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Lightless #2
Supernova
C. A. Higgins s acclaimed novel Lightless fused suspenseful storytelling, high-caliber scientific speculation, and richly developed characters into a stunning science fiction epic. Now the dazzling Supernova heightens the thrills and deepens the haunting exploration of technology and humanity and the consequences that await when the two intersect.
Once Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft. But a rogue computer virus transformed it her into something much more: a fully sentient artificial intelligence, with all the power of a god and all the unstable emotions of a teenager.
Althea, the ship s engineer and the last living human aboard, nearly gave her life to save Ananke from dangerous saboteurs, forging a bond as powerful as that between mother and daughter. Now she devotes herself completely to Ananke s care. But teaching a thinking, feeling machine perhaps the most dangerous force in the galaxy to be human proves a monumental challenge. When Ananke decides to seek out Matthew Gale, the terrorist she regards as her father, Althea learns that some bonds are stronger than mortal minds can understand or control.
Drawn back toward Earth by the quest, Althea and Ananke will find themselves in the thick of a violent revolution led by Matthew s sister, the charismatic leader Constance, who will stop at nothing to bring down a tyrannical surveillance state. As the currents of past decisions and present desires come into stark collision, a new and fiery future is about to be born.
Once Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft. But a rogue computer virus transformed it her into something much more: a fully sentient artificial intelligence, with all the power of a god and all the unstable emotions of a teenager.
Althea, the ship s engineer and the last living human aboard, nearly gave her life to save Ananke from dangerous saboteurs, forging a bond as powerful as that between mother and daughter. Now she devotes herself completely to Ananke s care. But teaching a thinking, feeling machine perhaps the most dangerous force in the galaxy to be human proves a monumental challenge. When Ananke decides to seek out Matthew Gale, the terrorist she regards as her father, Althea learns that some bonds are stronger than mortal minds can understand or control.
Drawn back toward Earth by the quest, Althea and Ananke will find themselves in the thick of a violent revolution led by Matthew s sister, the charismatic leader Constance, who will stop at nothing to bring down a tyrannical surveillance state. As the currents of past decisions and present desires come into stark collision, a new and fiery future is about to be born.
304 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2016
77 people are currently reading
858 people want to read
About the author
C.A. Higgins
11 books184 followersLibrarian’s note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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June 18, 2016
THAT ENDING! ARE YOU FOR REAL? NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! I REFUSE TO BELIEVE IT!
I liked the first book, Lightless, okay enough. But.. this one is really good! If you remember Matthew(Mattie) and Ivan that sneaked on board the ship, Ananke, they are in this book. Mattie's foster sister Constance is in this book too. She is bad to the bone. She is the leader of a revolution to take out the System, which is the government. And they are not nice government. Constance is so totally cool killing bad people, blowing stuff up, just getting it done. She kept reminding me of Sarah Connor in Terminator 2!
The story goes back and forth in different times from when Earth was still there to when Earth wasn't and to the ship Ananke (that is now a sentient being) and Althea is the only human left on board. Althea thinks Ananke is her daughter. It's a whole big thing, you need to read the book.
Some of the stuff I didn't understand but I never totally understand science fiction :-) I can tell you that I got tired of the parts with Ananke and Althea. I really just wanted someone to blow up the ship!
Constance and her fighters go all around the different planets and moon killing System fighters. I mean both sides get killed. Mattie and Ivan are out there somewhere on their own at some point. There are a lot of key players in the book but I don't want to give out too much. I loved just about every one of them accept for the backstabbers and even their characters were done very nicely.
But the ending was NOT what I was expecting, not what I wanted and it's the ending of all endings. Now where is the next book? Surely there is a next book! I guess if there isn't and that is the way it's supposed to end then that is one way to go out with flying colors I guess.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
I liked the first book, Lightless, okay enough. But.. this one is really good! If you remember Matthew(Mattie) and Ivan that sneaked on board the ship, Ananke, they are in this book. Mattie's foster sister Constance is in this book too. She is bad to the bone. She is the leader of a revolution to take out the System, which is the government. And they are not nice government. Constance is so totally cool killing bad people, blowing stuff up, just getting it done. She kept reminding me of Sarah Connor in Terminator 2!
The story goes back and forth in different times from when Earth was still there to when Earth wasn't and to the ship Ananke (that is now a sentient being) and Althea is the only human left on board. Althea thinks Ananke is her daughter. It's a whole big thing, you need to read the book.
Some of the stuff I didn't understand but I never totally understand science fiction :-) I can tell you that I got tired of the parts with Ananke and Althea. I really just wanted someone to blow up the ship!
Constance and her fighters go all around the different planets and moon killing System fighters. I mean both sides get killed. Mattie and Ivan are out there somewhere on their own at some point. There are a lot of key players in the book but I don't want to give out too much. I loved just about every one of them accept for the backstabbers and even their characters were done very nicely.
But the ending was NOT what I was expecting, not what I wanted and it's the ending of all endings. Now where is the next book? Surely there is a next book! I guess if there isn't and that is the way it's supposed to end then that is one way to go out with flying colors I guess.
*I would like to thank Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.*
MY BLOG: Melissa Martin's Reading List
July 19, 2016
So we return to the explosive events of the end of Lightless and return to an almost completely dead ship and a Solar System embroiled in revolution. I picked this one up because of the promise of an explanation or real action or at least the development of, or that I might eventually get to see
A: an AI that grows super powerful (check)
B: a reason to get behind or care that the revolution was even going on (um.. no)
C: slightly better developed characters (most of them are missing from the page-time except one, and she's just caught in a slide of horror without hope, so... no)
D: things blow up. Seeing lots of things blow up. (Yeah, hearty check)
E: a rather surprising focus on a bad girl, (antihero, outright villain?) who practically dominates the entire novel, and what happens to her. (check)
There's competent plot going on here and plenty of slide into despair, so if that's what you're looking for in a space opera based in the Solar System with lots of planet hopping revolutionaries and a single ship on the outskirts causing a lot of unintentional damage to everyone, then hop on this book.
If this is the standard book two of a planned trilogy, I'm willing to let the slight (or even more pronounced greater dissatisfaction,) with the resolution of the book slide, because taken together, the first ended as a traditional first act and this one ended as an even darker second act. The third novel must therefore come out on top with some sort of happy ending.
We're talking about making sure that the readers come away from the read with some sort of satisfaction other than just being happy to see the worlds burn.
But then, who knows? Maybe that's the point. Pure downs without the ups? Possibly. Then again, maybe it's just me. The book held my attention even if it was a bit slow for plot development for my tastes, and discussions of ethics are always a high point for my reading, especially when not much else is going on, but at this point, all I can really wish for is a serious underdog reversal that makes a... um... any hero come out on top in the third novel.
