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Disco Space Opera #1
You Sexy Thing
Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off in this fantastic space opera You Sexy Thing from former SFWA President, Cat Rambo.
Just when they thought they were out...
TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that's just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it.
Retired and finally free of the continual war of conquest, Niko and the remnants of her former unit are content to spend the rest of their days working at the restaurant they built together, The Last Chance.
But, some wars can't ever be escaped, and unlike the Hive Mind, some enemies aren't content to let old soldiers go. Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.
Just when they thought they were out...
TwiceFar station is at the edge of the known universe, and that's just how Niko Larson, former Admiral in the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, likes it.
Retired and finally free of the continual war of conquest, Niko and the remnants of her former unit are content to spend the rest of their days working at the restaurant they built together, The Last Chance.
But, some wars can't ever be escaped, and unlike the Hive Mind, some enemies aren't content to let old soldiers go. Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.
304 pages, Hardcover
First published November 15, 2021
189 people are currently reading
6672 people want to read
About the author
Cat Rambo
250 books582 followersF&SF writer Cat Rambo lives and writes in the Midwest. They have been shortlisted for an Endeavour Award, Locus Award, World Fantasy Award and most recently the Nebula Award. Their debut novel, BEASTS OF TABAT, appeared in 2015 from WordFire Press, the same year she co-edited AD ASTRA: THE SFWA 50TH ANNIVERSARY COOKBOOK. Their most recent book is DEVIL'S GUN (novel, Tor Macmillan). They are a former two-term President of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA) and still volunteers with the organization.
They run the popular online writing school focused on fantasy and science fiction, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. (academy.catrambo.com)
Sign up for Cat's newsletter at
They run the popular online writing school focused on fantasy and science fiction, the Rambo Academy for Wayward Writers. (academy.catrambo.com)
Sign up for Cat's newsletter at
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 557 reviews
April 21, 2022
First of all, let me do the completely expected and take a moment out of my day and note how Goodreads has completely failed to live up to its function of tracking reads. I am 100% certain I have read something by Cat Rambo that I enjoyed a great deal, which is why her fabulous name stuck in my head as an author to read more of, and why I jumped on this book. But owing to the anti-novel prejudices of the Goodreads librarians, I am unable to locate what I read. So, past-carol, your judgement will remain questionable. Let this be some kind of statement as to why I don't always pay attention to my mental notes.
MOVING ON. So, is this any good? Yes and no. It is wildly uneven, in both pace and tone, so your mileage will vary with tolerance. Let me be clear, lest you think I exaggerate (and at a slight risk of spoilers): in under seventy pages, we will see the introduction of a mysterious cryochamber with an unknown being, the ominous return of a military squad, the appearance of a potentially life-changing reviewer, the introduction of a rare sentient bioship, the lure of fat amounts of cash, and the destructive appearance of a galaxy-wide, unknown species, along with enough personal reminiscing to choke a cat. The second and third acts, each roughly a hundred pages, will fold out far more indulgently, backdrops BONDING! and SPACEPIRATES! and the final act will briefly wrap up a few personal threads. I call them 'acts,' because tone, plot and theme are very different from section to section, but Rambo is not kind enough to differentiate them as such. But acts they are, with according mental and tonal shifts, and beware if one expects a steady crescendo.
What troubled me most and is hardest to 'splain, is the tone. It weaves from wildly irreverent, à la Restaurant at the End of the Universe, to truly serious themes of friendship, coercion, and imprisonment. It veers from comradery to--cough--removal of those friends and leaving them behind like so much space dust. I can't get exact in this without citing each bit that supports the relationship, than each subsequent sarcastic bit that tears it down, but trust me, it happens. Also very obvious in the beginning is the situations noting where someone is supposed to be part of a 'team,' then is dismissed (or their memory) relatively quickly. That's a tricky emotional line to walk. Douglas Adams did it by avoiding the personal connection: the Earth he showed us before it's untimely destruction was largely full of bureaucratic, drunk or self-interested assholes. It's pretty hard to wrote both sarcasm, a reaction that is about emotional distancing, and caring, an emotion that's about connection.
Something about this feels very kitchen-sink, along the lines of Ann Leckie, Tim Pratt and Suzanne Palmer's The Finder, so if you like those, this might work as well. The bioship and AI are thrown in but not particularly well-explored. These concepts work best when they more singular focus, much like A Closed and Common Orbit or Murderbot. As it was, I felt like the AI/bioship mostly had a bunch of attributed emotions and was supposed to work them out. Sisters of the Vast Black did a better job with bioships, and The Finder series did more interesting things with AI.
