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The Outside #2
The Fallen
The laws of physics acting on the planet of Jai have been forever upended; its surface completed altered, and its inhabitants permanently changed. The artificially intelligent Gods that ruled the galaxy, fearing heresy and chaos, have become the planet’s jailers. Tiv Hunt once trusted these Gods absolutely, but now her world has changed and her allegiance has shifted.
Now Tiv spends her days helping the last remaining survivors of Jai. Everyone is fighting for their freedom against unthinkable odds, and they call out for drastic action from their saviour, Yasira. But she has become deeply ill, debilitated by her Outside exposure, and she struggles to keep breathing let alone lead a revolution.
Hunted by the Gods, and Akavi, the disgraced angel, Yasira and Tiv them must delve further than ever before into the maddening mysteries of their fractured planet in order to save – or perhaps destroy – their fading world.
Now Tiv spends her days helping the last remaining survivors of Jai. Everyone is fighting for their freedom against unthinkable odds, and they call out for drastic action from their saviour, Yasira. But she has become deeply ill, debilitated by her Outside exposure, and she struggles to keep breathing let alone lead a revolution.
Hunted by the Gods, and Akavi, the disgraced angel, Yasira and Tiv them must delve further than ever before into the maddening mysteries of their fractured planet in order to save – or perhaps destroy – their fading world.
344 pages, Paperback
First published July 13, 2021
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December 23, 2022
4.0 Stars
This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is even better than the first book. I liked the Outside, but I really liked the Fallen.
I loved the character work in The Fallen. I struggled with the characters introduced in the first book because they felt somewhat flat and distant. However, this second volume provided a much more intimate perspective on the characters. I particularly loved the f/f relationship between the two main characters. Equally, I loved reading from the perspectives of the angels who managed to be incredibly cool and sinister at the same time.
I also appreciate the neurodiverse ownvoices representation in this series. I felt like the representation was more clearly depicted in this second novel, with some fantastic quotes I wanted to highlight.
This story blends together science fiction, fantasy and cosmic horror into a dense narrative. Honestly, this book series is not the place to start for beginners. Instead this book is targeted at seasoned SFF readers who will most appreciate the complexities of this work.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend this cosmic scifi series to readers looking for a complex, yet rewarding narrative. This is currently listed as a duology, but there is certainly room to continue this into a longer series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This is one of those rare cases where the sequel is even better than the first book. I liked the Outside, but I really liked the Fallen.
I loved the character work in The Fallen. I struggled with the characters introduced in the first book because they felt somewhat flat and distant. However, this second volume provided a much more intimate perspective on the characters. I particularly loved the f/f relationship between the two main characters. Equally, I loved reading from the perspectives of the angels who managed to be incredibly cool and sinister at the same time.
I also appreciate the neurodiverse ownvoices representation in this series. I felt like the representation was more clearly depicted in this second novel, with some fantastic quotes I wanted to highlight.
This story blends together science fiction, fantasy and cosmic horror into a dense narrative. Honestly, this book series is not the place to start for beginners. Instead this book is targeted at seasoned SFF readers who will most appreciate the complexities of this work.
Overall, I really enjoyed this novel and would recommend this cosmic scifi series to readers looking for a complex, yet rewarding narrative. This is currently listed as a duology, but there is certainly room to continue this into a longer series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
June 8, 2021
I admit I was excited to pick up the sequel to The Outside. It was neurodivergent Space Opera with a major touch of quantum physics speculation, godling AIs and Others, massive amounts of head games, and rebellion.
The sequel ramps up the rebellion, or at least the survival aspects of it, increases the head-space of neurodivergent characters, and gives us a world that has been very much changed by people's minds. And I don't mean that in a pithy kind of way. I mean literally.
Good SF breaks a lot of boundaries and better SF runs with the consequences. This sequel is all about the consequences. And while I did sometimes get annoyed that the mental consequences often got in the way of good plot or actual developments, it made up for it with a wealth of side characters that were quite fascinating in their own right.
Of course, by the end of this novel, I'm all... WTH I have to have the next! So there's that, too.
Fun stuff, absolutely need more.
The sequel ramps up the rebellion, or at least the survival aspects of it, increases the head-space of neurodivergent characters, and gives us a world that has been very much changed by people's minds. And I don't mean that in a pithy kind of way. I mean literally.
Good SF breaks a lot of boundaries and better SF runs with the consequences. This sequel is all about the consequences. And while I did sometimes get annoyed that the mental consequences often got in the way of good plot or actual developments, it made up for it with a wealth of side characters that were quite fascinating in their own right.
Of course, by the end of this novel, I'm all... WTH I have to have the next! So there's that, too.
Fun stuff, absolutely need more.
August 16, 2021
Whew ... I feel bad to give a book that does such a good job on neuro diversity and gender fluidity so little stars - yet since it is not a slice of life story but an SF story I rate it according to my expectations for a good novel in this genre. And on these grounds it just didn't work for me. There was a lot of introspection and self pity in the characters that made up the majority of the pages (at least it felt like this) and left too little space for an actual plot. While the first book had an interesting story, this one felt completely like a middle book with a lot of meandering.
I guess adding to my dissappointment with the overall impression was the audiobook narration. The narrator read with a lot of emotional emphasis that made even the chapter readings feel dramatic. Of course this enhanced the melodramatic selfpity feeling I was getting from the writing.
It ends on a cliffhanger, but hasn't craving me for the next book.
I guess adding to my dissappointment with the overall impression was the audiobook narration. The narrator read with a lot of emotional emphasis that made even the chapter readings feel dramatic. Of course this enhanced the melodramatic selfpity feeling I was getting from the writing.
It ends on a cliffhanger, but hasn't craving me for the next book.
February 10, 2022
I can't quite bring myself genuinely hate to rate this one star - I liked the first book so much, after all, and I really wanted to like this one, too - but this is a huge flop after the creeping horror and drama of the first book.
The worst has happened, everyone is fucked, and all anyone can do for 300 pages is wring their hands and bemoan their fate: Elu is lonely, Yasira is scattered, Tiv doesn't want people to have weapons, Enga is VERY MAD, repeat chapter by chapter for the majority of the book. Then, right towards the end, Yasira finally gets it together for no particular reason (okay, for a reason, but a weak one) and everything happen all in a rush before ending on a cliffhanger. Add in a sudden glut of new characters who are given minimal screentime, with what screentime they get devoted to - you guessed it! - more whining, and you have a slow, damp, depressing read to slog through.
The first book had issues with pacing as well, but not nearly as badly; there were pockets of action to drive things forward, and enough creepiness to keep me invested even when nothing happened. Less so with this one. I kept losing interest, with the result that it took me months to get through what should have been a few days of light reading at worst.
I'd still read another book in the series. After all, the middle book in a trilogy is notorious for being slow! Hopefully that'll be the case with this one and book 3 will be a bop and a half.
