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Halcyone Space #2
Ithaka Rising
A derelict ship and a splintered crew are not the rewards Ro had hoped for when she helped disrupt her father's plans to start a war with smuggled weapons. But with the responsibilities of full Commonwealth citizenship and limited resources, she is forced to take her father's place working as an engineer on Daedalus station while she and Barre try to repair their damaged freighter, Halcyone. Barre's brother, Jem, is struggling with the disabling effects of his head injury, unable to read or code. His only hope is to obtain a neural implant, but the specialists determine he is too young and his brain damage too extensive.
When Jem disappears, his trail dead ends at the black market. Ro and Barre race to find Jem before he sells his future, risking his mind for an illegal neural implant. But they're not the only ones looking for "The Underworld" and its rogue planet, Ithaka. What they find endangers more than just the three of them and forces them to confront a very different truth about the war they believed was ancient history.
When Jem disappears, his trail dead ends at the black market. Ro and Barre race to find Jem before he sells his future, risking his mind for an illegal neural implant. But they're not the only ones looking for "The Underworld" and its rogue planet, Ithaka. What they find endangers more than just the three of them and forces them to confront a very different truth about the war they believed was ancient history.
400 pages, Paperback
First published June 21, 2015
54 people are currently reading
267 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Cohen
17 books162 followersLJ Cohen is the author of eight novels across the science fiction and fantasy genres and was among the first wave of indie writers to qualify for SFWA membership. DERELICT, the first book in her Halcyone Space series, was named a Library Journal self-e select title and book of the year in 2014. Her ninth novel, LITANY FOR A BROKEN WORLD will be published in February of 2025.
A retired physical therapist, LJ now uses her clinical knowledge and skills to injure characters. She serves on the board of Broad Universe as well as several local non-profits in her community. In addition to her creative work as a writer and role as a community organizer, she is also a potter and fiber artist. She lives on a homestead farm in central MA and is extremely proud of her tractor riding and tree pruning skills.
A retired physical therapist, LJ now uses her clinical knowledge and skills to injure characters. She serves on the board of Broad Universe as well as several local non-profits in her community. In addition to her creative work as a writer and role as a community organizer, she is also a potter and fiber artist. She lives on a homestead farm in central MA and is extremely proud of her tractor riding and tree pruning skills.
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Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
August 4, 2015
Disclosures: I received a copy via Netgalley for independent review. I know the author on social media, and she has beta-read for me in the past.
I very much enjoyed the first Halcyone Space novel, Derelict, and looked forward to this one with slight trepidation that it might not measure up. Although I didn't love it quite as much as the first, it's still a fine second book in the series, and a hopeful sign of good things to come.
I mentioned that I enjoyed it slightly less than the previous one, and the main reason is that I felt the plot of the first progressed reliably and logically from point to point, while this book's plot relied on a helpful coincidence (and on a character jumping to a correct conclusion on, I felt, too little evidence.)
Apart from that, the plot was sound, the character relationships and their development were well handled and satisfying, and the prose shows clear improvement over previous books (which were already above average). The challenges the characters face are political and interpersonal, without the action-based challenges of the first book, but they're none the worse for that. And I did appreciate the realistic depiction of long-term consequences from physical injury. (Since the author used to work as a physical therapist, and is married to a doctor, this is a great example of "write what you know".)
I was surprised to see, when I went to post my review, that the book is 400 pages long. It didn't feel long, which is an excellent sign.
I look forward to future entries in this space opera with a brain and a heart.
I very much enjoyed the first Halcyone Space novel, Derelict, and looked forward to this one with slight trepidation that it might not measure up. Although I didn't love it quite as much as the first, it's still a fine second book in the series, and a hopeful sign of good things to come.
I mentioned that I enjoyed it slightly less than the previous one, and the main reason is that I felt the plot of the first progressed reliably and logically from point to point, while this book's plot relied on a helpful coincidence (and on a character jumping to a correct conclusion on, I felt, too little evidence.)
Apart from that, the plot was sound, the character relationships and their development were well handled and satisfying, and the prose shows clear improvement over previous books (which were already above average). The challenges the characters face are political and interpersonal, without the action-based challenges of the first book, but they're none the worse for that. And I did appreciate the realistic depiction of long-term consequences from physical injury. (Since the author used to work as a physical therapist, and is married to a doctor, this is a great example of "write what you know".)
I was surprised to see, when I went to post my review, that the book is 400 pages long. It didn't feel long, which is an excellent sign.
I look forward to future entries in this space opera with a brain and a heart.
July 10, 2015
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2015/07/1...
