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Aurora Rhapsody #1
Starshine
Space is vast and untamed, and it holds many secrets. Now two individuals from opposite ends of settled space are on a collision course with the darkest of those secrets, even as the world threatens to explode around them.
The year is 2322. Humanity has expanded into the stars, inhabiting over 100 worlds across a third of the galaxy. Though thriving as never before, they have discovered neither alien life nor the key to utopia. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power.
Alexis Solovy is Earth Alliance royalty, her father a fallen war hero and her mother an influential military leader. But she seeks only the freedom of space and has made a fortune by reading the patterns in the chaos to discover the hidden wonders of the stars.
Nothing about her latest objective suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life— not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance encounter with a mysterious spy leads to a discovery which will thrust Alex into the middle of a galactic power struggle and a sinister conspiracy, whether she likes it or not.
When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph, or fall to ruin?
AURORA RISING is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.
The year is 2322. Humanity has expanded into the stars, inhabiting over 100 worlds across a third of the galaxy. Though thriving as never before, they have discovered neither alien life nor the key to utopia. Earth struggles to retain authority over far-flung planets and free-wheeling corporations while an uneasy armistice with a breakaway federation hangs by a thread as the former rebels rise in wealth and power.
Alexis Solovy is Earth Alliance royalty, her father a fallen war hero and her mother an influential military leader. But she seeks only the freedom of space and has made a fortune by reading the patterns in the chaos to discover the hidden wonders of the stars.
Nothing about her latest objective suggests the secret it conceals will turn her life— not to mention the entire galaxy—upside down. But a chance encounter with a mysterious spy leads to a discovery which will thrust Alex into the middle of a galactic power struggle and a sinister conspiracy, whether she likes it or not.
When faced with its greatest challenge, will humanity rise to triumph, or fall to ruin?
AURORA RISING is an epic tale of galaxy-spanning adventure, of the thrill of discovery and the unquenchable desire to reach ever farther into the unknown. It's a tale of humanity at its best and worst, of love and loss, of fear and heroism. It's the story of a woman who sought the stars and found more than anyone imagined possible.
583 pages, ebook
First published March 23, 2014
About the author
G.S. Jennsen
48 books498 followersG. S. Jennsen is a speculative and science fiction author, as well as a futurist, geek, gamer, programmer and editor. She has become an internationally bestselling author since her first novel, Starshine, was published in March 2014. She has chosen to continue writing under an independent publishing model to ensure the integrity of her series and her ability to execute on the vision she’s had for it since its genesis.
While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she’s found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude.
When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart reading the tabloid headlines and wondering who all of those people are. Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.
While she has been a lawyer, a software engineer and an editor, she’s found the life of a full-time author preferable by several orders of magnitude.
When she isn’t writing, she’s gaming or working out or getting lost in the mountains that loom large outside the windows in her home. Or she’s dealing with a flooded basement, or standing in a line at Walmart reading the tabloid headlines and wondering who all of those people are. Or sitting on her back porch with a glass of wine, looking up at the stars, trying to figure out what could be up there.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 408 reviews
May 18, 2022
4.5 Stars for Starshine: Aurora Rhapsody, Book 1 (audiobook) by G. S. Jennson read by Pyper Down.
This is my second book by the author. I first started out with a short story in this series and I just had to know more about the characters. I really enjoyed seeing how the main characters came together. That set-up was great and there is so much action with a little bit of time for romance. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
This is my second book by the author. I first started out with a short story in this series and I just had to know more about the characters. I really enjoyed seeing how the main characters came together. That set-up was great and there is so much action with a little bit of time for romance. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series.
February 26, 2015
Jennsen has crafted a very good story with interesting, complex characters and--as we see with the best of SF--big stakes. My enjoyment of the book was hampered, though, by a number of excesses and missteps which I've found are not unusual in the genre: too many characters, too much technical detail, too long to get to the crux of the story.
The two main characters didn't meet until nearly a quarter of the way through the book. The action really didn't pick up until about the half way mark even though the problem and even most of the main players were evident from the start. The story had such an excess of detail and characters that a good third of it could have been omitted and the story would have been better for it. While I find the inexperienced SF author's mistake of making up too many words and details to make the story sufficiently "otherworldly" annoying, the opposite can also be aggravating. Characters from the 24th century wearing blue jeans and polo shirts and spouting tired phrases like "my bad" as seen in this book had me shaking my head in disbelief.
Despite the missteps and the excess padding, I still enjoyed the story and likely will read the next book in the series. I hope that one will be mostly wheat and less chaff.
The two main characters didn't meet until nearly a quarter of the way through the book. The action really didn't pick up until about the half way mark even though the problem and even most of the main players were evident from the start. The story had such an excess of detail and characters that a good third of it could have been omitted and the story would have been better for it. While I find the inexperienced SF author's mistake of making up too many words and details to make the story sufficiently "otherworldly" annoying, the opposite can also be aggravating. Characters from the 24th century wearing blue jeans and polo shirts and spouting tired phrases like "my bad" as seen in this book had me shaking my head in disbelief.
Despite the missteps and the excess padding, I still enjoyed the story and likely will read the next book in the series. I hope that one will be mostly wheat and less chaff.
June 30, 2023
This is an astounding work by an indie author G.S. Jensen employing some very interesting scientific speculations like Genetic Engineering, Alcubieré Warp Drive hypothesis and even bio/nano tech all interwoven to make this into a somewhat Mil Hard Sci-Fi space opera book, albeit with a few holes in the Hard Sci-Fi part.
It is set in a future 3 centuries hence and the story starts a bit slow with the first third and picks up a bit afterward, now I can overlook this due to the long term plot sequence to be delivered in further books considering the first trilogy is really just a single book that would have required some serious Hamiltonian/Reynolds' page count so it's broken down into more accessible pages.
The plot describes how two disparate human groups after an interstellar colonization of about a fifth of the Milky Way due to FTL unwittingly becomes embroiled in an interstellar war and are unable to react to a mysterious alien invasion. It was quite enjoyable with a few inconsistencies which can be overlooked. Also has a really nice romantic story with the main protagonists.
I'll hold on recommending this first trilogy until I've completed it but it's a remarkable debut nonetheless.
N.B:
Finished the trilogy and it's recommended.
It is set in a future 3 centuries hence and the story starts a bit slow with the first third and picks up a bit afterward, now I can overlook this due to the long term plot sequence to be delivered in further books considering the first trilogy is really just a single book that would have required some serious Hamiltonian/Reynolds' page count so it's broken down into more accessible pages.