The worst has happened, everyone is fucked, and all anyone can do for 300 pages is wring their hands and bemoan their fate: Elu is lonely, Yasira is scattered, Tiv doesn't want people to have weapons, Enga is VERY MAD, repeat chapter by chapter for the majority of the book. Then, right towards the end, Yasira finally gets it together for no particular reason (okay, for a reason, but a weak one) and everything happen all in a rush before ending on a cliffhanger. Add in a sudden glut of new characters who are given minimal screentime, with what screentime they get devoted to - you guessed it! - more whining, and you have a slow, damp, depressing read to slog through.
The first book had issues with pacing as well, but not nearly as badly; there were pockets of action to drive things forward, and enough creepiness to keep me invested even when nothing happened. Less so with this one. I kept losing interest, with the result that it took me months to get through what should have been a few days of light reading at worst.
I'd still read another book in the series. After all, the middle book in a trilogy is notorious for being slow! Hopefully that'll be the case with this one and book 3 will be a bop and a half.
August 5, 2021
In this book, we see the aftermath of the Outside’s arrival on the planet Jai, and how people are coping, and finding ways to use their Outside powers to grow food or do other things for their communities. The angels are "helping", albeit terribly, people with food, by distributing insufficient food and imprisoning or shooting people the angels consider engaged in heretical activities.
Yasira, Tiv, and a few others who escaped the angels’ imprisonment, have banded together and are distributing goods to individuals on Jai. Well, Yasira isn’t because she’s suffering acutely from her various tortures and encounters with the Outside.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I had the previous. There are a lot of interesting things happening, but I just could not engage adequately with the text. I still love Tiv, who’s trying to keep things together within her small group of neurodivergent individuals, who also have their own Outside-granted powers. (I really liked how different kinds of mental health are such a big part of this series.) The group is hiding from angels’ retaliation, so there is a nice growing tension with the group, and with the worsening relations between the people and angels. That said, I also found myself skipping forward and skimming, so I could get through the book. I suspect it was me and my inability to focus that was the problem, rather than the text.
Yasira, Tiv, and a few others who escaped the angels’ imprisonment, have banded together and are distributing goods to individuals on Jai. Well, Yasira isn’t because she’s suffering acutely from her various tortures and encounters with the Outside.
I did not enjoy this book as much as I had the previous. There are a lot of interesting things happening, but I just could not engage adequately with the text. I still love Tiv, who’s trying to keep things together within her small group of neurodivergent individuals, who also have their own Outside-granted powers. (I really liked how different kinds of mental health are such a big part of this series.) The group is hiding from angels’ retaliation, so there is a nice growing tension with the group, and with the worsening relations between the people and angels. That said, I also found myself skipping forward and skimming, so I could get through the book. I suspect it was me and my inability to focus that was the problem, rather than the text.
July 27, 2021
6/10 stars
My full review can be found on my blog.
I wanted to read something by Ada Hoffman for a while, as her books have been praised as both a good representation of neurodivergence and as solidly written stories. So when I saw this at NG I jumped at the opportunity, especially because the blurb was promising some cool hard SF, AI elevated to godhood, and a brewing human revolution on a distant planet. Not once had it mentioned that it’s a sequel ;). My bad, I guess, I should have checked the specs on other websites – though to be fair, I think this is one of the sequels where I’m better off not having read the first installment; the sequel explains all the previous events in detail.
If I were to describe this book in a few words, I’d go with Neurodivergent Superheroes: Angst and Rebellion.
[...]
The Fallen turned out to be more along the lines of YA fantasy than SF, and to be perfectly honest, had I known it beforehand, I wouldn’t have requested the book. I have no patience for the YA angst and emotional upheavals, and this type of scenario has been worked to death by many, many authors already – often with better results.
And yet, I don’t regret reading it; no, I’m actually glad I had the opportunity – after all, it’s not my usual fare and it’s good to venture out into the unknown from time to time ;). Moreover, I think that the neurodivergence representation is really very well done here, and the topic becomes increasingly more valid as we seem to have created a social and technological environment that is less and less forgiving to ourselves. I believe we all would do well to consider the boundaries of “normal” in our society, and how the “normal” is shaped by our culture, artifacts, beliefs and social expectations. The fact that Hoffmann introduces as protagonists a bunch of characters who are variously autistic, have split personality disorder, apraxia, fight with depression and anger issues, and even a light case of a Stockholm syndrome, is truly laudable. They are all broken, damaged by various traumas, and deeply imperfect, and yet they are still striving to do the right thing, even at a cost to themselves. We don’t seem to get many such characters in the mainstream books, so hats off for this.
The relationships between our protagonists are complex and believable, though the characterization itself is somewhat lacking: I couldn’t really grasp the personality of any of them, beyond their unique neurodivergent traits, and they seemed to me more like representations of certain ideas than real-life people – but maybe this element had been more detailed in the first book. What was harder to swallow, however, was the amount of angst. Man, that angst. Everybody is unsure of themselves and their relationship, they all have their insecurities and fears and little sadnesses and grudges, and their description takes pages and pages of text, leaving very little space for any kind of action. The various relationships seem to have taken nearly all the author’s mental space for writing the book – and ultimately, this relegates the rebellion plot to the last 50 pages or so, making it almost an afterthought. The whole thing is over so quickly and nearly bloodlessly that it lacks any realism, turning instead into a necessary setup for the next installment.
So, points for representation and inclusiveness, but definitely not for plot, pacing, or even worldbuilding. This is also very much a middle book, resolving minor issues only to create more, and bigger, problems. And yet, despite this all, I quite liked it. It’s such a well-meaning book, devoted to bring us, the readers, a gentle reminder that people can be very, very different, but they still remain thoroughly, unequivocally human.
[...]
I have received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
My full review can be found on my blog.
I wanted to read something by Ada Hoffman for a while, as her books have been praised as both a good representation of neurodivergence and as solidly written stories. So when I saw this at NG I jumped at the opportunity, especially because the blurb was promising some cool hard SF, AI elevated to godhood, and a brewing human revolution on a distant planet. Not once had it mentioned that it’s a sequel ;). My bad, I guess, I should have checked the specs on other websites – though to be fair, I think this is one of the sequels where I’m better off not having read the first installment; the sequel explains all the previous events in detail.
If I were to describe this book in a few words, I’d go with Neurodivergent Superheroes: Angst and Rebellion.
[...]
The Fallen turned out to be more along the lines of YA fantasy than SF, and to be perfectly honest, had I known it beforehand, I wouldn’t have requested the book. I have no patience for the YA angst and emotional upheavals, and this type of scenario has been worked to death by many, many authors already – often with better results.
And yet, I don’t regret reading it; no, I’m actually glad I had the opportunity – after all, it’s not my usual fare and it’s good to venture out into the unknown from time to time ;). Moreover, I think that the neurodivergence representation is really very well done here, and the topic becomes increasingly more valid as we seem to have created a social and technological environment that is less and less forgiving to ourselves. I believe we all would do well to consider the boundaries of “normal” in our society, and how the “normal” is shaped by our culture, artifacts, beliefs and social expectations. The fact that Hoffmann introduces as protagonists a bunch of characters who are variously autistic, have split personality disorder, apraxia, fight with depression and anger issues, and even a light case of a Stockholm syndrome, is truly laudable. They are all broken, damaged by various traumas, and deeply imperfect, and yet they are still striving to do the right thing, even at a cost to themselves. We don’t seem to get many such characters in the mainstream books, so hats off for this.
