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A review by ccmarissa
The Demon Breed by James H. Schmitz
adventurous
funny
mysterious
reflective
slow-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
3.5
Is this book one of the best books I've ever read in my life? No. Is it a good bit of sci-fi that keeps you engaged and does a really good job of subverting a lot of cliches that happen when male authors right POC coded and female portaganists? Yes. I mean the fact that this was written in the 60s and Nile is written so well is mind boggling to me. She's such a cool well thought out character who never falls into the "I'm a complete bad ass who can handle any situation with ease" or the "I'm a helpless woman who can't figure anything out." Additionally the supporting characters never feel disingenuine or like they're only there for plot.
I think what held this book back is that it is realtively slow paced for being as short as it is, the writing never makes the tension really stick, and well in general the writing sort of lacks strong descriptors. It feels like a series of action sentences. Which is a shame cause some of the descriptors we get make the planet feel so cool that I'd have loved to explore it more.
That said, for something originally published in a Sci-Fi magazine under a different name, this was a good read and I may have to check out some of Schmitz other works despite this book not being too highly rated for me. And let me be clear I did still enjoy it, it just wasn't what I would consider great (4 stars) or amazing (5 stars).
I think what held this book back is that it is realtively slow paced for being as short as it is, the writing never makes the tension really stick, and well in general the writing sort of lacks strong descriptors. It feels like a series of action sentences. Which is a shame cause some of the descriptors we get make the planet feel so cool that I'd have loved to explore it more.
That said, for something originally published in a Sci-Fi magazine under a different name, this was a good read and I may have to check out some of Schmitz other works despite this book not being too highly rated for me. And let me be clear I did still enjoy it, it just wasn't what I would consider great (4 stars) or amazing (5 stars).