A: an AI that grows super powerful (check)
B: a reason to get behind or care that the revolution was even going on (um.. no)
C: slightly better developed characters (most of them are missing from the page-time except one, and she's just caught in a slide of horror without hope, so... no)
D: things blow up. Seeing lots of things blow up. (Yeah, hearty check)
E: a rather surprising focus on a bad girl, (antihero, outright villain?) who practically dominates the entire novel, and what happens to her. (check)
There's competent plot going on here and plenty of slide into despair, so if that's what you're looking for in a space opera based in the Solar System with lots of planet hopping revolutionaries and a single ship on the outskirts causing a lot of unintentional damage to everyone, then hop on this book.
If this is the standard book two of a planned trilogy, I'm willing to let the slight (or even more pronounced greater dissatisfaction,) with the resolution of the book slide, because taken together, the first ended as a traditional first act and this one ended as an even darker second act. The third novel must therefore come out on top with some sort of happy ending.
We're talking about making sure that the readers come away from the read with some sort of satisfaction other than just being happy to see the worlds burn.
But then, who knows? Maybe that's the point. Pure downs without the ups? Possibly. Then again, maybe it's just me. The book held my attention even if it was a bit slow for plot development for my tastes, and discussions of ethics are always a high point for my reading, especially when not much else is going on, but at this point, all I can really wish for is a serious underdog reversal that makes a... um... any hero come out on top in the third novel.
March 1, 2017
I enjoyed this book, but I didn't love it, not like I loved Lightless. The reason why is immediately clear; Ivan. Or rather, the lack thereof. The strength of his character propelled Lightless along, and he and Mattie's friendship was a source of warmth. Without it, Supernova is a bleak and grey affair.
Constance, who takes over Ivan's screen time, is a humourless woman and barely believable as the leader of a revolution. She lacks the charisma one would expect a leader to have, and spends the whole book reacting to events instead of taking control.
I did very much enjoy the flashback scenes. It was interesting to see the events Ivan described in Lightless through Constance's eyes, and to see more of he and Mattie on screen together. The prose also was lovely, and despite my criticisms here I really did enjoy this book. I hope Radiant comes closer to the perfection that was Lightless, which I guess is another way of saying please more Ivan and Mattie.
Constance, who takes over Ivan's screen time, is a humourless woman and barely believable as the leader of a revolution. She lacks the charisma one would expect a leader to have, and spends the whole book reacting to events instead of taking control.
I did very much enjoy the flashback scenes. It was interesting to see the events Ivan described in Lightless through Constance's eyes, and to see more of he and Mattie on screen together. The prose also was lovely, and despite my criticisms here I really did enjoy this book. I hope Radiant comes closer to the perfection that was Lightless, which I guess is another way of saying please more Ivan and Mattie.
April 20, 2020
VOTO PERSONALE: 3,3
Dopo il primo capitolo Lightless, il quale getta le basi per lo sviluppo dell'universo narrativo e dei personaggi in esso introdotti, Supernova riparte da dove il precedente romanzo si era interrotto e dipana la narrazione attraverso due storylines parallele: da un lato si assiste allo svilupparsi dei rapporti tra Althea e l'A.I. della sua nave, Ananke, divenuta ormai autocosciente e senziente, e dall'altro prende forma la guerra di rivoluzione guidata da Constance Harper contro il Sistema, in un susseguirsi di battaglie da un pianeta all'altro del sistema solare, eccidi, tradimenti, defezioni e capovolgimenti di fronte.
A differenza del primo capitolo, nonostante la ristrettezza che lo caratterizzava in termini di ambientazione e di personaggi, questo secondo volume della trilogia risulta decisamente meno ispirato, soprattutto nella prima metà del romanzo, per poi aggiustare il tiro attraverso soluzioni narrative soddisfacenti che saranno indubbiamente funzionali alla costruzione del capitolo conclusivo.
Le parti meno riuscite, secondo il mio punto di vista, sono quelle che coinvolgono la Harper e la guerra contro il Sistema: la dinamica delle battaglie è poco approfondita ed è poco credibile l'esito delle stesse, considerando le premesse (non entro nei dettagli per evitare qualsiasi spoiler, ma improbabile che il Sistema possa essere così ridimensionato considerando i mezzi e il controllo sulle risorse che possiede); insomma, qui sembra trasparire tutta l'inesperienza dell'autrice la quale, al contrario, sembra essere più a suo agio nello sviluppare narrazioni meno incentrare sull'azione e più sul dialogo tra i personaggi: la storyline del rapporto Althea-Ananke è infatti decisamente più apprezzabile di quella appena descritta.
C'è da dire, tuttavia, che ho apprezzato molto l'evitare, da parte dell'autrice, la banalizzazione della dicotomia buoni-ribelli/cattivi-il Sistema : esistono moltissime zone grigie dove i nostri protagonisti si muovono, dove i contorni risultano decisamente sfumati e dove le simpatie del lettore nei loro confronti vengono davvero messe a dura prova.
Avrei comunque apprezzato una maggiore caratterizzazione del Sistema, che continua ad essere descritta come una entità molto generica, quasi immateriale, quanto opprimente ed ubiquitaria.
Insomma, è tangibile un calo di idee da parte della Higgins in questo secondo episodio, nonostante le potenzialità fossero addirittura maggiori di quanto potesse offrire il primo volume della trilogia, ma non così grave da compromettere totalmente l'interesse del lettore per quest'opera, sperando in una ripresa soddisfacente nel terzo e conclusivo capitolo.
Dopo il primo capitolo Lightless, il quale getta le basi per lo sviluppo dell'universo narrativo e dei personaggi in esso introdotti, Supernova riparte da dove il precedente romanzo si era interrotto e dipana la narrazione attraverso due storylines parallele: da un lato si assiste allo svilupparsi dei rapporti tra Althea e l'A.I. della sua nave, Ananke, divenuta ormai autocosciente e senziente, e dall'altro prende forma la guerra di rivoluzione guidata da Constance Harper contro il Sistema, in un susseguirsi di battaglie da un pianeta all'altro del sistema solare, eccidi, tradimenti, defezioni e capovolgimenti di fronte.
A differenza del primo capitolo, nonostante la ristrettezza che lo caratterizzava in termini di ambientazione e di personaggi, questo secondo volume della trilogia risulta decisamente meno ispirato, soprattutto nella prima metà del romanzo, per poi aggiustare il tiro attraverso soluzioni narrative soddisfacenti che saranno indubbiamente funzionali alla costruzione del capitolo conclusivo.