The relationships between our protagonists are complex and believable, though the characterization itself is somewhat lacking: I couldn’t really grasp the personality of any of them, beyond their unique neurodivergent traits, and they seemed to me more like representations of certain ideas than real-life people – but maybe this element had been more detailed in the first book. What was harder to swallow, however, was the amount of angst. Man, that angst. Everybody is unsure of themselves and their relationship, they all have their insecurities and fears and little sadnesses and grudges, and their description takes pages and pages of text, leaving very little space for any kind of action. The various relationships seem to have taken nearly all the author’s mental space for writing the book – and ultimately, this relegates the rebellion plot to the last 50 pages or so, making it almost an afterthought. The whole thing is over so quickly and nearly bloodlessly that it lacks any realism, turning instead into a necessary setup for the next installment.
So, points for representation and inclusiveness, but definitely not for plot, pacing, or even worldbuilding. This is also very much a middle book, resolving minor issues only to create more, and bigger, problems. And yet, despite this all, I quite liked it. It’s such a well-meaning book, devoted to bring us, the readers, a gentle reminder that people can be very, very different, but they still remain thoroughly, unequivocally human.
[...]
I have received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.
December 29, 2021
On a planet that has been contaminated by the Outside, strange extradimensional energies that do not follow normal rules of the universe, those humans trapped inside the area are mostly just trying to survive, mostly managing to cope with the strangeness but not so much the angels of the AI gods that enslave most of humanity, who are desperate to keep them contained. And there's an inner circle of people who have been touched by the Outside more than others, including Yasira Shien, although the experience has altered her mind. And, among their enemies are an ex-angel who wants revenge on both Yasira and their former employers.
The first book of the series I was mixed about, but feeling generally positive about the blend of cosmic horror concepts (similar to--although not actually connected to--those generally called Lovecraftian) and space opera. The setting of the universe at least seemed reasonably interesting, and I was mildly feeling good about perhaps continuing and see where it goes.
Unfortunately, this book mostly doesn't focus on any of the stuff I was interested in and instead tells what feels like a completely different type of story from the first book, one I'm much less interested in. Because I was really digging the space opera/cosmic horror blend, but that's not really what this book is, even though it's technically the same universe. This time, the space opera elements sort of fade to the background, as it almost exclusively focuses on a small part of one planet, and so becomes sort of a cosmic horror/post-apocalyptic/rebellion/superhero blend. That last one deserves a bit more attention, because, yeah, there are several character who each have a specific "power" granted to them and... I don't know, I like superhero stuff sometimes, but I didn't really want to read about superheroes in this particular corner of this particular setting. I didn't really connect with most of them... most of them I didn't remember much from the first book, and so it just felt like early on we were introduced to a bunch of people who were like "This is (name), who has this super power," and rarely really grew beyond that into characters that I cared whether they lived, died, were accidentally giving secrets to the enemy, etc. The characters I did remember and enjoy from the first book were mostly mired in a plot I didn't like.
There were certain things I did like about the book. It did at least deal with characters with neurodivergences and occasionally mental issues that seriously impacted their life, which is great to see get the focus... although, again, maybe it was because most of them were introduced all at once as name and superpower and, in many cases, also some neurodivergence like not being verbal, in a plot that I wasn't all that into, that made it a bit too much, that if the book focused on a smaller cast I feel like I might have gotten more. But, when it did deeper dives into people's issues and how it affected them and in particular how their relationships were affected and people trying to figure out if they can still even be together when they're so changed, there the book gives hints of something really special... I just wish it was in a book I was enjoying more.
I won't call it bad because some people might really dig where they went with things... I just know I didn't. In the end, I feel like I almost sleepwalked through the book without really being clear on what happened, most of the time which might be a pitfall of writing about energies that humanity is not equipped to understand, strange dimensions that warp the minds of those who experience it and then make your cast up of those people. And, ultimately, no real desire to go any further. I think two stars is about the score I have to give.
The first book of the series I was mixed about, but feeling generally positive about the blend of cosmic horror concepts (similar to--although not actually connected to--those generally called Lovecraftian) and space opera. The setting of the universe at least seemed reasonably interesting, and I was mildly feeling good about perhaps continuing and see where it goes.
Unfortunately, this book mostly doesn't focus on any of the stuff I was interested in and instead tells what feels like a completely different type of story from the first book, one I'm much less interested in. Because I was really digging the space opera/cosmic horror blend, but that's not really what this book is, even though it's technically the same universe. This time, the space opera elements sort of fade to the background, as it almost exclusively focuses on a small part of one planet, and so becomes sort of a cosmic horror/post-apocalyptic/rebellion/superhero blend. That last one deserves a bit more attention, because, yeah, there are several character who each have a specific "power" granted to them and... I don't know, I like superhero stuff sometimes, but I didn't really want to read about superheroes in this particular corner of this particular setting. I didn't really connect with most of them... most of them I didn't remember much from the first book, and so it just felt like early on we were introduced to a bunch of people who were like "This is (name), who has this super power," and rarely really grew beyond that into characters that I cared whether they lived, died, were accidentally giving secrets to the enemy, etc. The characters I did remember and enjoy from the first book were mostly mired in a plot I didn't like.
There were certain things I did like about the book. It did at least deal with characters with neurodivergences and occasionally mental issues that seriously impacted their life, which is great to see get the focus... although, again, maybe it was because most of them were introduced all at once as name and superpower and, in many cases, also some neurodivergence like not being verbal, in a plot that I wasn't all that into, that made it a bit too much, that if the book focused on a smaller cast I feel like I might have gotten more. But, when it did deeper dives into people's issues and how it affected them and in particular how their relationships were affected and people trying to figure out if they can still even be together when they're so changed, there the book gives hints of something really special... I just wish it was in a book I was enjoying more.
I won't call it bad because some people might really dig where they went with things... I just know I didn't. In the end, I feel like I almost sleepwalked through the book without really being clear on what happened, most of the time which might be a pitfall of writing about energies that humanity is not equipped to understand, strange dimensions that warp the minds of those who experience it and then make your cast up of those people. And, ultimately, no real desire to go any further. I think two stars is about the score I have to give.
October 15, 2024
Update 2024: el llibre millora amb la relectura, i la traducció és una meravella!
* * *
És difícil comparar aquest llibre amb l'Extern (sobretot sense fer spoilers de cap dels dos). The Fallen té un enfocament i un to molt diferents malgrat seguir amb la mateixa història, i és molt més novel·la coral del que ho era l'Extern. M'han semblat molt interessants els punts de vista de certs personatges secundaris importants que a l'Extern només tenen veu de passada, i m'ha agradat molt que aquest segon llibre se centrés en particular en els personatges i els seus conflictes.
He tingut algun problema amb el ritme, sobretot cap a la meitat, i els salts temporals m'han semblat una mica complicats de seguir (l'audiollibre no ha ajudat gaire en això, tot i que la narradora és excel·lent).
