What do you think?
Rate this book
Passages
“Find someone you can trust.”
For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have worked on the quiet planet of Aarde, beating back toxic spores that threaten to poison the native people. When the new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve frantically plots to protect the villagers she considers friends and family.
On the run after an ambush, Quinn holds a secret that nearly got him killed. If only he knew what it was. Though the attack scrambled his memories, Quinn is sure of one thing—he can’t trust the electorgs. But they know information he desperately needs to puzzle out who wants him dead, and why.
With the fate of life on Aarde in the balance, the logic of joining forces with Eve overrides Quinn’s fears…and erupts into an attraction that could prove fatal for both of them.
Because the planet’s commander might just be Quinn himself.
For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have worked on the quiet planet of Aarde, beating back toxic spores that threaten to poison the native people. When the new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve frantically plots to protect the villagers she considers friends and family.
On the run after an ambush, Quinn holds a secret that nearly got him killed. If only he knew what it was. Though the attack scrambled his memories, Quinn is sure of one thing—he can’t trust the electorgs. But they know information he desperately needs to puzzle out who wants him dead, and why.
With the fate of life on Aarde in the balance, the logic of joining forces with Eve overrides Quinn’s fears…and erupts into an attraction that could prove fatal for both of them.
Because the planet’s commander might just be Quinn himself.
- GenresScience Fiction
361 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 31, 2017
6 people are currently reading
32 people want to read
About the author
Laurel Wanrow
14 books95 followersLaurel Wanrow loves misty mornings, the smell of freshly dug earth, petting long-haired guinea pigs and staring at the stars. She sees magic in nature and loves to photograph it.
Before kids, she studied and worked as a naturalist—someone who leads wildflower and other nature walks. During a stint of homeschooling, she turned her writing skills to fiction to share her love of the land, magical characters and fantastical settings.
When not living in her fantasy worlds, Laurel camps, hunts fossils and argues with her husband and two new adult kids over whose turn it is to clean house. Though they live on the East Coast, a cherished family cabin in the Colorado Rockies holds Laurel’s heart.
For Laurel's Newsletter: https://www.laurelwanrow.com/NewsSignup
Before kids, she studied and worked as a naturalist—someone who leads wildflower and other nature walks. During a stint of homeschooling, she turned her writing skills to fiction to share her love of the land, magical characters and fantastical settings.
When not living in her fantasy worlds, Laurel camps, hunts fossils and argues with her husband and two new adult kids over whose turn it is to clean house. Though they live on the East Coast, a cherished family cabin in the Colorado Rockies holds Laurel’s heart.
For Laurel's Newsletter: https://www.laurelwanrow.com/NewsSignup
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
July 21, 2017
This is less of a one star review and more of a DNF. I got to 6%. And that 6% took me weeks to achieve. It didn't just not capture my interest; it seemed to do its best to repel me. I kept trying and through the books confused narrative and assumptions it pushed me away. In the end, by 6% I was so bored and confused I decided to give up. I tried my best, but sometimes it's just worth the effort to keep going.
February 7, 2017
****I voluntarily reviewed this book for the author!****
Great new book by this author! I've had the privilege of reading the authors other books, and Laurel Wanrow definitely has a distinct verbage and story telling techniques that when you read her stories, you just instantly know it was written by her.
Wanrow is a really powerful world builder, it was so complex, it took me a while to delve into it, but once I did embrace it, it was magical.
I loved Quinn (and Quaene), he was probably my favorite character. I loved the triad of Eve, Evard and Evangeline, Evard probably being one of my favorite characters!
Great love story (thank you Laurel for not making us wait too long this time, lol!) and I absolutely loved every minute of Quinn and Eve's relationship building.
The plot was interesting and had some fun elements pop in here and there to keep the audience captive, especially with the twist with Evangeline at the end.
I definitely enjoyed this, 5 stars!
Great new book by this author! I've had the privilege of reading the authors other books, and Laurel Wanrow definitely has a distinct verbage and story telling techniques that when you read her stories, you just instantly know it was written by her.
Wanrow is a really powerful world builder, it was so complex, it took me a while to delve into it, but once I did embrace it, it was magical.