Le parti meno riuscite, secondo il mio punto di vista, sono quelle che coinvolgono la Harper e la guerra contro il Sistema: la dinamica delle battaglie è poco approfondita ed è poco credibile l'esito delle stesse, considerando le premesse (non entro nei dettagli per evitare qualsiasi spoiler, ma improbabile che il Sistema possa essere così ridimensionato considerando i mezzi e il controllo sulle risorse che possiede); insomma, qui sembra trasparire tutta l'inesperienza dell'autrice la quale, al contrario, sembra essere più a suo agio nello sviluppare narrazioni meno incentrare sull'azione e più sul dialogo tra i personaggi: la storyline del rapporto Althea-Ananke è infatti decisamente più apprezzabile di quella appena descritta.
C'è da dire, tuttavia, che ho apprezzato molto l'evitare, da parte dell'autrice, la banalizzazione della dicotomia buoni-ribelli/cattivi-il Sistema : esistono moltissime zone grigie dove i nostri protagonisti si muovono, dove i contorni risultano decisamente sfumati e dove le simpatie del lettore nei loro confronti vengono davvero messe a dura prova.
Avrei comunque apprezzato una maggiore caratterizzazione del Sistema, che continua ad essere descritta come una entità molto generica, quasi immateriale, quanto opprimente ed ubiquitaria.
Insomma, è tangibile un calo di idee da parte della Higgins in questo secondo episodio, nonostante le potenzialità fossero addirittura maggiori di quanto potesse offrire il primo volume della trilogia, ma non così grave da compromettere totalmente l'interesse del lettore per quest'opera, sperando in una ripresa soddisfacente nel terzo e conclusivo capitolo.
June 3, 2017
Although I wasn't in love with "Lightless", I decided to give the second book in the trilogy a chance and I'm glad that I did because I liked it more than the first book. There are two intersecting stories being told in this book. One involves Althea, one of the main protagonists in "Lightless", and the airship computer, Ananke, who has become conscious and is exploring her human traits due to a computer bug introduced by her "father" in the previous book. Althea, who is a stronger character than before, considers Ananke her "daughter" and is trying to teach her what it means to be human and ultimately finds it necessary to try to teach her the rules of war. The second thread of the book follows Constance, who is the ruthless leader of a resistance movement that destroys Earth in order to defeat the oppressive System. She has trouble keeping her allies and forces in line after the System is defeated. Ananke is determined to find her "father" who is also a member of this resistance movement. There is a lot of action in each thread of this book, and each ends in a very dark cliffhanger that makes it imperative to read the final book in the trilogy.
I admit that I found the book a little confusing at times because of its constant switching between the periods before and after the destruction of Earth and between the Althea and Constance stories. I was listening to the audiobook and I thought that it might have been easier to follow an ebook, but I tried reading it that way and found that regardless of format there is absolutely nothing in the book to assist the reader when a change in location/pov occurs within a chapter. It always took me a while to figure out whose story I was reading. I hope book three is a little easier to follow.
I received a free copy of the e-book from the publisher however I wound up listening to the audiobook borrowed from the library.
I admit that I found the book a little confusing at times because of its constant switching between the periods before and after the destruction of Earth and between the Althea and Constance stories. I was listening to the audiobook and I thought that it might have been easier to follow an ebook, but I tried reading it that way and found that regardless of format there is absolutely nothing in the book to assist the reader when a change in location/pov occurs within a chapter. It always took me a while to figure out whose story I was reading. I hope book three is a little easier to follow.
I received a free copy of the e-book from the publisher however I wound up listening to the audiobook borrowed from the library.
September 27, 2018
Interessante proseguimento della trilogia, parte 2. Viene introdotto il punto di vista della rivoluzionaria Constance, personaggio centrale anche nel primo volume, ma più menzionato che mostrato in azione. Qui la seguiamo nella sua guerra, tra pianeti e lune devastati. Anche questa volta l'autrice evita di categorizzare il personaggio come buono o cattivo, mostrandone i limiti empatizzando col suo punto di vista. Rimane il grande pregio di questa trilogia.
La parte su Althea e il super computer Ananke è più ovvia, così come la deriva presa da Ananke, già chiarita alla fine del primo volume, e qui lungamente ribadita.
La parte su Althea e il super computer Ananke è più ovvia, così come la deriva presa da Ananke, già chiarita alla fine del primo volume, e qui lungamente ribadita.
January 26, 2018
Del Rey and NetGalley provided me with an electronic copy of Supernova. I was under no obligation to review this book and my opinion is freely given.
When a computer virus turned Ananke, once an experimental military spacecraft, into a fully sentient artificial intelligence, Althea, the ship’s engineer and only human aboard, must become teacher and caregiver to the machine. After circumstances as such that Althea and Ananke must return to earth, they find themselves in the middle of a revolution lead by Constance. As technology and humanity come face to face, will the lessons learned lead to total destruction?
Having read Lightless, I had the expectation that Supernova would follow along in a similar style and pace. Unfortunately, I found this book to be overly drawn out, with lifeless characters and very little progression to the story. The characters are also very unlikable, which makes it difficult for the reader to find some common ground. Because of these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Supernova to other readers.
When a computer virus turned Ananke, once an experimental military spacecraft, into a fully sentient artificial intelligence, Althea, the ship’s engineer and only human aboard, must become teacher and caregiver to the machine. After circumstances as such that Althea and Ananke must return to earth, they find themselves in the middle of a revolution lead by Constance. As technology and humanity come face to face, will the lessons learned lead to total destruction?
Having read Lightless, I had the expectation that Supernova would follow along in a similar style and pace. Unfortunately, I found this book to be overly drawn out, with lifeless characters and very little progression to the story. The characters are also very unlikable, which makes it difficult for the reader to find some common ground. Because of these reasons, I would be hesitant to recommend Supernova to other readers.
June 24, 2019
3.5 stars.
The pacing in this book is somewhat better than its predecessor, with more happening then I felt did in the first book. We get a deeper glimpse into the rebellion against the system and Higgins does a really good job of not painting the rebels as white nights. In fact there are really no good guys in this story so far. And I really loved the interactions between Althea, who has taken on the role of a mother to her ship‘s emergent AI and the incredibly powerful and incredibly in human Anankhe Which grow increasingly dark until the final, pivotal scene.
But there are other things I didn’t love about this book. The leader of the rebellion doesn’t really show any of the characteristics which would have made her a leader. And since this is the book that introduces her point of view to the story, I really needed to see that to understand how we got to the point that we’re in the midst of now.
