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_b_a_l_'s review against another edition
3.0
I found this difficult to get into at first and its possible that coloured the rest of my read.
The premise is fantastic: a combination of genetic tampering, social unrest, space travel and communing with the dead.
I feel like this plus the anthropomorphised animals (which is pretty much my jam :P ) should have made me love this book, but actually I'm ambivalent enough to not be sure if I should be 2 staring or 3 staring this.
The premise is fantastic: a combination of genetic tampering, social unrest, space travel and communing with the dead.
I feel like this plus the anthropomorphised animals (which is pretty much my jam :P ) should have made me love this book, but actually I'm ambivalent enough to not be sure if I should be 2 staring or 3 staring this.
zygomatic's review against another edition
1.0
Such a promising concept, spoiled with trite, juvenile writing full of cliches. It reads like YA with a handful of swears, frontloaded like the author thought that would make things more adult. No sense of place for most scenes. The different animal and senator scenes are cringe inducing. Speeches and lines of dialogue are ripped from other cliched media, and scenes play out like you'd expect. Too many random characters with POV chapters for the sake of it, this story cries for focus on a single plotline and one character.
The Archetype of Man is named Kal-El. Bro. Stop.
The Archetype of Man is named Kal-El. Bro. Stop.
alliepeduto's review
4.0
SO INTERESTING!! A member of my sci-fi group recently recommended this, describing it as elephants who can talk to the dead. Just that brief description was enough to interest me, and this did not disappoint. What I’m most intrigued by is the actual psychology that is present in this book, which makes sense since the author has a PhD in cognitive psychology. It was very high concept, but somehow it all really worked, and you get answers to all the big questions. The science was definitely there, but I certainly enjoyed the more psychological aspects present here than the usual space setting employs. It also delved into social issues, which I really appreciated. I would definitely recommend this to sci-fi readers, it’s out there but once you get into it, it’s really good!
kodermike's review against another edition
5.0
Fabulous!
Oh, it's just Babar in space, scoffs the reader looking at the description.
Oh, its just how I lost all of my free time in a black hole, admits the reader.
Oh, it's just Babar in space, scoffs the reader looking at the description.
Oh, its just how I lost all of my free time in a black hole, admits the reader.
disastrouspenguin's review against another edition
5.0
I wasn't really sure what to expect going in, but I enjoyed this a lot. Schoen touches fairly explicitly on several philosophies and ideas throughout the story but doesn't stop to lecture. The characters are... fantastic. One of my biggest pet peeves in any medium is smart characters doing stupid things for the sole purpose of plot progression, and he avoids this entirely. His characters are intelligent, the motivation for their actions clear (if not always rational), and they are... very human.
I was compelled to consume this via audiobook upon discovering that while it was written by Schoen (founder of the Klingon Language Institute) it was narrated by J.G. Hertzler - the actor who played the Klingon Martok on DS9. (h/t Jeff!)
I was compelled to consume this via audiobook upon discovering that while it was written by Schoen (founder of the Klingon Language Institute) it was narrated by J.G. Hertzler - the actor who played the Klingon Martok on DS9. (h/t Jeff!)
deaconist's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
tonythep's review against another edition
5.0
This is one of those books that sounds utterly ridiculous when you try to describe it: talking elephants in space! But the author creates such wonderful characters and builds such a unique, dynamic universe, that I totally fell under the spell of Barsk. Can't wait for more!
saevers's review against another edition
4.0
This was a lovely and compelling story. Like other reviewers, I’m not normally interested in stories about anthropomorphic animals, but the characters were relatable and well developed and the story dealt with themes of loss, exploitation, and bigotry in ways that were resonant and tragic.
Barsk is a story set on another world thousands of years in the future, and follows a sentient elephant who is an academic historian with the ability to communicate with the dead. His species is loathed and discriminated against by all of the others in the galaxy, but they produce a powerful resource that enables them to balance power and ensure their own safety. This story deals with a complex political plot, and carefully examines the protagonist’s place in the world, his relationships with others, the importance of culture in our lives, and the appropriate use of power.
I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the fact that the story depicted nuanced behavior and motivations. Characters that could have been left as one-dimensional archetypes were well developed and their motivations were scrutinized. Scenes of tragedy were deeply moving. I also enjoyed the author’s description of nature and the ways that the characters employed natural metaphors in their speech.
This is listed as Book #1 in Goodreads. I was unaware that the story continued when I purchased this book and generally avoid series, but I enjoyed Barsk well enough that I may continue with this one.
Barsk is a story set on another world thousands of years in the future, and follows a sentient elephant who is an academic historian with the ability to communicate with the dead. His species is loathed and discriminated against by all of the others in the galaxy, but they produce a powerful resource that enables them to balance power and ensure their own safety. This story deals with a complex political plot, and carefully examines the protagonist’s place in the world, his relationships with others, the importance of culture in our lives, and the appropriate use of power.
I enjoyed the complexity of the characters and the fact that the story depicted nuanced behavior and motivations. Characters that could have been left as one-dimensional archetypes were well developed and their motivations were scrutinized. Scenes of tragedy were deeply moving. I also enjoyed the author’s description of nature and the ways that the characters employed natural metaphors in their speech.
This is listed as Book #1 in Goodreads. I was unaware that the story continued when I purchased this book and generally avoid series, but I enjoyed Barsk well enough that I may continue with this one.
mjfmjfmjf's review against another edition
4.0
Well. That was weird and kind of brilliant. A nebula nominee and basically what I expect from a nebula winner. Definitely not an easy book to read. The setup was slow and frankly kind of dumb. And then everything falls into place. As much as anything can when you are talking anthropomorphic animals on a galaxy wide civilization in which some elephants can talk to the dead. 4.5 of 5.
sunflowerjoy's review against another edition
2.0
Overall, I guess I enjoyed this book since I finished it. It was weird though. I didn’t enjoy the fake science...it went to far into an explanation for me to suspend my disbelief.
It was an easy read, but the actually writing lacked beauty. It was more of an essay-story than a novel, more of a history filled with very vivid and specific characters who I did enjoy learning about. I liked Pizlo a lot, but even so I feel apathetic about the book as a whole. I won’t read any more in the series. It’s an interesting idea, just not the book for me
It was an easy read, but the actually writing lacked beauty. It was more of an essay-story than a novel, more of a history filled with very vivid and specific characters who I did enjoy learning about. I liked Pizlo a lot, but even so I feel apathetic about the book as a whole. I won’t read any more in the series. It’s an interesting idea, just not the book for me