The plot describes how two disparate human groups after an interstellar colonization of about a fifth of the Milky Way due to FTL unwittingly becomes embroiled in an interstellar war and are unable to react to a mysterious alien invasion. It was quite enjoyable with a few inconsistencies which can be overlooked. Also has a really nice romantic story with the main protagonists.
I'll hold on recommending this first trilogy until I've completed it but it's a remarkable debut nonetheless.
N.B:
Finished the trilogy and it's recommended.
February 20, 2021
A fantastic read and definitely one of my favourite books this year!
This book was a bit slow to start but once it got going it was incredible. The story follows two main characters: Earth Alliance star-ship captain and explorer Alexis Solovy and Senecan Federation special intelligence agent Caleb Marano. Although they are the main characters, the narration of the story constantly changes from their immediate situation to the happenings surrounding a host of other minor characters scattered throughout the galaxy. All the events of the story and the minor characters introduced are subtly connected through a far-reaching conspiracy which is gradually revealed as the story progresses. Basically it involves key people in politics, military, and the criminal underworld pulling strings to manipulate the two main superpowers in the galaxy (the Earth Alliance and the Senecan Federation) into war, although a truce has existed between them for the past two decades. While all this is happening, Caleb and Alexis get thrown together in an unexpected twist of fate while exploring strange readings emanating from a previously uninhabited region of the galaxy.
I won’t give any more of the story away except to say it is incredibly detailed and well developed. The level of thought the author has put into creating an intricately detailed futuristic universe is truly remarkable. From cybernetic upgrades for humans at the nanoscale to faster than light travel of ginormous warships – this book is packed full of interesting technological advancements humanity has achieved over the past couple of centuries. However, despite all the advancements and the colonisation of space it appears most of the problems in society remain the same. People are still driven by thirst for more money and power and many have the ruthlessness to do anything to achieve their goals.
Alexis and Caleb were both really interesting main characters and I enjoyed getting to know them both. They each had their own issues but I thought the author did a great job of explaining their individual histories and showing how their characters became who they were. The witty banter between them was entertaining and I liked the way the author showed them gradually coming to trust each other over the course of the story. I can’t wait to see what will happen to them next and how the story will develop following the sudden cliff-hanger ending.
I would strongly recommend this book if you’re looking for a science fiction novel with great writing, lots of detail, unexpected plot twists, and a great balance between action, romance, and mystery/suspense. It takes a while to get into the story because of the constantly changing narration perspective and all the foundational details, but once you’re into it the book becomes really difficult to put down. I absolutely loved it and have already started reading the second book.
This book was a bit slow to start but once it got going it was incredible. The story follows two main characters: Earth Alliance star-ship captain and explorer Alexis Solovy and Senecan Federation special intelligence agent Caleb Marano. Although they are the main characters, the narration of the story constantly changes from their immediate situation to the happenings surrounding a host of other minor characters scattered throughout the galaxy. All the events of the story and the minor characters introduced are subtly connected through a far-reaching conspiracy which is gradually revealed as the story progresses. Basically it involves key people in politics, military, and the criminal underworld pulling strings to manipulate the two main superpowers in the galaxy (the Earth Alliance and the Senecan Federation) into war, although a truce has existed between them for the past two decades. While all this is happening, Caleb and Alexis get thrown together in an unexpected twist of fate while exploring strange readings emanating from a previously uninhabited region of the galaxy.
I won’t give any more of the story away except to say it is incredibly detailed and well developed. The level of thought the author has put into creating an intricately detailed futuristic universe is truly remarkable. From cybernetic upgrades for humans at the nanoscale to faster than light travel of ginormous warships – this book is packed full of interesting technological advancements humanity has achieved over the past couple of centuries. However, despite all the advancements and the colonisation of space it appears most of the problems in society remain the same. People are still driven by thirst for more money and power and many have the ruthlessness to do anything to achieve their goals.
Alexis and Caleb were both really interesting main characters and I enjoyed getting to know them both. They each had their own issues but I thought the author did a great job of explaining their individual histories and showing how their characters became who they were. The witty banter between them was entertaining and I liked the way the author showed them gradually coming to trust each other over the course of the story. I can’t wait to see what will happen to them next and how the story will develop following the sudden cliff-hanger ending.
I would strongly recommend this book if you’re looking for a science fiction novel with great writing, lots of detail, unexpected plot twists, and a great balance between action, romance, and mystery/suspense. It takes a while to get into the story because of the constantly changing narration perspective and all the foundational details, but once you’re into it the book becomes really difficult to put down. I absolutely loved it and have already started reading the second book.
October 3, 2020
My impression of Starshine is that of a novel that tries to do too much and thus accomplishes nothing very well. As a science fiction novel, it plays fast and loose with science. As a commentary on society 300-years into the future, it simply uses society as it presently exists today. As a mystery novel, G.S. Jennsen resorts to withholding information so that she can reveal it as a surprise at the end of the book. And as a romance novel, the characters are too scripted to ever transform into human beings with all the complexities and conflicts that they possess.
Overall, the writing is entertaining and straight forward. The tempo and structure of the book thankfully keep the plot moving along. But the end is more about the next book in the series than it is about bringing together something that resembles a complete work of art.
Overall, the writing is entertaining and straight forward. The tempo and structure of the book thankfully keep the plot moving along. But the end is more about the next book in the series than it is about bringing together something that resembles a complete work of art.
January 27, 2016
This book commits one of my biggest book pet peeves. The entire thing is just a long build up for the next book. There is no kind of story resolution whatsoever. I realize a lot of books in a series end on minor cliffhangers, or leave questions, but this book is 100% ramp up for the main story. It ends with nothing but questions and unresolved issues. It makes me wonder why I even bothered. Now, I have not only put in the time and money investment for this book, I have to put in another investment of time and money to find out what happens. It's so annoying to me, when authors do that, I'm not even sure I'm going to bother. I feel cheated.
Other than that, I thought the book started out pretty slowly, it got better once the two main characters met up, but it wasn't anything new or special. Pretty much a generic sci-fi story. Entertaining, but you'll find much better.
Meh. I remain irritated. The lack of ending really has put me off this author.
Other than that, I thought the book started out pretty slowly, it got better once the two main characters met up, but it wasn't anything new or special. Pretty much a generic sci-fi story. Entertaining, but you'll find much better.
