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darren0101's review against another edition
4.0
To escape a gambling debt, Mickey signs up as an expendable on the mission to colonize the ice world Niflheim. His memories are downloaded regularly and each time he dies a new Mickey is produced with all those backed up memories restored in the new Mickey. On a standard mission, Mickey7 is mistakenly announced dead and a new Mickey8 is produced.
This is a fun quick read which doesn't weigh itself down with the questions of Mickey being immortal or just a copy of the preceding Mickey. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a new series.
This is a fun quick read which doesn't weigh itself down with the questions of Mickey being immortal or just a copy of the preceding Mickey. Hopefully, this is just the beginning of a new series.
thisbookishbee's review against another edition
5.0
Thank you to Netgalley and Rebellion for the arc
Mickey7 is an Expendable, basically he's a clone of a guy who decided life as a guinea pig and chosen person to die in dangerous situations was better than life on Midguard - he was probably right. Be that as it may being an Expendable isn't all it's cracked up to be - especially when your best friend leaves you to die in a hole and then wrongfully assumes you died and you come home to find Mickey8 in your bed. Why is that an issue? Largely because your boss is a Naturalist and believes your very existence to be an insult against God. Why should you get to live while the rest of the sorry saps only get one life? It's a fair point, really, but he doesn't have to be such a dick about it. Needless to say, multiples aren't allowed so now Mickey7 and Mickey8 have a choice to make. Which one is getting thrown down the corpse-hole? Not an easy decision to make when both Expendables decide that, actually, they don't want to die. So now the hard part. How to make the crew, of which everyone knows everyone, especially the designated kill guy, believe that there's only one Mickey? It isn't going to be easy but neither one is going down without a fight.
Mickey7 is an Expendable, basically he's a clone of a guy who decided life as a guinea pig and chosen person to die in dangerous situations was better than life on Midguard - he was probably right. Be that as it may being an Expendable isn't all it's cracked up to be - especially when your best friend leaves you to die in a hole and then wrongfully assumes you died and you come home to find Mickey8 in your bed. Why is that an issue? Largely because your boss is a Naturalist and believes your very existence to be an insult against God. Why should you get to live while the rest of the sorry saps only get one life? It's a fair point, really, but he doesn't have to be such a dick about it. Needless to say, multiples aren't allowed so now Mickey7 and Mickey8 have a choice to make. Which one is getting thrown down the corpse-hole? Not an easy decision to make when both Expendables decide that, actually, they don't want to die. So now the hard part. How to make the crew, of which everyone knows everyone, especially the designated kill guy, believe that there's only one Mickey? It isn't going to be easy but neither one is going down without a fight.
madisonreads501's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
marvin_wowbagger's review against another edition
4.0
This book may not break any new ground, but was a surprise in many ways. The audiobook was well narrated, and the nine hours was the perfect amount of time for this story. I look forward to the movie.
eternan's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
eggburp's review against another edition
3.0
Interested to see how this plays out in the movie. I have high hopes.
kyledurham's review against another edition
5.0
Incredible read and exploration on what it really means to be an individual and have sentience. Edward Ashton nearly has the last word on the Ship of Theseus debate. My only issue with that being that it was so on-the-nose I felt that it almost defeated the purpose, in a way.
The key point of this novel is obviously based around the cloning of Mickey Barnes, but I think it really masterfully touches on the real threat that colonization poses to indigenous life. Albeit, in this case the indigenous life is a collectively sentient species on a distant ice-planet, yet I think the point is applicable still.
All in all, this was equal parts intense, comical (when it knew it had the ability to be), and thought-provoking.
The key point of this novel is obviously based around the cloning of Mickey Barnes, but I think it really masterfully touches on the real threat that colonization poses to indigenous life. Albeit, in this case the indigenous life is a collectively sentient species on a distant ice-planet, yet I think the point is applicable still.
All in all, this was equal parts intense, comical (when it knew it had the ability to be), and thought-provoking.
aische24's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
elisegmusic's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
4.0