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No Foreign Sky
Generations ago, a single turun explorer discovered a long-abandoned and dwindling population of humans, a devastated colony nearing extinction on a dangerous, hostile world.
Now entirely blended into turun society, uman people retain only traces of their original language and customs. Instead, they have become full citizens of the far-flung Ka' Taand, a civilization that depends on both uman and turun sociality ... a civilization that is now threatened by vicious enemies from beyond familiar space, enemies neither species understands.
When the small half-fighter Nkaastu unexpectedly encounters those enemies during a routine trading mission, Daamon, uman battlecommander sees no choice but to tackle suicidal odds in the hope of giving the worlds of the Ka' Taand time to prepare for renewed attack. Neither Daamon nor his turun captain expect to survive long enough to know whether the sacrifice of their ship has been in vain ...
... until an unknown and much more powerful ship appears, slashing effortlessly through the enemy fighters and saving Nkaastu . But who are these newcomers? And will they prove the allies the Ka' Taand needs ... or a new and deadlier enemy?
Now entirely blended into turun society, uman people retain only traces of their original language and customs. Instead, they have become full citizens of the far-flung Ka' Taand, a civilization that depends on both uman and turun sociality ... a civilization that is now threatened by vicious enemies from beyond familiar space, enemies neither species understands.
When the small half-fighter Nkaastu unexpectedly encounters those enemies during a routine trading mission, Daamon, uman battlecommander sees no choice but to tackle suicidal odds in the hope of giving the worlds of the Ka' Taand time to prepare for renewed attack. Neither Daamon nor his turun captain expect to survive long enough to know whether the sacrifice of their ship has been in vain ...
... until an unknown and much more powerful ship appears, slashing effortlessly through the enemy fighters and saving Nkaastu . But who are these newcomers? And will they prove the allies the Ka' Taand needs ... or a new and deadlier enemy?
- GenresScience FictionFantasy
452 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2023
47 people are currently reading
132 people want to read
About the author
Rachel Neumeier
56 books575 followersRachel Neumeier started writing fiction to relax when she was a graduate student and needed a hobby unrelated to her research. Prior to selling her first fantasy novel, she had published only a few articles in venues such as The American Journal of Botany. However, finding that her interests did not lie in research, Rachel left academia and began to let her hobbies take over her life instead.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
She now raises and shows dogs, gardens, cooks, and occasionally finds time to read. She works part-time for a tutoring program, though she tutors far more students in Math and Chemistry than in English Composition.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
May 17, 2023
The funny thing is, I wasn’t expecting to like this. In fact I wasn’t even going to buy this - where is Silver Circle? I’m still waiting for that - and then I got a marketing email which had the first chapter… and I was hooked.
Some caveats: this might dump you in the middle of the action, but it’s still a slow start, because you have no idea what is going on; this has Neumeier’s strong writing style, which is reflected in instantly recognizable sentence structure and word choices, but I wonder if it works for everyone; the names are confusing, there are many repeated vowels, I don’t know how to pronounce anything, and some characters blur together as a result.
And yet this is a space opera, and something about it (the constant war, I think?) reminded me of a reverse-Farscape - where the human-alien society members are not only the protagonists but the norm, where they encounter the solely-human society and not the other way around (though I’m sure the human society would beg to differ). There is something so spot-on about the humans’ bafflement and even horror at the human-alien alignment, at their militaristic approach, at their mixed political approaches.
Neumeier really builds a world here, one with a dizzyingly alien enemy. This book actually has two distinct alien species - and two disparate groups of humans - in one novel! Somehow, though, the worldbuilding comes at the expense of the character building, and the distinct societies don’t carry through to unique individuals. Some characters are drawn well enough, even minor ones (I’m particularly thinking of that executive officer, whose humor is expressed even through the prose narration describing him), but most have one gimmick or aspect that defines them.
It still works, partly because most characters are so likable, and partly because this is a story of people interacting with a dangerous world and having “types” is a shorthand form of characterization here.
There is humor in the writing, and that elevates this book. “Okay” as a word that survives centuries away from Earth - the world called Terabithia; I waited in vain for mention of a bridge - and there’s a brief Shakespeare reference at the expense of the folks in Intelligence.
