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abarnakwn_ourcolourfulpages's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Police brutality, Murder, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Blood, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement
Moderate: Colonisation and Xenophobia
Minor: Slavery
harpoonholly's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-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? Yes
2.5
Like other reviewers, I think this novella should have been a full novel in order to flesh out the politics, setting, the stakes, and especially the characters. And there was not nearly enough robot fights to justify the cool cover art.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Blood and Violence
Minor: Sexual content
jenny_d's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
A good, fun time! Not a lot of depth to it, but thoroughly enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, and Death
Moderate: Vomit
adancewithbooks's review
adventurous
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Thank you to TorDotCom and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review. This does not change my opinion in anyway.
Trigger/Content Warnings: Ableism | Much alcohol consumption | Blood | Gore | Death
I've previously read Wexler's YA trilogy so I was happy to try one of his adult works. And I was not dissapointed.
If by chance the synopsis with the seedy underworld of old earth politics and the like puts you off from reading this book, don't be. Because it is not really about that. It's about Kas, stepping out of the rigid rules of being a junior researcher. And about Zhi, on rebuilding an old war robot used in defending the old earth. It is about them clashing from their wildly different worlds but growing closer together.
I think what I liked the most about this novella was the world. This future where a majority of us have left Earth. Where later immigrants are looked down upon. Where there is still also life upon Old Earth as it is now called but that it is a hard survival to maintain any kind of life there. The wildly different and yet also subleties in the different cultures is what made this novella for me.
And of course the robots. I used to watch the Gundam shows and all but I don't think I've ever read a book about robot fights like this (there is sleeping giant but that doesn't quite count in the same way, does it). Where it fits with what we humans would do. There used to be (and probably still is) so many underground boxing prize fights. Like these robot fights where everything is allowed. We like to pretend we are all neat and clean but when you are in survival mode there is no room for that. And the nitty and gritty is what can offer a full stomach or not.
I also enjoyed the characters. Kas is from the neat and clean world but is soon dragged into the gritty reality that is Old Earth. Zhi has lived it for her entire life and she doesn't know anything else. While their first instinct was to distrust each other they end up helping each other. Kas is intrigued by the ancient robot and Zhi needs it as her life line. And with that they grow closer together, forming a relationship of need and maybe a bit of love.
Trigger/Content Warnings: Ableism | Much alcohol consumption | Blood | Gore | Death
I've previously read Wexler's YA trilogy so I was happy to try one of his adult works. And I was not dissapointed.
If by chance the synopsis with the seedy underworld of old earth politics and the like puts you off from reading this book, don't be. Because it is not really about that. It's about Kas, stepping out of the rigid rules of being a junior researcher. And about Zhi, on rebuilding an old war robot used in defending the old earth. It is about them clashing from their wildly different worlds but growing closer together.
I think what I liked the most about this novella was the world. This future where a majority of us have left Earth. Where later immigrants are looked down upon. Where there is still also life upon Old Earth as it is now called but that it is a hard survival to maintain any kind of life there. The wildly different and yet also subleties in the different cultures is what made this novella for me.
And of course the robots. I used to watch the Gundam shows and all but I don't think I've ever read a book about robot fights like this (there is sleeping giant but that doesn't quite count in the same way, does it). Where it fits with what we humans would do. There used to be (and probably still is) so many underground boxing prize fights. Like these robot fights where everything is allowed. We like to pretend we are all neat and clean but when you are in survival mode there is no room for that. And the nitty and gritty is what can offer a full stomach or not.
I also enjoyed the characters. Kas is from the neat and clean world but is soon dragged into the gritty reality that is Old Earth. Zhi has lived it for her entire life and she doesn't know anything else. While their first instinct was to distrust each other they end up helping each other. Kas is intrigued by the ancient robot and Zhi needs it as her life line. And with that they grow closer together, forming a relationship of need and maybe a bit of love.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Alcohol and Ableism
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