The Fated Sky
Ratings115
Average rating4.3
CAWPILE
9 8 8 7 8 9 8
CAWPILE SCORE
C-9
A-8
W-8
P-7
I-8
L-9
E-8
TOTAL-8.14/10
Mary Robinette Kowal does an amazing job of potraying real characters doing both mundane and extraordinary tasks. I love the relationships she builds and the work put into understanding the “tech”
I don't know why I let so much time pass between reading The Calculating Stars and The Fated Sky. This series is so immersive and book two was as good as the first. Now that the moon has been colonized, it's time to start preparing for Mars. Thanks to her fame as ‘The Lady Astronaut', Elma is assigned as a crew member on the first Mars flight. The journey isn't easy. Being away from her home, her husband, and her family for three years is a challenge in and of itself, never mind the number of failures that can occur and the tensions between the crew members from being cooped up for so long. The book doesn't mention the events of the first book in too much detail. It sticks to the continuation of this alternate time in history rather than reflecting. People on earth are beginning to forget about the meteor strike. If not forget, then letting it become commonplace and minimizing the repercussions it will likely have on the future of the earth. The pressure is on, especially when ‘Free-Earthers' start causing trouble. Though there are some bits and pieces in the narrative that tend to distract me from the main plot (I'm not entirely sure how to explain it without giving spoilers) and there are some things that feel unsettled or unfinished, I enjoy these books so much. Being set in the mid-20th century it has a nostalgic feel to it while also adding in modern-day elements. The characters are so darling, too. I'd forgotten how attached I'd gotten in the first book. Revisiting them and getting to meet some new ones made me even more invested this time around. I especially liked the dynamic between Elma and Parker this time around.
I quite enjoyed TFS. If you have read [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850192l/33080122.SY75.jpg 53735352], you can expect to get more in a similar vein. (If you haven't, read it first.)Mary Robinette Kowal does a very good job of narrating her own book. Talented lady.Solid four stars.
This book felt very similar to the first, and we spend a lot of time in space, where very little happens on the way to Mars. This time, rather than just having to deal with mysoginy and anxiety, our heroes encounter racism, terrorists, and personal trauma.
I particularly liked how this book humanizes Parker, who came off as an almost entirely bad guy in the first book.
Not as exhilarating as reading the first one, but still a great entertaining read. Of the you-get-what-you-expect kind. While women are now part of the space crew - and there are still squabbles to be had about who gets assigned to cooking or laundry duties - feminism takes a slight backseat to racism issues this time around. Sometimes stuff is too on the nose, but hey, at least Elma was also allowed to be part of the problem occasionally. As last time, I immensely enjoyed the dynamic between her and Parker. Forced into close quarters these two get to butt heads while also continuously increasing their respect for the other's competence. Win win. And there's even a chapter dedicated to zero-g diarrhea!
I liked this book much more than [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1539850192i/33080122.SY75.jpg 53735352] (which was great too!). I have a soft spot in my heart for the space program, so I enjoyed the historical-fiction aspect of the book. It delves a little more into the sci-fi, with the journey being to Mars and all. The plot is much more gripping than the first book; it was hard to stop listening at times (the author is the narrator on the audiobook, and she does a great job). There is a slice-of-life feel to the book, which makes the characters more personable and relatable. The ending is very cinematic—there really is a cinematic feel to the whole book. It would make a good TV show, to be honest. I look forward to the next book!
Highly recommend following [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539850192s/33080122.jpg 53735352] with this one, because not only is it a stronger outing, it's also the resolution to a story that ended up being split into two books.
I loved this book just as much as the first one, although it is quite a different plot, taking place as it does, in space.
The only quibble I had was with Edna, who really didn't feel like the strong, powerful woman we met in TCS.
Executive Summary: I liked this book more than [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539850192s/33080122.jpg 53735352] in some ways, and less in others. Audiobook: Ms. Kowal once again does a great job narrating her own book. She does all the little things that adds that element that makes doing the audio worth it.Full ReviewI liked [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539850192s/33080122.jpg 53735352] so much that I bought this book even before I had finished listening to that one.This one gets more in the fiction part of the sci-fi and feels much less like historical fiction than its predecessor. It's for that reason that I enjoyed the space elements a bit more.It also ramps up the social commentary a little and to me that felt forced at times compared to the last book. In particular the opening scene felt a bit over the top. Then again that is maybe the action being over the top rather than the social issues aspect. The first book felt a lot more “slice of life” amid a global crisis (with cool science). This book felt a little more “let's add some good action sequences for the inevitable movie adaptation” (with cool science).Without getting into spoiler territory I will say this is simply more of what we got in [b:The Calculating Stars 33080122 The Calculating Stars (Lady Astronaut, #1) Mary Robinette Kowal https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1539850192s/33080122.jpg 53735352] with higher stakes. I don't mean that in a bad way. I really liked that book and was happy to get more. Overall, it was still a very enjoyable sequel and I'm already looking forward to the next one.