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zombiezami's review against another edition
2.75
If you were to tell someone about a book focusing on a technofuturistic society in which coupling is largely decided by a dating site based in genetic testing, the British empire never fell, one of the characters is intersex, and the main characters essentially end up in a throuple , that person would likely think this was a fascinating book. In another author's hands (I'm thinking N.K. Jemisin in particular), it could have been. However, aside from a few moments, getting through this book was a trudge. It was incredibly boring and repetitive.
The characters really didn't have much personality, and I had trouble telling them apart. Up until the end, I was like, "Wait, which one is Helena again?" There were so many missed opportunities. For example, the author didn't explore the eugenicist implications of this genetic testing program, which definitely would have been an issue. Also, this is a society with robots part of everyday life, and they're barely mentioned. here were fucking pirates involved in one of the plotlines and, again, they're barely brought up. What do they want other than money? Is it no more complicated than that? What is an average person's daily life like in this society? You won't find out from reading this book.
Finally, I take issue with the author's framing of this society in the author's note as just "a little bit better" than what actually happened in history. Empires require incredible amounts of violence to expand and maintain. Surely the author could have explored possible contradictions between how the empire is on the surface and what people experience on a more in-depth level. But nope. It's just, "What if there was a British empire that respected your pronouns and said Black Lives Matter? uwu" And because of this surface-level plot, it felt like there were never any real stakes or point to any of the characters' actions.
The characters really didn't have much personality, and I had trouble telling them apart. Up until the end, I was like, "Wait, which one is Helena again?" There were so many missed opportunities. For example, the author didn't explore the eugenicist implications of this genetic testing program, which definitely would have been an issue. Also, this is a society with robots part of everyday life, and they're barely mentioned. here were fucking pirates involved in one of the plotlines and, again, they're barely brought up. What do they want other than money? Is it no more complicated than that? What is an average person's daily life like in this society? You won't find out from reading this book.
Finally, I take issue with the author's framing of this society in the author's note as just "a little bit better" than what actually happened in history. Empires require incredible amounts of violence to expand and maintain. Surely the author could have explored possible contradictions between how the empire is on the surface and what people experience on a more in-depth level. But nope. It's just, "What if there was a British empire that respected your pronouns and said Black Lives Matter? uwu" And because of this surface-level plot, it felt like there were never any real stakes or point to any of the characters' actions.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Colonisation
Moderate: Medical content, Stalking, and Sexual content
Minor: Mental illness, Slavery, and Religious bigotry
iksme's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Ok so I would rank this higher, but I don't like the being a coloniser is ok because we accepted everyone before we made every bad setting, it just sits wrong with me.
And also the audio book is narrated in the Queen's English, which is difficult, annoying and unpleasant to listen to, it is also a very posh accents which does not help this book.
And also although the British empire is much less racist and homophobic it is still very very classist. With very unequal wealth distribution, elite upper class full on monarchy still going on, religion as part of the state ect.
So normally I would have given this two stars, but I didn't because (now let me fanboy over problematic fiction without judgement here) INTERSEX AND POLYAMORY REP!!!! Like this is a rare combination and I'm stannin the rep! That is why it gets a low 3 stars.
And also the audio book is narrated in the Queen's English, which is difficult, annoying and unpleasant to listen to, it is also a very posh accents which does not help this book.
And also although the British empire is much less racist and homophobic it is still very very classist. With very unequal wealth distribution, elite upper class full on monarchy still going on, religion as part of the state ect.
So normally I would have given this two stars, but I didn't because (now let me fanboy over problematic fiction without judgement here) INTERSEX AND POLYAMORY REP!!!! Like this is a rare combination and I'm stannin the rep! That is why it gets a low 3 stars.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism and Colonisation
Moderate: Religious bigotry
Minor: Infertility
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