squisy has never been one of my much beloved characters. Even in this book I just barely tolerated her, which meant that any chance we had at getting back to Boss I latched on and just didn't want to leave. Not exactly an ideal reading headspace.
Also like the last book is that there's a pretty prominent time gap between book two and book three. Several years have gone by since City of Ruins and I'm of two minds about it. This, at least, helps speed the plot forward, but there is so much that we miss as readers that I wish I'd be able to read (such as the integration of Coop and his people, the fallout from the last book, and so on).
In one plot line, Boss and Coop have basically teamed up and they're looking for more clues to Fleet's past--because the man desperately wants to meet up with the Fleet, no matter that they'd all be strangers (if they're still around). This isn't easy. This isn't any fun either, and tensions are rather high. The second plot line involves Squishy and her quest to eradicate the Empire's research of 'stealth' technology. Things don't go as planned. Heh (understatement).
The characters are as complex as ever. One of my favorite things to read in the book is Coop and Boss's ever shifting dynamic--they're both strong leaders and there are times when one is better at a task than the other. Getting the other to realize this though... it takes a lot of (careful) juggling between the two. We also learn a lot more about Squishy and her motivations as well as her past. Nothing too jaw dropping (but like I said, I barely tolerate Squishy so anything she does tends to just make me shrug).
Unfortunately, while I greatly enjoyed the ending, the middle bits were strictly average for me. The books aren't exactly furiously paced, but disinterest towards certain characters just made it drag in parts. The ending was exciting, but it was over pretty quickly. The actual actions bits were very short and some character decisions were a bit underwhelming. But I still liked it. Just not as much as the previous two books. On the other hand, the next book seems like it'll be a lot of fun, so I am looking forward to that. 3 stars.
mferrante83's review against another edition
4.0
Warning! Spoilers from City of Ruins are contained in the review below! You’ve been warned!
Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s two previous novels in the Diving Universe, Diving Into the Wreck andCity of Ruins, are excellent science fiction adventure tales. City of the Ruins featured a major paradigm shift for Boss and her crew due to the major of discovery of a Dignity Vessel and its living occupants. Opening up five years after City of Ruins, Boneyards sees Boss and the crew of the Dignity Vessel searching for the remnants of the ancient Dignity fleet. Much like City of Ruins took Boss out of her natural environment, zero-g exploration of wrecks, Boneyards starts by taking away some of Boss’s control. It is interesting, and maybe a little fun, to watch Boss squirm with notion that she is not in charge when on Coop’s ship the Ivoire. IBoss and Coop’s search for the trail of the Dignity Fleet is interspersed with the narration of “stealth technology” researcher Squishy who has taken it upon herself to eradicate Stealth research from the Enterran Empire.
Right away I had a significant problem with the disconnectedness of the two narratives. The jumps between Boss/Coop’s quest and Squishy were often abrupt. Given my predilections when it comes to reading I was definitely more invested and interested in this aspect of the novel so my initial dislike of Squishy’s story has nothing to do with how well its written just that it was the story I wanted. Those shifts, made slightly more difficult by the fact that Squishy’s chapters alternate between flashbacks and present, take some getting used to but eventually draw the reader in. The flashbacks during the Squishy narrative serve as a sort of origin story for the assertive and opinionated scientist, giving readers the tale of how she and Boss first met and going even further back how she first became involved with Stealth technology. It’s really quite a tale, full of surprises even with everything we already know and you really get a handle on just how much the Enterran research into Stealth technology has effect Squishy.
While Boss maintains her typically cool distance there is some deeper exploration of her emotional core; particularly as it pertains to her relationship to Coop. It is interesting to see how she divorces her personal and professional relationships. Really, in these chapters the more interesting character is Coop. The “man out of time” trope is always a fascinating one and seeing that trope applied across a whole compliment of ship’s crew is heartbreaking. There is such a palpable, surprisingly aimless quality to Coop’s drive his need to find out what happened to the Dignity Fleet always tainted by how far across the gulf of time he and the crew of the Ivoire have come. I can’t tell of Rusch’s decision to have Squishy’s plot intersect with this part of the story right as at it was really getting interesting was brilliant move or a misstep. I’m going to vote for brilliant move particularly given how Squishy’s tale ends; things are really going get heated in the next book.