Meh. I remain irritated. The lack of ending really has put me off this author.
June 26, 2014
G.S. Jensen magically weaves a wondrous tapestry that pulls us in and spurs us across a galaxy of her own making. As slaves to her whims we are taken along for a ride of intrigue, murder, adventure and a bit of romance. All woven so completely that she sucks you in head over heels, leaving her readers salivating for more.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed her amazing universe, depth of the characters and vast unpredictability of plot. She left me feeling emerged in the tastes and sounds of her worlds leaving me connected to her characters like they were old friends. Even her science felt right; believable, and not over the top. Like most books of this genre it is filled with "techno babble". I don't feel it took away, but actually enhanced the overall experience and understanding of how everything works together. The ability to transport a reader to your world is not something all authors possess. I don't just feel like I can see it while reading...I feel like I've been there. Thank you for a wonderful read. I await with bated breath for the next part of this galactic adventure.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed her amazing universe, depth of the characters and vast unpredictability of plot. She left me feeling emerged in the tastes and sounds of her worlds leaving me connected to her characters like they were old friends. Even her science felt right; believable, and not over the top. Like most books of this genre it is filled with "techno babble". I don't feel it took away, but actually enhanced the overall experience and understanding of how everything works together. The ability to transport a reader to your world is not something all authors possess. I don't just feel like I can see it while reading...I feel like I've been there. Thank you for a wonderful read. I await with bated breath for the next part of this galactic adventure.
October 27, 2015
I very much wanted to like this book but it's really poor and amateurish. Maybe a good editor might have knocked some shape into it as there are probably one or two good ideas hidden amid the mess. But the writing is leaden and cliched and the characters one dimensional. I read 150 pages before giving it up.
I can't believe that someone rated it the 14th best work of sci fi by a woman http://best-sci-fi-books.com/23-best-...
It comes ahead of Ursula le Guin's The Dispossessed, as well as a number of other genuine classics written by women - even though to me it seems more like the product of vanity publishing (is there a publishing house called Hypernova?). Perhaps Jennsen wrote that list on the website as well? Anyway, it just proves you should never trust anything you seen on the internet!!!
I can't believe that someone rated it the 14th best work of sci fi by a woman http://best-sci-fi-books.com/23-best-...
It comes ahead of Ursula le Guin's The Dispossessed, as well as a number of other genuine classics written by women - even though to me it seems more like the product of vanity publishing (is there a publishing house called Hypernova?). Perhaps Jennsen wrote that list on the website as well? Anyway, it just proves you should never trust anything you seen on the internet!!!
May 14, 2015
Whoa. I repeat: whoa.
Every so often a story or a movie fills me with such awe that I really don't know what to say. (This is a good thing, I promise!)
Starshine is an intricate novel. There is the central story of Alex and Caleb, who go to investigate a mysterious anomaly at the center of a nebula independently of each other and find something far more terrifying than they ever could have imagined. In the meantime galactic war is erupting around them, and the reader gets to see things from the various players involved. Overall, the novel is like an immense chess match as characters manipulate events to suit their own needs.
The technology in Starshine is detailed enough to be believable. It makes me wonder if author G.S. Jennsen is actually from the future! ;)
My only complaint about the novel is that there are so many characters I kept losing track of who was who, but luckily there is a guide in the front of the book listing each character and who they are/what they do.
I must read the next book in this series now. I must!
Every so often a story or a movie fills me with such awe that I really don't know what to say. (This is a good thing, I promise!)
Starshine is an intricate novel. There is the central story of Alex and Caleb, who go to investigate a mysterious anomaly at the center of a nebula independently of each other and find something far more terrifying than they ever could have imagined. In the meantime galactic war is erupting around them, and the reader gets to see things from the various players involved. Overall, the novel is like an immense chess match as characters manipulate events to suit their own needs.
The technology in Starshine is detailed enough to be believable. It makes me wonder if author G.S. Jennsen is actually from the future! ;)
My only complaint about the novel is that there are so many characters I kept losing track of who was who, but luckily there is a guide in the front of the book listing each character and who they are/what they do.
I must read the next book in this series now. I must!
Read
March 11, 2016DNF
Ugh, this story is a headache and I didn't even make it 15% in. I wanted to like this story but I just could not go any further.
The beginning is so slow and while we're trying to get introduced to our main characters we keep getting interrupted with other people's POV's. And I don't mean just one, not even two or three, or four, I seriously lost count. I did not like this AT ALL. But that's not even what makes it bad. The story is so damn confusing with all the technical descriptions and terms and titles it was all so complex and boring as hell. Here's an example of one page. . .
Huh?
Can you say boring?
I wanted to read a compelling story with a fast paced addicting futuristic plot with romance and action and character development sprinkled with some really cool technology and culture. All the technical crap in this story just dragged the story down. I sometimes felt like I was reading a damn manual on how space and spaceships work. I don't want to read step by step about how a ship works or about atmosphere and scientific explanations and mechanical details for pages and pages.
So unfortunately this was a big fat fail for me. There are a lot of high ratings for this story though so maybe it gets better? I just don't have the patience to ever find out for myself.
Ugh, this story is a headache and I didn't even make it 15% in. I wanted to like this story but I just could not go any further.
The beginning is so slow and while we're trying to get introduced to our main characters we keep getting interrupted with other people's POV's. And I don't mean just one, not even two or three, or four, I seriously lost count. I did not like this AT ALL. But that's not even what makes it bad. The story is so damn confusing with all the technical descriptions and terms and titles it was all so complex and boring as hell. Here's an example of one page. . .
'Originally named the Alcubierre Oscillating Bubble Superluminal Propulsion Drive when the first working prototype had been developed nearly two hundred years earlier, a cleaver marketing executive had quickly coined the far more consumer friendly term 'sLume Drive.'
The mechanism which propelled her ship across the stars bore little similarity to the initial prototype. The ring which held open the warp bubble was now dynamically generated and consisted of exotic particles too small even en masse to be visible. The energy requirements were met in full by the He3 Len fusion reactor thanks to the boost in negative mass provided as a byproduct of the impulse engine.'
Huh?
Can you say boring?
I wanted to read a compelling story with a fast paced addicting futuristic plot with romance and action and character development sprinkled with some really cool technology and culture. All the technical crap in this story just dragged the story down. I sometimes felt like I was reading a damn manual on how space and spaceships work. I don't want to read step by step about how a ship works or about atmosphere and scientific explanations and mechanical details for pages and pages.