The pacing in this book is somewhat better than its predecessor, with more happening then I felt did in the first book. We get a deeper glimpse into the rebellion against the system and Higgins does a really good job of not painting the rebels as white nights. In fact there are really no good guys in this story so far. And I really loved the interactions between Althea, who has taken on the role of a mother to her ship‘s emergent AI and the incredibly powerful and incredibly in human Anankhe Which grow increasingly dark until the final, pivotal scene.
But there are other things I didn’t love about this book. The leader of the rebellion doesn’t really show any of the characteristics which would have made her a leader. And since this is the book that introduces her point of view to the story, I really needed to see that to understand how we got to the point that we’re in the midst of now.
March 30, 2018
I enjoyed the first book of this series much more than the second. The mystery of 'Lightless' wrapped the plot together much more tightly than 'Supernova', and though there is still a moral grey area that is highlighted in the first one, this second installment blows that questionable ambiguity right out of the sky.
This book was very much a large number of people pointing guns (both real and figurative) at each other for the greater good - whatever they thought that happened to be.
It was not the escalation of violence that dimmed my appreciation for this series, nor the moral degrade of the characters, but I think the aimlessness - or perhaps the pointlessness - of their actions. If the first book was clear goals and determined intentions, then this one was second guessing and crippling attacks of conscience. Which, given the earth shattering climax (heh) of 'Lightless' is completely understandable, but still made for a slightly frustrating read. Sound and fury signifying nothing indeed.
Having said all that, I did love the flow of the writing and the plot twists certainly kept me guessing. Definitely going to pick up the final book, I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
This book was very much a large number of people pointing guns (both real and figurative) at each other for the greater good - whatever they thought that happened to be.
It was not the escalation of violence that dimmed my appreciation for this series, nor the moral degrade of the characters, but I think the aimlessness - or perhaps the pointlessness - of their actions. If the first book was clear goals and determined intentions, then this one was second guessing and crippling attacks of conscience. Which, given the earth shattering climax (heh) of 'Lightless' is completely understandable, but still made for a slightly frustrating read. Sound and fury signifying nothing indeed.
Having said all that, I did love the flow of the writing and the plot twists certainly kept me guessing. Definitely going to pick up the final book, I HAVE TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS NEXT!
June 16, 2017
This sophomore outing is a jumbled mess; what little tension exists about the fates of the revolutionary leader Constance or the upraised AI Ananke is frittered away by the jumbled timeline. To be frank, I remember liking the original but not much about it - which often happens when I'm reading a series real time. Looking at the blurb and my review didn't really ring many bells. This might be more enjoyable if you're reading this series all at once. Even so, I could enjoy the gradual evolution of the train wreck Constance makes of both her personal life and the destruction of the System government. Less enjoyable was the emergent personality of Ananke and the haplessness of Althea, her last human contact. Just seems undeveloped and just plopped in to drive the plot.
April 30, 2017
A bit of a slow start, but crescendos into a really satisfying finale. Ananke/Althea and Constance function as interesting counterpoints to one another, and the book is structured really smartly. Some of the larger issues of worldbuilding are unresolved, but the immediacy of conflict in the book really works to minimize whatever issues there might be. A really powerful sequel to one of my favorite books in recent memory.
May 9, 2024
This book continued the hard scifi meets deeply philosophical questions about personhood, morality, and war that started in the first novel. I liked the character arcs for both Althea and Constance though they were very dark. I didn't like the constant time jumps and POV switches in this book. It was hard to keep any momentum going for what the characters were doing. I also thought the book was too long.
For Constance I was glad that at the end of her downward spiral she took control of her fate and didn't allow herself to continue on as the monster she had become.
I thought the slow dissolution of Althea's trust in Ananke and the dawning horror of what she had created was well done. I shudder at the future that awaits her.
Overall it was a dark book, one that had a lot to think about but didn't have the momentum I was looking for.
Trigger warnings for war and violent battles including nuclear weapon use, gun violence against children, imprisonment, emotional manipulation, toxic relationships, medical torture, body horror, flaying,
For Constance I was glad that at the end of her downward spiral she took control of her fate and didn't allow herself to continue on as the monster she had become.
I thought the slow dissolution of Althea's trust in Ananke and the dawning horror of what she had created was well done. I shudder at the future that awaits her.
Overall it was a dark book, one that had a lot to think about but didn't have the momentum I was looking for.
Trigger warnings for war and violent battles including nuclear weapon use, gun violence against children, imprisonment, emotional manipulation, toxic relationships, medical torture, body horror, flaying,
September 1, 2017
Wow! The story gets better and better. The narrator is exceptional! Now to the last book.
November 12, 2019
Okay, review time.
Me reading the first third of this book:
Me reading the second third of this book:
Me reading the remaining third:
And then
Finally,
It's not AS good as the first one, but like the first one it rewards patience with an ending that will shred you. But, like, in a good way, where everything makes sense.
Me reading the first third of this book:
Me reading the second third of this book:
Me reading the remaining third:
And then
Finally,
It's not AS good as the first one, but like the first one it rewards patience with an ending that will shred you. But, like, in a good way, where everything makes sense.
March 28, 2016
My review...
Well, first thing is that this book is buried among numerous books with the same title. Frankly, I think that should be changed, but I'm just the reader not the editor.
Secondly, unless you have just read (as in finished Lightless last night), you might find yourself in a bit of a quandary because this book starts up right where the last ends. Thirdly, because of this, there is little care taken to make the reader have any empathy for the revolutionaries cause nor for the revolutionaries. There is little character development because it's all been done in book 1. The first book moved a bit slower building up an intense dislike for The System. This one does none of that, so you can't just pick up this book and expect to know what's going on.
Because of the lack of care taken to create empathy for the characters, this book doesn't click well with me. I loved the first one, but this one left me cold as space itself. I may try to read the last few chapters of Lightless again and then come back to this one. I did not care for the Constance character in the first one, so her character leaves me cold in this one. She seems very cardboardish to me.
However, Ananke and Althea's story line provoked an intriguing thought line for me. Super intelligence from a super computer that has planet-destroying capabilities is not only daunting, but highly threatening to secure living. Perhaps humans will attain that kind of creation, but I doubt it. If we did... This part of the story delves into all kinds of practical problems and stretches the imagination into the scary reaches of human/machine relationships.
About the book ...
C. A. Higgins's acclaimed novel Lightless fused suspenseful storytelling, high-caliber scientific speculation, and richly developed characters into a stunning science fiction epic. Now the dazzling Supernova heightens the thrills and deepens the haunting exploration of technology and humanity—and the consequences that await when the two intersect.