Però si l'Extern ja em va semblar una representació meravellosa i molt necessària d'una part particular de l'espectre autista, a The Fallen la varietat de neurodivergències és molt més gran i diversa. I la cura i detall amb què l'autora tracta tants temes de salut mental importants em té fascinada (i confesso que m'ha tingut mig llibre plorant, també).
Que sí, que potser podria trobar-li alguna cosa que grinyola, si m'hi posés, però tant The Fallen com l'Extern s'han convertit en llibres molt importants per a mi, així que per la meva part tenen totes les estrelles del món.
* * *
És difícil comparar aquest llibre amb l'Extern (sobretot sense fer spoilers de cap dels dos). The Fallen té un enfocament i un to molt diferents malgrat seguir amb la mateixa història, i és molt més novel·la coral del que ho era l'Extern. M'han semblat molt interessants els punts de vista de certs personatges secundaris importants que a l'Extern només tenen veu de passada, i m'ha agradat molt que aquest segon llibre se centrés en particular en els personatges i els seus conflictes.
He tingut algun problema amb el ritme, sobretot cap a la meitat, i els salts temporals m'han semblat una mica complicats de seguir (l'audiollibre no ha ajudat gaire en això, tot i que la narradora és excel·lent).
Però si l'Extern ja em va semblar una representació meravellosa i molt necessària d'una part particular de l'espectre autista, a The Fallen la varietat de neurodivergències és molt més gran i diversa. I la cura i detall amb què l'autora tracta tants temes de salut mental importants em té fascinada (i confesso que m'ha tingut mig llibre plorant, també).
Que sí, que potser podria trobar-li alguna cosa que grinyola, si m'hi posés, però tant The Fallen com l'Extern s'han convertit en llibres molt importants per a mi, així que per la meva part tenen totes les estrelles del món.
July 20, 2021
Popsugar 2021: A book with something broken on the cover
I really enjoyed The Outside by Ada Hoffmann and was excited to find out what happened next. I'd give this book 2.5 stars.
The Outside was a very tight book. It focused on Yasira, a young woman caught up in events of universal importance, and Akavi, an angel interested in preserving the status quo. This book branches out to quite a few more viewpoints. We get into the heads of more angels, more of the geniuses previously imprisoned by Akavi, Yasira's girlfriend Tiv, and some of the people living in the portion of the planet of Jai that has had the fabric of its reality altered. Honestly, this was probably the issue I had with the book. It was not as tightly focused and it lost some intensity because of that. I also never really felt who Tiv was as a person any more in this book than in the previous book, when she was filtered through Yasira's perceptions. It felt like more of a book that was exploring ideas and concepts than a book about people and characters, and with that change of balance came a loss of interest for me.
This is also very much a middle book. There is quite a bit unresolved at the end of it. I'm not sure if I will continue or not.
I really enjoyed The Outside by Ada Hoffmann and was excited to find out what happened next. I'd give this book 2.5 stars.
The Outside was a very tight book. It focused on Yasira, a young woman caught up in events of universal importance, and Akavi, an angel interested in preserving the status quo. This book branches out to quite a few more viewpoints. We get into the heads of more angels, more of the geniuses previously imprisoned by Akavi, Yasira's girlfriend Tiv, and some of the people living in the portion of the planet of Jai that has had the fabric of its reality altered. Honestly, this was probably the issue I had with the book. It was not as tightly focused and it lost some intensity because of that. I also never really felt who Tiv was as a person any more in this book than in the previous book, when she was filtered through Yasira's perceptions. It felt like more of a book that was exploring ideas and concepts than a book about people and characters, and with that change of balance came a loss of interest for me.
This is also very much a middle book. There is quite a bit unresolved at the end of it. I'm not sure if I will continue or not.
June 5, 2024
#1) The Outside ★★★★☆
➸ Trigger warnings for .
▷ Representation: Tiv (mc) is a lesbian; Yasira (mc) is an autistic lesbian.
Blog • Trigger Warning Database • StoryGraph
July 12, 2021
Picking up where The Outside left off, The Fallen is like the cause of the effect from book one. I love that Yasira is back in action with a whole host of extra characters with unique attributes. The neuro-diverse aspect is still one of my favorite parts of these novels. I love the thought process that goes into the different aspects of sacrifice, upbringing and acceptance and nurturing of those on the spectrum. Hoffman does such a unique job of tying it all into an oddly realistic aftermath and struggle from the chaos of book one.
I don’t know exactly what one singular thing has drawn me inescapably to these novels. The plots may be slow at times, but they are so full of depth and creativity that it makes the book hard to put down. The characters are vibrant in their personas and struggle to cope, survive and move forward. I’m still in love with this AI intelligence with hidden borderline religious zeal flecked in a Lovecraftian atmosphere that is equal parts captivating and head-scratching for me. I am not a brainiac to say the least, but my inner sci-fi geek adores these books.
I would recommend The Outside and The Fallen to lovers of hardcore sci-fi. From quantum physics to space/time/portals to godlike artificial intelligence, this is a fast ride down the wormhole you won’t want to miss. Thank you, Angry Robot Books, for the opportunity to read and review this novel for an honest review. True rating 4.5/5.
I don’t know exactly what one singular thing has drawn me inescapably to these novels. The plots may be slow at times, but they are so full of depth and creativity that it makes the book hard to put down. The characters are vibrant in their personas and struggle to cope, survive and move forward. I’m still in love with this AI intelligence with hidden borderline religious zeal flecked in a Lovecraftian atmosphere that is equal parts captivating and head-scratching for me. I am not a brainiac to say the least, but my inner sci-fi geek adores these books.
I would recommend The Outside and The Fallen to lovers of hardcore sci-fi. From quantum physics to space/time/portals to godlike artificial intelligence, this is a fast ride down the wormhole you won’t want to miss. Thank you, Angry Robot Books, for the opportunity to read and review this novel for an honest review. True rating 4.5/5.
May 19, 2023
This had middle book syndrome up to its eyeballs. It was such a slog, I would have dnf'd it if I hadn't been hoping the third book would do better. I'm no longer sure I can even face the third one.
The main character lay around feeling sorry for herself for the full first half of the book, and there were so many extra characters added yet I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of them. They were interchangeable and I could never remember which was which, with one exception, so I guess one out of seven was memorable. Most of this book was long, repetitive inner monologues and conversations that didn't go anywhere or come to any conclusions. Even the climax was so dull that I skipped through most of it just to get to the ending. Such a shame that a trilogy that started so well took such a nosedive
The main character lay around feeling sorry for herself for the full first half of the book, and there were so many extra characters added yet I couldn't tell you a single thing about any of them. They were interchangeable and I could never remember which was which, with one exception, so I guess one out of seven was memorable. Most of this book was long, repetitive inner monologues and conversations that didn't go anywhere or come to any conclusions. Even the climax was so dull that I skipped through most of it just to get to the ending. Such a shame that a trilogy that started so well took such a nosedive
July 24, 2021
The Fallen is the sequel to The Outside and deals with the fallout of the events in the first book. It combines cosmic horror, sci-fi, and fantasy into one compelling storyline.
It focuses more on the characters compared to the first book. We dive into the different perspectives of Yasira's girlfriend, Tiv; previously imprisoned people by Akavi; and different angels. The plot was fast-paced with a solid world-building, although, in The Fallen, there's no new addition to the world which for me, is a shortcoming of the book.