Less humorous, falling juuust short of overkill, but still fascinating, are discussions on learning the English language. Not only are they interesting and effective, but they also serve to establish real differences with the alien society; I loved the two-versus-four idea and the brief mention of binaries.
And the competent writing extends to the plot. It makes sense - it’s foreshadowed well - there’s an internal logic. Sometimes, too, there are the barest moments of poetry, especially right there at the end, in the sentence that gives this book its title. But really: this is all about the worldbuilding.
I’m not sure this is really a five-star book, but it’s the first book in months where I did not go to sleep until I finished it.
Some caveats: this might dump you in the middle of the action, but it’s still a slow start, because you have no idea what is going on; this has Neumeier’s strong writing style, which is reflected in instantly recognizable sentence structure and word choices, but I wonder if it works for everyone; the names are confusing, there are many repeated vowels, I don’t know how to pronounce anything, and some characters blur together as a result.
And yet this is a space opera, and something about it (the constant war, I think?) reminded me of a reverse-Farscape - where the human-alien society members are not only the protagonists but the norm, where they encounter the solely-human society and not the other way around (though I’m sure the human society would beg to differ). There is something so spot-on about the humans’ bafflement and even horror at the human-alien alignment, at their militaristic approach, at their mixed political approaches.
Neumeier really builds a world here, one with a dizzyingly alien enemy. This book actually has two distinct alien species - and two disparate groups of humans - in one novel! Somehow, though, the worldbuilding comes at the expense of the character building, and the distinct societies don’t carry through to unique individuals. Some characters are drawn well enough, even minor ones (I’m particularly thinking of that executive officer, whose humor is expressed even through the prose narration describing him), but most have one gimmick or aspect that defines them.
It still works, partly because most characters are so likable, and partly because this is a story of people interacting with a dangerous world and having “types” is a shorthand form of characterization here.
Daamon could only open his hands in astonished agreement. It was hard to imagine a lot of uman choosing to dress like that, everyone alike in dull black with little crimson flashes; everyone with hair cropped short just the same and with expressions rapidly becoming just the same, blank and stiff and closed, as they recovered from their surprise...You’re supposed to imagine a military stereotype here: that’s the function of that paragraph. (I will note that Taya-the-civilian was a bit too convenient to be true.)
What kind of people would dress all the same, cut their hair all the same, sit all the same, one at each station, but all so stiff and straight? What kind of people would design a ship interior like that, all square corners and naked metal?
There is humor in the writing, and that elevates this book. “Okay” as a word that survives centuries away from Earth - the world called Terabithia; I waited in vain for mention of a bridge - and there’s a brief Shakespeare reference at the expense of the folks in Intelligence.
Less humorous, falling juuust short of overkill, but still fascinating, are discussions on learning the English language. Not only are they interesting and effective, but they also serve to establish real differences with the alien society; I loved the two-versus-four idea and the brief mention of binaries.
And the competent writing extends to the plot. It makes sense - it’s foreshadowed well - there’s an internal logic. Sometimes, too, there are the barest moments of poetry, especially right there at the end, in the sentence that gives this book its title. But really: this is all about the worldbuilding.
I’m not sure this is really a five-star book, but it’s the first book in months where I did not go to sleep until I finished it.
May 19, 2023
The first few pages are a bit of a struggle with strange alien names and concepts to grapple with. After that the story is so gripping that the only struggle is putting it down. Highly original and imaginative.
May 24, 2023
An exciting read! No Foreign Sky has a way of bringing you into two completely different worlds/cultures while making you feel like you knew them all along. No info dumps or glossary you constantly have to reference. It’s a very fast paced book that throws the main crew and the reader in for a loop more than once. No one is omniscient, not even the reader.
Rachel Neumeier is amazing at writing vivid characters. She’s able to write people with flaws that feel realistic or even off putting at the start, but as the story progresses, becomes a trait that you come to respect which I think is really hard to pull off. There are characters I started out disliking (Lockwood) but became one of my favorites in the end. Really hope if there’s a sequel we’ll get to see more of him!
