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amerdale's review against another edition
what stupid and utter nonsense. waste of time and money.
mgouker's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! Absolutely crazy jaunt through a universe where you sing for your species' survival
I need a proper review, but in spite of Trail of Lightning's magnificence, this is my choice for the Hugo Award of 2019.
I need a proper review, but in spite of Trail of Lightning's magnificence, this is my choice for the Hugo Award of 2019.
lira_the_recluse's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I liked the feel of the story / world, but I did not like the execution if that makes sense. Overall it was a fun book, but will not be something I would want to re-read or buy (got it from the library).
jessie_roz's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
barnesm31's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed reading this book, I have struggled in the past with some of Catherynne M. Valente's work, my fault not hers. I don't tend to go to live music, not an avid follower of the music scene, never read NME but I enjoyed this story. If you were a nautical sort I'd say this one wasn't in your wheelhouse, if your passion was fishing then this would be not quite a catch but if your thing is music, performance and that sort of scene then I think this book would be your jam.
lackyducks's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
4.0
I nearly put this book down as it took me about a third of the way in to connect with the plot, but when I did, I did. And I'm very glad I didn't put it down.
The writing is very reminiscent of Hitchhiker's and can take a bit to adapt to. Expect detours, and a lot of them. The main plotline is more of a vehicle for expansive world building and a story of connection - human or otherwise.
There's a wide cast of characters. The main characters are incredibly messy in a way that makes you want to root for them to sort themselves out. They have a lot of depth and it's enjoyable to delve further into this through the wildest vehicle possible.
The variety of aliens is also a delight, far from just humans copy and pasted. Learning about each one is fun, especially with such a glam backdrop.
Space Opera is a vehicle as wild as the space ships it includes.
The writing is very reminiscent of Hitchhiker's and can take a bit to adapt to. Expect detours, and a lot of them. The main plotline is more of a vehicle for expansive world building and a story of connection - human or otherwise.
There's a wide cast of characters. The main characters are incredibly messy in a way that makes you want to root for them to sort themselves out. They have a lot of depth and it's enjoyable to delve further into this through the wildest vehicle possible.
The variety of aliens is also a delight, far from just humans copy and pasted. Learning about each one is fun, especially with such a glam backdrop.
Space Opera is a vehicle as wild as the space ships it includes.
iamgr00t's review against another edition
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.5
wylsonated's review against another edition
5.0
This book is Valente at her most uninhibited and uncontrollable, full-on max verbiage, glam-stylist run-ons galore, totally self-indulgent and rocking out with her pen (word processor?) out. And it is very OUT in being challenging to read, and parse, but also OUT in how artsy, non-binary and weird she would like the galactic glam outworlder communities to be. Probably not worth your time if you expect to encounter again her languorous, luxuriously lush, precise prose of the past, as it's more manic overload this time than anything else - quite suitably for the subject matter and style nonetheless. I feel the plot rushes forward in double-quick tempo, even despite the digressions filling out the strange denizens of the wider glam Galactic, and yet it all too quickly ends with a strangely and probably undescribable-anyway climax. It felt like the journey barely begun as the last sentence rolls off, and the characters barely show much of themselves beyond their neon-fluoresecent outlines. This book feels like it is more a world-building exercise, but one has to respect the author's effort to imagine a Technicolor alternative to the staid, very straightlaced, hard SF first contact novels out there. And building out our wild, yet on-rails, theme park ride experience within it.
princesspunx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75