So unfortunately this was a big fat fail for me. There are a lot of high ratings for this story though so maybe it gets better? I just don't have the patience to ever find out for myself.
August 18, 2015
First book by this author and it has less than 1000 ratings. And it's really good! I was quite impressed! I will be reading the second.
September 17, 2022
A few hours in, and I’m still getting endless introductions to new characters that I just don’t care about. Nope.
October 27, 2018
I have never been more confused about how I have felt about a book, immediately after reading it. On one hand, this novel tells the very interesting story of a futuristic human race that has colonized a good section of the Milky Way. On the other hand, it also tells the extremely heavy handed romance of its two main protagonist. Now I am not one to criticize romance, (I love Austen like the best of them) but the development of the love between Alex and Caleb was so destined from the very first paragraph. It was so ridiculous that by the time they finally hooked up, a sex scene that took an entire chapter btw, I actually skimmed through it. I AM AN ENGLISH MAJOR! I never skim!
Anyway, I am the sucker because the actual sci-fi in this novel was so interesting that I am going to read the next book in the series, I just hope that since they've fucked and gotten all that lingering feelings crap out of the way, that the other stuff will come to the forefront.
(Editor's note: I read the next book, it did not get better)
Anyway, I am the sucker because the actual sci-fi in this novel was so interesting that I am going to read the next book in the series, I just hope that since they've fucked and gotten all that lingering feelings crap out of the way, that the other stuff will come to the forefront.
(Editor's note: I read the next book, it did not get better)
May 22, 2014
What a pure joy this book is, I’m only 100 pages in and I can't stop, nor do I want to!!(Correction, i've just finished the novel and good god sweet marry it was amazing, there are literally no words to describe the pure emotional adrenaline rush of a high im on after just finishing what is quite possibly my new favorite Sci-Fi novel ever.) It’s like an addiction, one I'm completely ok with having! I mean the writing is so crisp, stark, and intelligent it almost baffles the mind. While I may still be reading the book i'll change this review if I feel like there are any significant changes (which I doubt there will be regarding the absurd quality this far).
Pros:
• Phenomenal world building
o The attention to detail is amazing, and it is more than evident that the author has done their research; as several modern experimental scientific endeavors have come to fruition in this fantastic new universe G.S. has created. One such example is using stem cells to reverse the aging process.
o Plus the technical wording is an absolute joy for any hardcore Science-Fiction buff (myself included)
o Also the main plot is full of mystery and has made me genuinely curious as to just how future events will unfold
• Intricate, believable, and relatable characters
o Not much else to share here, outside of the fact that the protagonist Alexis (or Alex as she prefers) is in a lot of way what I could only hope humanity would be like over 300 years from now. She motivated, determined, independent, and most important of all curious. The rest it speaks for itself, plus I don’t want to give away any spoilers
• “Non-apologetic” style writing
o What I mean by this is that this novel makes no efforts to conform to what makes what most would call a “mainstream audience” comfortable, it's graphic, and detailed when and where it needs to be without ever going overboard
Cons(?):
So far there are only two possible cons I can find and both are quite subjective, they are either;
• The technical wording which I know I’ve listed as a “Pro” but I understand that some people, even sci-fi fans, may not enjoy.
OR
• The abundance of characters early in the book.
o So far there have been quite a few characters introduced in rapid succession, and the majority of them are, or appear to be quite integral to the plot. While different people have different capacities to keep track of multiple plot threads I can see how for some it may be perhaps a little on the overwhelming side.
In conclusion it’s a fantastic first entry in what I hope to be a forever lasting series of outstanding books. Fortunately I have not found myself affected by the aforementioned “cons” in any significant way, which is great because that means that I have fewer obstacles to avoid in order to enjoy the reading experience! Also I’d like to end with one more pro; that is getting me back into reading, I was at one point a pretty avid reader until school and other things were quick to snuff out any chance I had to read due to stress, lack of time, or both. And believe me I’ve tried the past few years to re-ignite that spark and failed to do so at every turn, until now. I understand if someone is skeptical of that statement, since I happen to be avid skeptic myself. It would take an essay five times this size to truly convey why what said was true since it is such a subjective experience, so I ask for your trust in that I know what I felt when reading this book. So Thank you. I’d like to sincerely thank you; Ms. Jensen, for enabling my love to books to really shine through and here’s to you, in hope you can finish the next installment as soon as possible! :)
Pros:
• Phenomenal world building
o The attention to detail is amazing, and it is more than evident that the author has done their research; as several modern experimental scientific endeavors have come to fruition in this fantastic new universe G.S. has created. One such example is using stem cells to reverse the aging process.
o Plus the technical wording is an absolute joy for any hardcore Science-Fiction buff (myself included)
o Also the main plot is full of mystery and has made me genuinely curious as to just how future events will unfold
• Intricate, believable, and relatable characters
o Not much else to share here, outside of the fact that the protagonist Alexis (or Alex as she prefers) is in a lot of way what I could only hope humanity would be like over 300 years from now. She motivated, determined, independent, and most important of all curious. The rest it speaks for itself, plus I don’t want to give away any spoilers
• “Non-apologetic” style writing
o What I mean by this is that this novel makes no efforts to conform to what makes what most would call a “mainstream audience” comfortable, it's graphic, and detailed when and where it needs to be without ever going overboard
Cons(?):
So far there are only two possible cons I can find and both are quite subjective, they are either;
• The technical wording which I know I’ve listed as a “Pro” but I understand that some people, even sci-fi fans, may not enjoy.
OR
• The abundance of characters early in the book.
o So far there have been quite a few characters introduced in rapid succession, and the majority of them are, or appear to be quite integral to the plot. While different people have different capacities to keep track of multiple plot threads I can see how for some it may be perhaps a little on the overwhelming side.
In conclusion it’s a fantastic first entry in what I hope to be a forever lasting series of outstanding books. Fortunately I have not found myself affected by the aforementioned “cons” in any significant way, which is great because that means that I have fewer obstacles to avoid in order to enjoy the reading experience! Also I’d like to end with one more pro; that is getting me back into reading, I was at one point a pretty avid reader until school and other things were quick to snuff out any chance I had to read due to stress, lack of time, or both. And believe me I’ve tried the past few years to re-ignite that spark and failed to do so at every turn, until now. I understand if someone is skeptical of that statement, since I happen to be avid skeptic myself. It would take an essay five times this size to truly convey why what said was true since it is such a subjective experience, so I ask for your trust in that I know what I felt when reading this book. So Thank you. I’d like to sincerely thank you; Ms. Jensen, for enabling my love to books to really shine through and here’s to you, in hope you can finish the next installment as soon as possible! :)
August 17, 2016
Ham-handed romance wrapped in scientifically illiterate technobabble.