Publisher: Interrobang Books
Publishing Date: June 2015
ISBN: 9781942851912
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.2/5
Publisher Description: When Jem disappears, Barre and Ro race to find him before he sells his future and risks his mind for a black market neural implant. But locating The Underworld along with its rogue planet Ithaka has political consequences far beyond what Halcyone’s crew imagine, pitting Jem’s life against deadly secrets from a war that should have ended forty years ago.
Review: I missed reading the first in this series, “Derelict”. By all accounts it is very good and not really pivotal in understanding the world building that continues in “Ithaka Rising”.
A generational, made for YA, SciFi novel set in deep space. The main characters are youngish and ruled by their emotions. There is much clenching / grinding of teeth, hurt looks and sour saliva mouth gulping. It is too bad that the novel verged on the patterned with regard to Jem. Jem is speshul. He’s a brilliant and caring kid that behaves better than his parents whom you just want to hug while ruffling his hair. Throughout the entire novel you have to wade through Jem’s roiling stomach, lurching gate, dizzy spells, throw up, darting eyes and snarky attitude. We get it. He has a brain injury. The characters of Ro and Barre are also brilliant and super speshul. They can hack any system, fix any ship and find a hidden planet that the Commonwealth with all their military might, have not found in 40 years,…. in a day. Riiiiiiight.
Most of the novel revolves around coffee. Where to get it, what it tastes like, why its bad, when to get it and where the good stuff is. Besides the frequent use of the phrase “pooling of sour tasting saliva” or derivatives on the theme, I liked the story-line. The characters just fell flat. Developing all the characters that wear their emotions on their sleeves does not create depth nor does it balance the character in opposition to their brilliant genius personas. It is a way to get around fully developing a complex character.
A note to the author, you can’t taste your own saliva.
Publisher: Interrobang Books
Publishing Date: June 2015
ISBN: 9781942851912
Genre: SciFi
Rating: 2.2/5
Publisher Description: When Jem disappears, Barre and Ro race to find him before he sells his future and risks his mind for a black market neural implant. But locating The Underworld along with its rogue planet Ithaka has political consequences far beyond what Halcyone’s crew imagine, pitting Jem’s life against deadly secrets from a war that should have ended forty years ago.
Review: I missed reading the first in this series, “Derelict”. By all accounts it is very good and not really pivotal in understanding the world building that continues in “Ithaka Rising”.
A generational, made for YA, SciFi novel set in deep space. The main characters are youngish and ruled by their emotions. There is much clenching / grinding of teeth, hurt looks and sour saliva mouth gulping. It is too bad that the novel verged on the patterned with regard to Jem. Jem is speshul. He’s a brilliant and caring kid that behaves better than his parents whom you just want to hug while ruffling his hair. Throughout the entire novel you have to wade through Jem’s roiling stomach, lurching gate, dizzy spells, throw up, darting eyes and snarky attitude. We get it. He has a brain injury. The characters of Ro and Barre are also brilliant and super speshul. They can hack any system, fix any ship and find a hidden planet that the Commonwealth with all their military might, have not found in 40 years,…. in a day. Riiiiiiight.
Most of the novel revolves around coffee. Where to get it, what it tastes like, why its bad, when to get it and where the good stuff is. Besides the frequent use of the phrase “pooling of sour tasting saliva” or derivatives on the theme, I liked the story-line. The characters just fell flat. Developing all the characters that wear their emotions on their sleeves does not create depth nor does it balance the character in opposition to their brilliant genius personas. It is a way to get around fully developing a complex character.
A note to the author, you can’t taste your own saliva.
July 2, 2015
For those of you who have not yet read Derelict, by LJ Cohen, stop whatever you are doing and go do so. Right now! And then, read the next book in what I hope is a long series, Ithaka Rising. Ithaka Rising can stand on its own, but why punish yourself when they are both so very good? And, keep your mind open for an 'easter egg' or two, as Ms. Cohen pays tribute to more than one pioneer in the world of computers, and in ways I am not sure even the author realizes she has done (don't you just love it when characters have a mind of their own?).
September 2, 2018
Engaging plot, wonderful characters. A story that expertly blends personal and large-scale stakes. Looking forward to the next installment.
July 18, 2015
Need diverse scifi books for diverse readers? Look no further than the YA novel Ithaka Rising by award-winning and best-selling author LJ Cohen. Featuring a feisty lesbian heroine, a multicultural cast spanning three generations and a search and rescue mission involving a handicapped pre-teen, a wounded woman warrior with a prosthetic limb and a crone coding goddess, Ithaka Rising delivers diversity in spades.
