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taylorbarks's review against another edition
Confused, poorly punctuated prose; blunt, unsubtle dialogue; and characters about which I could not be bothered to care. This reads like a first draft.
infinispace's review against another edition
3.0
2.5 stars. Took me quite awhile to slog through this meandering, disjointed novel that presents some interesting concepts (thus the .5 star addition), but can't really place them in a meaningful, cogent story. Most of the time I don't know what's motivating anyone. Lots of references to entities (Alliance, GFC, voidians, etc) without really going into any background. The most interesting character was the most unlikable (Jett), while the protagonist (Rex) thought he was a dog much of the time due to Glow. Which means someone gave Glow to a dog at one point in its path through carriers? The novel just feels like random scenes strung together (with a bunch of action at the end) to hit 400 pages. I have the sequel but it's on the reading backburner for now. Overall I'd call Glow "missed potential" because this concept is right up my ally, which is why I gave it a shot.
jd_jinkies's review against another edition
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
bookeatingmoth's review against another edition
5.0
I think about this book all the time. Months after reading. Very cool concepts explored around the progression of technology, optimization, AI, and humanity.
ticanthunder's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
shirleonelsie's review against another edition
4.0
This was a random pick-up at my local Barnes and Noble. I've never heard of the author or the publisher before and it definitely gave me small publisher/self-publisher vibes. Which wasn't a bad thing! I loved just grabbing something that caught my eye. And it ended up being an excellent choice.
While I loved the story and the various characters - some more than others (Rex <3) - I did find that it jumped around a little too much and left a little too much either unexplained or explained in a way that I just should have known what happened. I would have liked a little more history (a flashback chapter or prologue) to explain the Alliance and their deal with the GFC and then maybe a little more about the general lives of people on Coriolis City. In the end, when the war is happening, it felt a little more like (and serious air quotes here) "a war was going on." There was some action with Jet (also <3) but you only saw the action during his moments and not much beyond that. It was a little trippy.
Speaking of Jet - his character and personality were so interesting and chilling. Being a non-human you could have easily gone with robotic and have no growth. But there is a constant change that Jet goes through, making him all the more creepy and fascinating.
There were a few moments in the book where Jet is dealing with people and then kills them. Except he doesn't just stab them or shot them in the head - he either extends his body into slithering tendrils and pierces the flesh of a person OR he folds them. Yep. FOLDS.
I would certainly recommend this book for anyone who likes science fiction and space rings and inhabitants still on Earth. I loved the concept of longevity nanotechnology being used as a drug. This was something I wish we explored a little more between those on Coriolis and upon the ring where it seemed the people who developed this tech resided (?). There was some mention towards the end - "oh, they are using it as a drug? What? Let's look into that." And then nothing...
BUT it was a fun ride. I think I'd like to see more of this world or anything else that Jordan puts out.
While I loved the story and the various characters - some more than others (Rex <3) - I did find that it jumped around a little too much and left a little too much either unexplained or explained in a way that I just should have known what happened. I would have liked a little more history (a flashback chapter or prologue) to explain the Alliance and their deal with the GFC and then maybe a little more about the general lives of people on Coriolis City. In the end, when the war is happening, it felt a little more like (and serious air quotes here) "a war was going on." There was some action with Jet (also <3) but you only saw the action during his moments and not much beyond that. It was a little trippy.
Speaking of Jet - his character and personality were so interesting and chilling. Being a non-human you could have easily gone with robotic and have no growth. But there is a constant change that Jet goes through, making him all the more creepy and fascinating.
There were a few moments in the book where Jet is dealing with people and then kills them. Except he doesn't just stab them or shot them in the head - he either extends his body into slithering tendrils and pierces the flesh of a person OR he folds them. Yep. FOLDS.
I would certainly recommend this book for anyone who likes science fiction and space rings and inhabitants still on Earth. I loved the concept of longevity nanotechnology being used as a drug. This was something I wish we explored a little more between those on Coriolis and upon the ring where it seemed the people who developed this tech resided (?). There was some mention towards the end - "oh, they are using it as a drug? What? Let's look into that." And then nothing...
BUT it was a fun ride. I think I'd like to see more of this world or anything else that Jordan puts out.
entityj's review against another edition
dark
funny
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Drug use, and Drug abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness, Forced institutionalization, Torture, Murder, Animal cruelty, Abandonment, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Medical content, Blood, Body horror, Body shaming, Cursing, and Medical trauma
Minor: Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, and Self harm
nazad1th's review against another edition
2.0
It was alright. I liked the fact that the characters weren't necessarily human, but I think the entire plot on the space station was unneeded, the overall world was unexplored, and the back cover was completely unrelated to the story. It just ended a little lackluster for me.
courtneymcc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75