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lanster's reviews
123 reviews
Neom by Lavie Tidhar
2.75
Being a big fan of Central Station, I was disappointed by this novel. It felt like fan fiction in comparison, or a rushed first draft.
The writing was pretty jarring, a lot of short sentences, a lot of listing off random made up names or terms.
The book rushes to a climax that doesn't have any emotional weight. There's no real threat or drama that would make this work.
The various story lines and character arcs all converge for the sake of converging, it feels forced, but the book doesn't give enough time for any real character journeys.
It's a shame it had the makings of a good book but it felt like it didn't take itself seriously. The scene where the boy goes into the fortune tellers room was great for example.
The writing was pretty jarring, a lot of short sentences, a lot of listing off random made up names or terms.
The book rushes to a climax that doesn't have any emotional weight. There's no real threat or drama that would make this work.
The various story lines and character arcs all converge for the sake of converging, it feels forced, but the book doesn't give enough time for any real character journeys.
It's a shame it had the makings of a good book but it felt like it didn't take itself seriously. The scene where the boy goes into the fortune tellers room was great for example.
The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
Embassytown by China Miéville
challenging
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
An innovative sci-fi story with a well fleshed out and unique world and aliens. The prose nicely suited the theme and the first 100 pages were a joy.
However, the pacing in the middle took a nose dive and I almost lost interest. The language concepts on their own weren't interesting enough to carry the momentum of the book.
However, the pacing in the middle took a nose dive and I almost lost interest. The language concepts on their own weren't interesting enough to carry the momentum of the book.
Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Klara is a really interesting character and Ishiguro treats the AI topic with care and a unique perspective. Klara somehow manages to simultaneously feel like a dumb machine and any other flawed human.
However the plot was a bit too safe and predictable and it never really felt like the reader was challenged in any way.
However the plot was a bit too safe and predictable and it never really felt like the reader was challenged in any way.
The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. Le Guin
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I quite enjoyed this book, it was an easy read, and Le Guin's intelligence permeates throughout her writing. The story is an exploration of utopia building, and the ethics of handling world changing power. I think it's only let down by it's relatively small set of (on the surface) simple characters, it could have had a bit more depth on exploring of the subjective side of the problem.