Rachel Neumeier is amazing at writing vivid characters. She’s able to write people with flaws that feel realistic or even off putting at the start, but as the story progresses, becomes a trait that you come to respect which I think is really hard to pull off. There are characters I started out disliking (Lockwood) but became one of my favorites in the end. Really hope if there’s a sequel we’ll get to see more of him!
July 6, 2023
Very Interesting Turun
While it was hard for me in the first few chapters because of learning this unfamiliar civilization, I slowed down and reread it and fell in love. The meshing of the Turun/human pairings is very unique; I am glad there is a new perspective opening up. I wonder how the uut will turn out to be in person? The new allies, the totally human civilization, seems very impatient and so very familiar to our own civilization. I like patience and give and take of the Turun half-fighter tradeship, everyone has a say. And the environment of the Nkaastu sounds much more pleasant and calm.
I hope this partnership goes forward as nicely as No Foreign Sky. I thoroughly enjoyed being caught up in this universe!
While it was hard for me in the first few chapters because of learning this unfamiliar civilization, I slowed down and reread it and fell in love. The meshing of the Turun/human pairings is very unique; I am glad there is a new perspective opening up. I wonder how the uut will turn out to be in person? The new allies, the totally human civilization, seems very impatient and so very familiar to our own civilization. I like patience and give and take of the Turun half-fighter tradeship, everyone has a say. And the environment of the Nkaastu sounds much more pleasant and calm.
I hope this partnership goes forward as nicely as No Foreign Sky. I thoroughly enjoyed being caught up in this universe!
August 17, 2024
I absolutely adored this. Loved it again on the second reading.
I hope she writes more in this universe.
I hope she writes more in this universe.
July 20, 2025
Another great book from Rachel Neumeier!
The Premise
Humans stranded in space have integrated with an alien species called the turun over a series of generations. Now a spaceship containing both humans and turun encounters a purely human ship (from a different space-based civilization) in space, while in the midst of a battle with an enemy alien species. The question becomes whether these two civilizations, all human and human-turun, can become allies--and become allies fast enough to fight off the enemy aliens in a massive ensuing confrontation.
The Elephant in the Room
I've said it before (maybe not on Goodreads) and I'll say it again: Rachel Neumeier has a clear CJ Cherryh influence. Here MUCH more obviously than in the Tuyo series, of course.
There are so many parallels with the Foreigner series:
-The long-lost human relations.
-The integrated human-alien society.
-The focus on diplomacy and translation issues.
-The need for our human-alien squad to come to the rescue of a larger all-human force.
The Foreigner series is one of my favorite series of all time, so I was primed to enjoy this from the get-go. Unfortunately all these points of comparison did make me a little critical of things I might not otherwise have noticed. For example, I would have expected more focus on turun society and how a turun mind works, because the Foreigner series focuses a whole lot on these elements for the atevi. And I would have expected the turun characters to carry a lot more of the plot. But this book is largely focused on communication between the human civilizations, with the exception of the turun character Kaamharaa. I wonder if we will see more of turun civilization and delve deeper into their psyche if Neumeier writes a sequel.
Also, tragically, despite this being a Foreigner-analogue, none of the human characters seem to be into alien-fucking. :( :( :( Oh well.
But, Aside From That...
I was impressed by how interesting and easy to follow the space battles were, even with both ships using their own version of space jargon. I usually tune out a little during space battles but this time my attention was captured. I could even more or less picture how to map out the different spaceships in relation to each other.
More than that, of course, I was here for the diplomatic dilemmas and translation problems. No one in the human-turun civilization really has a grasp on any human language anymore; they know a little rudimentary English but not much. So we see a couple linguists struggling to learn each other's language over a few days while also struggling to get along bc one of them is an impetuous twenty-year old woman and the other is a paranoid older man who doesn't know what to make of all these centaur-like aliens. And, on the other hand, a lot of characters don't even know the basics and get stuck with each other, trying to communicate in one to two word sentences and gestures about very delicate and dangerous situations.
Captain Gerstner and Kaamharaa might be my favorite duo in the book. I would love to see them hang out some more, though, since they're both important leaders of their respective cultures, I don't know when they'd find the time or be in the same place. But they have a great dynamic.
