I liked it! I did! It was delightfully dark, and really a pretty great portrayal of what a fight for power might look like on a new planet. I liked most of the things about the book, so we're going to go ahead with a likes/dislikes!
Things I Liked:
- New planet!! Did I mention that I liked new, uncharted planets before? Of course I did. Spoiler: I still do. And the awesome part is that the people of the new planet had to actually fight to stay alive. It makes sense, really. Imagine if you're dumped onto a world you have no knowledge of? You don't know the climate, the creatures, what is safe or unsafe, etc. There's going to be a huge learning curve, especially coming from the relative comfort of Earth. I liked that a lot. I was a little confused by some of the creatures at first, but it did become much easier to figure out. And they were pretty damn cool, tbh.
- The characters were so freaking badass. Some by nature, sure, but some because the only choice was to deal with it or die. The story is told from several points of view, but Talina is our main Donovanian. And while she is a super tough woman, she has plenty of flaws that can hinder her goals. I liked that toughness and strength of spirit didn't equal perfection, not with any of the characters. Some, like Shig, another Donovanian, were much more peace seeking. Shig was one of my faves, because he was very thoughtful- and his intelligence and wisdom was so necessary.
"Ultimately, government and hypocrisy become synonymous"
Not all the characters are awesome- in fact, some are downright horrible. But... that's life, right? I liked that there were some people who were just straight up real assholes. You know, the type for whom you assume there is no chance of redemption? Because we know these people, in all societies. Some of our societies elected these people. Which leads me to the next point.... - The governing of this planet? Such a mess. A delightfully authentic mess. So much is relevant now, but honestly, it's always been relevant. People fighting for power, people who have no idea what they are getting themselves into throwing their hats into the ring, all in the name of control. Egos have more weight than knowledge and reason, and no one wants to give up their leadership. This is all too true on Earth, so it makes sense that it would be this way on a smaller scale on Donovan, too.
- There's another verrrryyy creepy and dark part of the story that I have no intentions on spoiling, but it is morbidly fascinating and I want to know all the things. Also, it involves space. So if that is your kind of thing, I recommend.
- The atmosphere of the whole book was on point. It was bleak and hard but then there were uplifting times- not many, but enough that it made life seem worth it. The planet was fascinating, yet cutthroat, and the author did a great job of painting it as such.
What I Didn't Like:
- It felt long. This is my biggest qualm, really. Like I said, I knew that it wasn't the Goodreads-stated 336 pages, but it still took me longer than usual to finish. Not because I wasn't interested; I was. But some parts felt even slower, like the pacing was a bit off.
- While I liked the characters, I would have liked to have felt a bit more connected to them, especially Talina. I think part of it was because she doesn't really let anyone in, but I would have felt more for her if I felt a bigger connection.
Will I Read the Sequel: Absolutely! I need to know what happens next, and the whole space-mystery thing, and everything.
Bottom Line: Dark and gritty, this book shows both the best and worst sides of humanity, all while being emotional and thought-provoking.
*Copy provided for review
**Quote taken from uncorrected proof, subject to change