Who Should Read This?
I would very highly recommend Ithaka Rising to librarians, teachers and parents wanting to motivate student interest, particularly girls and minorities, in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, occupations of the future and leadership roles. Today’s veterans, especially wounded warriors, who love scifi and space will also enjoy this adventurous read. LGBT teens and adults will appreciate the relationship issues and community situations. Aspiring writers looking for great literature to learn from should grab this book with both hands. For adults and teens, it’s an exciting space opera flavored with Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who and M*A*S*H!
Racially Diverse Characters
Ithaka Rising is Book Two in Cohen’s Halcyone Space series, which began with DERELICT. The series follows the misadventures of a core group of four to five pre-teen through young adult human main characters, including a Hispanic-Asian lesbian couple, two black brothers and a Caucasian guy. No aliens, yet, but I’m waiting.
Star Wars Similarities and Departures
The space exploration series is primarily set aboard the battle fatigued freighter Halcyone and her asteroid-bound base, Daedalus, which is the Siberia of the Commonwealth government. Halcyone is similar to the Millennium Falcon in that repairs are constantly ongoing, nobody else would want her for anything but scrap recycling and her renegade captain has a determined spirit and often finds herself in complex challenges, surrounded by players of varying loyalties, danger, a shoestring budget and a ticking clock, much like Han Solo. The big difference in Halcyone and the Millennium Falcon is her fusion of artificial intelligence, emotion and music, aided and abetted by First Mate Barre. Barre lives, breathes, thinks and communicates in music. He is genuinely gifted, but unappreciated by his career military physician parents, although respected by his younger brother, Jem the resourceful coding genius. Jem exceeds Halcyone Captain Ro Maldonado’s coding talents by light years, which is saying something. Dr. Adiana May makes her entrance in Ithaka Rising as the Obi Wan Kenobi of coding. Her Jedis are, of course, Ro, Barre and Jem.
Conclusion
What thrills me most about Ithaka Rising is the character diversity on so many levels: age, ethnicity, disability, military (active duty, veteran, wounded warriors), survivalism and sexuality. I especially enjoyed the steamy lesbian shower scene. Of course, what is character diversity without a great story? Ithaka Rising is chock-full of edgy, page-turning, plot-twisting action balanced with humor, compassion and democracy. There’s even Greek poetry, a New Louisiana and gumbo!
Special Note: Ithaka Rising author LJ Cohen is committed to diversity, literacy and reader access. She has donated a signed set of her books to the Ferguson Library.
Read an excerpt and author interview at my blog: https://belindayhughes.wordpress.com/...
Who Should Read This?
I would very highly recommend Ithaka Rising to librarians, teachers and parents wanting to motivate student interest, particularly girls and minorities, in STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) subjects, occupations of the future and leadership roles. Today’s veterans, especially wounded warriors, who love scifi and space will also enjoy this adventurous read. LGBT teens and adults will appreciate the relationship issues and community situations. Aspiring writers looking for great literature to learn from should grab this book with both hands. For adults and teens, it’s an exciting space opera flavored with Star Trek, Star Wars, Dr. Who and M*A*S*H!
Racially Diverse Characters
Ithaka Rising is Book Two in Cohen’s Halcyone Space series, which began with DERELICT. The series follows the misadventures of a core group of four to five pre-teen through young adult human main characters, including a Hispanic-Asian lesbian couple, two black brothers and a Caucasian guy. No aliens, yet, but I’m waiting.
Star Wars Similarities and Departures
The space exploration series is primarily set aboard the battle fatigued freighter Halcyone and her asteroid-bound base, Daedalus, which is the Siberia of the Commonwealth government. Halcyone is similar to the Millennium Falcon in that repairs are constantly ongoing, nobody else would want her for anything but scrap recycling and her renegade captain has a determined spirit and often finds herself in complex challenges, surrounded by players of varying loyalties, danger, a shoestring budget and a ticking clock, much like Han Solo. The big difference in Halcyone and the Millennium Falcon is her fusion of artificial intelligence, emotion and music, aided and abetted by First Mate Barre. Barre lives, breathes, thinks and communicates in music. He is genuinely gifted, but unappreciated by his career military physician parents, although respected by his younger brother, Jem the resourceful coding genius. Jem exceeds Halcyone Captain Ro Maldonado’s coding talents by light years, which is saying something. Dr. Adiana May makes her entrance in Ithaka Rising as the Obi Wan Kenobi of coding. Her Jedis are, of course, Ro, Barre and Jem.