The story is fundamentally incompatible with the technology level claimed - or even today's technology.
In a setting with femtotech (like nanotech, only several orders of magnitude smaller) we're supposed to believe in high-security settings where they can't monitor the elevators. We're expected to buy that a costume that, as described, would be easily detectable (at least after the fact) with today's surveillance technology somehow fools two major civilizations and their very best intelligence agents. This is the central conspiracy of the plot.
It's full of technobabble. Like a ship hull made from a 'carbon based metamaterial', proving that the author has no clue what metamaterials are.
The romance sections seem more like something you'd find in a trashy erotic romance, and my head literally started hurting from involuntary eye-rolling.
This is one of the few books I've been unable to finish.
I literally can't believe the reviews this series has been getting.
The story is fundamentally incompatible with the technology level claimed - or even today's technology.
In a setting with femtotech (like nanotech, only several orders of magnitude smaller) we're supposed to believe in high-security settings where they can't monitor the elevators. We're expected to buy that a costume that, as described, would be easily detectable (at least after the fact) with today's surveillance technology somehow fools two major civilizations and their very best intelligence agents. This is the central conspiracy of the plot.
It's full of technobabble. Like a ship hull made from a 'carbon based metamaterial', proving that the author has no clue what metamaterials are.
The romance sections seem more like something you'd find in a trashy erotic romance, and my head literally started hurting from involuntary eye-rolling.
This is one of the few books I've been unable to finish.
I literally can't believe the reviews this series has been getting.
October 8, 2023
This first book was a crawl at first - it can be rather dense sci-fi at times, with a lot of technical explanations that can drag. But it was also a crawl because there are a loooooooooot of characters to set up, with complicated world building and intricate politics. Think of the first half of this book as the opening of a championship chess match.
But even with the slog of setup, I really enjoyed it. The two leads - Alex (Alexis, FMC) and Caleb - are wonderful, and once they finally are together and interacting, I was pretty riveted, because their scenes had fire. It was sometimes painful to cut away to other characters elsewhere in the galaxy as things continued to unfold.
In terms of the rest of the galaxy, well, they kind of suck. Bureaucratic assholes who are so easy to manipulate. Greedy assholes who are even easier to manipulate. And then there are the people who are both: greedy politicians. Ugh. Alex says something towards the end of the book, when she says she knows going forward will risk their lives, but not doing it will likely mean everyone dies... and while she doesn't like most people, she finds that she doesn't want that on her conscience.
*nods* That is pretty much my take on humanity too, sister.
If you like sci-fi with a military flavor, and some romance, this is right up your alley.
But even with the slog of setup, I really enjoyed it. The two leads - Alex (Alexis, FMC) and Caleb - are wonderful, and once they finally are together and interacting, I was pretty riveted, because their scenes had fire. It was sometimes painful to cut away to other characters elsewhere in the galaxy as things continued to unfold.
In terms of the rest of the galaxy, well, they kind of suck. Bureaucratic assholes who are so easy to manipulate. Greedy assholes who are even easier to manipulate. And then there are the people who are both: greedy politicians. Ugh. Alex says something towards the end of the book, when she says she knows going forward will risk their lives, but not doing it will likely mean everyone dies... and while she doesn't like most people, she finds that she doesn't want that on her conscience.
*nods* That is pretty much my take on humanity too, sister.
If you like sci-fi with a military flavor, and some romance, this is right up your alley.
January 19, 2019
First things first, I didn't finish the book.
I really tried to like it, but it became exceedingly harder and finally I failed, just because there are too many issues I could ignore any longer.
When I read the blurb, all the right buttons were pushed and I thought that sounded really promising. And the first chapters continued pressing the right buttons in the right way. Nothing extravagantly new was invented, but but that's not bad, as some well-loved tropes were woven into the background that was laid out. So some really nice intrigue - spook - at-the-edge-of-war story was unfolding...
But then things started falling apart. When I read "...pushed the ship’s speed to one hundred five percent maximum..." a Major Red Flag went up, for simply there is no such thing as a "maximum speed" in space! Except for c and that you don't ever reach, let alone reach 105% of it. What there is however is max thrust, but that's somehting different namely another derivative w.r.t time. But who am I to teach? Unfortunately, it seems to me that that's not taught in creative writing for SF courses, but for Science Fiction (N.B. the capital S is there for a reason) requires some minimum understanding of science.
For a decent science ficiton I don't consider it suffcient to throw in some science words without the slightest of understanding. In my opinion if you throw in science you have to stick to it! And if you bend or break the rules imposed by science you have to explain how science as we know it doesn't impose the usual rules here, sufficiently well-performed hand-waving is OK, but breaking the rules without mentioning it is just No No for me, and being ignorant about something as basic as speed limits in space, is really really weak.
Then the romance started to evolve, and that turned out to be absolutely not my cup of tea. Let's leave it there, maybe I could have gone over it. But then, having an adult person unleash war between two interstellar entities, based on lines of argument any teen has grown out of, was simply too much for me to stomach. And that was the time for me to stop.
I'm really sad that the couldn't finish the book, and I don't want to say it's a bad book, for it started so well and nice, and it all looked so promising. But apparently G.S. didn't write the book for me and my tastes ;-)
I really tried to like it, but it became exceedingly harder and finally I failed, just because there are too many issues I could ignore any longer.
When I read the blurb, all the right buttons were pushed and I thought that sounded really promising. And the first chapters continued pressing the right buttons in the right way. Nothing extravagantly new was invented, but but that's not bad, as some well-loved tropes were woven into the background that was laid out. So some really nice intrigue - spook - at-the-edge-of-war story was unfolding...
But then things started falling apart. When I read "...pushed the ship’s speed to one hundred five percent maximum..." a Major Red Flag went up, for simply there is no such thing as a "maximum speed" in space! Except for c and that you don't ever reach, let alone reach 105% of it. What there is however is max thrust, but that's somehting different namely another derivative w.r.t time. But who am I to teach? Unfortunately, it seems to me that that's not taught in creative writing for SF courses, but for Science Fiction (N.B. the capital S is there for a reason) requires some minimum understanding of science.