While the elements of mystery and exploration that I loved so much from Diving into the Wreck and City of Ruins are less present in Boneyards it is another excellent entry into this series. While I can heartily recommend Boneyards to individuals who have read the previous two novels it should be noted that the story in this book, as in the previous one, rely heavily on knowledge from the earlier books. As in the previous two novels Rusch’s prose is short and succinct and differs significantly from other writers I’ve read. It is a style the takes getting used and one that pushes the novels pace along at a nice clip. As a result Boneyards feels a bit on the short side. The novel’s stellar conclusion offers another major shift in the series that leave eagerly, one might say desperately, waiting the next book.
Spoiler
Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s two previous novels in the Diving Universe, Diving Into the Wreck andCity of Ruins, are excellent science fiction adventure tales. City of the Ruins featured a major paradigm shift for Boss and her crew due to the major of discovery of a Dignity Vessel and its living occupants. Opening up five years after City of Ruins, Boneyards sees Boss and the crew of the Dignity Vessel searching for the remnants of the ancient Dignity fleet. Much like City of Ruins took Boss out of her natural environment, zero-g exploration of wrecks, Boneyards starts by taking away some of Boss’s control. It is interesting, and maybe a little fun, to watch Boss squirm with notion that she is not in charge when on Coop’s ship the Ivoire. IBoss and Coop’s search for the trail of the Dignity Fleet is interspersed with the narration of “stealth technology” researcher Squishy who has taken it upon herself to eradicate Stealth research from the Enterran Empire.
Right away I had a significant problem with the disconnectedness of the two narratives. The jumps between Boss/Coop’s quest and Squishy were often abrupt. Given my predilections when it comes to reading I was definitely more invested and interested in this aspect of the novel so my initial dislike of Squishy’s story has nothing to do with how well its written just that it was the story I wanted. Those shifts, made slightly more difficult by the fact that Squishy’s chapters alternate between flashbacks and present, take some getting used to but eventually draw the reader in. The flashbacks during the Squishy narrative serve as a sort of origin story for the assertive and opinionated scientist, giving readers the tale of how she and Boss first met and going even further back how she first became involved with Stealth technology. It’s really quite a tale, full of surprises even with everything we already know and you really get a handle on just how much the Enterran research into Stealth technology has effect Squishy.
While Boss maintains her typically cool distance there is some deeper exploration of her emotional core; particularly as it pertains to her relationship to Coop. It is interesting to see how she divorces her personal and professional relationships. Really, in these chapters the more interesting character is Coop. The “man out of time” trope is always a fascinating one and seeing that trope applied across a whole compliment of ship’s crew is heartbreaking. There is such a palpable, surprisingly aimless quality to Coop’s drive his need to find out what happened to the Dignity Fleet always tainted by how far across the gulf of time he and the crew of the Ivoire have come. I can’t tell of Rusch’s decision to have Squishy’s plot intersect with this part of the story right as at it was really getting interesting was brilliant move or a misstep. I’m going to vote for brilliant move particularly given how Squishy’s tale ends; things are really going get heated in the next book.
While the elements of mystery and exploration that I loved so much from Diving into the Wreck and City of Ruins are less present in Boneyards it is another excellent entry into this series. While I can heartily recommend Boneyards to individuals who have read the previous two novels it should be noted that the story in this book, as in the previous one, rely heavily on knowledge from the earlier books. As in the previous two novels Rusch’s prose is short and succinct and differs significantly from other writers I’ve read. It is a style the takes getting used and one that pushes the novels pace along at a nice clip. As a result Boneyards feels a bit on the short side. The novel’s stellar conclusion offers another major shift in the series that leave eagerly, one might say desperately, waiting the next book.
megmcardle's review against another edition
3.0
This is still a really good action-oriented SF series, just not an amazing entry.
itabar's review against another edition
2.0
I found the flashbacks EXTREMELY annoying and the ending sucked. There was no reason for a cetain character to die. Disappointing.
tpietila's review against another edition
4.0
The book continues the story perhaps a few years after the last one in the series ended. The Boss now has a working dignity vessel with a crew and has access to “Anacapa drive,” an instantaneous FTL -drive. She and her group are studying the tech and are installing the drive on ordinary space crafts. But her friend is obsessed with stopping the empire’s research on the drive – it erroneously assumes it to be a simple cloaking device. She starts a cover mission to destroy all Empire research on the subject. But not everything goes smoothly.