I really appreciate the representation of gender inclusion and physical and mental disabilities such as (but not limited to) autism, depression, and physical augmentations. I find that the representation is pictured better. Also, the relationship depiction, the good and the bad, is also well-done.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Fallen and highly recommend it for fans of hard sci-fi.
Big thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
It focuses more on the characters compared to the first book. We dive into the different perspectives of Yasira's girlfriend, Tiv; previously imprisoned people by Akavi; and different angels. The plot was fast-paced with a solid world-building, although, in The Fallen, there's no new addition to the world which for me, is a shortcoming of the book.
I really appreciate the representation of gender inclusion and physical and mental disabilities such as (but not limited to) autism, depression, and physical augmentations. I find that the representation is pictured better. Also, the relationship depiction, the good and the bad, is also well-done.
Overall, I really enjoyed The Fallen and highly recommend it for fans of hard sci-fi.
Big thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the DRC. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
May 19, 2023
He sigut sempre fan de les històries que presenten un canvi en el món. Però soc encara més fan dels "I ara què?" posteriors.
Sí que podem posar pegues al llibre (com focalitzar en un aspecte molts pjs que eren principals i ara sembla que tinguin una única neurona), però la pluralitat de veus (internes i externes) d'aquesta història la fa meravellosa.
Sempre fan de l'Elu, la Tiv m'ha costat però finalment m'ha sigut sincera (ha d'aparcar els prejudicis de "tots tenim problemes de salut mental" i pensar en individus, clar) però els personatges son tots una passada.
I vull continuar la trilogia, òbviament. Perquè si entre el 1r i el 2n hi ha canvis brutals, no sé com deu ser ls conclusió.
Però hi confio
Sí que podem posar pegues al llibre (com focalitzar en un aspecte molts pjs que eren principals i ara sembla que tinguin una única neurona), però la pluralitat de veus (internes i externes) d'aquesta història la fa meravellosa.
Sempre fan de l'Elu, la Tiv m'ha costat però finalment m'ha sigut sincera (ha d'aparcar els prejudicis de "tots tenim problemes de salut mental" i pensar en individus, clar) però els personatges son tots una passada.
I vull continuar la trilogia, òbviament. Perquè si entre el 1r i el 2n hi ha canvis brutals, no sé com deu ser ls conclusió.
Però hi confio
Read
November 13, 2021Me gusta mucho a muchos niveles y el último cliffhanger me ha dejado muerto y enfadado con la autora. Eso no se hace. Quiero el último, ya.
Convierte en ciencia ficción (incluso la discusión del tipo de ciencia ficción que es, es interesante) la cuestión de comprendernos los unos a los otros; está llena de esperanza a pesar de la oscuridad; contiene una discusión fascinante, entre líneas, de nuestra relación con la religión.
Como le sucedía al primero, le cuesta arrancar (o me cuesta a mi sumergirme en él, que no es necesariamente lo mismo).
Perseguiré más textos de Ada Hoffmann.
En català, crec que Chronos treurà aquest (segon de la saga): no els deixeu escapar.
Convierte en ciencia ficción (incluso la discusión del tipo de ciencia ficción que es, es interesante) la cuestión de comprendernos los unos a los otros; está llena de esperanza a pesar de la oscuridad; contiene una discusión fascinante, entre líneas, de nuestra relación con la religión.
Como le sucedía al primero, le cuesta arrancar (o me cuesta a mi sumergirme en él, que no es necesariamente lo mismo).
Perseguiré más textos de Ada Hoffmann.
En català, crec que Chronos treurà aquest (segon de la saga): no els deixeu escapar.
July 30, 2025
I missed the exploration of the AI gods in this sequel, but I appreciated the focus on mental illness and political activism that ramped up in this book. So not what I was expecting from this book but I still enjoyed it (although I'm hoping for more weirdness in the final book in the trilogy...)
August 1, 2022
Quite the step back from the first book in the series. Unfortunately, the insane worldbuilding, which was the greatest strength of
The Outside
, no longer has the ‘wow’ effect, and what is left, the pages and pages of exposition, the problematic pacing, the constant internal monologues of the characters, etc. etc., is just... boring.
Dnf at 24%. However, I will continue to follow Ada Hoffmann, as I think she has lots of potential.
Go, Ada!
Dnf at 24%. However, I will continue to follow Ada Hoffmann, as I think she has lots of potential.
Go, Ada!
November 23, 2022
4/5
«Els caiguts» m'ha agradat més que «L'Extern», cosa que és molt bona. Ada Hoffmann sap plantejar una excel·lent continuació a la seva trilogia i ens endinsa al planeta Jai per tractar temes socials, polítics, etc. de primeríssima actualitat. Encara que estigui emmascarat de ciència-ficció, la lluita que planteja l'autora és el dia a dia de moltes persones avui dia. He xalat molt amb aquesta part que convida a reflexionar i també a actuar.
L'altre valor afegit de la novel·la són els personatges: si «L'Extern» té uns dels millors 'dolents' de la sci-fi es diu i ja està. La part bona és que en aquesta segona part aprofundim en la història d'alguns d'ells, de forma que empatitzem encara més amb uns protagonistes que, ja de per se, estan magistralment construïts. A més a més, es mostra que cada personatge té les seves motivacions pròpies i en quin bàndol està no queda gens clar.
En definitiva, l'Ada Hoffmann ens posa el caramel·let a la boca i ens deixa amb ganes de més. Friso per poder llegir el desenllaç de la trilogia perquè amb aquest volum ha deixat el llistó molt alt. Tant de bo el final sigui igual de brillant.
«Els caiguts» m'ha agradat més que «L'Extern», cosa que és molt bona. Ada Hoffmann sap plantejar una excel·lent continuació a la seva trilogia i ens endinsa al planeta Jai per tractar temes socials, polítics, etc. de primeríssima actualitat. Encara que estigui emmascarat de ciència-ficció, la lluita que planteja l'autora és el dia a dia de moltes persones avui dia. He xalat molt amb aquesta part que convida a reflexionar i també a actuar.
L'altre valor afegit de la novel·la són els personatges: si «L'Extern» té uns dels millors 'dolents' de la sci-fi es diu i ja està. La part bona és que en aquesta segona part aprofundim en la història d'alguns d'ells, de forma que empatitzem encara més amb uns protagonistes que, ja de per se, estan magistralment construïts. A més a més, es mostra que cada personatge té les seves motivacions pròpies i en quin bàndol està no queda gens clar.
En definitiva, l'Ada Hoffmann ens posa el caramel·let a la boca i ens deixa amb ganes de més. Friso per poder llegir el desenllaç de la trilogia perquè amb aquest volum ha deixat el llistó molt alt. Tant de bo el final sigui igual de brillant.
February 26, 2022
Sigh, this really hurt. I loved the hell out of the first book. It's one of my favorite books of all time.
I was really looking forward to seeing Yasira, Tiv and Dr. Talirr again, and the last book left the story on a perfect starting point for the next story. A narrow-won victory-ish against overwhelming odds, temporary safety, with still many horrible enemies around. Perfect formula for a sequel.