Overall
A great book, but what else would I expect from Rachel Neumeier? She turns out to be just as good at sci-fi as she is at fantasy. Curious whether she will end up writing a sequel.
The Premise
Humans stranded in space have integrated with an alien species called the turun over a series of generations. Now a spaceship containing both humans and turun encounters a purely human ship (from a different space-based civilization) in space, while in the midst of a battle with an enemy alien species. The question becomes whether these two civilizations, all human and human-turun, can become allies--and become allies fast enough to fight off the enemy aliens in a massive ensuing confrontation.
The Elephant in the Room
I've said it before (maybe not on Goodreads) and I'll say it again: Rachel Neumeier has a clear CJ Cherryh influence. Here MUCH more obviously than in the Tuyo series, of course.
There are so many parallels with the Foreigner series:
-The long-lost human relations.
-The integrated human-alien society.
-The focus on diplomacy and translation issues.
-The need for our human-alien squad to come to the rescue of a larger all-human force.
The Foreigner series is one of my favorite series of all time, so I was primed to enjoy this from the get-go. Unfortunately all these points of comparison did make me a little critical of things I might not otherwise have noticed. For example, I would have expected more focus on turun society and how a turun mind works, because the Foreigner series focuses a whole lot on these elements for the atevi. And I would have expected the turun characters to carry a lot more of the plot. But this book is largely focused on communication between the human civilizations, with the exception of the turun character Kaamharaa. I wonder if we will see more of turun civilization and delve deeper into their psyche if Neumeier writes a sequel.
Also, tragically, despite this being a Foreigner-analogue, none of the human characters seem to be into alien-fucking. :( :( :( Oh well.
But, Aside From That...
I was impressed by how interesting and easy to follow the space battles were, even with both ships using their own version of space jargon. I usually tune out a little during space battles but this time my attention was captured. I could even more or less picture how to map out the different spaceships in relation to each other.
More than that, of course, I was here for the diplomatic dilemmas and translation problems. No one in the human-turun civilization really has a grasp on any human language anymore; they know a little rudimentary English but not much. So we see a couple linguists struggling to learn each other's language over a few days while also struggling to get along bc one of them is an impetuous twenty-year old woman and the other is a paranoid older man who doesn't know what to make of all these centaur-like aliens. And, on the other hand, a lot of characters don't even know the basics and get stuck with each other, trying to communicate in one to two word sentences and gestures about very delicate and dangerous situations.
Captain Gerstner and Kaamharaa might be my favorite duo in the book. I would love to see them hang out some more, though, since they're both important leaders of their respective cultures, I don't know when they'd find the time or be in the same place. But they have a great dynamic.
Overall
A great book, but what else would I expect from Rachel Neumeier? She turns out to be just as good at sci-fi as she is at fantasy. Curious whether she will end up writing a sequel.
November 16, 2023
I read No Foreign Sky on Kindle Unlimited but now plan to buy it. I like owning books that I expect to read and reread again. This is definitely one of them!
There are plenty of book summaries here, so I’d like to get ton with this discussion. Firstly, Rachel Neumeier cannot be beaten at not just world building but culture building. She understands the impact that biology and environment have on populations of both humans and aliens. I especially liked her link of language and world view to biology and environment.
The tuyu have 4 arms/hands. She contrasts the human approach to examining a subject- on the one hand, on the other hand - to the tuyu’s approach - on the first hand, this . . . on the second hand, there is this . . . on the third hand this, . . . And on the fourth hand . . .
A bubble of laughter starts building up when we reach the third hand and breaks out on the fourth. It’s funny to realize how our thinking can be restricted or enlarged by being born with 2 hands or 4, but I don’t doubt it would be true.
Rachel’s humor may be a thread that interlaces between all the components of this action filled book, but it is a golden thread. I love the wry humor in this work, coupled with suspense and serious difficulties to be overcome. Add awesome characters and fast moving plot line, and this is a book that should be nominated for a Hugo! It’s that powerful. It’s that good! Read it!!