Once Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft. But a rogue computer virus transformed it—her—into something much more: a fully sentient artificial intelligence, with all the power of a god—and all the unstable emotions of a teenager.
Althea, the ship's engineer and the last living human aboard, nearly gave her life to save Ananke from dangerous saboteurs, forging a bond as powerful as that between mother and daughter. Now she devotes herself completely to Ananke's care. But teaching a thinking, feeling machine—perhaps the most dangerous force in the galaxy—to be human proves a monumental challenge. When Ananke decides to seek out Matthew Gale, the terrorist she regards as her father, Althea learns that some bonds are stronger than mortal minds can understand—or control.
Drawn back toward Earth by the quest, Althea and Ananke will find themselves in the thick of a violent revolution led by Matthew's sister, the charismatic leader Constance, who will stop at nothing to bring down a tyrannical surveillance state. As the currents of past decisions and present desires come into stark collision, a new and fiery future is about to be born.
Well, first thing is that this book is buried among numerous books with the same title. Frankly, I think that should be changed, but I'm just the reader not the editor.
Secondly, unless you have just read (as in finished Lightless last night), you might find yourself in a bit of a quandary because this book starts up right where the last ends. Thirdly, because of this, there is little care taken to make the reader have any empathy for the revolutionaries cause nor for the revolutionaries. There is little character development because it's all been done in book 1. The first book moved a bit slower building up an intense dislike for The System. This one does none of that, so you can't just pick up this book and expect to know what's going on.
Because of the lack of care taken to create empathy for the characters, this book doesn't click well with me. I loved the first one, but this one left me cold as space itself. I may try to read the last few chapters of Lightless again and then come back to this one. I did not care for the Constance character in the first one, so her character leaves me cold in this one. She seems very cardboardish to me.
However, Ananke and Althea's story line provoked an intriguing thought line for me. Super intelligence from a super computer that has planet-destroying capabilities is not only daunting, but highly threatening to secure living. Perhaps humans will attain that kind of creation, but I doubt it. If we did... This part of the story delves into all kinds of practical problems and stretches the imagination into the scary reaches of human/machine relationships.
About the book ...
C. A. Higgins's acclaimed novel Lightless fused suspenseful storytelling, high-caliber scientific speculation, and richly developed characters into a stunning science fiction epic. Now the dazzling Supernova heightens the thrills and deepens the haunting exploration of technology and humanity—and the consequences that await when the two intersect.
Once Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft. But a rogue computer virus transformed it—her—into something much more: a fully sentient artificial intelligence, with all the power of a god—and all the unstable emotions of a teenager.
Althea, the ship's engineer and the last living human aboard, nearly gave her life to save Ananke from dangerous saboteurs, forging a bond as powerful as that between mother and daughter. Now she devotes herself completely to Ananke's care. But teaching a thinking, feeling machine—perhaps the most dangerous force in the galaxy—to be human proves a monumental challenge. When Ananke decides to seek out Matthew Gale, the terrorist she regards as her father, Althea learns that some bonds are stronger than mortal minds can understand—or control.
Drawn back toward Earth by the quest, Althea and Ananke will find themselves in the thick of a violent revolution led by Matthew's sister, the charismatic leader Constance, who will stop at nothing to bring down a tyrannical surveillance state. As the currents of past decisions and present desires come into stark collision, a new and fiery future is about to be born.
March 17, 2016
Supernova continues and broadens the story that Higgins began in Lightless. Ananke was an experimental military spacecraft which when infected with a computer virus became something more. Suddenly sentient and immensely powerful, she lacks the experience and understanding of what it means to have empathy. Althea was the ship's engineer and is now the last surviving human aboard Ananke. She considers Ananke her daughter and like any good mother is trying to teach her daughter morality and compassion for her fellow sentient beings.
It isn't going to be easy. Ananke has the ability to be a destroyer of worlds, backed up by the unstable emotional intelligence of a small child. Instead of thinking things through or listening to her mother she simply reacts. She wants what she wants, right now if possible. And what she wants more than anything is to find the man she considers her father, Matthew Gale, the terrorist who uploaded the virus. As Ananke and Althea travel back towards Earth to find him, woe betide any man or ship who gets in her way.
Through a series of flashbacks, the reader learns more of the back story of Matthew Gale and his companion Ivan. These flashbacks explain the series of events that led to them arriving on Ananke in Lightless. In addition, it is also the story of Matthew's sister Constance, who is the leader of the rebellion against the System. The System, you may remember, is the evil government who punishes its citizens for the most minor of transgressions such as a misplaced facial expression.
In Lightless, many of the characters were flat and lifeless, mere foils for Ananke's story. In Supernova thankfully, there is more character development. That helps a lot, especially since the action isn't confined to a single setting this time. We learn about Constance, and her attempts to save humanity from the System, and ultimately from itself. There are several tense moments for Constance as her actions aren't always welcome; even when she believes she's doing the right thing for her people.
The ending of Constance's story and the climactic scenes between Ananke and Althea are dark and shocking. So many unanswered questions, new directions, and cliffhangers are there to lead us into book three.
Going in, I had expected the story would revolve around Ananke as it did in Lightless. I was pleasantly surprised by the world building.
It isn't going to be easy. Ananke has the ability to be a destroyer of worlds, backed up by the unstable emotional intelligence of a small child. Instead of thinking things through or listening to her mother she simply reacts. She wants what she wants, right now if possible. And what she wants more than anything is to find the man she considers her father, Matthew Gale, the terrorist who uploaded the virus. As Ananke and Althea travel back towards Earth to find him, woe betide any man or ship who gets in her way.
Through a series of flashbacks, the reader learns more of the back story of Matthew Gale and his companion Ivan. These flashbacks explain the series of events that led to them arriving on Ananke in Lightless. In addition, it is also the story of Matthew's sister Constance, who is the leader of the rebellion against the System. The System, you may remember, is the evil government who punishes its citizens for the most minor of transgressions such as a misplaced facial expression.
In Lightless, many of the characters were flat and lifeless, mere foils for Ananke's story. In Supernova thankfully, there is more character development. That helps a lot, especially since the action isn't confined to a single setting this time. We learn about Constance, and her attempts to save humanity from the System, and ultimately from itself. There are several tense moments for Constance as her actions aren't always welcome; even when she believes she's doing the right thing for her people.
The ending of Constance's story and the climactic scenes between Ananke and Althea are dark and shocking. So many unanswered questions, new directions, and cliffhangers are there to lead us into book three.
Going in, I had expected the story would revolve around Ananke as it did in Lightless. I was pleasantly surprised by the world building.
