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twowheelsaway's review against another edition
4.0
I enjoyed this a bunch- unique universe, cool characters, and surprisingly high stakes made it enjoyable and pretty immersive. The main characters are a little bit weaker than I expect from Reeve— their actions felt slightly random sometimes, although this faded as the book went on and they got more to care about. Ultimately I think this weakness comes from trying to cram WAY too much universe building into the first book- it’s done relatively well, but I actually feel like I know more about the world than I want to (which is rare for me). Gideon the Ninth has a similarly complicated world, but at the end of the first book I know a whole lot less about it, and I think that’s kind of ideal.
I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel though! I think with the solid foundation of world-building from this one, the sequel will be able to really hit its stride, and I can’t wait to see what Reeve does with the seeds he planted.
I’m definitely looking forward to the sequel though! I think with the solid foundation of world-building from this one, the sequel will be able to really hit its stride, and I can’t wait to see what Reeve does with the seeds he planted.
pantsreads's review against another edition
4.0
If you aren’t a fan of science fiction—the kind that plops you right down in the middle of a strange world/galaxy/universe that’s filled with strange beings/ideas/terms and expects you to keep up without question—Railhead’s likely not for you. If you’re like me, however, someone who likes to get lost in stories that are only slightly connected to real life, you should check this book out.
Read my full review on FYA.
Read my full review on FYA.
oldmanrupee's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Animal death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Dementia
Insect phobiasilvyinwonderland's review against another edition
4.0
Recensione: http://wefoundwonderlandinbooks.blogspot.it/2016/11/recensione-capolinea-per-le-stelle-di.html
theresab93's review against another edition
2.0
sigh
I don't know if I set up expectations up for myself or just wrong time, but man did this book do nothing for me. Just struggled to really get into it I'm surprised I finished this book instead of dnf'ing
I don't know if I set up expectations up for myself or just wrong time, but man did this book do nothing for me. Just struggled to really get into it I'm surprised I finished this book instead of dnf'ing
markimus's review against another edition
3.0
This book is within my genre, but not the type of sci-fi I typically prefer. The author has a nice writing style that made the book decent. I can't say I'm in love with it. The characters just seemed kind of flat, and while the action was great at times the plot seemed lost. Almost as if you're unsure where the author will land.
If you like space journeys pick this book up, but it didn't really vibe with me.
If you like space journeys pick this book up, but it didn't really vibe with me.
blatanville's review against another edition
3.0
Call it 3.5 ⭐s
Unsurprisingly, Reeve has created a hugely interesting milieu for this story. The components aren't entirely novel, if you've read enough SF, but he's laid them on well.
Slightly disappointingly, the characters are a bit more trope-y than i found with the Mortal Engines/Fever Crumb books... And the main character, here, is particularly immature. I know that this is a YA SF series, but Zen really comes off as a child, though i picture him as an 18 or 19 year old (i don't recall if the book states his age).
I look forward to the other books in the series, hoping Zen grows up (a lot).
Bonus marks to Reeve for normalizing same-sex couples throughout the book and the societies on the different worlds and social classes. It really ought not be a big deal in fiction to simply have non-heterosexual pairings in books written in the 21st century.
Unsurprisingly, Reeve has created a hugely interesting milieu for this story. The components aren't entirely novel, if you've read enough SF, but he's laid them on well.
Slightly disappointingly, the characters are a bit more trope-y than i found with the Mortal Engines/Fever Crumb books... And the main character, here, is particularly immature. I know that this is a YA SF series, but Zen really comes off as a child, though i picture him as an 18 or 19 year old (i don't recall if the book states his age).
I look forward to the other books in the series, hoping Zen grows up (a lot).
Bonus marks to Reeve for normalizing same-sex couples throughout the book and the societies on the different worlds and social classes. It really ought not be a big deal in fiction to simply have non-heterosexual pairings in books written in the 21st century.
alice_digest's review
5.0
I want to live inside Philip Reeve's head. That man has an incredible imagination.. I was fell in love with [b:Mortal Engines|287861|Mortal Engines (The Hungry City Chronicles, #1)|Philip Reeve|http://images.gr-assets.com/books/1352173057s/287861.jpg|3981652], but OMG this new world he has created is even richer than that one. There is just so much to this book!
The world is a future humanity based upon a network of basically magical teleportation railways called K-Gates that allow incredibly fast travel between different planets. I love this! They were created by mysterious Godlike A.I. beings called the Guardians for the benefit of humanity. Living on one of these interconnected worlds is Zen Starling. He is a petty thief who steals partially for the thrill and partially to help support his sister and mentally ill mother. Then, naturally.. he gets drawn into lots of adventure by a mysterious stranger.. including a heist (I do love a good heist)!
I already said this but this world is SO rich. It has a history, and a political system with lots of a tension. Impressive for a 296 page children's book. There are humans of course, but there are "Hive Monks" who are basically a collection of insects on stilts (I loved this idea) and there are Motoricks who are robots. But then Zen meets Nova who has a personality and programming of her own... So yeah, there is another whole layer of "what it means to be human" to this book to!! Plus the characters are incredibly diverse in terms of race and sexuality, and there is even a character who switches gender at will! (If you could, why wouldn't you?)
What I really love about this book is that there are no clear "bad guys." The plot and morality twists and turns and writhes about, and I just didn't know who was right or if anybody was wrong by the end of the book! I mean some people were wrong.. there are quite a lot of deaths in this book! Oh and the other thing that I LOVE is that the trains all have personalities! And brilliant names.
It's a really fun book to read, it's so well written and I am very excited by the world it has introduced me to! There will be a sequel according to the back of the book!
Oh also it has awesome illustrations on the outer and inner of the book cover that I couldn't stop looking at. I definitely recommend this one.
The world is a future humanity based upon a network of basically magical teleportation railways called K-Gates that allow incredibly fast travel between different planets. I love this! They were created by mysterious Godlike A.I. beings called the Guardians for the benefit of humanity. Living on one of these interconnected worlds is Zen Starling. He is a petty thief who steals partially for the thrill and partially to help support his sister and mentally ill mother. Then, naturally.. he gets drawn into lots of adventure by a mysterious stranger.. including a heist (I do love a good heist)!
I already said this but this world is SO rich. It has a history, and a political system with lots of a tension. Impressive for a 296 page children's book. There are humans of course, but there are "Hive Monks" who are basically a collection of insects on stilts (I loved this idea) and there are Motoricks who are robots. But then Zen meets Nova who has a personality and programming of her own... So yeah, there is another whole layer of "what it means to be human" to this book to!! Plus the characters are incredibly diverse in terms of race and sexuality, and there is even a character who switches gender at will! (If you could, why wouldn't you?)
What I really love about this book is that there are no clear "bad guys." The plot and morality twists and turns and writhes about, and I just didn't know who was right or if anybody was wrong by the end of the book! I mean some people were wrong.. there are quite a lot of deaths in this book! Oh and the other thing that I LOVE is that the trains all have personalities! And brilliant names.
It's a really fun book to read, it's so well written and I am very excited by the world it has introduced me to! There will be a sequel according to the back of the book!
Oh also it has awesome illustrations on the outer and inner of the book cover that I couldn't stop looking at. I definitely recommend this one.
booksandladders's review against another edition
4.0
really cool and interesting but I thought some of the characters were underdeveloped and the interactions were sometimes awkward. overall I really enjoyed it and would recommend it if you like space travel and want something with a twist