There are plenty of book summaries here, so I’d like to get ton with this discussion. Firstly, Rachel Neumeier cannot be beaten at not just world building but culture building. She understands the impact that biology and environment have on populations of both humans and aliens. I especially liked her link of language and world view to biology and environment.
The tuyu have 4 arms/hands. She contrasts the human approach to examining a subject- on the one hand, on the other hand - to the tuyu’s approach - on the first hand, this . . . on the second hand, there is this . . . on the third hand this, . . . And on the fourth hand . . .
A bubble of laughter starts building up when we reach the third hand and breaks out on the fourth. It’s funny to realize how our thinking can be restricted or enlarged by being born with 2 hands or 4, but I don’t doubt it would be true.
Rachel’s humor may be a thread that interlaces between all the components of this action filled book, but it is a golden thread. I love the wry humor in this work, coupled with suspense and serious difficulties to be overcome. Add awesome characters and fast moving plot line, and this is a book that should be nominated for a Hugo! It’s that powerful. It’s that good! Read it!!
August 17, 2024
Tour de force
Neumeier has done an incredible job of creating and conveying a completely alien culture while also assembling a breathtaking action thriller of a story. I have only rarely seen something this unique done so well. From the opening chapter, I was enthralled (and challenged) by the immersion in the Ka’Taand culture. Humans rescued long ago by turun, assimilated into their culture, yet retaining their humanity. Then, to make it even better, she has them make contact with mainstream humans in a battle situation that hardly lets up for the duration of the book. Seeing militarized human culture from the Ka’Taand viewpoint, and simultaneously seeing turun culture from the mainstream human viewpoint, became fascinating. Both cultures fighting for their lives against the Enemy makes it a book difficult to put down.
And yet, I do not give it five stars? As good as it is, there were times when the amazing tension was set aside to expound further on the cultural issues and history, sometime even repeating elements of backstory. If those sections were shortened or deleted, this would easily be a Hugo candidate.
Neumeier has done an incredible job of creating and conveying a completely alien culture while also assembling a breathtaking action thriller of a story. I have only rarely seen something this unique done so well. From the opening chapter, I was enthralled (and challenged) by the immersion in the Ka’Taand culture. Humans rescued long ago by turun, assimilated into their culture, yet retaining their humanity. Then, to make it even better, she has them make contact with mainstream humans in a battle situation that hardly lets up for the duration of the book. Seeing militarized human culture from the Ka’Taand viewpoint, and simultaneously seeing turun culture from the mainstream human viewpoint, became fascinating. Both cultures fighting for their lives against the Enemy makes it a book difficult to put down.
And yet, I do not give it five stars? As good as it is, there were times when the amazing tension was set aside to expound further on the cultural issues and history, sometime even repeating elements of backstory. If those sections were shortened or deleted, this would easily be a Hugo candidate.
May 20, 2023
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2023/0...
I think this is Neumeier’s first sci-fi novel, and I really liked it! One of the things she does really well is the meeting of two disparate cultures, and that is definitely at the forefront here. To back up, this is about a far far future where an abandoned human colony merged with a nearby alien civilization (made up of boar-centaur people) to form a new society. Out story begins with a ship from that society fighting a losing battle with some vicious enemy aliens, when they’re rescued by an unknown ship—a ship full of other humans (more directly tied to Earth and its ways). Soon they have to form an alliance to fight the bad guys. I am super here for outer space politics and diplomacy—this maybe leaned more on the space battle side of things, I would have preferred more of the talking, but that’s just me. I did love all the characters here and hope Neumeier writes more in this world. A/A-.
I think this is Neumeier’s first sci-fi novel, and I really liked it! One of the things she does really well is the meeting of two disparate cultures, and that is definitely at the forefront here. To back up, this is about a far far future where an abandoned human colony merged with a nearby alien civilization (made up of boar-centaur people) to form a new society. Out story begins with a ship from that society fighting a losing battle with some vicious enemy aliens, when they’re rescued by an unknown ship—a ship full of other humans (more directly tied to Earth and its ways). Soon they have to form an alliance to fight the bad guys. I am super here for outer space politics and diplomacy—this maybe leaned more on the space battle side of things, I would have preferred more of the talking, but that’s just me. I did love all the characters here and hope Neumeier writes more in this world. A/A-.
