Science-fiction at its most spectacular!
This book was heavy in the astrophysics and theoretical concepts - like cryosleep, faster than light travel, and artificial intelligence - but my nerd self loved every bit of it. It reminded me of the spacey movies and shows that I love to watch, the ones that make me contemplate the existence of life on other worlds, wishing I could live long enough to venture out there myself. First contact with sentient life forms is always an interesting concept, and I love seeing how different people construct this theme.
“There were, she thought, many different types of nightmares in the galaxy. Some small, some large, but the worst of all were the ones you lived with.”
I admit I was extremely intimidated by this book at first. The appendices are 30 or so pages long and full of physics terms and concepts. It did take time to adjust to the references being made within the story and, even with the lengthy glossary, I still found myself confused sometimes.
But once I dove into this book, I immediately found myself hooked. There is mystery, intrigue, and devastation from the start. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the variety of non-human characters that we get to know. They are all well-developed and given depth into their backstories and motivations.
I was left with one question though, a frustrating plot hole that I still haven’t figured out the reasoning for, but I won’t reveal specifics because it would spoil too much. (Although if you really want to know, feel free to message me because I’d love to find out that I’m not the only one who thought of it!)
There were several scenes that I feel kind of dragged on but could have been condensed and still served the purpose. For such a lengthy book, it may have helped the pacing in certain places and made the story a little more accessible to a broader reader-base. Some of the plot, too, feels monotonous at times.
The ending was amazing, although in a way heartbreaking. Even though it frustrated me (because some sappy part of myself wants happy endings of bliss), I still felt as though it couldn’t have ended any other way and the characters remained true to themselves. It was a satisfying conclusion that wrapped up the ends in a tidy manner, yet I’m hoping that their stories aren’t over just yet (sequel, please!).
“There were, she thought, many different types of nightmares in the galaxy. Some small, some large, but the worst of all were the ones you lived with.”
I admit I was extremely intimidated by this book at first. The appendices are 30 or so pages long and full of physics terms and concepts. It did take time to adjust to the references being made within the story and, even with the lengthy glossary, I still found myself confused sometimes.
But once I dove into this book, I immediately found myself hooked. There is mystery, intrigue, and devastation from the start. I really enjoyed the characters in this book, especially the variety of non-human characters that we get to know. They are all well-developed and given depth into their backstories and motivations.
I was left with one question though, a frustrating plot hole that I still haven’t figured out the reasoning for, but I won’t reveal specifics because it would spoil too much. (Although if you really want to know, feel free to message me because I’d love to find out that I’m not the only one who thought of it!)
There were several scenes that I feel kind of dragged on but could have been condensed and still served the purpose. For such a lengthy book, it may have helped the pacing in certain places and made the story a little more accessible to a broader reader-base. Some of the plot, too, feels monotonous at times.
The ending was amazing, although in a way heartbreaking. Even though it frustrated me (because some sappy part of myself wants happy endings of bliss), I still felt as though it couldn’t have ended any other way and the characters remained true to themselves. It was a satisfying conclusion that wrapped up the ends in a tidy manner, yet I’m hoping that their stories aren’t over just yet (sequel, please!).