Brian
This being Alongi's first full novel, was a great place to kick off from! The story was imaginative and characters were honest and relevant.
It is interesting that I just read Silent City by Sarah Davis-Goff and Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis leading up to reading Citadel as it feels like a mashup of the two.
I hope to see refinements in Alongi's writing in her future novels. But I will be reading more from her! It doesn't hurt that she is a local here with me in the Twin Cities, MN.
Looking forward to more from her!
Absolutely loved this series! Completely worth the wait. The dryness of all the dialogue and the colorfully muted world would not let me put this book down.
With numerous unknowns and characters we've come to love and hate, I think Fforde did a wonderful job wrapping up the world of Chromatacia (without it feeling like a dead stop).
I will be reading much more from Fforde.
As stated in her bio, Okorafor's books are described as Africanfuturism and Africanjujuism. There is something to be said about a book that creates its own subgenre offshoot. That element kept me engaged and curious.
The world building and history writing was sufficient, but I feel it could have been fleshed out more. At moments it did feel rushed.
It ended with a cliffhanger that will likely pull you into the next book in the series.
Absolutely fantastic! Incredibly dry humor that is compounded by the absurb societal hierarchies based on the color that one predominantly sees. Best move up spectrum!
Start to finish, you're in awe of the world/society this book is set in and you will be constantly attempting to interpret, decipher and solve the mysterious riddles of this environment.
The characters are a blast! The story is entertaining. I'll be reading the second book of the series.
Horrific gore and mutilation. Fascinating character/creature creations that were well described for vivid visuals. Entertaining dialogue that was often self-deprecating with a constant thread of forbidden love.
The writers were a bit too sesquipedalian... I'm no literary genius but I think I'm decently intelligent. Too often I had to stop reading to look up the meaning of a word. Became a bit distracting.
It was a very good read that I am still thinking about.
I really enjoyed this first novel from Elly Bangs, couldn't put it down.
The post-apocalyptic adapted environments are well built and depressing. The alternating point of view keeps you intrigued and guessing what's to happen next. There is action, violence, tenderness, romance, reflection, existential dread/revelation.
Bangs, admittedly, started writing this in high school as a short story and it was published 18 years later. I think Bangs' evolution as a person through writing this book is clearly shown in the evolution of her characters.
It's a beautifully written book and I will be reading more from Bangs.
Just wasn't appealing to me. Perhaps it was the hype that had set my expectations, but I felt myself cringing throughout much of the book. Primarily from the protagonists actions, dialogue and his I-have-the-solution-to-every-obstacle attitude. I am aware that this is very likely the authors intention.
I was a video game kid and young adult, born in the 80's. So those elements held me in, but couldn't solely carry the book for me.
This is just my personal review. So read it if you like, many have.
This was a wildly entertaining book! Had no expectations or knowledge of the story prior to starting, it was a random library grab as I wanted a shorter read.
The book pulled me in rather quick. I didn't know the Ku Klux Klan could be made to look even more repulsive. Hate being the theme of all sides and worlds involved in the story, definitely made this an engaging read. Hate fighting hate!
The phonetic dialogue took a minute to get used to but was necessary, in my opinion. Added to the immersiveness and mood of the book.
Recommended read for sure.
Tina. Just Tina.
If you've read the first book in Lafferty's Midsolar Murders, Station Eternity, you understand how lovably comical Tina is.
I went straight into Chaos Terminal after finish Station Eternity because I loved Lafferty's writing style. She is a great storyteller and builds such a wide variety of intriguing characters. Not many books make me chuckle out loud to myself, but it happened numerous times while reading the witty banter between characters.
Tense. Mysterious. Humorous. Intelligent.
I'll be reading past and upcoming books from Mur Lafferty.
If this book were adapted to film, it would be on par with Fifth Element (excellent movie). Just more mystery and less shoot-em-up.
The environments are outlandish and entertaining. Each alien race has their own quirks. Tina is the best!
The writing style is salty, humorous and tense. The alternating point of view works really well in this book.
Highly recommend! Just about to start Chaos Terminal.