I loved Quinn (and Quaene), he was probably my favorite character. I loved the triad of Eve, Evard and Evangeline, Evard probably being one of my favorite characters!
Great love story (thank you Laurel for not making us wait too long this time, lol!) and I absolutely loved every minute of Quinn and Eve's relationship building.
The plot was interesting and had some fun elements pop in here and there to keep the audience captive, especially with the twist with Evangeline at the end.
I definitely enjoyed this, 5 stars!
January 11, 2017
Passages is a well written science fiction book that has a nice amount of paranormal thrown in. Laurel Wanrow has a pleasant writing style that reads with ease and keeps you glued to the book. The plot is unique and follows a good pace. There are some nice twists in this book, some you can kind of guess and others that are well hidden.
Quinn is an adorable character who you can't help but cheer for. He is stuck in a difficult situation, having no idea who he is and who he can trust or not but he manages to find some friends who can help him. Eve is a interesting match to him and quite adorable as well.
I really enjoyed this book. It has everything you can want, action, romance, mysteries wrapped up in a nice bow of science fiction.
I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)
Quinn is an adorable character who you can't help but cheer for. He is stuck in a difficult situation, having no idea who he is and who he can trust or not but he manages to find some friends who can help him. Eve is a interesting match to him and quite adorable as well.
I really enjoyed this book. It has everything you can want, action, romance, mysteries wrapped up in a nice bow of science fiction.
I have received this book from the author for an honest review. (LoP, Lovers of Paranormal)
April 23, 2017
It has been awhile since I read a very well written si-fi book & this was one of them. I did at times get a little lost on the different "species" of people and the hierarchy. I really liked both Quinn & Eve. There were some good twists, a few that I had figured out but that didn't take away from the story. This is a new author to me but I look forward to reading more of her stories.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
February 21, 2017
D’Air this is a good book!
Lets start with what sets Passages apart from most books I’ve read lately. It’s creative. Laurel Wanrow’s development of the world of Aarde, its physics, biogeography, the goud and most especially, the electorgs and their socio-political structure is very thoughtful and quite original.
One might say that electorgs, or ‘torgs, are just cyborgs and therefore not original. Maybe yes, they are cyborgs, but face it, the Docga have very specific criteria for selection of humans that could become cyborgs. First, they had to have some special talent. And second, they had to be dead. So, not your typical scifi-physically-enhanced human.
That begs the question, who/what are these Docga, that can take a dead person and turn it into a living being? And these beings still appear to have souls, if I am allowed a spiritual observation. Again I ask, who are these seemingly benevolent beings that give life to the ‘torgs and then send them around the universe to do their bidding. I must admit to wanting to know much more about these beings, one of whom appears in the form of a sentient wolfhound in Passages. (Appealing to the dog-lovers.) On the other hand, the mysteriousness of the race is just another thing that I appreciate about the them.
The two main characters, Quinn and ‘torg Eva, alternate first person viewpoints from chapter to chapter. If you are the type of person who tends to ignore chapter headings in an effort to get straight to the story, don’t! Each chapter is headed with either “Quinn” or “Eva”, so the readers knows whose viewpoint is being followed. When the action continues directly from the previous chapter, these headings become very important.
I enjoy first person narrations, because I so like getting into the head of a character. Even if a) the character has had a memory loss and therefore, there is not much to get into (Quinn) or b) the character tends to deny some of her past (Eva) in order to not have to deal with it in the present. You many now begin to see also, why I liked these characters so much. They have depths to be explored, they are complex and both are also quite flawed.
And they are drawn to each other, with a number of complications that constantly keep them apart – with good reason. The romance between these two is heartfelt and complicated and perfect. Of the two, Quinn is most interesting. He has lost so much of his memory, but at times seems very capable. Who or what is he? It was very cool to watch him grow into the hero. And the lover.
I find the ‘torg social structure to be quite fascinating and not like anything I’ve run across in other scifi. Therefore, it is another of the aspects of Passages that make the book stand out to me. B-runs, associations of three ‘torgs who live together as a family and work in the community they are assigned to, make up the main ‘torg workforce. Eva, Evard and Evangeline make up a B-run. Each has his or her own function that the Docga thinks is beneficial to the world or community they are serving. In this case, this run of ‘torgs lives in and runs the bookstore Passages while they help the Zeffir Island community with their botany, veterinary, and psychological talents.