Conclusion
What thrills me most about Ithaka Rising is the character diversity on so many levels: age, ethnicity, disability, military (active duty, veteran, wounded warriors), survivalism and sexuality. I especially enjoyed the steamy lesbian shower scene. Of course, what is character diversity without a great story? Ithaka Rising is chock-full of edgy, page-turning, plot-twisting action balanced with humor, compassion and democracy. There’s even Greek poetry, a New Louisiana and gumbo!
Special Note: Ithaka Rising author LJ Cohen is committed to diversity, literacy and reader access. She has donated a signed set of her books to the Ferguson Library.
Read an excerpt and author interview at my blog: https://belindayhughes.wordpress.com/...
August 11, 2015
Plot: intriguing. Pacing: excellent. Characters: outstanding.
I received this book from a Goodreads raffle, but that does not impact my review (though it did make it more likely I'd write one).
The development and detail of the characters is outstanding. I got a very clear sense both of who they area, and how they evolve over the course of the book. Their motivations are believable given the scenarios they find themselves in, which is something not every author can nail but LJ Cohen did an excellent job with this.
In fact, while the plot is both believable and interesting, it is the characters who make the novel so outstanding. With my own writing I am a firm believer that once the plot is chosen, the writing is mostly about seeing how the characters (with all their strengths and flaws and motives) bash into each other as they careen inevitably towards the book's resolution - and LJ does this masterfully.
The pacing of the book is excellent as well, with action scenes, reaction scenes... Everything flows very well and I didn't find any part of the book that felt bogged down in exposition. She keeps the plot firmly in mind as she writes, and everything contributes to it throughout the book (though not always in ways that are immediately obvious, a nice touch).
Her use of language is excellent as well. There were very few points in the book that were unclear or which bogged down. Her writing is both crisp and clear.
All in all, this is a book I'd recommend to any lover of science fiction, without reservations.
I received this book from a Goodreads raffle, but that does not impact my review (though it did make it more likely I'd write one).
The development and detail of the characters is outstanding. I got a very clear sense both of who they area, and how they evolve over the course of the book. Their motivations are believable given the scenarios they find themselves in, which is something not every author can nail but LJ Cohen did an excellent job with this.
In fact, while the plot is both believable and interesting, it is the characters who make the novel so outstanding. With my own writing I am a firm believer that once the plot is chosen, the writing is mostly about seeing how the characters (with all their strengths and flaws and motives) bash into each other as they careen inevitably towards the book's resolution - and LJ does this masterfully.
The pacing of the book is excellent as well, with action scenes, reaction scenes... Everything flows very well and I didn't find any part of the book that felt bogged down in exposition. She keeps the plot firmly in mind as she writes, and everything contributes to it throughout the book (though not always in ways that are immediately obvious, a nice touch).
Her use of language is excellent as well. There were very few points in the book that were unclear or which bogged down. Her writing is both crisp and clear.
All in all, this is a book I'd recommend to any lover of science fiction, without reservations.
November 2, 2015
Derelict, the first book in the series, came out last year, and became one of my favourite discoveries of the year. This, book two, picked up the story and continued with just as much enthusiasm.
When Jem realises that his brain injury isn't going to improve, he takes matters into his own hands and disappears, leaving his brother and friends to try and find him. What follows is as much a journey of discovery for them as it is for him, and they realise there's much more at stake than Jem's chances at recovery.
The science and technology in this world is easy to come to grips with, and the politics take a back seat to the emotions and loyalties of the main characters. Each of them have changed after the events in the first book, coming together in what feels like a natural progression, and it's interesting to see them figure out how to work together.
The pace and tension seem really well-balanced, and it was hard to put this down between one chapter and the next. Jem's condition fascinated me, and I hope it's expanded on in the next book, along with Barre's relationship with Halcyone itself.
The ending made the story seem like a chapter in a much larger saga, and I'm already looking forward to the next part.
June 4, 2015
What ages would I recommend it too? Sixteen and up.
Length? A couple of days.
Characters? Memorable, several characters. Barre, Jem, and Ro.
Setting? Science fiction on a space station.
Written approximately? 2014.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? The text messaging system is confusing. Being underlined feels wrong. Whether read visually, or with a screen reader, it is impossible to determine who is text messaging each message. Several messages are left up in a cloud of guessing who sent which message.
Short storyline: Ro is left attempting to fix the ship. Jem is still battling the aftereffects of brain damage. Barre is caught in between helping Ro, and saving Jem.
Notes for the reader: A great story. Enjoyable.
Screen reader reads it well.
Length? A couple of days.
Characters? Memorable, several characters. Barre, Jem, and Ro.