For a decent science ficiton I don't consider it suffcient to throw in some science words without the slightest of understanding. In my opinion if you throw in science you have to stick to it! And if you bend or break the rules imposed by science you have to explain how science as we know it doesn't impose the usual rules here, sufficiently well-performed hand-waving is OK, but breaking the rules without mentioning it is just No No for me, and being ignorant about something as basic as speed limits in space, is really really weak.
Then the romance started to evolve, and that turned out to be absolutely not my cup of tea. Let's leave it there, maybe I could have gone over it. But then, having an adult person unleash war between two interstellar entities, based on lines of argument any teen has grown out of, was simply too much for me to stomach. And that was the time for me to stop.
I'm really sad that the couldn't finish the book, and I don't want to say it's a bad book, for it started so well and nice, and it all looked so promising. But apparently G.S. didn't write the book for me and my tastes ;-)
December 22, 2016
I ended up skipping large chunks of the book. Things that put me off:
- Too many technical descriptions on the ship systems, which I really could have done without.
- The romance is predictable and cliched.
- The chapters skipped between different worlds and after a while the names & characters just got too hard to keep track of.
The overall plot is good, hence the 2nd star. I might just skim through book 2 to see how the plot resolves itself.
- Too many technical descriptions on the ship systems, which I really could have done without.
- The romance is predictable and cliched.
- The chapters skipped between different worlds and after a while the names & characters just got too hard to keep track of.
The overall plot is good, hence the 2nd star. I might just skim through book 2 to see how the plot resolves itself.
Shelved as 'd-n-f'
August 31, 2020HOLY FUCK. 13%, 7 chapters, like five different planets, at least seven POV changes, and still nothing has happened.
I don't care that it's a 600 page book, you can't spend that much time just dropping in on different characters for a single unexplained scene.
Jesus, I just wasted over an hour reading this nonsense and got no more info than Earth isn't fond of Seneca, Alex hates her mother, and Caleb kills people.
I don't care that it's a 600 page book, you can't spend that much time just dropping in on different characters for a single unexplained scene.
Jesus, I just wasted over an hour reading this nonsense and got no more info than Earth isn't fond of Seneca, Alex hates her mother, and Caleb kills people.
July 2, 2015
I love science fiction, and I’m always on the hunt for new voices in the genre, so when this book exploded with positive reviews, it got my attention. I wasn’t disappointed. I started reading it at an auto garage while waiting for minor repairs, and after I finished the first two chapters, I remember thinking, “Damn, I kinda wish my car had gotten totaled so I don’t have to stop.”
The first thing I noticed was how much I liked the characters. The two leads, Alex and Caleb, are different in almost every possible way, and even though I knew there was a romance element going in, I wondered how the author would make it work. But it does. It really, REALLY does.
The lasting impression I have of this book is how it continually exceeded my expectations. I worried that the science fiction aspect would merely be a front (or a container) for the romance story. But no. The ideas and world building here are some of the best I’ve ever seen. And every time I thought the story would go in one direction, it would go in a completely different, unexpected, and yet thoroughly believable offshoot. I must have put the book down several times and exclaimed, “WHAT? NO! REALLY? OH MY GOD!” (or some variation thereof) before picking it back up and gobbling all the juicy morsels.
I should mention that I “read” the majority of Starshine in audiobook format (I have a long commute and couldn’t wait until I got home to read it.) The voice work is very well done, and the narrator shifts seamlessly from one character to the next. But one particular chapter almost got me into a car accident. I won’t say which one, for fear of spoiling it, but you’ll know it when you see it. Although, now that I think about it, if I did get into a car accident, I would have solved that dilemma at the top of my review (kidding, of course…maybe).
If you love science fiction, you should read this book. If you love romance, you should read this book. If you love both, well, this is right in your wheelhouse, and I’d challenge you to find something better.
The first thing I noticed was how much I liked the characters. The two leads, Alex and Caleb, are different in almost every possible way, and even though I knew there was a romance element going in, I wondered how the author would make it work. But it does. It really, REALLY does.
The lasting impression I have of this book is how it continually exceeded my expectations. I worried that the science fiction aspect would merely be a front (or a container) for the romance story. But no. The ideas and world building here are some of the best I’ve ever seen. And every time I thought the story would go in one direction, it would go in a completely different, unexpected, and yet thoroughly believable offshoot. I must have put the book down several times and exclaimed, “WHAT? NO! REALLY? OH MY GOD!” (or some variation thereof) before picking it back up and gobbling all the juicy morsels.
I should mention that I “read” the majority of Starshine in audiobook format (I have a long commute and couldn’t wait until I got home to read it.) The voice work is very well done, and the narrator shifts seamlessly from one character to the next. But one particular chapter almost got me into a car accident. I won’t say which one, for fear of spoiling it, but you’ll know it when you see it. Although, now that I think about it, if I did get into a car accident, I would have solved that dilemma at the top of my review (kidding, of course…maybe).
If you love science fiction, you should read this book. If you love romance, you should read this book. If you love both, well, this is right in your wheelhouse, and I’d challenge you to find something better.
June 23, 2014
I admit that I'm usually not a big science fiction reader as many of my early experience with the genre left me wanting. Recently, though, I have been making an attempt to get back into the genre, with varying degrees of success. This novel is definitely in the "success" column of the ledger, though. The book pulls you in quickly, doesn't spend huge amounts of time with needless exposition, keeps the techno-babble down a bit, does a great job with the astrophysics (a huge plus in my book any day), and has some of the most interesting characters I have encountered in a long time. For those who are looking for more "inclusive" reading, the book will only add to your enjoyment -- you have an equal chance of a character being male or female no matter their title/job, and marriage equality just exists. Over all of that, there is a dynamic story that twists and turns in all the right places. I am eagerly awaiting the sequel.
Point of fact: I'm a little in love with the two main characters myself.
Point of fact: I'm a little in love with the two main characters myself.
July 22, 2016
I loved it! It started out slow, mostly because there are so many characters to introduce. But after that, the pacing was pretty good. It definitely kept me interested. This book is a great mixture of sci-fi and romance. There is plenty of both, but not too much of either. I adore Alex and Caleb, they are perfect for each other. :-) I'm definitely reading the next one in the series!