E-runs, are the elite ‘torgs or the ministers. The administrative runs are formed from 5 ‘torgs and again, each member of the quintad has a separate, but important, function. You will be slowly introduced to a key e-run in Passages. As members of the administrative class, you might surmise that they are also a source of intrigue.
While Eva and Quinn are the main characters in Passages, there are several secondary characters that really help flesh out the rest of the story. Primarily, the other two members of Eva’s B-run – Evangeline and Evard. Each has their own story to tell, but only part of is shared in Passages. (I want more!)
Perhaps the most interesting story that is only partially told belongs to Sabein. Sabein is the matriarch and leader of the Zeffir Island community and there is much to her, as you might expect of one who reaches her position. She is especially close to Eva and for that matter, all three ‘torgs in Eva’s group are her friends, despite the fact that they are not natives. She works closely with them within her community. But Zeffir and the residents are her top priority.
Passages is not comprised solely of compelling protagonists. Do you want to talk about the antagonist(s)? Evil? Yes. Clever? Smart enough to get around the good guys – at least early on. Power hungry? Absolutely. I wasn’t 100% clear on the bad guy’s motivation, other than that power-hungry thing. But sometimes, you don’t really need to know more than that. These adversaries to Eva, Quinn and their friends provide the conflict, the intrigue and the ultimate climactic scenes.
There are so many things about Passages that I appreciated, but this review is getting quite long. So let me leave you with a list of teasers:
1.Goud – is it a gem, a weapon, a pharmaceutical, or…..?
2.Transporter technology
3.Botany
4.Blackguards
5.Death Discs
6.Long lives and how to avoid overpopulation
7.Alphabetical order
8.The Waters
In addition to my 5-star recommendation of Passages, I would also like to recommend the series of guest blog posts that Laurel Wanrow did to introduce Passages. You can find the complete list on her guest post at Whiskey With My Book. Ms. Wanrow has put a great deal of thought into the world she has created – from the dynamics of the ‘torg social structure – to the biology of a dangerous spore – to the creation of the compelling characters and drama that make up the story of Passages. This one is going on my favorites shelf!
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.
Lets start with what sets Passages apart from most books I’ve read lately. It’s creative. Laurel Wanrow’s development of the world of Aarde, its physics, biogeography, the goud and most especially, the electorgs and their socio-political structure is very thoughtful and quite original.
One might say that electorgs, or ‘torgs, are just cyborgs and therefore not original. Maybe yes, they are cyborgs, but face it, the Docga have very specific criteria for selection of humans that could become cyborgs. First, they had to have some special talent. And second, they had to be dead. So, not your typical scifi-physically-enhanced human.
That begs the question, who/what are these Docga, that can take a dead person and turn it into a living being? And these beings still appear to have souls, if I am allowed a spiritual observation. Again I ask, who are these seemingly benevolent beings that give life to the ‘torgs and then send them around the universe to do their bidding. I must admit to wanting to know much more about these beings, one of whom appears in the form of a sentient wolfhound in Passages. (Appealing to the dog-lovers.) On the other hand, the mysteriousness of the race is just another thing that I appreciate about the them.
The two main characters, Quinn and ‘torg Eva, alternate first person viewpoints from chapter to chapter. If you are the type of person who tends to ignore chapter headings in an effort to get straight to the story, don’t! Each chapter is headed with either “Quinn” or “Eva”, so the readers knows whose viewpoint is being followed. When the action continues directly from the previous chapter, these headings become very important.
I enjoy first person narrations, because I so like getting into the head of a character. Even if a) the character has had a memory loss and therefore, there is not much to get into (Quinn) or b) the character tends to deny some of her past (Eva) in order to not have to deal with it in the present. You many now begin to see also, why I liked these characters so much. They have depths to be explored, they are complex and both are also quite flawed.