May 27, 2024
I'm not sure how I ran across the recommendation for this book but I'm glad I did. This is pure space opera and I was loving it. The story beginning is a bit of a slog with lots of unpronounceable names but stick with it. The story really starts when two divergent human colonies meet up in the far flung future by way of two different space ships that are both under attack from a common enemy. First contact is rough because the human language didn't remain intact over that period of time and only a few words seem to be understandable. After that it's one tight spot after another and all the excitement that near destruction and risky behavior can get you. If you can last the first few chapters it is well worth it and I would love to read the next book of this series (If it becomes a series).
May 19, 2023
High-action space opera. I loved the premise of "second contact", where first contact was made between turun and a lost human colony a century ago and these "umans" and turun have merged into a new culture, and now contact has been remade with other humans, while a war is going on with a second alien race the uut.
Quibble: It's explained why we see only one male turun character, but why is the future human empire/military skewed so heavily to male characters? It doesn't seem to be misogynistic but the viceroy, witness, captain, executive officer, lieutenant, and marine commander are all men, with only one female lieutenant to balance.
Quibble: It's explained why we see only one male turun character, but why is the future human empire/military skewed so heavily to male characters? It doesn't seem to be misogynistic but the viceroy, witness, captain, executive officer, lieutenant, and marine commander are all men, with only one female lieutenant to balance.
June 3, 2023
This is a fantastic exploration of cultures, how humans and non-humans have grown together over time, and how foreign that is when they re-meet the more standard (to the reader) human only culture. They end up united against the bad aliens, but it takes some luck and smart people to get there. There is plenty of action and drama along with the cultural details. Parts reminded me strongly of the earlier books in C.J. Cherryh’s Foreigner series, which I also love. I did struggle a little with multiple complicated and similar names.
June 25, 2023
A really excellent read
An SF adventure with a twist, while humans have developed an empire, they have also made a mysterious and implacable enemy. In the midst of battle, one imperial ship discovers a new culture, one that blends humans from some lost colony and alien centaurs.
This is a 'one damned thing after another' kind of book, both exciting and exhausting. My hope for a series instead of a one shot, because while it ends in a relatively good place, there is an enormous amount of potential for this universe and it would be a damned shame to waste it.
An SF adventure with a twist, while humans have developed an empire, they have also made a mysterious and implacable enemy. In the midst of battle, one imperial ship discovers a new culture, one that blends humans from some lost colony and alien centaurs.
This is a 'one damned thing after another' kind of book, both exciting and exhausting. My hope for a series instead of a one shot, because while it ends in a relatively good place, there is an enormous amount of potential for this universe and it would be a damned shame to waste it.
August 29, 2024
3.5
Written well, but I did have trouble understanding who everyone was. We got a lesson about the different turun genders at the very end. I honestly had a hard time imagining what things looked like in the first probably 15% because it’s written like we already know these things. I honestly thought I started a series on book 2.
I got through it because the reviews were good, but it was fairly easy to set the book aside and do other things. Not bad for my life but not a great sign for the book. Overall, I’m glad I read it, but her Tuyo series is better.
Written well, but I did have trouble understanding who everyone was. We got a lesson about the different turun genders at the very end. I honestly had a hard time imagining what things looked like in the first probably 15% because it’s written like we already know these things. I honestly thought I started a series on book 2.
I got through it because the reviews were good, but it was fairly easy to set the book aside and do other things. Not bad for my life but not a great sign for the book. Overall, I’m glad I read it, but her Tuyo series is better.
June 17, 2023
From her "Tuyo" series I knew that Rachel Neumeier was excellent at presenting parallel views from different cultural contexts. In this new series (I hope it will be!) She gives us three differing cultures, one incomprehensible, one potentially recognisable and one a three way synthesis whose history, gradually revealed, may be the catalyst to resolve what would otherwise be a war of annihilation. More importantly, it's a cracking good read.
August 6, 2023
Generally good and enjoyable, albeit some elements are pretty derivative of some earlier works. The infodump/action boundary is a little messy and I would have liked to learn a little more about the way humans and turun work together. Taya's 'voice' is irritatingly perky. Despite all that, an entertaining read and I'll be on the lookout for the sequel.