April 11, 2016
This is the sequel to Lightless. In Lightless we met Ananke, a ship that became infected with a computer virus which did things no one expected. Althea's ship is now self aware. It's alive! However, it is an infant really, and doesn't yet understand basic human emotions, like empathy. Althea has pretty much adopted the ship as hers to train, raise, nurture and care for.
Like any strong willed teen, this toddler of a sentient ship wants one thing, and she will do anything to get to that. She wants who she considers to be her father, Matthew Gale, and this ship is going to find him.
This sequel was even better than the first book! I really enjoyed it.
My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.
Like any strong willed teen, this toddler of a sentient ship wants one thing, and she will do anything to get to that. She wants who she considers to be her father, Matthew Gale, and this ship is going to find him.
This sequel was even better than the first book! I really enjoyed it.
My copy came from Net Galley in exchange for my honest review and nothing more.
Want to read
July 9, 2016This is an Advanced Uncorrected Proof to be published July 26 2016.
November 19, 2016
I listened to the "Lightless" audiobook on the recommendation of Kevin Hearne and absolutely loved it. I don't log my audiobooks on GoodReads, but I found it a claustrophobic, suspense-filled sci-fi thriller with powerful prisoners, artificial intelligence, and solid storytelling. So I was excited when I won "Supernova" through the First Reads Program.
Supernova is very different from Lightless in that where Lightless felt painfully combined, Supernova is impossibly vast. While Althea remains one of our narrators, the other is the terrorist saboteur whose shadow lingered over the crew in Lightless, but now is dealing with the aftermath of her successful revolution. Meanwhile, Althea deals with Ananke's newfound intelligence, trying to instill a moral code into her daughter. I was disappointed that Ivan and Mattie do not figure very prominently in this story, but I'm assuming their role is going to be much larger in book three.
Overall, I don't think I liked the structure as much as the first book, mostly because the revolution storyline was not as interesting as Althea and Ananke's storyline. I kept waiting for them to link up, but the fateful meeting is more or less teased all the way through. While Lightless is hardly free from tragedy, Supernova has death and destruction on every page, making it a lot harder for me to get through, and the ending is one of the most disturbing things I have ever read. I feel like I know where the series is going, but I'm very interested to watch it get there.
So while it didn't quite capture the same feel of Lightless, that's probably a good thing. It shows Higgins has range and raises the stakes a lot for the next book. It wasn't quite as aligned to my tastes, but I'm still very game to continue. Recommended for fans of AI gone awry, overthrowing empires, and seriously complex female protagonists.
Supernova is very different from Lightless in that where Lightless felt painfully combined, Supernova is impossibly vast. While Althea remains one of our narrators, the other is the terrorist saboteur whose shadow lingered over the crew in Lightless, but now is dealing with the aftermath of her successful revolution. Meanwhile, Althea deals with Ananke's newfound intelligence, trying to instill a moral code into her daughter. I was disappointed that Ivan and Mattie do not figure very prominently in this story, but I'm assuming their role is going to be much larger in book three.
Overall, I don't think I liked the structure as much as the first book, mostly because the revolution storyline was not as interesting as Althea and Ananke's storyline. I kept waiting for them to link up, but the fateful meeting is more or less teased all the way through. While Lightless is hardly free from tragedy, Supernova has death and destruction on every page, making it a lot harder for me to get through, and the ending is one of the most disturbing things I have ever read. I feel like I know where the series is going, but I'm very interested to watch it get there.
So while it didn't quite capture the same feel of Lightless, that's probably a good thing. It shows Higgins has range and raises the stakes a lot for the next book. It wasn't quite as aligned to my tastes, but I'm still very game to continue. Recommended for fans of AI gone awry, overthrowing empires, and seriously complex female protagonists.
July 17, 2018
Supernova picks up right where Lightless left off. I’m glad I went right into it after reading Lightless because there are lots of details to remember.
This time the story expands outside the Ananke. The characters jump to different planets in the solar system. We also get to see a glimpse of the past as they set up and plan the fall of Earth. So it’s a bit of a prequel to Lightless too.
It was interesting to see the events Ivan described in Lightless through Constance's eyes, and to see more of him and Mattie on screen together. Ivan didn't lie, about much.
I like how it showed the dark side and reality of war and betrayal within the rebellion. Most were taking it too far and becoming warmongers instead of having a clear idea of how to rebuild the system they destroyed. How will they be free? What kind of government will replace it?
Althea and Ananke are more in a side plot role but I really enjoyed their story. I liked the similarities and symbolism of Ananke with Frankenstein's monster. Particularly when Ananke wants a companion like herself. She also has the God complex. I’m interested in the trickle effect Ananke’s actions will have on solar system.
Something I noticed about this science fiction novel is that it’s ALL told by female POVs. That is a plus. They’re all flawed characters trying but failing to do the right thing.
I couldn’t help but notice some similarities with the Red Rising saga.
Connie is like Eo. Both chooses revolution over love. Which makes Ivan like Darrow.
There’s some inclusion of mythology. One of the revolutionaries called himself Son of Nike.
Then of course there’s the interplanetary warfare in our solar system and it’s breaking apart The difference here is that there is an A.I. - Nero's worst fear.
The downsides:
Again the long chapters. Only 6 chapters in a 290 page book. I just had to read a whole chapter in a day. It was like an OCD thing.
The A names again. There were two new characters Arawn and Altais. It gets confusing to read when too many characters have a name with the same letter.
4 out of 5 Burning Stars.
This time the story expands outside the Ananke. The characters jump to different planets in the solar system. We also get to see a glimpse of the past as they set up and plan the fall of Earth. So it’s a bit of a prequel to Lightless too.
It was interesting to see the events Ivan described in Lightless through Constance's eyes, and to see more of him and Mattie on screen together. Ivan didn't lie, about much.
I like how it showed the dark side and reality of war and betrayal within the rebellion. Most were taking it too far and becoming warmongers instead of having a clear idea of how to rebuild the system they destroyed. How will they be free? What kind of government will replace it?
Althea and Ananke are more in a side plot role but I really enjoyed their story. I liked the similarities and symbolism of Ananke with Frankenstein's monster. Particularly when Ananke wants a companion like herself. She also has the God complex. I’m interested in the trickle effect Ananke’s actions will have on solar system.
Something I noticed about this science fiction novel is that it’s ALL told by female POVs. That is a plus. They’re all flawed characters trying but failing to do the right thing.
I couldn’t help but notice some similarities with the Red Rising saga.
Connie is like Eo. Both chooses revolution over love. Which makes Ivan like Darrow.