And they are drawn to each other, with a number of complications that constantly keep them apart – with good reason. The romance between these two is heartfelt and complicated and perfect. Of the two, Quinn is most interesting. He has lost so much of his memory, but at times seems very capable. Who or what is he? It was very cool to watch him grow into the hero. And the lover.
I find the ‘torg social structure to be quite fascinating and not like anything I’ve run across in other scifi. Therefore, it is another of the aspects of Passages that make the book stand out to me. B-runs, associations of three ‘torgs who live together as a family and work in the community they are assigned to, make up the main ‘torg workforce. Eva, Evard and Evangeline make up a B-run. Each has his or her own function that the Docga thinks is beneficial to the world or community they are serving. In this case, this run of ‘torgs lives in and runs the bookstore Passages while they help the Zeffir Island community with their botany, veterinary, and psychological talents.
E-runs, are the elite ‘torgs or the ministers. The administrative runs are formed from 5 ‘torgs and again, each member of the quintad has a separate, but important, function. You will be slowly introduced to a key e-run in Passages. As members of the administrative class, you might surmise that they are also a source of intrigue.
While Eva and Quinn are the main characters in Passages, there are several secondary characters that really help flesh out the rest of the story. Primarily, the other two members of Eva’s B-run – Evangeline and Evard. Each has their own story to tell, but only part of is shared in Passages. (I want more!)
Perhaps the most interesting story that is only partially told belongs to Sabein. Sabein is the matriarch and leader of the Zeffir Island community and there is much to her, as you might expect of one who reaches her position. She is especially close to Eva and for that matter, all three ‘torgs in Eva’s group are her friends, despite the fact that they are not natives. She works closely with them within her community. But Zeffir and the residents are her top priority.
Passages is not comprised solely of compelling protagonists. Do you want to talk about the antagonist(s)? Evil? Yes. Clever? Smart enough to get around the good guys – at least early on. Power hungry? Absolutely. I wasn’t 100% clear on the bad guy’s motivation, other than that power-hungry thing. But sometimes, you don’t really need to know more than that. These adversaries to Eva, Quinn and their friends provide the conflict, the intrigue and the ultimate climactic scenes.
There are so many things about Passages that I appreciated, but this review is getting quite long. So let me leave you with a list of teasers:
1.Goud – is it a gem, a weapon, a pharmaceutical, or…..?
2.Transporter technology
3.Botany
4.Blackguards
5.Death Discs
6.Long lives and how to avoid overpopulation
7.Alphabetical order
8.The Waters
In addition to my 5-star recommendation of Passages, I would also like to recommend the series of guest blog posts that Laurel Wanrow did to introduce Passages. You can find the complete list on her guest post at Whiskey With My Book. Ms. Wanrow has put a great deal of thought into the world she has created – from the dynamics of the ‘torg social structure – to the biology of a dangerous spore – to the creation of the compelling characters and drama that make up the story of Passages. This one is going on my favorites shelf!
The author provided a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
Originally posted at Whiskey With My Book.
February 5, 2017
Passages is an intriguing book. I found the beginning a bit confusing because I felt thrown into a very different and complex world without much explanation. But, the characters, plot, and setting were so interesting that the book kept my attention. The author very slowly revealed more information, secrets, and plot twists throughout the book. Just when I thought I could guess what where the book was going and what would happen next, the book would take a turn I didn't foresee, or some mystery would be revealed, and another mystery presented. I was never bored with this story! I loved the characters who were cyborg but still ruled by their human emotions of love, loyalty, compassion.
The story would appeal to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and fantasy with mystery and a bit of romance. There is a lot going on in the book, but the author makes the different elements seamlessly flow. From a sci-fi standpoint, the technological advances in this future universe are interesting, but the science is not explained. The book has elements of fantasy, as well. There is romance that is very slow-building. The book has some action, but I would call it more of a mystery/thriller than action book.
The author gifted me with an advanced copy of this book. I am voluntarily posting an honest review.
The story would appeal to anyone who enjoys sci-fi and fantasy with mystery and a bit of romance. There is a lot going on in the book, but the author makes the different elements seamlessly flow. From a sci-fi standpoint, the technological advances in this future universe are interesting, but the science is not explained. The book has elements of fantasy, as well. There is romance that is very slow-building. The book has some action, but I would call it more of a mystery/thriller than action book.