Setting? Science fiction on a space station.
Written approximately? 2014.
Does the story leave questions in the readers mind? Ready to read more.
Any issues the author (or a more recent publisher) should cover? The text messaging system is confusing. Being underlined feels wrong. Whether read visually, or with a screen reader, it is impossible to determine who is text messaging each message. Several messages are left up in a cloud of guessing who sent which message.
Short storyline: Ro is left attempting to fix the ship. Jem is still battling the aftereffects of brain damage. Barre is caught in between helping Ro, and saving Jem.
Notes for the reader: A great story. Enjoyable.
Screen reader reads it well.
August 5, 2015
This story is the sequel to Derelict, which I liked. Although this is very rare, I may have enjoyed Ithaka Rising more than the first story. It's set in some future time, in outer space, and focuses on the same core group of characters as the first book: Ro, Barre, Jem, and Nakamura (for some weird reason I can't think of her first name!)
Although this could technically be called a "coming of age story" it's more that that. It is entertaining, suspenseful, and touches on a range of themes in addition to growing up. There may be less out and out action in this story than there was in Derelict, but there is still plenty of conflict and tension.
Although this could technically be called a "coming of age story" it's more that that. It is entertaining, suspenseful, and touches on a range of themes in addition to growing up. There may be less out and out action in this story than there was in Derelict, but there is still plenty of conflict and tension.
January 10, 2016
A wonderful continuation of the story begun in Derelict. I continue to be impressed with the nuanced characterization of Ro, Jem and Barre. A great adventure story that left me both satisfied and anxious for a third book!
October 26, 2019
The Halcyone Space series now contains 4, no wait, 5 books. I noticed them earlier, but didn't pay much attention to them.
What actually triggered me was the cover and the title of book 3: Dreadnought and Shuttle. I can't say why, it just... spoke to me.
YA
The first two books I've read thus far. (Well, listened to audio-books, to be honest.) These are clearly Young Adult. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Cheap
... as there's nothing wrong with the price of book 1 either... Derelict sells for 99 cents on Amazon, buy the eBook and the audiobook at the same time, and you'll get the audiobook for euro 2.95. (Interesting, it's often cheaper to buy eBook and audiobook at the same time, then buy the audiobook separately.)
Book number 2 Ithaka Rising is euro 4.45, add the audiobook for 2.95. That's affordable!
The later books 3, 4 and 5 don't have an audiobook counterpart (yet), so I have been holding out on them for now. I just might pick up a paper or Kindle copy though, one of these days...
Suspension of disbelief
Of course, I can think of a few reasons why it would be unlikely for a lone female hacker to receive a derelict but warp jump capable (and thus dangerous) star ship as a reward, but let's not go there.
Once you've shuttered your sense of disbelief it actually becomes a fun read. There's (of course) the required amount of teen angst and family relations (what YA book could do without) but the characters are alive and all have their own voice.
The second book requires a little more suspension of disbelief, as a complete rebel community relies on the honesty of a bunch of teens. Evil governments are, well, evil, so there's little reason for an evil government to use evil means to get at the truth. Drugs, torture, bribes, whatever.
I haven't read / listened to books 3 and 4 yet. I do like the title of book 3 (and still don't know why). I might pick them up some day, whenever I run out of other stuff to read or listen to 😏
Titles
Derelict
Ithaka Rising
Dreadnought and Shuttle
Parallax
A Star in the Void
Verdict
Derelict and Ithaka are decent YA novels. The audiobook versions are great as well.
( From https://ninelizardsblog.blogspot.com/... )
What actually triggered me was the cover and the title of book 3: Dreadnought and Shuttle. I can't say why, it just... spoke to me.
YA
The first two books I've read thus far. (Well, listened to audio-books, to be honest.) These are clearly Young Adult. And there's nothing wrong with that.
Cheap
... as there's nothing wrong with the price of book 1 either... Derelict sells for 99 cents on Amazon, buy the eBook and the audiobook at the same time, and you'll get the audiobook for euro 2.95. (Interesting, it's often cheaper to buy eBook and audiobook at the same time, then buy the audiobook separately.)
Book number 2 Ithaka Rising is euro 4.45, add the audiobook for 2.95. That's affordable!
The later books 3, 4 and 5 don't have an audiobook counterpart (yet), so I have been holding out on them for now. I just might pick up a paper or Kindle copy though, one of these days...
Suspension of disbelief
Of course, I can think of a few reasons why it would be unlikely for a lone female hacker to receive a derelict but warp jump capable (and thus dangerous) star ship as a reward, but let's not go there.