There’s some inclusion of mythology. One of the revolutionaries called himself Son of Nike.
Then of course there’s the interplanetary warfare in our solar system and it’s breaking apart The difference here is that there is an A.I. - Nero's worst fear.
The downsides:
Again the long chapters. Only 6 chapters in a 290 page book. I just had to read a whole chapter in a day. It was like an OCD thing.
The A names again. There were two new characters Arawn and Altais. It gets confusing to read when too many characters have a name with the same letter.
4 out of 5 Burning Stars.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 17, 2017
Perhaps my hopes were too high for C.A. Higgins’ follow-up to the excellent “Lightless,” but “Supernova” (Del Rey, $27, 293 pages) neither lived up to my expectations nor the author’s attempt to craft a serious look at the price of power.
“Supernova” intertwines two stories – one about a supercomputer inside an advanced spaceship that becomes conscious, and another about the successful leader of a revolution against the evil System, which dominated the Solar System and cruelly squashed any attempts at freedom. Both the computer and the leader are faced with the question of what to do with their power, and Higgins settles for Lord Acton’s famous dictum about power corrupting – but takes nearly 300 pages of grim violence to work it out.
The two narratives seldom intersect, and when they do, it’s to no apparent purpose: Each one could have stood alone, and the juxtaposition adds nothing (except an unbelievable and unexplained coincidence at the book’s climax). Higgins is a talented young writer – this is her second novel – but in “Supernova,” her reach has exceeded her grasp. Maybe next time …
“Supernova” intertwines two stories – one about a supercomputer inside an advanced spaceship that becomes conscious, and another about the successful leader of a revolution against the evil System, which dominated the Solar System and cruelly squashed any attempts at freedom. Both the computer and the leader are faced with the question of what to do with their power, and Higgins settles for Lord Acton’s famous dictum about power corrupting – but takes nearly 300 pages of grim violence to work it out.
The two narratives seldom intersect, and when they do, it’s to no apparent purpose: Each one could have stood alone, and the juxtaposition adds nothing (except an unbelievable and unexplained coincidence at the book’s climax). Higgins is a talented young writer – this is her second novel – but in “Supernova,” her reach has exceeded her grasp. Maybe next time …
April 14, 2020
Hoooolllllyyyy shit!! Well, that turned out to be a lot better than my first listening session portended. I had definitely read this one before, because I knew most of what was coming at the end. But I did NOT remember how visceral the end of the Althea/Ananke storyline was and, weirdly, remembered hardly anything of the revolution storyline, especially not the end.
i suppose it’s possible I stopped last time at the Althea/Ananke climax and didn’t go on to finish the story. Because the actual end of the book was soooo — well, if I read it before, I’m surprised I didn’t write about it, is all.
Or maybe I lost my mind and ended up with temporary amnesia because I couldn’t cope with the fact that I would’ve had to wait for the third book to be released to continue the story, so my brain had to excise the whole experience.
I dunno, but Radiate (book 3) exists now so I’m gonna hop on that, pronto.
i suppose it’s possible I stopped last time at the Althea/Ananke climax and didn’t go on to finish the story. Because the actual end of the book was soooo — well, if I read it before, I’m surprised I didn’t write about it, is all.
Or maybe I lost my mind and ended up with temporary amnesia because I couldn’t cope with the fact that I would’ve had to wait for the third book to be released to continue the story, so my brain had to excise the whole experience.
I dunno, but Radiate (book 3) exists now so I’m gonna hop on that, pronto.
July 17, 2017
A supernova is the total destruction of a star. It is an ultimate triumph of chaos over order. This is the main theme of Supernova. In Lightness this theme began when rogue computer virus infected the A.I. that was soul of the spaceship Ananke and with the act of terrorism done by revolutionaries that resulted in the destruction of Earth. In Supernova this theme is continued. We see the cruel order of the System subverted by the chaos of the Constance and her manical focus to destroy every last vestige of System. Her revolution in turn succumbs to factionalism and chaos . This chaos touches every major and minor character in this book. The book becomes a study in entropy.
Higgins has written a great story.Unlike like Lightness I enjoyed reading this book. It is unhesitating in its study in despair, futility and the dangers of unanticipated consequences.
September 14, 2016
The first book in this series, Lightless, was a fun, fast read that I enjoyed a great deal. The sequel, Supernova, manages to be an improvement in every way however. I loved this book! The characters have more detail and the plot is engrossing, especially since we're out of the "introduction" stage of the first book.
Most of this review will have some manner of spoilers but I'll do my best to hide the worst of the lot behind spoiler tags.
We get to learn a lot more about the enigmatic Constance/Huntress/Malt-y-Nos in this book and she is wonderfully realized with depth, flaws, and great ambition and intents. Constance is, first and foremost, a revolutionary, but what I like here is how clearly we can see that the line between revolutionary and terrorist can be dangerously thin. We learn in the first book how much Constance despises the System and we get to see how strongly she feels this way here.
Constance isn't the kind of character I could root for or condemn. In many ways, she is a perfect antihero. She has good intent but she is ruthless and the further she goes to accomplish her goals the more I began to wonder if she wasn't losing herself. I was sure she was, in fact. She had already abandoned Ivan in the previous book for the sake of her mission and he would have died if it weren't for Mattie. And we see how close she and Ivan were too.
I think it's fair to say Constance is a rather possessive person who has to be in control. This trait is both admirable and worrisome and we see it in her romantic entanglements, toward friends, and in her mission.
We also get to see far more Milla Ivanov in this book and I grew to love this character. She and Ivan have very strong similarities but I think she is the one that truly excels at keeping cool under pressure.
Mattie and Ivan didn't make much of an appearance in this novel though their presence was felt throughout it and we end up learning a good deal about Constance and Ivan's relationship. I'm very curious to see what Mattie was thinking of all this, especially since Anji goes out of her way to say Mattie didn't deserve to be in between the odd relationship Ivan and Constance had developed. The first book pointed out that Ivan and Mattie were extremely close and this book only furthers that and makes it seem fairly clear there are some kind of romantic feelings on Mattie's part at the very least. It's harder for me to say with Ivan.
Outside of what Constance is doing we see how things are developing between Althea and Ananke.
While Althea is doing her best, teaching a machine about humanity clearly isn't what she signed up for. There were several moments where I wished Althea would tackle the difficult questions Ananke would bring up or go into more detail but Althea was clearly desperate for her ship to simply understand that certain things were wrong. And in Althea's defense, she was attempting to address several issues all at once. The deaths of her friends, the new life of her ship, moral dilemmas, what Ananke would do once Althea was gone, what the two of them could possibly do together now that Althea's entire universe was essentially taken away from her, etc. etc.