Unfortunately, as the "middle" book, the time skip this book is set in does not do it any favors. The beginning of the book is such a different situation from the last that it feels disjointed. All the new changes feel like they come out of nowhere, with the resistance and the new team and everything.
This was another problem of the narration. The Outside was a very densely packed story, every bit of it helping to build the world and its characters. The Fallen has even more important characters in a slightly shorter book, so the development suffers. The short introduction of the team of seven and their abilities is not enough to build an emotional connection to them. I love Yasira and Ev because we slowly learned more about them, both in narration and through the eyes of other characters. Meanwhile, the team here feels like the narration is trying to advertise them to me in a way that just doesn't work.
Same for my biggest gripe with the series, the angel trio. I loved Enga as a character in the first one, with a unique voice and interesting view of the world. But in this story, she basically fulfills the same role as Elu.
Elu, by the way, started getting on my nerves towards the end of the last book for his extreme doormat abusive relationship with Akavi. He feels like emotional torture p*rn, the equivalent of giving Akavi a puppy to kick around.
Yeah, Akavi. It feels like every abuser/psychopath in the world was combined into a single person, and the result was Akavi. Emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, victim blaming, kidnapping, mind-controlling a neurodivergent person in TRULY horrible ways, and STILL half the book is about him and his unflappable ability to outwit and outfight people who literally possess the knowledge of the galaxy at their disposal. The narration is hyping for him, basically, and I literally cannot understand why. Maybe its for the same reason that people think fifty shades of grey is a great romance. And at the end of the story, he is essentially given two prisoners, since abusing Elu alone wasn't enough. Seriously, what the fuck.
Both Ev and Yasira, the characters I love so much and who are the reason I loved the first book so much, have been almost delegated to side characters. At least Yasira eventually gets to do something, but it is again dilluted by the narration skipping around to tell us what all seven of her team members and fucking akavi are doing.
This really, really hurt. For the sequel to a book I love so much to be so painful to read, it's quite a blow. I never expected to wonder if I even want to read the third book.
I was really looking forward to seeing Yasira, Tiv and Dr. Talirr again, and the last book left the story on a perfect starting point for the next story. A narrow-won victory-ish against overwhelming odds, temporary safety, with still many horrible enemies around. Perfect formula for a sequel.
Unfortunately, as the "middle" book, the time skip this book is set in does not do it any favors. The beginning of the book is such a different situation from the last that it feels disjointed. All the new changes feel like they come out of nowhere, with the resistance and the new team and everything.
This was another problem of the narration. The Outside was a very densely packed story, every bit of it helping to build the world and its characters. The Fallen has even more important characters in a slightly shorter book, so the development suffers. The short introduction of the team of seven and their abilities is not enough to build an emotional connection to them. I love Yasira and Ev because we slowly learned more about them, both in narration and through the eyes of other characters. Meanwhile, the team here feels like the narration is trying to advertise them to me in a way that just doesn't work.
Same for my biggest gripe with the series, the angel trio. I loved Enga as a character in the first one, with a unique voice and interesting view of the world. But in this story, she basically fulfills the same role as Elu.
Elu, by the way, started getting on my nerves towards the end of the last book for his extreme doormat abusive relationship with Akavi. He feels like emotional torture p*rn, the equivalent of giving Akavi a puppy to kick around.
Yeah, Akavi. It feels like every abuser/psychopath in the world was combined into a single person, and the result was Akavi. Emotional abuse, physical abuse, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, victim blaming, kidnapping, mind-controlling a neurodivergent person in TRULY horrible ways, and STILL half the book is about him and his unflappable ability to outwit and outfight people who literally possess the knowledge of the galaxy at their disposal. The narration is hyping for him, basically, and I literally cannot understand why. Maybe its for the same reason that people think fifty shades of grey is a great romance. And at the end of the story, he is essentially given two prisoners, since abusing Elu alone wasn't enough. Seriously, what the fuck.
Both Ev and Yasira, the characters I love so much and who are the reason I loved the first book so much, have been almost delegated to side characters. At least Yasira eventually gets to do something, but it is again dilluted by the narration skipping around to tell us what all seven of her team members and fucking akavi are doing.
This really, really hurt. For the sequel to a book I love so much to be so painful to read, it's quite a blow. I never expected to wonder if I even want to read the third book.
July 29, 2021
After The Outside became one of my favourite novels of 2020, I was beyond excited for the follow up novel in the series, The Fallen. While The Outside focused on one central, chronological (insomuch as you can be chronological in a world where the phrase ‘Time is a lie’ comes up multiple times) conflict, The Fallen’s focus is more diffuse, following several different plot threads as a result of the climax of the first novel. This more widespread focus diluted the powerful potency I loved in The Outside, but many of the elements I loved remained and were expanded on further.
One of the things I loved about The Outside was a focus on neurodivergence and mental health, and I’m pleased to report The Fallen goes even harder in the paint regarding those subjects. I loved the on page and unflinching depictions of mental illness as well as the more realistic nods to what happens to people after they experience severe trauma; the universe continues to be queernormative with even more queer side characters introduced. The technological angels and gods continue to be a huge favourite, as cool as they are ominous and forbidding. And of course, the nature of Outside and the powers associated with it are wonderfully described; the groundwork is laid for several interesting implications of those powers in this novel.
Characters were both a strong point and detriment for The Fallen. On one hand, we get several POVs of existing characters that expand upon their growth and arcs; on the other hand, some of the new introductions involved more telling as opposed to showing than I would have liked. Tiv makes a return and I feel most conflicted about her motivations—though I’d hoped to get more of a sense of her character, she still felt reduced to what she could do for other people as opposed to who she was for herself. Yasira, on the other hand, grows exponentially, and I find her character work fascinating and compelling in The Fallen.
This book suffered a bit from the dreaded second book slump. A great deal of setup for what promises to be a smash hit, home run of a third book happened at the expense of focus and pacing in this one. Still, Hoffmann’s prose and style are both descriptive and readable, and there are some sections within that definitely show her awesome poetry skills. (Did you know they wrote a whole book of poems about dinosaurs that is freaking fantastic? Well, now you do.)
Despite a few stumbles in execution, The Fallen continues a fantastic, stand-out, and criminally underrated science fiction series in my humble opinion. After an intense set-up of an ending, I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and will continue to shout about this one from the rooftops.
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for an advance reading copy. All opinions are my own.
One of the things I loved about The Outside was a focus on neurodivergence and mental health, and I’m pleased to report The Fallen goes even harder in the paint regarding those subjects. I loved the on page and unflinching depictions of mental illness as well as the more realistic nods to what happens to people after they experience severe trauma; the universe continues to be queernormative with even more queer side characters introduced. The technological angels and gods continue to be a huge favourite, as cool as they are ominous and forbidding. And of course, the nature of Outside and the powers associated with it are wonderfully described; the groundwork is laid for several interesting implications of those powers in this novel.