Once you've shuttered your sense of disbelief it actually becomes a fun read. There's (of course) the required amount of teen angst and family relations (what YA book could do without) but the characters are alive and all have their own voice.
The second book requires a little more suspension of disbelief, as a complete rebel community relies on the honesty of a bunch of teens. Evil governments are, well, evil, so there's little reason for an evil government to use evil means to get at the truth. Drugs, torture, bribes, whatever.
I haven't read / listened to books 3 and 4 yet. I do like the title of book 3 (and still don't know why). I might pick them up some day, whenever I run out of other stuff to read or listen to 😏
Titles
Derelict
Ithaka Rising
Dreadnought and Shuttle
Parallax
A Star in the Void
Verdict
Derelict and Ithaka are decent YA novels. The audiobook versions are great as well.
( From https://ninelizardsblog.blogspot.com/... )
January 14, 2024
I really enjoyed this!
Picks up straight after Derelict (book 1) With most of the same characters (although Micah only has a fleeting scene)
Little Jem is suffering the repercussions of his head wound from the last book.. and its REALLY bad. He turns to the black market to try to get a neural implant before he's finished growing... and gets pulled into a very dangerous situation... The rest of the gang (Ro, Barre, Nomi) are basically working out how to fix the Halcyone so it is able to make jumps, and then chasing after Jem to "rescue" him..
Suddenly all the authorities we know in the story have their motivations heavily questioned!
The first book was good - good characters and storytelling - this book builds on that and adds in some great politics and worldbuilding. I'm hooked.
Picks up straight after Derelict (book 1) With most of the same characters (although Micah only has a fleeting scene)
Little Jem is suffering the repercussions of his head wound from the last book.. and its REALLY bad. He turns to the black market to try to get a neural implant before he's finished growing... and gets pulled into a very dangerous situation... The rest of the gang (Ro, Barre, Nomi) are basically working out how to fix the Halcyone so it is able to make jumps, and then chasing after Jem to "rescue" him..
Suddenly all the authorities we know in the story have their motivations heavily questioned!
The first book was good - good characters and storytelling - this book builds on that and adds in some great politics and worldbuilding. I'm hooked.
November 2, 2017
A great follow up to the first book with the same high standard of writing. I thought the way they found Ithaka stretched credibility, but I let it pass because I was immersed in the story. I loved it and will be buying the next one. Recommended.
October 9, 2022
I'm really enjoying this series.
December 2, 2015
Originally posted on Tales to Tide You Over
This novel is a grand science fiction adventure with a cast of characters who each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Ro and Barre form the main set, though Jem could arguably be in that list as well. Nomi and Micah are in the supporting cast along with many characters whose stories are not the main focus, but I suspect from how they are seeded in this novel will become so in later books.
Of the main five, each has points where they own the point of view, and none of them is left to feel like a rough outline rather than a full person with a complex history. The characters are definitely a strength in the novel, and I enjoyed how they were all simultaneously loyal and connected but equally bad at demonstrating it for their own reasons.
The worse at demonstrating how important her friends are is Ro, the captain of the Halcyone, but she has solid reasons to distrust with her history, and a seriously damaged ship to distract her. Then there is Barre, a talented musician who doesn’t recognize his potential even after doing the impossible by making a musical connection with Halcyone’s damaged AI when nothing else could reach the dangerously rouge ship’s mind.
Jem is the hardest case of all because he’s a talented programmer who, due to a brain injury in the first book, has lost his talent and even his ability to read. This, along with the sense he’s worsening and his parents’ efforts to shield him from the truth, provokes desperation on his part and equal measures of guilt and overprotectiveness on the part of his friends.
Ithaka Rising is the second book in the Halcyone Space series, and though I have not read the first, the beginning provides enough grounding in the events of the previous book to show where the issues were without weighing too heavily on what is now backstory. The only exception to this was Micah, who did not show up enough to get to know him for all he played a critical part in this story. However, the little I saw of him shows the same characteristics that make this a character-rich story with adventure, discovery, and grand conspiracies to boot. Nomi is Ro’s would-be lover and has a smaller part to play, but I suspect that may change. Regardless, she is also critical to the book as having a friend in the official communications network was essential to both bad decisions and good.
All of the above focuses on the characters because they were what drew me into the story, but LJ Cohen does not stint on the plot either with plausible, understandable actions leading to disaster and revealing secrets that were meant to stay hidden. The group of friends, through innovation and desperation, uncover a complicated conspiracy that has roots back even to the heart of the Commonwealth itself and shakes the foundation of everything they’ve been brought up to believe. Besides, I enjoyed the portrayal of advanced programming into the realm of the holographic.