Honestly, it really wasn't fair Althea had to do all that, especially since it was, more or less, Mattie's fault Ananke was able to do any of this.
I suspect the third book will center around Ivan and Mattie. They're both going to discover some cruel truths and they're going to have to contend with the Ananke on top of it. It's hard to say who is going to have it worse in the following book but I am anticipating it greatly. This is quickly becoming a favorite series of mine and part of me hopes it might end up being a bit longer than three books.
Most of this review will have some manner of spoilers but I'll do my best to hide the worst of the lot behind spoiler tags.
We get to learn a lot more about the enigmatic Constance/Huntress/Malt-y-Nos in this book and she is wonderfully realized with depth, flaws, and great ambition and intents. Constance is, first and foremost, a revolutionary, but what I like here is how clearly we can see that the line between revolutionary and terrorist can be dangerously thin. We learn in the first book how much Constance despises the System and we get to see how strongly she feels this way here.
Constance isn't the kind of character I could root for or condemn. In many ways, she is a perfect antihero. She has good intent but she is ruthless and the further she goes to accomplish her goals the more I began to wonder if she wasn't losing herself. I was sure she was, in fact. She had already abandoned Ivan in the previous book for the sake of her mission and he would have died if it weren't for Mattie. And we see how close she and Ivan were too.
I think it's fair to say Constance is a rather possessive person who has to be in control. This trait is both admirable and worrisome and we see it in her romantic entanglements, toward friends, and in her mission.
We also get to see far more Milla Ivanov in this book and I grew to love this character. She and Ivan have very strong similarities but I think she is the one that truly excels at keeping cool under pressure.
Mattie and Ivan didn't make much of an appearance in this novel though their presence was felt throughout it and we end up learning a good deal about Constance and Ivan's relationship. I'm very curious to see what Mattie was thinking of all this, especially since Anji goes out of her way to say Mattie didn't deserve to be in between the odd relationship Ivan and Constance had developed. The first book pointed out that Ivan and Mattie were extremely close and this book only furthers that and makes it seem fairly clear there are some kind of romantic feelings on Mattie's part at the very least. It's harder for me to say with Ivan.
Outside of what Constance is doing we see how things are developing between Althea and Ananke.
While Althea is doing her best, teaching a machine about humanity clearly isn't what she signed up for. There were several moments where I wished Althea would tackle the difficult questions Ananke would bring up or go into more detail but Althea was clearly desperate for her ship to simply understand that certain things were wrong. And in Althea's defense, she was attempting to address several issues all at once. The deaths of her friends, the new life of her ship, moral dilemmas, what Ananke would do once Althea was gone, what the two of them could possibly do together now that Althea's entire universe was essentially taken away from her, etc. etc.
Honestly, it really wasn't fair Althea had to do all that, especially since it was, more or less, Mattie's fault Ananke was able to do any of this.
I suspect the third book will center around Ivan and Mattie. They're both going to discover some cruel truths and they're going to have to contend with the Ananke on top of it. It's hard to say who is going to have it worse in the following book but I am anticipating it greatly. This is quickly becoming a favorite series of mine and part of me hopes it might end up being a bit longer than three books.
August 1, 2020
This was excellent. Like Lightless, it got off to a bit of a slow start, but if you persist, it's totally worth it. The last half is extremely gripping and hard to put down. In fact, the book's structure is very much like the Supernova it's named for.
February 15, 2018
This book was a little slow. After all the build up of the first book I sort of expected more progress on that. However, this one did really progress it just set up a new plotline to follow with the Huntress. This book at times could be hard to read because of the carnage. I'm not superly optimistic or rosy in my outlook but at times this was too bleak even for me. The last chapter had me super hooked enough that I'm not about halfway through the last book, but overall this book was almost a little boring.
June 19, 2018
A hard sci-fi thriller that takes place all over the Milky Way. Althea deals with having a sentient ship and the challenges that go along, while Constance tries to keep her revolution alive, while trying to stay true to her cause.
For a second book in a series, I thought this book was very well done. The plot kept moving,and I really liked the character development we got from Constance. The second half was true to the thriller style of the first book. The only thing I didn't like was that the time jumps and character jumps we're difficult to follow on audio.
Listened on Scribd
For a second book in a series, I thought this book was very well done. The plot kept moving,and I really liked the character development we got from Constance. The second half was true to the thriller style of the first book. The only thing I didn't like was that the time jumps and character jumps we're difficult to follow on audio.
Listened on Scribd
May 29, 2021
Man, this was a big switch from Book #1.
Book #1 ("Lightless") predominantly took place
on the sentient spaceship Ananke. This second one
has very little of that, and instead focuses on the
rebellion. It just is not as interesting. I so had
looked forward to the developments on the
space ship, and what little there was, was
the best part of this book (especially the little
bit of horror in the climactic scene).
I will read Book #3 ("Radiate") but hope the
author sticks with the story of the spaceship.
Book #1 ("Lightless") predominantly took place
on the sentient spaceship Ananke. This second one
has very little of that, and instead focuses on the
rebellion. It just is not as interesting. I so had
looked forward to the developments on the
space ship, and what little there was, was
the best part of this book (especially the little
bit of horror in the climactic scene).
I will read Book #3 ("Radiate") but hope the
author sticks with the story of the spaceship.
June 6, 2022
I really disliked what the author did with the AI character. There was no logic behind why it had to be a violent misanthropic horror. This is like reading Frankenstein while skipping the middle part that makes you understand the tragic horror of the creature.
I think there was a potential good story if the writer had made the AI less one-dimensional. Although there's also the entire weird genocidal attack at the end of the book that did not make much sense either. I did not finish the series and I'm perfectly okay with that.
I think there was a potential good story if the writer had made the AI less one-dimensional. Although there's also the entire weird genocidal attack at the end of the book that did not make much sense either. I did not finish the series and I'm perfectly okay with that.
January 25, 2018
“How could you code empathy?”
The road to hell is paved with good intentions for one woman. And another, if you are capable, does that mean you could play God?
This is a good example of a Turing Test failing and a victim taking back her life from her oppossers only to become worse than them.
Now I just need to read the rest of the story in the next installment because that's not how you end a story okay! I know there's more?!
The road to hell is paved with good intentions for one woman. And another, if you are capable, does that mean you could play God?
This is a good example of a Turing Test failing and a victim taking back her life from her oppossers only to become worse than them.
Now I just need to read the rest of the story in the next installment because that's not how you end a story okay! I know there's more?!
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