The author gifted me with an advanced copy of this book. I am voluntarily posting an honest review.
February 7, 2017
https://koeur.wordpress.com/2017/02/0...
Publisher: Sprouting Star
Publishing Date: January 2017
ISBN: 9781943469079
Genre: SciFi/Romance
Rating: 1.1/5
Publishers Description: For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have worked on the quiet planet of Aarde, beating back toxic spores that threaten to poison the native people. When the new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve frantically plots to protect the villagers she considers friends and family.
Review: Whoa! Way too many alien naming conventions that do not make sense without the proper background. You will be left wandering the grammatical desert groping for a shade of reasoning. The confusion only lasts a bit until your mind can iron out the details that make up part of the world building. Much of the storyline’s impact is lost due to this malfunction.
Soooo, why don’t I give a shjt what happens to our two fawning and lovestruck heros? Is it because Eve is super speshul or that Quinn in his befuddled, handsome state, always solves catastrophic events as if he were Dues ex Machina himself? If both of these characters particles got scattered and lost while jumping, I would happily close the book and start another, preferably one with better character development. For a novel with real promise it quickly got bogged down with intense dialogue, romance and a plot that makes no sense. Why people live on a planet with deadly spores, a ruling class and a dominate alien race that placed them there (while seemingly benevolent cause who doesn’t like a nice doggie?) makes no sense when there is supposedly a whole galaxy from which to occupy.
Besides being more boring than a bag of walnuts, this was a hard sell for me as two strangers sole focus (when not looking for a box) is spent thinking about boning each other. I think if I read “…his chocolate brown eyes.” one more time, I was going to throw my reader against the wall.
Publisher: Sprouting Star
Publishing Date: January 2017
ISBN: 9781943469079
Genre: SciFi/Romance
Rating: 1.1/5
Publishers Description: For decades, Eve and her fellow electorgs—part human, part machine—have worked on the quiet planet of Aarde, beating back toxic spores that threaten to poison the native people. When the new commander halts work right before a deadly spore release, Eve frantically plots to protect the villagers she considers friends and family.
Review: Whoa! Way too many alien naming conventions that do not make sense without the proper background. You will be left wandering the grammatical desert groping for a shade of reasoning. The confusion only lasts a bit until your mind can iron out the details that make up part of the world building. Much of the storyline’s impact is lost due to this malfunction.
Soooo, why don’t I give a shjt what happens to our two fawning and lovestruck heros? Is it because Eve is super speshul or that Quinn in his befuddled, handsome state, always solves catastrophic events as if he were Dues ex Machina himself? If both of these characters particles got scattered and lost while jumping, I would happily close the book and start another, preferably one with better character development. For a novel with real promise it quickly got bogged down with intense dialogue, romance and a plot that makes no sense. Why people live on a planet with deadly spores, a ruling class and a dominate alien race that placed them there (while seemingly benevolent cause who doesn’t like a nice doggie?) makes no sense when there is supposedly a whole galaxy from which to occupy.
Besides being more boring than a bag of walnuts, this was a hard sell for me as two strangers sole focus (when not looking for a box) is spent thinking about boning each other. I think if I read “…his chocolate brown eyes.” one more time, I was going to throw my reader against the wall.
March 7, 2017
My favorite thing about Passages is the world building, which is complex and deeply thought out. It’s a world a reader could immerse herself in. There is so much depth and so many possibilities that I’m guessing Laurel could write many, many tales about the world.
Yet, like all good science fiction, the cool-strange becomes comprehensible as the characters experience the world. This story starts out with Quinn on the run with his grandmother. He’s lost his memory, so as he discovers cross jumping and goad as well as love, we as readers get to learn along with him. Quinn’s returning memories give clues to a conspiracy, a psychic force that suspends aging and an army of cyborg agents. In between there’s a love story. Two strong, but vulnerable people work out their differences and succeed in finding acceptance in each other.
If you like worlds that are as fascinating as Faberge eggs, this is a story you’re sure to enjoy.
