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A review by adancewithbooks
Goddess in the Machine by Lora Beth Johnson
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
Goddess in the Machine has been on my radar ever since I first saw that cover and heard the title. Adding that it is sci-fi was only a bonus. And I was not left dissapointed. Goddess in the Machine stands out by its nuanced humor, its characters and plotting.
We start with Andra waking up from a cryogenic sleep. She should be waking up on a ship on route to a new planet. Instead she wakes up in a cavern, 1000 years too late, with a young men looming over her and talking in a way that she can barely grasp, calling her goddess. Its with this mystery we follow Andra throughout the book. Finding pieces along the way to figure out what truly happened. It keeps you guessing along the way. You wonder who you can truly trust. Is it Zhade? Or is he up to something as well as his brother? And what has actually happened to Andra?
The world where she is, is different than her own. A 1000 years has not evolved her people (as she suspects they are decendants from the colonists she was suppose to be among) as she would expect. They call technology magic and those that can work it sorcer. And she can't quite seem to work it. The worldbuilding we discover alongside Andra and it is done really well. Never too much, always just enough, where I felt that I had a good grasp on the world and the things that were happening. Including the politics. Nice and twisty. The language also changed. They speak a form of English that does take some getting used to.
Andra is just a joy to follow along all the twists and turns. She has no idea what is going on but she has to now surive in a place where they think she is a goddess. And she goes right along. There is no other way. But that doesn't mean that she lets everyone blindside her. She has her own plans and goals. Her own emotions that come out. She feels so confident but on the inside she has her doubts about her abbilities and her body. She is curvy and her memories hint towards her mother not being appreciative of that.
The overall interactions with some nuanced and biting humor together with the world building, twists and turns made this a joy to read.
We start with Andra waking up from a cryogenic sleep. She should be waking up on a ship on route to a new planet. Instead she wakes up in a cavern, 1000 years too late, with a young men looming over her and talking in a way that she can barely grasp, calling her goddess. Its with this mystery we follow Andra throughout the book. Finding pieces along the way to figure out what truly happened. It keeps you guessing along the way. You wonder who you can truly trust. Is it Zhade? Or is he up to something as well as his brother? And what has actually happened to Andra?
The world where she is, is different than her own. A 1000 years has not evolved her people (as she suspects they are decendants from the colonists she was suppose to be among) as she would expect. They call technology magic and those that can work it sorcer. And she can't quite seem to work it. The worldbuilding we discover alongside Andra and it is done really well. Never too much, always just enough, where I felt that I had a good grasp on the world and the things that were happening. Including the politics. Nice and twisty. The language also changed. They speak a form of English that does take some getting used to.
Andra is just a joy to follow along all the twists and turns. She has no idea what is going on but she has to now surive in a place where they think she is a goddess. And she goes right along. There is no other way. But that doesn't mean that she lets everyone blindside her. She has her own plans and goals. Her own emotions that come out. She feels so confident but on the inside she has her doubts about her abbilities and her body. She is curvy and her memories hint towards her mother not being appreciative of that.
The overall interactions with some nuanced and biting humor together with the world building, twists and turns made this a joy to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder
Moderate: Blood and Death of parent
Memories of diet culture | ritualistic killings | Loss of a loved one