Overall, it felt like a very mixed experienced to me, with parts I really wanted to like, parts that seemed a little too self-aware and broad, and a lot of parts that felt like they were pulled from books I liked better. I honestly meant to re-read, to give it more of a chance, but just couldn't work the energy in. It just wasn't fun enough to inspire a re-read during a couple weeks of very full real-life (other paper books that were more appealing were Vespertine and The Verifiers, while numerous ebooks competed for attention). Also, I'll note I didn't catch on to the title until the book pointed it out--kudos to those of you who did, and enjoy your earworm. 😊
Two and a half stars, rounding down because I skimmed quite a bit.
My site has all the book links: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2022/...
MOVING ON. So, is this any good? Yes and no. It is wildly uneven, in both pace and tone, so your mileage will vary with tolerance. Let me be clear, lest you think I exaggerate (and at a slight risk of spoilers): in under seventy pages, we will see the introduction of a mysterious cryochamber with an unknown being, the ominous return of a military squad, the appearance of a potentially life-changing reviewer, the introduction of a rare sentient bioship, the lure of fat amounts of cash, and the destructive appearance of a galaxy-wide, unknown species, along with enough personal reminiscing to choke a cat. The second and third acts, each roughly a hundred pages, will fold out far more indulgently, backdrops BONDING! and SPACEPIRATES! and the final act will briefly wrap up a few personal threads. I call them 'acts,' because tone, plot and theme are very different from section to section, but Rambo is not kind enough to differentiate them as such. But acts they are, with according mental and tonal shifts, and beware if one expects a steady crescendo.
What troubled me most and is hardest to 'splain, is the tone. It weaves from wildly irreverent, à la Restaurant at the End of the Universe, to truly serious themes of friendship, coercion, and imprisonment. It veers from comradery to--cough--removal of those friends and leaving them behind like so much space dust. I can't get exact in this without citing each bit that supports the relationship, than each subsequent sarcastic bit that tears it down, but trust me, it happens. Also very obvious in the beginning is the situations noting where someone is supposed to be part of a 'team,' then is dismissed (or their memory) relatively quickly. That's a tricky emotional line to walk. Douglas Adams did it by avoiding the personal connection: the Earth he showed us before it's untimely destruction was largely full of bureaucratic, drunk or self-interested assholes. It's pretty hard to wrote both sarcasm, a reaction that is about emotional distancing, and caring, an emotion that's about connection.
Something about this feels very kitchen-sink, along the lines of Ann Leckie, Tim Pratt and Suzanne Palmer's The Finder, so if you like those, this might work as well. The bioship and AI are thrown in but not particularly well-explored. These concepts work best when they more singular focus, much like A Closed and Common Orbit or Murderbot. As it was, I felt like the AI/bioship mostly had a bunch of attributed emotions and was supposed to work them out. Sisters of the Vast Black did a better job with bioships, and The Finder series did more interesting things with AI.
Overall, it felt like a very mixed experienced to me, with parts I really wanted to like, parts that seemed a little too self-aware and broad, and a lot of parts that felt like they were pulled from books I liked better. I honestly meant to re-read, to give it more of a chance, but just couldn't work the energy in. It just wasn't fun enough to inspire a re-read during a couple weeks of very full real-life (other paper books that were more appealing were Vespertine and The Verifiers, while numerous ebooks competed for attention). Also, I'll note I didn't catch on to the title until the book pointed it out--kudos to those of you who did, and enjoy your earworm. 😊
Two and a half stars, rounding down because I skimmed quite a bit.
My site has all the book links: https://clsiewert.wordpress.com/2022/...
June 21, 2021
This space opera sits on the edge of humorous foodie hijinx and immense regret and honestly, I don't know which it ought to be.
On the one hand, all the ex-military peeps running a culinary enterprise is fun and I had a great deal of fun with, say, Matt Wallace's mercenary cooks and Steinmetz's Sol Majestic, but while this had flavors of those, I'm not sure it knew what it really wanted to be.
There's a helping of planning and desperation, a core of identity exploration, and even a dash of all-out torture. But most of all, there's a bio-ship, foodie sensibilities, and pirates.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It had the feel of a Becky Chambers a lot of the time and then it keeps shifting gears or even stripping them when it went full adventure instead of foodie-identity. Maybe others will get a lot more mileage out of it.
It wasn't bad but it was sometimes a bit all over the place.