Almost just as entertaining a book as the earlier installments, a part of the story is told on flashbacks going back tens of years. I found those to be illuminating about the personality and past of the characters, but while I was reading them, I was hoping to get over them and continue the “real” plot. The ending was pretty harsh. I didn’t believe that the boss would be ready to go to such lengths for her goals. It didn’t seem to be really in character. But I am looking forward to the next part; perhaps there we’ll learn what the “Boneyard” mentioned in the title of the book really is – in this book it was only found.
Almost just as entertaining a book as the earlier installments, a part of the story is told on flashbacks going back tens of years. I found those to be illuminating about the personality and past of the characters, but while I was reading them, I was hoping to get over them and continue the “real” plot. The ending was pretty harsh. I didn’t believe that the boss would be ready to go to such lengths for her goals. It didn’t seem to be really in character. But I am looking forward to the next part; perhaps there we’ll learn what the “Boneyard” mentioned in the title of the book really is – in this book it was only found.
squishies's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 stars
Be prepared for a lot (and I mean, a lot) of flashbacks where we find out about Squishy's past. I'm not sure I quite enjoyed that the flashbacks were disjointed themselves and did get a bit impatient as each flashback occurred to get back to the present, but naturally, it does help with understanding Squishy's motives.
However, the present story has progressed to a very interesting situation.
Be prepared for a lot (and I mean, a lot) of flashbacks where we find out about Squishy's past. I'm not sure I quite enjoyed that the flashbacks were disjointed themselves and did get a bit impatient as each flashback occurred to get back to the present, but naturally, it does help with understanding Squishy's motives.
However, the present story has progressed to a very interesting situation.
Spoiler
I'm dying to know more about the Boneyards and why all those vessels are there. Also, totally unsurprised Boss has tweaked the Empire's tail and now shit's gonna go down.scamp1234's review against another edition
4.0
Wow, after Coty of Ruins I was intrigued to continue. Now after this I'm obsessed!
vintonole's review against another edition
4.0
Really enjoying this series. The novels have short, fast chapters. So easy to read.
This volume continues with Boss and her diving crew along side the crew of the Ivoire. There isn't much (or any) diving in this one, but still much discovery and exploration. Many hints dropped and threads picked up. Much to look forward to in the next novels.
This volume continues with Boss and her diving crew along side the crew of the Ivoire. There isn't much (or any) diving in this one, but still much discovery and exploration. Many hints dropped and threads picked up. Much to look forward to in the next novels.
gnostalgia's review against another edition
3.0
I’m sure that I would have gotten a lot more out of “Boneyards” had I read the first two books. The novel shifts gears a little more than I liked with two interconnected stories and flashbacks. One story is about Boss and the other half of the tale is about a character named Squishy. Boss is basically one of your questing for profit stories and Squishy is your basic infiltration story.
I enjoyed the Boss character and I enjoyed much of her portion of the book. The Squishy portion simply had to many flasbacks and the bouncing storyline should have been handled much better.
For the most part, I liked the book. However, I would suggest that you read the other books in the series before tackling this one. I would recommend it for the scifi space opera fan.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pyr. I was not required to write a positive review.
I enjoyed the Boss character and I enjoyed much of her portion of the book. The Squishy portion simply had to many flasbacks and the bouncing storyline should have been handled much better.
For the most part, I liked the book. However, I would suggest that you read the other books in the series before tackling this one. I would recommend it for the scifi space opera fan.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Pyr. I was not required to write a positive review.