It’s a fun story with interesting people and a rich conspiracy culture.
P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This novel is a grand science fiction adventure with a cast of characters who each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Ro and Barre form the main set, though Jem could arguably be in that list as well. Nomi and Micah are in the supporting cast along with many characters whose stories are not the main focus, but I suspect from how they are seeded in this novel will become so in later books.
Of the main five, each has points where they own the point of view, and none of them is left to feel like a rough outline rather than a full person with a complex history. The characters are definitely a strength in the novel, and I enjoyed how they were all simultaneously loyal and connected but equally bad at demonstrating it for their own reasons.
The worse at demonstrating how important her friends are is Ro, the captain of the Halcyone, but she has solid reasons to distrust with her history, and a seriously damaged ship to distract her. Then there is Barre, a talented musician who doesn’t recognize his potential even after doing the impossible by making a musical connection with Halcyone’s damaged AI when nothing else could reach the dangerously rouge ship’s mind.
Jem is the hardest case of all because he’s a talented programmer who, due to a brain injury in the first book, has lost his talent and even his ability to read. This, along with the sense he’s worsening and his parents’ efforts to shield him from the truth, provokes desperation on his part and equal measures of guilt and overprotectiveness on the part of his friends.
Ithaka Rising is the second book in the Halcyone Space series, and though I have not read the first, the beginning provides enough grounding in the events of the previous book to show where the issues were without weighing too heavily on what is now backstory. The only exception to this was Micah, who did not show up enough to get to know him for all he played a critical part in this story. However, the little I saw of him shows the same characteristics that make this a character-rich story with adventure, discovery, and grand conspiracies to boot. Nomi is Ro’s would-be lover and has a smaller part to play, but I suspect that may change. Regardless, she is also critical to the book as having a friend in the official communications network was essential to both bad decisions and good.
All of the above focuses on the characters because they were what drew me into the story, but LJ Cohen does not stint on the plot either with plausible, understandable actions leading to disaster and revealing secrets that were meant to stay hidden. The group of friends, through innovation and desperation, uncover a complicated conspiracy that has roots back even to the heart of the Commonwealth itself and shakes the foundation of everything they’ve been brought up to believe. Besides, I enjoyed the portrayal of advanced programming into the realm of the holographic.
It’s a fun story with interesting people and a rich conspiracy culture.
P.S. I received this title from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 5, 2016
After loving the first book, following the adventures of Ro and Jem, the computer whizzes, Barre, the musical genius, Micah, a troubled senator’s son, and Nomi, a comms specialist, I went into this book with high hopes and was not disappointed.
It’s a bit difficult to do this review without spoilers, because the whole thrust of the story hinges on an injury sustained in the first book, Derelict. However, since his head injury is mentioned in the blurb, I suppose it’s not that big of a spoiler. Jem’s messed up, and can’t find help through legal channels, so he turns to the black market and that leads to chaos of all sorts. There are a few twists throughout, which I won’t spoil, but suffice it to say that I was intrigued with where this story went, and where it’s headed. There are a lot of layers here, and I’m still not sure what characters I can trust, outside of the main protagonists.
The point of view shifts were well done, and I never found myself wondering whose head I was in. Furthermore, it was important to the story to get inside everyone’s heads, because each character has a unique view of the situation and galaxy around them. Like the first book, there are dark undertones. There are plots and deceptions at every turn, and you can really sympathize with Ro’s paranoia because it feels like everyone has their own agenda.
Editing was clean, and the read was smooth. The pacing was excellent, with just the right amount of description. While this book was lighter on action than the first one, the ramped-up intrigue and personal struggles kept me reading as fast as I could.
The third book, Dreadnought and Shuttle, is due out soon, and I’ll definitely pick it up.
It’s a bit difficult to do this review without spoilers, because the whole thrust of the story hinges on an injury sustained in the first book, Derelict. However, since his head injury is mentioned in the blurb, I suppose it’s not that big of a spoiler. Jem’s messed up, and can’t find help through legal channels, so he turns to the black market and that leads to chaos of all sorts. There are a few twists throughout, which I won’t spoil, but suffice it to say that I was intrigued with where this story went, and where it’s headed. There are a lot of layers here, and I’m still not sure what characters I can trust, outside of the main protagonists.
The point of view shifts were well done, and I never found myself wondering whose head I was in. Furthermore, it was important to the story to get inside everyone’s heads, because each character has a unique view of the situation and galaxy around them. Like the first book, there are dark undertones. There are plots and deceptions at every turn, and you can really sympathize with Ro’s paranoia because it feels like everyone has their own agenda.