Characters were both a strong point and detriment for The Fallen. On one hand, we get several POVs of existing characters that expand upon their growth and arcs; on the other hand, some of the new introductions involved more telling as opposed to showing than I would have liked. Tiv makes a return and I feel most conflicted about her motivations—though I’d hoped to get more of a sense of her character, she still felt reduced to what she could do for other people as opposed to who she was for herself. Yasira, on the other hand, grows exponentially, and I find her character work fascinating and compelling in The Fallen.
This book suffered a bit from the dreaded second book slump. A great deal of setup for what promises to be a smash hit, home run of a third book happened at the expense of focus and pacing in this one. Still, Hoffmann’s prose and style are both descriptive and readable, and there are some sections within that definitely show her awesome poetry skills. (Did you know they wrote a whole book of poems about dinosaurs that is freaking fantastic? Well, now you do.)
Despite a few stumbles in execution, The Fallen continues a fantastic, stand-out, and criminally underrated science fiction series in my humble opinion. After an intense set-up of an ending, I eagerly look forward to the next book in the series and will continue to shout about this one from the rooftops.
Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for an advance reading copy. All opinions are my own.
November 8, 2021
As the second book in Ada Hoffman’s The Outside series, The Fallen picks up where The Outside left off but is less concerned with a continuing adventure than with deep probing of all the major characters. There is plenty of action as well, but I was totally absorbed in understanding the minds and backgrounds of the extraordinary people who were deeply affected by the extradimensional force known as the Outside.
.....
We encounter an exhausted and immobilized Yasira at the outset of The Fallen. Her mind and personality broke under the pressure of the Outside, which so infused her being that she split apart. She thinks of her inner selves as a Strike Force, unable to act because her many voices are always arguing and cannot agree. Deep in depression, she spends most of her time isolated in her bed, hardly able to move, certainly not able to make use of her power over the Outside. This is very much a story of her healing.
.........
In the afterward to The Fallen, Ada Hoffman explains how psychological plurality became a key interest in this series, and that emerges as a powerful central theme of the story. She explores plurality and neurodivergence in many forms. To begin with there is Yasira with her Strike Force of many selves. Sometimes they argue about how bad she is, at other times about what she should do with herself. The question she struggles with is how to bring her selves together so that she can help all the people in the Chaos Zone.
.......
The Fallen is exceptional for the second book in a series in its shift of tone and pace. It becomes much more of a character study, with personal histories of the main characters and detailed attention to what it’s like to live with the impact of trauma and with a divided self that immobilizes the self (selves). But it also dramatizes how division can be overcome to achieve a powerful collective action,.
In structure, it gradually links up earlier timelines in characters’ development with the present where Yasira, Tiv and the Seven are trying to improve life on Jai. First they help individuals and communities, but then undertake alterations to the Outside through mass action. The story is complicated to follow at times since there are many scenes of action and many character arcs to follow. But Hoffman brings this off beautifully in an intense reading experience.
Read the complete review at SciFi Mind.
.....
We encounter an exhausted and immobilized Yasira at the outset of The Fallen. Her mind and personality broke under the pressure of the Outside, which so infused her being that she split apart. She thinks of her inner selves as a Strike Force, unable to act because her many voices are always arguing and cannot agree. Deep in depression, she spends most of her time isolated in her bed, hardly able to move, certainly not able to make use of her power over the Outside. This is very much a story of her healing.
.........
In the afterward to The Fallen, Ada Hoffman explains how psychological plurality became a key interest in this series, and that emerges as a powerful central theme of the story. She explores plurality and neurodivergence in many forms. To begin with there is Yasira with her Strike Force of many selves. Sometimes they argue about how bad she is, at other times about what she should do with herself. The question she struggles with is how to bring her selves together so that she can help all the people in the Chaos Zone.
.......
The Fallen is exceptional for the second book in a series in its shift of tone and pace. It becomes much more of a character study, with personal histories of the main characters and detailed attention to what it’s like to live with the impact of trauma and with a divided self that immobilizes the self (selves). But it also dramatizes how division can be overcome to achieve a powerful collective action,.
In structure, it gradually links up earlier timelines in characters’ development with the present where Yasira, Tiv and the Seven are trying to improve life on Jai. First they help individuals and communities, but then undertake alterations to the Outside through mass action. The story is complicated to follow at times since there are many scenes of action and many character arcs to follow. But Hoffman brings this off beautifully in an intense reading experience.
Read the complete review at SciFi Mind.
July 18, 2021
With thanks to NetGalley for the eARC.
I don’t quite know what to make of The Fallen. It is VERY good on neurodiversity and gender/sex is handled fluidly. Good and bad relationships are shown without romance. The world building is solid and tight for a second book (I haven’t read the first but was able to follow perfectly). AI, cyborgs, people modified to have superhuman abilities… at its heart though this is the story of what happens after the initial act of rebellion. When the people looked to as heroes are already pretty broken by events and can only do so much. The climax isn’t where you might think - it’s in the act of making the decision - which sums up how The Fallen is different. I wanted to know more about the world and understood the characters very well, even Enga with all her rage, and Yasira… but I just didn’t connect with the book which is why I’ve rounded down slightly to a 3. If you want a les standard story of a growing rebellion in a sci-fi setting that isn’t militaristic, this is a good bet.
I don’t quite know what to make of The Fallen. It is VERY good on neurodiversity and gender/sex is handled fluidly. Good and bad relationships are shown without romance. The world building is solid and tight for a second book (I haven’t read the first but was able to follow perfectly). AI, cyborgs, people modified to have superhuman abilities… at its heart though this is the story of what happens after the initial act of rebellion. When the people looked to as heroes are already pretty broken by events and can only do so much. The climax isn’t where you might think - it’s in the act of making the decision - which sums up how The Fallen is different. I wanted to know more about the world and understood the characters very well, even Enga with all her rage, and Yasira… but I just didn’t connect with the book which is why I’ve rounded down slightly to a 3. If you want a les standard story of a growing rebellion in a sci-fi setting that isn’t militaristic, this is a good bet.
January 4, 2023
Slower-paced than the first instalment but just as brilliant. I loved the way Ada Hoffmann explored building resistance and surviving in a community-focused way in the face of difficulty. I also loved the neurodiverse cast and how multifaceted and nuanced the characterisations were.
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Follow me on my Blog, Twitter, and Instagram.
July 27, 2023
A good continuation of the first book, though there isn't much action until the last part. The focus on interpersonal relationships is a welcome addition.
The action takes place solely on the planet Jai in the Chaos Zone. This book introduces more viewpoints, shifting the focus from Akavi and Yasira to Tiv and Elu, and to some extent, Enga. The events occur about six months after the first book, with a few flashbacks. Talirr is mostly absent, except for a couple of diary fragments.
The action takes place solely on the planet Jai in the Chaos Zone. This book introduces more viewpoints, shifting the focus from Akavi and Yasira to Tiv and Elu, and to some extent, Enga. The events occur about six months after the first book, with a few flashbacks. Talirr is mostly absent, except for a couple of diary fragments.
April 6, 2022
There is so much neurodiversity in this book, and it is excellent. This book focuses mostly on Outside madness in various forms - which resembles regular mental illness, especially trauma disorders - and there's special attention given to plurality in particular. Only with the addition of eldritch magic powers. This straddles a magical disability line, but man, it is really nice to see a team of nine people of which eight are mentally ill. Of course they're not all given the same amount of development (that would be too many characters!) but their illnesses aren't minimised, and the book does a good job of exploring the way people interact with each other. Especially: harmful things are done with the intent to protect, and it's handled really nicely.
(Also: the mental illnesses being paired with magical abilities feels more like it's nerfing the abilities than that it's making up for the mental illnesses, and mental illness (and neurodiversity in general) is absolutely shown to exist in this universe entirely apart from the eldritch powers; these things do a lot to mitigate the magical disability thing.)
I do want to put one major warning on this book: it is one of those in which a person does something which will cause unpleasant consequences if they are caught at it, and being caught at it seems very likely.
Selling points: neurodiversity!!!; resistance and revolution; eldritch magic; backstories on several major things introduced in The Outside (Enga, Elu, the Morlock wars); people working out relationship problems in a good way
Warnings: honestly kind of a stressful read: you can see things going wrong well before they actually do
(Also: the mental illnesses being paired with magical abilities feels more like it's nerfing the abilities than that it's making up for the mental illnesses, and mental illness (and neurodiversity in general) is absolutely shown to exist in this universe entirely apart from the eldritch powers; these things do a lot to mitigate the magical disability thing.)
I do want to put one major warning on this book: it is one of those in which a person does something which will cause unpleasant consequences if they are caught at it, and being caught at it seems very likely.
Selling points: neurodiversity!!!; resistance and revolution; eldritch magic; backstories on several major things introduced in The Outside (Enga, Elu, the Morlock wars); people working out relationship problems in a good way
Warnings: honestly kind of a stressful read: you can see things going wrong well before they actually do
July 16, 2021
I absolutely raced through this book! Perhaps it helped that I listed to the audiobook of The Outside right before so I slid into the Fallen like a new coat with a silky lining. Except the coat has turned my brain inside out. Wait... No, that's The Fallen. The Fallen has turned my brain inside out.
Again I congratulate the disability inclusion. I really appreciated the on-page representation of physical and mental disabilities. Autism, apraxia, depression, physical augmentations, and more. Getting to see the differences in neurodiversity explored in science fiction was a treat.
I also enjoyed the multiple POVs. Getting Enga(!!) and Elu's perspectives made the book for me. And Tiv! I would read more books with her as Leader. Such a supportive partner, self-deprecating, yeah I'd follow her. The multiple POVs made for an exciting, fast-paced read.
On last mention (and high-five to the author) for going even further with gender inclusion, from the genderfluid shape-shifting Vaurians, to nonbinary and trans. Anyway, queerness is all over The Fallen. We approve. (4.5)
Again I congratulate the disability inclusion. I really appreciated the on-page representation of physical and mental disabilities. Autism, apraxia, depression, physical augmentations, and more. Getting to see the differences in neurodiversity explored in science fiction was a treat.
I also enjoyed the multiple POVs. Getting Enga(!!) and Elu's perspectives made the book for me. And Tiv! I would read more books with her as Leader. Such a supportive partner, self-deprecating, yeah I'd follow her. The multiple POVs made for an exciting, fast-paced read.
On last mention (and high-five to the author) for going even further with gender inclusion, from the genderfluid shape-shifting Vaurians, to nonbinary and trans. Anyway, queerness is all over The Fallen. We approve. (4.5)
June 5, 2022
This book seems to have been written specifically to appeal to the inner child of former gifted/hyperlexic undiagnosed autistic egg-queer nerds who escaped into Lovecraft and (the most readily available at the time white-dude-written) sci-fi because peopleing was too loud. The type of people who later studied computers because they were easier to understand than people, and social sciences because people were hard but maybe you could science them. Who maybe accomplished something, but then burned out and crashed spectacularly, possibly for years or even permanently. The type of person looking for that nostalgic feeling of their childhood stories, but who are now too grown to be able to overlook the even-more-horrific-than-tentacles racism, ableism and mysoginy.
Am I that person? Quite emphatically yes. Do I have any clue if a not-that-person would also like this? No, I already said people are hard and I should also reveal that sciencing them is ALSO hard. But I liked it a lot.
Am I that person? Quite emphatically yes. Do I have any clue if a not-that-person would also like this? No, I already said people are hard and I should also reveal that sciencing them is ALSO hard. But I liked it a lot.
April 5, 2024
Rating: 3.5 Stars
I enjoyed the book - I think the story itself was a thrilling sequel to the series as it explores the relationship between angels/gods, Outside, and those that suffer between all of it.
However, this was an incredibly difficult read for me. As someone who is neurodivergent and mentally ill, many scenarios and descriptions resonated deeply with me regarding The Seven/Yasira and other characters. And the way Nancy Wu (audiobook narrator) narrated those scenes only amplified their effect.
I would also caution to tread carefully if you are triggered by abuse or have been abused in the past. Unsurprisingly, Akavi is a (well written - good job Ada) abusing/manipulative piece of shit. Those scenes were especially hard to get through (and I don't have that type of history), and I sympathize with Elu deeply.
Overall: good book and I would recommend (with caution)
Also: Nancy Wu once again rocked the audiobook. 5 stars
I enjoyed the book - I think the story itself was a thrilling sequel to the series as it explores the relationship between angels/gods, Outside, and those that suffer between all of it.
However, this was an incredibly difficult read for me. As someone who is neurodivergent and mentally ill, many scenarios and descriptions resonated deeply with me regarding The Seven/Yasira and other characters. And the way Nancy Wu (audiobook narrator) narrated those scenes only amplified their effect.
I would also caution to tread carefully if you are triggered by abuse or have been abused in the past. Unsurprisingly, Akavi is a (well written - good job Ada) abusing/manipulative piece of shit. Those scenes were especially hard to get through (and I don't have that type of history), and I sympathize with Elu deeply.
Overall: good book and I would recommend (with caution)
Also: Nancy Wu once again rocked the audiobook. 5 stars
September 28, 2021
I really love this world and these characters/situations/problems. It is fascinating and original and it was so great to be back in it. This installment is paced differently from the first. There was a lot more of characters sitting around feeling worried about each other and worried about situations. So I found it to be a bit slow at times. I do appreciate that the full impact of the traumas in the first book were dealt with appropriately rather than glibly though. Things were ramped up by the end and I am so excited to get the next installment!
Sexual assault? No. Other content warnings? Violence, torture, death, religion (gotta say though...I love the way religion is dealt with and discussed here), protest and related brutality.
Sexual assault? No. Other content warnings? Violence, torture, death, religion (gotta say though...I love the way religion is dealt with and discussed here), protest and related brutality.
March 22, 2023
Well this was disappointing. The Outside was one of my fav space operas. It was tense, intriguing and scary, a real page turner. The Fallen however completely lacked what made the Ouside so good. 2/3rds of the book nothing happens... I can't even tell you what they did beyond think and grumble about thier shitty situation for 200 pages. There's a bunch of new characters here too that you in no way get to know - they're all bleak and boring. The last 100 pages gave some action but even that was a letdown.
Only the end gave me any incling to pick up book 3.
Only the end gave me any incling to pick up book 3.
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