Artemis by Andy Weir

Artemis

by Andy Weir

The bestselling author of The Martian returns with an irresistible new near-future thriller—a heist story set on the moon.

Jasmine Bashara never signed up to be a hero. She just wanted to get rich.
 
Not crazy, eccentric-billionaire rich, like many of the visitors to her hometown of Artemis, humanity’s first and only lunar colony. Just rich enough to move out of her coffin-sized apartment and eat something better than flavored algae. Rich enough to pay off a debt she’s owed for a long time.
 
So when a chance at a huge score finally comes her way, Jazz can’t say no. Sure, it requires her to graduate from small-time smuggler to full-on criminal mastermind. And it calls for a particular combination of cunning, technical skills, and large explosions—not to mention sheer brazen swagger. But Jazz has never run into a challenge her intellect can’t handle, and she figures she’s got the ‘swagger’ part down.
 
The trouble is, engineering the perfect crime is just the start of Jazz’s problems. Because her little heist is about to land her in the middle of a conspiracy for control of Artemis itself.
 
Trapped between competing forces, pursued by a killer and the law alike, even Jazz has to admit she’s in way over her head. She’ll have to hatch a truly spectacular scheme to have a chance at staying alive and saving her city.
 
Jazz is no hero, but she is a very good criminal.
 
That’ll have to do.
 
Propelled by its heroine’s wisecracking voice, set in a city that’s at once stunningly imagined and intimately familiar, and brimming over with clever problem-solving and heist-y fun, Artemis is another irresistible brew of science, suspense, and humor from #1 bestselling author Andy Weir.

Reviewed by Rinn on

5 of 5 stars

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I received a free finished copy of this book from the publisher, in exchange for an honest review.
Review also posted on Paper & Pixels.

So, I was one of those people who didn’t actually particularly enjoy The Martian. Whether it was because I read it on Kindle (which honestly tends to hinder my enjoyment of books, I just hate it), or because it just somehow didn’t work for me I’m not sure, but one thing is for sure: after reading Artemis, I need to re-read The Martian, because Andy Weir is a FANTASTIC author.

First of all, this book is set on the Moon, and I honestly can’t think of many (if any?) books I’ve read that have that setting, despite all of the science fiction I’ve read. Most authors seem to go further out, Mars or even other solar systems and galaxies. In Weir’s world, humans have settled on the Moon, but life there is tough unless you’re super rich. It’s also become a holiday destination for the wealthy.

The book centres around Jazz, who works as a courier, but also perhaps deals with some slightly less legit activities on the side… Jazz smuggles contraband from Earth for various clients, which of course leads her into all sorts of trouble. She is offered a huge sum of money, more than she has ever dreamed of, to pull off a crime, and it’s there that the action really begins. There were plenty of ‘on the edge of your seat’ type moments, and all the mentions of various tech and space gadgetry completely satisfied my inner (not so secret) space geek.

Jazz as a character was so fun, and it was great to have a woman of colour as the main protagonist in a science fiction novel (more please). Whilst she does not practice Islam, we see elements of the religion through her father. I loved that Jazz was just so confident in herself and didn’t worry about others judging her, and she was a great, witty narrator. Even though she was living in relative poverty, at least in comparison to many of the Moon’s citizens, it really felt like she was making the most of what she had, and was so determined to reach her goal.

I also want to mention how truly GORGEOUS the hardcover is under the dust jacket. I took it off to see if there was anything interesting on the hardback itself, not really expecting anything, and it’s just so pretty (but also so simple), that I’m almost tempted to keep the dust jacket off.

Thank you so much to Ebury for sending me a free copy of the finished book. This is definitely recommended for all of you science fiction fans out there – whether you enjoyed The Martian or not! 😉

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  • Started reading
  • 26 October, 2017: Finished reading
  • 26 October, 2017: Reviewed