February 5, 2017
Thanks to the author for providing me an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I'm a fan of this author and her Luminated Threads series, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I really enjoyed reading about Quinn and Eve and the other characters. The mystery of Quinn's past was intriguing, and I loved uncovering the truth piece by piece. Eve was an awesome character who would set aside her own troubles to help anyone in need. There were some heartbreaking losses but also some amazing second chances. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
I'm a fan of this author and her Luminated Threads series, so I jumped at the chance to read this book. I really enjoyed reading about Quinn and Eve and the other characters. The mystery of Quinn's past was intriguing, and I loved uncovering the truth piece by piece. Eve was an awesome character who would set aside her own troubles to help anyone in need. There were some heartbreaking losses but also some amazing second chances. I look forward to reading more by this author in the future.
March 15, 2018
A Long Book. At over 400 pages, this book was way too long. Good world building and likable characters couldn't make up for a book that should have been tightened. Confusing at first, so much thrown at the reader, the story settled down and became interesting.
February 1, 2017
A new book from Laurel Wanrow... and another great story. Fabulous world-building and great characters. Well worth the read!
February 17, 2017
Cross-posted to my blog, Idle Pursuits. Follow for more bookish nonsense and fiber arts.
At almost 500 pages, it’s a shame that a lot of the verbiage and words didn’t create a functioning plot tapestry. I will admit. I was confused for whole chunks of this book, literally entire swaths of pages where I had no idea what was happening. I feel like I’m a bright person. I feel like I can grasp a concept and not need it spelled out, but something about the author’s way with words and prose made following parts of the story near impossible.
There are so many moving parts to this book, I barely know where to start. Sentient dogs have created a race of androids that they use to colonize planets and do science? Did I get that right? All of the main characters fall into this category. They’re all varying ‘runs’ of androids, in hieratical order, with the ones created with all the whizz bangs being the ones that are in charge of all the rest. They seem to be the youngest too, as that would make the most sense, considering they’re the best the sentient dogs have to offer right now.
All right. I guess we’ll start with Quinn. He’s looking for his brother Quill with his grandma. They can travel distances through space by turning to particles and reassembling at the destination. He thinks it’s a magic trick initially, but eventually finds out that he and the electorg posing as his grandma are both mechanically inclined. I mean, it makes sense if we were to discover the entirety of the plot through Quinn’s eyes that it would be so disjointed and confusing, but we’ve also got an experienced electorg who makes up the other half of the narration.
Eve lives on a small island, on the planet that the electorgs are currently occupying. She helps the community, is a pillar in their society, runs a bookshop with her fellow electorgs Evard and Evangeline. They’re a weird little android family, in a small town that is basically extended family, considering how long they’ve lived there. Nope, clearly no answers were really all that forthcoming in Eve’s narration either.
I finally grasped the threads of what was happening maybe about 100 pages in. Besides the electorgs, there’s a mass of fungi growing that could obliterate the planet if not maintained, as well as an extra, immortality granting element that pretty much has a mind of its own. It says when the people are part of the community, it dictates who gets to have babies, but despite its overhanging suggestions, it does protect the wearer in a myriad of ways. It’s basically the Mary Sue of amorphous 90s Capri Sun blobs.
Anyway, I guess Quinn is secretly the minister but there’s someone who’s pretending to be him and he’s got to go regain his seat before literally everything awful happens. It’s all convoluted but somehow connects together. Also, Eve and Quinn spend a lot of the book (most of the book, at least 75% of the book) just pining about the other’s hot body. It gets really annoying. They almost get to the bone zone a few times, but then Eve yells and stomps off or something equally ridiculous. They only finally do it because they might not see each other again. I repeat, they might not see each other again. Not that they were ready for a commitment or anything, that they might not see each other again. I guess people have done it for worse reasons, but usually the romantic subplot isn’t so flimsy.
I’d say it connects neatly, but it felt more like someone smashed it until it fit. Like I said, I spent most of this book really befuddled, never quite getting a hang for any of it. I didn’t even skim. Probably should have, I’d have known just as much if I had. That being said, I didn’t hate the parts I could understand, except maybe the romance, so, honestly, it could have been worse.