March 2, 2018
4.5 Stars
Starshine by G.S. Jennesen is a fantastic science fiction thriller with a tiny twist of romance. Great characters, cool science and an amazing heroine make this story work. I was so intrigued by the spaceship Siyane that I really hope it is even more of a feature in the later books.
Loved it
Starshine by G.S. Jennesen is a fantastic science fiction thriller with a tiny twist of romance. Great characters, cool science and an amazing heroine make this story work. I was so intrigued by the spaceship Siyane that I really hope it is even more of a feature in the later books.
Loved it
April 12, 2014
Ends in a cliffhanger, second book planed for winter. Great romance, intriguing conspiracy.
January 27, 2020
This was difficult to really get into, but I muddled thorough. Which annoyed me, because generally, I. DO. NOT. MUDDLE. It took until about 60% in and it was worth it. Now I can't wait to jump into book 2.
December 7, 2014
Starshine is a fantastic science fiction adventure that will take you across the galaxy to vivid and exciting worlds. GS Jennsen weaves a complex and intruiguing plot, and you will keep turning the pages, eager to see how the pieces all fall into place. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next in the series. The two main characters were absolutely endearing and I can't wait to read more about them. Jennsen's writing is superb, and at times there are sentences or phrases so beautifully and perfectly crafted that one can't help but be impressed. The author's ability to describe character emotions is some of the best I have ever seen. I also particularly appreciated the author's portrayal of female characters. Too often, I read books where the female characters are mere caricatures meant to fill some placeholder role so the men can do all the important things. That's not the case in Starshine. Each of the female characters is a unique individual with believable, relatable motivations and personalities. I loved all of them for that, but was particularly fond of Alex and Miriam and the relationship between them. Olivia was also a very interesting character and I hope to see more of her in the next book.
There are a few reasons why I didn't give this book 5 stars. The main issue I had was in the way characters were presented, especially in the beginning of the story. Point of view changes frequently, and with such a myriad of characters thrown at you all at once, it becomes very difficult to keep them straight. The character index is helpful, but might have been unnecessary if the characters were presented in such a way that made them more distinct, memorable, and distinguishable. Many of the characters seemed to blend together for at least the first half of the book, and at times I wondered why the point of view chapters for some of the more minor characters had been included at all.
I admit that I am not really an avid science-fiction reader, so this may just be a personal preferrence. However, I was a little frustrated by how much in-depth explanation of science and technology there is. Scientific concepts have never been easy for me to understand, so some of this felt like it was completely over my head and obviously that's just my own failing. However, it wasn't always the content of these sections that annoyed me, but the way in which they were presented. At times--particularly early on in the book--Jennsen interupts the action of the story to tell us about some bit of technology and how it works. It's a little off-putting to be reading an exciting spaceship chase only to have it interrupted so that the author can tell you about particle beams.
That being said, this was without a doubt an excellent story. I would certainly recommend it to any science fiction fan and, as I said, I can't wait to read the next books in the series.
There are a few reasons why I didn't give this book 5 stars. The main issue I had was in the way characters were presented, especially in the beginning of the story. Point of view changes frequently, and with such a myriad of characters thrown at you all at once, it becomes very difficult to keep them straight. The character index is helpful, but might have been unnecessary if the characters were presented in such a way that made them more distinct, memorable, and distinguishable. Many of the characters seemed to blend together for at least the first half of the book, and at times I wondered why the point of view chapters for some of the more minor characters had been included at all.
I admit that I am not really an avid science-fiction reader, so this may just be a personal preferrence. However, I was a little frustrated by how much in-depth explanation of science and technology there is. Scientific concepts have never been easy for me to understand, so some of this felt like it was completely over my head and obviously that's just my own failing. However, it wasn't always the content of these sections that annoyed me, but the way in which they were presented. At times--particularly early on in the book--Jennsen interupts the action of the story to tell us about some bit of technology and how it works. It's a little off-putting to be reading an exciting spaceship chase only to have it interrupted so that the author can tell you about particle beams.
That being said, this was without a doubt an excellent story. I would certainly recommend it to any science fiction fan and, as I said, I can't wait to read the next books in the series.
March 27, 2017
It took me a really long time to finish this book, but that doesn't mean that I didn't like it. It is a long book, to be sure, and I think it could easily have been shortened by a hundred or so pages without losing anything, but the length is not necessarily what gave me so much trouble. It was the politics and, to a much lesser extent, the science.
The technobabble at least seemed reasonable. There wasn't any "magic" technology that could act as a deus ex machina, and the sLume (superluminal) drives and space flight seemed realistic, at least to someone who's only "real" knowledge of space travel comes from Mass Effect. The science and engineering talk was also contextual and smoothly incorporated into the narrative, especially when it came to Alex and the Siyane. I found it to be a bit much, but then again, I've never been the biggest fan of the really science-y science fiction. For anyone else, it's probably a welcome addition to the book, something that makes the world feel real and tangible.
But, oh, the politics. I hate politics. Much like Alex, I hate bureaucratic nonsense and power plays, but where Alex can mostly ignore the intricate workings of the Alliance and Senecan governments, I was unfortunately not so lucky. The book introduced so many characters and politicians, often dedicating an entire chapter to them, that I seriously began to lose track, and I would have appreciated far less of it.
Honestly, I chose this book because I was looking for a really solid scifi romance, and that's what I got. I’ve kind of had it with scifi romance with fated mates, damsels in distress, and insta-love. Alex and Caleb’s relationship is a lot more solid. Sure, they’re on opposite sides of an eventual war, and their meet cute was surprisingly violent, but they make it work. Plus, they’re both pretty badass, and it may be up to them to stop both of their governments from completely fucking everything up AND prevent aliens from straight up annihilating everyone.
Still waiting for answers on the aliens, by the way, and I can’t wait to find out more about them. Politics aside, I’m invested now, so book 2 here I come!
The technobabble at least seemed reasonable. There wasn't any "magic" technology that could act as a deus ex machina, and the sLume (superluminal) drives and space flight seemed realistic, at least to someone who's only "real" knowledge of space travel comes from Mass Effect. The science and engineering talk was also contextual and smoothly incorporated into the narrative, especially when it came to Alex and the Siyane. I found it to be a bit much, but then again, I've never been the biggest fan of the really science-y science fiction. For anyone else, it's probably a welcome addition to the book, something that makes the world feel real and tangible.