Editing was clean, and the read was smooth. The pacing was excellent, with just the right amount of description. While this book was lighter on action than the first one, the ramped-up intrigue and personal struggles kept me reading as fast as I could.
The third book, Dreadnought and Shuttle, is due out soon, and I’ll definitely pick it up.
July 13, 2015
I enjoyed reading Ithaka Rising.
This book is the second in a series, but can be read without reading the first part. The pace in the first quarter is a bit slow and I can not really believe any Doctor would think a 12 year old with a brain injury could be able to consent to any kind of operation (that part was weird).
Besides these very small problems, the book held my attention, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the relationships between the characters and was able to loose myself on the Halycone for two hours.
Ithaka Rising is for YA/ Teens and at this age I would have given the book 5 stars.
I can recommend Ithaka Rising and will buy the next part of the series.
This book is the second in a series, but can be read without reading the first part. The pace in the first quarter is a bit slow and I can not really believe any Doctor would think a 12 year old with a brain injury could be able to consent to any kind of operation (that part was weird).
Besides these very small problems, the book held my attention, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the relationships between the characters and was able to loose myself on the Halycone for two hours.
Ithaka Rising is for YA/ Teens and at this age I would have given the book 5 stars.
I can recommend Ithaka Rising and will buy the next part of the series.
July 13, 2015
I enjoyed reading Ithaka Rising.
This book is the second in a series, but can be read without reading the first part. The pace in the first quarter is a bit slow and I can not really believe any Doctor would think a 12 year old with a brain injury could be able to consent to any kind of operation (that part was weird).
Besides these very small problems, the book held my attention, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the relationships between the characters and was able to loose myself on the Halycone for two hours.
Ithaka Rising is for YA/ Teens and at this age I would have given the book 5 stars.
I can recommend Ithaka Rising and will buy the next part of the series.
This book is the second in a series, but can be read without reading the first part. The pace in the first quarter is a bit slow and I can not really believe any Doctor would think a 12 year old with a brain injury could be able to consent to any kind of operation (that part was weird).
Besides these very small problems, the book held my attention, I enjoyed the worldbuilding and the relationships between the characters and was able to loose myself on the Halycone for two hours.
Ithaka Rising is for YA/ Teens and at this age I would have given the book 5 stars.
I can recommend Ithaka Rising and will buy the next part of the series.
June 19, 2016
A lot of teen angst in the supporting cast, with an alternating narrative featuring most of that cast. Not very realistic in most of the details, but does have a novel and almost magical artificial intelligence. Perhaps OK for teens 14 and under. Too many details skipped or glossed over to make this a tolerable read. One of the main cast "pictured on cover" was continually verbally abusive of younger girl who was most central in the first book of the series. It reaches of point where it is not cute or tolerable any longer, and I finally gave up little past the half way point. The plot has some potential and it is fairly well written - except for the characters.
May 20, 2016
I wasn't sure what to expect with the ending of the first, but had to keep reading to see what happened to the crew of Halcyone.
This book keeps the same witty banter, quirky characters and tension that I loved from the first book and ratchets up the stakes. By the time the story is over, you're not sure where anyone stands, you just know nothing can stay the same.
Love the balance/approach to tech and Barre's talents. Even if you're not a sci-fi reader normally, the book remains completely approachable while still nailing everything to create a believable, futuristic world.
This book keeps the same witty banter, quirky characters and tension that I loved from the first book and ratchets up the stakes. By the time the story is over, you're not sure where anyone stands, you just know nothing can stay the same.
Love the balance/approach to tech and Barre's talents. Even if you're not a sci-fi reader normally, the book remains completely approachable while still nailing everything to create a believable, futuristic world.
December 6, 2016
This novel flows on quite well from it's previous one. It's good but not great and in my personal opinion it's mediocre at best. It's aimed primarily at YA which is quite evident as you read through it, the author almost cautiously manoeuvring herself around some socially questionable [dependent on your age and beliefs] character content. I very much get the feeling that the characters are somewhat incomplete. Worth the read if you're interested in sci-fi but definitely not the top of the list.
February 12, 2016
Great sequel
Great book, it took what the first book started and got even better. Will definitely be looking forward to the next in the series.
Great book, it took what the first book started and got even better. Will definitely be looking forward to the next in the series.
April 16, 2016
I am captivated by the characters and story-line. Thoroughly enjoying this series and am looking forward to book 3.
dnf
June 23, 201830% done and I just don't care. Too much angst, not enough actual doing.
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