March 8, 2024
I loved this - a human civilisation that has become integrated with an alien one comes across a ship full of humans who have very much not done the same, and are a bit horrified at what they find. Nonetheless they are forced to work together against a common enemy, and the fast-paced plot rockets on from there. I really hope there's a sequel.
July 21, 2023
Clash of cultures
This book does a fantastic job of describing the meeting of two very different cultures. There is still a lot of the plot left up in the air but what has been covered so far has been absolutely fantastic.
This book does a fantastic job of describing the meeting of two very different cultures. There is still a lot of the plot left up in the air but what has been covered so far has been absolutely fantastic.
July 28, 2023
I gave up reading this properly pretty quick. I skimmed and skipped through a lot of parts. I stuck to the end because the story was great but the writing style detracted and distracted from it. There was some information dumps and a lot of emphasis that was overkill.
September 6, 2023
The usual. complicated situation and relationships which are well done, but it also has the odd names, odd relationships, repetitive statements, drawn out thoughts.
Four starts primarily for the overall plot. Additional books are promised.
Four starts primarily for the overall plot. Additional books are promised.
December 9, 2023
oh, please, another story in this universe?!
This was wonderful! I did not want the book to finish or to leave the characters. I was relieved to read in the afterword that Neumier might return to write more
This was wonderful! I did not want the book to finish or to leave the characters. I was relieved to read in the afterword that Neumier might return to write more
April 17, 2025
A good book once I got into it, but boy was getting into it hard. Neumeier is as fantastic at world building as always, but this one really throws the technobabble and new terminology at you in a sink or swim kind of way. Still, excited for the potential of a sequel!
June 6, 2023
Interesting alien culture ideas but they aren’t fleshed out. So stereotypical for first contact SF that I wonder if it’s supposed to be satire.
July 4, 2023
A wonderful and moving story
I always love Rachel Neumeier’s books and this is no exception. Her writing is moving and her characters are beautifully drawn. Don’t miss it!
I always love Rachel Neumeier’s books and this is no exception. Her writing is moving and her characters are beautifully drawn. Don’t miss it!
May 20, 2025
You’ve got to give this one a minute because it’s strange, but it’s surprisingly good and funny once you get the hang of it. I’d read more of them if it was a series.
August 5, 2023
This is a good book: gripping action, great worldbuilding, fascinating premise. I didn’t love it, though. The fault is likely in me. I came in hoping for a book with a quieter tone: more like Neumeier’s Tuyo in the mingling of action with less plot-intense scenes. Instead, this book adopts fast pace — the whole thing takes place over the course of less than a week; possibly about three or four days. This means there is less room to pause on the fascinating features of the world than I would have preferred. If you liked Tuyo, though, there is still a lot to like here. Neumeier’s writing continues excellent, and fans of fast-paced plots may even like this better.
It is a space opera (homage to star wars) with space battles etc, and also a first-contact story — with the great and interesting twist that the humans are “aliens” to each other. This is a creative premise, well-executed, and I look forward to further books in the world (hopefully there will be some!)
It is a space opera (homage to star wars) with space battles etc, and also a first-contact story — with the great and interesting twist that the humans are “aliens” to each other. This is a creative premise, well-executed, and I look forward to further books in the world (hopefully there will be some!)
July 8, 2024
Excellent, unusual sci fi adventure
First, there is a Big Bad, which means there is a high and sad body count. With that out of the way, the worldbuilding is fascinating with fantastic non-human characters and great human characters. Taya and Lockwood's interactions were some of my favorites. The Viceroy is definitely a favorite, also. The story was compelling and kept me reading even with a migraine. I cared about the characters, shed some tears, and I'm looking forward to their further adventures.
First, there is a Big Bad, which means there is a high and sad body count. With that out of the way, the worldbuilding is fascinating with fantastic non-human characters and great human characters. Taya and Lockwood's interactions were some of my favorites. The Viceroy is definitely a favorite, also. The story was compelling and kept me reading even with a migraine. I cared about the characters, shed some tears, and I'm looking forward to their further adventures.
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