But, oh, the politics. I hate politics. Much like Alex, I hate bureaucratic nonsense and power plays, but where Alex can mostly ignore the intricate workings of the Alliance and Senecan governments, I was unfortunately not so lucky. The book introduced so many characters and politicians, often dedicating an entire chapter to them, that I seriously began to lose track, and I would have appreciated far less of it.
Honestly, I chose this book because I was looking for a really solid scifi romance, and that's what I got. I’ve kind of had it with scifi romance with fated mates, damsels in distress, and insta-love. Alex and Caleb’s relationship is a lot more solid. Sure, they’re on opposite sides of an eventual war, and their meet cute was surprisingly violent, but they make it work. Plus, they’re both pretty badass, and it may be up to them to stop both of their governments from completely fucking everything up AND prevent aliens from straight up annihilating everyone.
Still waiting for answers on the aliens, by the way, and I can’t wait to find out more about them. Politics aside, I’m invested now, so book 2 here I come!
September 1, 2016
DNF
I gave up after 30 pages.
So it turns out that this is my second time around attempting to read this book, which--when considering that I actually really felt like reading a sci-fi novel and it wasn't going for me--is a really bad sign.
I'm so frustrated with this book that I won't give it a full review. Here are my thoughts, in order:
The prologue had this immature feel that you'd expect from cartoonish horror flicks, the ones where you'd hear this evil laughter in the background: Muahahahahaha.
Yeah... the author started to lose me right there.
And then we've got chapter one. The book should have been really strong right here.
Now, this is THE place to establish a strong character, get the reader hooked on an interesting lead so that we'd care about the plot.
Unfortunately, instead the author went in really strong with techno babble and gadgets.
It screamed: "Look at me, I'm a Sci-Fi novel!"
This... No. Just no.
As for the aforementioned lead herself, she was a flat character, with the maturity of a budding teen. I had to sit through her passive aggressive comments to her mother and disrespectful behaviour.
Chapter 2 had me wanting to bash my head in with the constant switching back and forth from present to past.
Maybe the plot is really epic; I wouldn't know. I just don't have enough patience to sit through a clumsy narrative to find out. This book needs a good editor to sort through what is actually important.
Here's my clue to the author:
Scale of importance:
character>>plot>>your story's technology/gimmicks/magic spells.
This author seems to have that backwards.
I don't care what genre your story is. The scale of importance will always hold true. That is what builds a strong story. The story's gimmicks and whatnot come way after, not before. J.K. Rowling showed us all those spells after we fell in love with the wizard trio and a strong premise, not before--that's why readers care enough to memorize fictional wand spells.
I gave up after 30 pages.
So it turns out that this is my second time around attempting to read this book, which--when considering that I actually really felt like reading a sci-fi novel and it wasn't going for me--is a really bad sign.
I'm so frustrated with this book that I won't give it a full review. Here are my thoughts, in order:
The prologue had this immature feel that you'd expect from cartoonish horror flicks, the ones where you'd hear this evil laughter in the background: Muahahahahaha.
Yeah... the author started to lose me right there.
And then we've got chapter one. The book should have been really strong right here.
Now, this is THE place to establish a strong character, get the reader hooked on an interesting lead so that we'd care about the plot.
Unfortunately, instead the author went in really strong with techno babble and gadgets.
It screamed: "Look at me, I'm a Sci-Fi novel!"
This... No. Just no.
As for the aforementioned lead herself, she was a flat character, with the maturity of a budding teen. I had to sit through her passive aggressive comments to her mother and disrespectful behaviour.
Chapter 2 had me wanting to bash my head in with the constant switching back and forth from present to past.
Maybe the plot is really epic; I wouldn't know. I just don't have enough patience to sit through a clumsy narrative to find out. This book needs a good editor to sort through what is actually important.
Here's my clue to the author:
Scale of importance:
character>>plot>>your story's technology/gimmicks/magic spells.
This author seems to have that backwards.
I don't care what genre your story is. The scale of importance will always hold true. That is what builds a strong story. The story's gimmicks and whatnot come way after, not before. J.K. Rowling showed us all those spells after we fell in love with the wizard trio and a strong premise, not before--that's why readers care enough to memorize fictional wand spells.
December 20, 2016
I found the initiation of the minor romantic sub-plot implausible, going from literal enemies (with at least one holding a decades long grudge) to lovers in less than 2 weeks, but I'm beginning to think that's one of my unique reader quirks considering how often it comes up in fiction and how little anyone else seems to care.
Otherwise I found this one thoroughly awesome read full of deep conspiracy, multiple motivations and agendas from all sorts of places working with or against others, and some really intriguing characters making sure I remained invested in the events going on.
I did find in a bare handful of places the pace slowed just enough to make me impatient, but I think that's because I was always anticipating the next thing waiting to happen and was more frustrated with my human limitations curtailing my reading speed than anything the book itself did.
It's also a little irritating that this has a very "to be continued..." ending, a personal pet peeve of mine, but it was so well written and interesting that I was already invested in getting the second in the trilogy before I got anywhere near to the end.
Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the harder end of sci-fi and is patient enough to let the story play out in its own time.
Otherwise I found this one thoroughly awesome read full of deep conspiracy, multiple motivations and agendas from all sorts of places working with or against others, and some really intriguing characters making sure I remained invested in the events going on.
I did find in a bare handful of places the pace slowed just enough to make me impatient, but I think that's because I was always anticipating the next thing waiting to happen and was more frustrated with my human limitations curtailing my reading speed than anything the book itself did.
It's also a little irritating that this has a very "to be continued..." ending, a personal pet peeve of mine, but it was so well written and interesting that I was already invested in getting the second in the trilogy before I got anywhere near to the end.
Overall I'd recommend this to anyone who loves the harder end of sci-fi and is patient enough to let the story play out in its own time.
March 30, 2016
I kept debating about quitting this one. It is very slow, unclear at times, and way too many people are thrown in out of the blue with a blurb that is not always clear and then their name changes immediately with ranks, first names, nick names and it goes back and forth. Also, I don't need upteen pages describing a ship and it's hallways, especially before I know the characters. I was skipping pretty big chunks in the beginning. There were also a lot of writing mistakes... like his for her, double words, incongruities, etc. I prob would have quit if I had only the first book, but alas, I have the trilogy set.... so. ..
I do like the main couple and how their relationship is growing and the action they are taking on. This could be really great shortened and with an editor.
I do like the main couple and how their relationship is growing and the action they are taking on. This could be really great shortened and with an editor.
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