At almost 500 pages, it’s a shame that a lot of the verbiage and words didn’t create a functioning plot tapestry. I will admit. I was confused for whole chunks of this book, literally entire swaths of pages where I had no idea what was happening. I feel like I’m a bright person. I feel like I can grasp a concept and not need it spelled out, but something about the author’s way with words and prose made following parts of the story near impossible.
There are so many moving parts to this book, I barely know where to start. Sentient dogs have created a race of androids that they use to colonize planets and do science? Did I get that right? All of the main characters fall into this category. They’re all varying ‘runs’ of androids, in hieratical order, with the ones created with all the whizz bangs being the ones that are in charge of all the rest. They seem to be the youngest too, as that would make the most sense, considering they’re the best the sentient dogs have to offer right now.
All right. I guess we’ll start with Quinn. He’s looking for his brother Quill with his grandma. They can travel distances through space by turning to particles and reassembling at the destination. He thinks it’s a magic trick initially, but eventually finds out that he and the electorg posing as his grandma are both mechanically inclined. I mean, it makes sense if we were to discover the entirety of the plot through Quinn’s eyes that it would be so disjointed and confusing, but we’ve also got an experienced electorg who makes up the other half of the narration.
Eve lives on a small island, on the planet that the electorgs are currently occupying. She helps the community, is a pillar in their society, runs a bookshop with her fellow electorgs Evard and Evangeline. They’re a weird little android family, in a small town that is basically extended family, considering how long they’ve lived there. Nope, clearly no answers were really all that forthcoming in Eve’s narration either.
I finally grasped the threads of what was happening maybe about 100 pages in. Besides the electorgs, there’s a mass of fungi growing that could obliterate the planet if not maintained, as well as an extra, immortality granting element that pretty much has a mind of its own. It says when the people are part of the community, it dictates who gets to have babies, but despite its overhanging suggestions, it does protect the wearer in a myriad of ways. It’s basically the Mary Sue of amorphous 90s Capri Sun blobs.
Anyway, I guess Quinn is secretly the minister but there’s someone who’s pretending to be him and he’s got to go regain his seat before literally everything awful happens. It’s all convoluted but somehow connects together. Also, Eve and Quinn spend a lot of the book (most of the book, at least 75% of the book) just pining about the other’s hot body. It gets really annoying. They almost get to the bone zone a few times, but then Eve yells and stomps off or something equally ridiculous. They only finally do it because they might not see each other again. I repeat, they might not see each other again. Not that they were ready for a commitment or anything, that they might not see each other again. I guess people have done it for worse reasons, but usually the romantic subplot isn’t so flimsy.
I’d say it connects neatly, but it felt more like someone smashed it until it fit. Like I said, I spent most of this book really befuddled, never quite getting a hang for any of it. I didn’t even skim. Probably should have, I’d have known just as much if I had. That being said, I didn’t hate the parts I could understand, except maybe the romance, so, honestly, it could have been worse.
February 2, 2017
I received a free copy of this book from the author for review.
For me this was a 3.5*. There were some things I enjoyed and others that kept it from being rated higher.
Likes: Unique twist on travelling, all characters (main and secondary) were interesting, no long involved descriptions of the world, u were tossed in the deep end :)
Puzzlers: The first couple chapters were a little tough to slog through but I kept going and it got better. Example: And there were some jarring notes
For me this was a 3.5*. There were some things I enjoyed and others that kept it from being rated higher.
Likes: Unique twist on travelling, all characters (main and secondary) were interesting, no long involved descriptions of the world, u were tossed in the deep end :)
Puzzlers: The first couple chapters were a little tough to slog through but I kept going and it got better. Example: And there were some jarring notes
February 10, 2017
Ok a Sci-fi mystery with a dash of romance
Minor spoiler- the summary is misleading. Quinn not trusting the electrocogs when he is one himself is a little disappointing. The story would have had a better dynamic if the leads came from different backgrounds instead of the same, but overall an ok book.
Minor spoiler- the summary is misleading. Quinn not trusting the electrocogs when he is one himself is a little disappointing. The story would have had a better dynamic if the leads came from different backgrounds instead of the same, but overall an ok book.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews