The Best of All Possible Worlds

Second attempt to read this. Can't get past the first couple chapters but can't quite figure out why

This book is for those motivated by themes and the author’s imaginative world building, which do at times take precedence over more fleshed out characters and straightforward plot, but if you’re looking for something different and can work with an author playing with ideas(and a strong recurring theme of diaspora/exile and communal trauma), I strongly recommend giving this book a try.

Pros: interesting characters, fascinating cultures

Cons: didn't emotionally connect with the characters, ending felt anti-climactic

Four groups of humanoids developed on different worlds. Many outcasts of those worlds found a home on Cygnus Beta. When the Sadiri homeworld becomes inhabitable, killing most of the species with it, a group of the survivors head to Cygnus Beta, where they try to find genetically compatible mates from the various settlements.

I really liked all of the characters. Delarua, as predominant narrator, is a lot of fun, and her observations of the nigh emotionless Sidari and their hints of emotional expression are wonderful. This is her story, and so her family shows up a time or two, an along with them, some person and psychological problems she faces. Dllenahkh is also great, quite unique, and I enjoyed the ‘will they, won't they' aspect of their relationship. I also liked that the supporting cast included a character who identified as gender-neutral.

Which is good, because while there is a plot, the book is really character driven.

The different cultures they encounter at the settlements were fascinating, especially the Seelie court. The author did an excellent job of making each one sound unique in terms of government, customs, etc.

While I enjoyed the subtle - very subtle - romance, I didn't feel particularly invested in the characters emotionally. So for me the ending seemed to fizzle out. The two main climactic style events didn't come with a feeling of satisfaction when they were resolved, both because of that absence of emotional connection and because they were so drawn out that any tension was gone well before the resolutions.

It was a fun, fairly quick read, with some interesting aliens, and cultures, and characters.

Starts off with an interesting concept but disintegrates in to an uninteresting romance.

Gentle, slow-moving but endearing novel about the growing relationship between cerebral Dllenahkh, whose home world has been destroyed, and emotional but professional Grace Delarua, who joins Dllenahkh's mission to find suitable mates for his fellow countrymen who are now without a planet. I'm not sure of the likelihood of this book finding a large target audience; it's too subtle for typical romance readers, and not technical enough for hard-core Sci-Fi readers. At times the plot barely moves forward as author Karen Lord, in her sophomore effort, portrays episodic adventures at each new settlement that the mission encounters. She seems to have more interest in exploring the sociological implications of the various cultures than in providing the narrative with any momentum. It's difficult not to be caught up in her enthusiasm, however, and the last few chapters do finally ramp up the dramatic stakes. If the HEA is not the most romantic one of all time, it is a satisfying one nonetheless. For readers looking for something different, The Best of Possible Worlds might be the best of all possible options.