On the one hand, all the ex-military peeps running a culinary enterprise is fun and I had a great deal of fun with, say, Matt Wallace's mercenary cooks and Steinmetz's Sol Majestic, but while this had flavors of those, I'm not sure it knew what it really wanted to be.
There's a helping of planning and desperation, a core of identity exploration, and even a dash of all-out torture. But most of all, there's a bio-ship, foodie sensibilities, and pirates.
I wanted to like this more than I did. It had the feel of a Becky Chambers a lot of the time and then it keeps shifting gears or even stripping them when it went full adventure instead of foodie-identity. Maybe others will get a lot more mileage out of it.
It wasn't bad but it was sometimes a bit all over the place.
February 19, 2022
The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet meets Envy of Angels and makes something completely new - You Sexy Thing was a lot of fun, and also managed to pack in some real emotional depth.
Niko and her crew, ex-members of the Holy Hive Mind, have managed to leave and start a new life running a restaurant on a space station. But just as a visit from a critic promises to give them the boost they've been looking for, an attack leaves them on the run in a bioship called You Sexy Thing. Hijinks ensue, as they do, and before too long we're dealing with Imperial heirs, space pirates, and revenge that's been due for decades.
This was really enjoyable - I love the found family trope and this is a great example. Niko and her crew are strong and individual characters, and there's nothing like having been linked into a hive mind to build bonds. The descriptions of cooking were great too - it really reminded me of the Sin du Jour series, marrying familiar and unfamiliar cooking concepts in a way that felt really natural.
There was a pretty big tone shift when the space pirates got involved - before that, there's a fair bit of travel in space, which is mostly waiting for an event we know is coming. Post-space-pirates, though, there's death, betrayal, and some pretty heavy moments - I like the additional depth to the story, but the transition could have been smoother.
Overall though, if this turns into a series, I'm all in - and though it wraps up well enough to be a satisfying standalone, there's definitely room for more.
Niko and her crew, ex-members of the Holy Hive Mind, have managed to leave and start a new life running a restaurant on a space station. But just as a visit from a critic promises to give them the boost they've been looking for, an attack leaves them on the run in a bioship called You Sexy Thing. Hijinks ensue, as they do, and before too long we're dealing with Imperial heirs, space pirates, and revenge that's been due for decades.
This was really enjoyable - I love the found family trope and this is a great example. Niko and her crew are strong and individual characters, and there's nothing like having been linked into a hive mind to build bonds. The descriptions of cooking were great too - it really reminded me of the Sin du Jour series, marrying familiar and unfamiliar cooking concepts in a way that felt really natural.
There was a pretty big tone shift when the space pirates got involved - before that, there's a fair bit of travel in space, which is mostly waiting for an event we know is coming. Post-space-pirates, though, there's death, betrayal, and some pretty heavy moments - I like the additional depth to the story, but the transition could have been smoother.
Overall though, if this turns into a series, I'm all in - and though it wraps up well enough to be a satisfying standalone, there's definitely room for more.
October 21, 2021
I now have a Booktube channel! Find me at: The Obsessive Bookseller
Wait!! Don’t let the title scare you off – this is a new space opera series from TOR.
They’re taglining it as “Farscape meets The Great British Bake-off” and yes, I can see the comparison to Farscape and yes, a restaurant and cooking plays a roll in the story… however, I think they’re overselling the food aspect. I was expecting the setting and the overall story to have more to do with owning and operating a business – the restaurant as the central point which all of the other components/conflicts revolve. However, it was more just a quick novelty, and then we moved on to dealing with minor bad guys from the main character’s past.
Truth be told, in a market flooded with similar stories, the cooking was the only aspect that initially differentiated it from the rabble. Since that wasn’t really the focus, everything else was just okay, run-of-the-mill space opera. I didn’t have any particular connection to the characters. The conflict felt like a side story to all of the setup for the “Hive Mind,” from which they’d originally opened a restaurant to escape. And it used my least favorite writing tool of “just give me a chance to explain!” – “No!!” near the end that sucked what enjoyment I was having out of it.
However, that’s just me being a bit over critical. I’ve read so many space operas lately that I can’t often find joy in a basic, fun story like this one – I also need more depth, a bit of substance, and an overarching plot I can get behind. So, if you’re not grouchy like me, you might appreciate the lighthearted fun this novel offered and enjoy the interesting cast of characters.
Oh! One thing to it’s huge credit is the creation of many non-humanoid main characters. Not only were they fun concoctions, but talked, behaved, and interacted with the other characters in a way totally not human, which I loved. The story also contained an A.I. Spaceship, who’s emotional growth and development was by far the most interesting takeaway from the story. So, the book still has a lot of things going for it, personal expectations aside.
Originally receiving a review copy of this for audio production quality, I thought I’d also mention that the narrator for the audiobook, Vivienne Leheny, did a great job animating all the diverse beings and making them feel even more alien. Her performance definitely added to the experience.
Recommendations: If you’re seeking a lighthearted, quirky space opera read, this is a great pick. It won’t offer a lot of depth and substance, but it will offer the fun-factor.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
Wait!! Don’t let the title scare you off – this is a new space opera series from TOR.
They’re taglining it as “Farscape meets The Great British Bake-off” and yes, I can see the comparison to Farscape and yes, a restaurant and cooking plays a roll in the story… however, I think they’re overselling the food aspect. I was expecting the setting and the overall story to have more to do with owning and operating a business – the restaurant as the central point which all of the other components/conflicts revolve. However, it was more just a quick novelty, and then we moved on to dealing with minor bad guys from the main character’s past.
Truth be told, in a market flooded with similar stories, the cooking was the only aspect that initially differentiated it from the rabble. Since that wasn’t really the focus, everything else was just okay, run-of-the-mill space opera. I didn’t have any particular connection to the characters. The conflict felt like a side story to all of the setup for the “Hive Mind,” from which they’d originally opened a restaurant to escape. And it used my least favorite writing tool of “just give me a chance to explain!” – “No!!” near the end that sucked what enjoyment I was having out of it.
However, that’s just me being a bit over critical. I’ve read so many space operas lately that I can’t often find joy in a basic, fun story like this one – I also need more depth, a bit of substance, and an overarching plot I can get behind. So, if you’re not grouchy like me, you might appreciate the lighthearted fun this novel offered and enjoy the interesting cast of characters.
Oh! One thing to it’s huge credit is the creation of many non-humanoid main characters. Not only were they fun concoctions, but talked, behaved, and interacted with the other characters in a way totally not human, which I loved. The story also contained an A.I. Spaceship, who’s emotional growth and development was by far the most interesting takeaway from the story. So, the book still has a lot of things going for it, personal expectations aside.
Originally receiving a review copy of this for audio production quality, I thought I’d also mention that the narrator for the audiobook, Vivienne Leheny, did a great job animating all the diverse beings and making them feel even more alien. Her performance definitely added to the experience.
Recommendations: If you’re seeking a lighthearted, quirky space opera read, this is a great pick. It won’t offer a lot of depth and substance, but it will offer the fun-factor.
Via The Obsessive Bookseller at www.NikiHawkes.com
Other books you might like:
January 22, 2022
First of all, I’ve got to address the title before I dive into my review: no, this isn’t a smutty book despite what the title of the book is. There is a spaceship in the book with the name ‘You Sexy Thing’ and that is where the name of the book comes from. There is brief mentions of sex as well as one sex scene that is not detailed at all. The title is a little deceiving and slightly off putting in my opinion…
Anyways, You Sexy Thing is a science fiction adventure with a unique found family and some fun cooking. There’s action, squad goals, violence, and many other unexpected events that makes this book stand out from a lot of other science fiction stories.
I feel like I don’t read as many science fiction books as I should. Science fiction always has such complex world building that sometimes it can be intimidating to read science fiction books. When I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, I thought this would be my chance to dive into science fiction more. However, I found that I had very mixed feelings about this book.
My favorite part of this book was surprisingly the world building. It took a lot of effort and concentration to remember all the details of the world so that I could really understand the story, but once I got the hang of it, I was impressed by Cat Rambo’s creativity and imagination. Every detail of this universe was well thought out and unlike any other science fiction universe that I’ve read/watched. I especially appreciated all of the fun alien species that were in this novel.
I also really appreciated all of the characters. Atlanta was definitely my favorite, but they all had interesting personalities that created an amazing group dynamic. I would be really interested in more stories with these characters, especially maybe a backstory for Milly.
Despite liking a lot of things about this book, most of this book was just waiting around for something to happen. The first 70% of the book felt like preparation for the action in the last 30%. This book is only about 300 pages long, so it felt like too much just waiting around without much happening for this type of book. I would expect something like this for a second book in a trilogy that suffers from second book syndrome, but this was the first time that I’ve seen so much filler and waiting for the final event in the first novel in a series (possibly a standalone?). I almost wish the waiting portion could’ve been heavily focused on a romance or something. I put so much time into getting invested in this story only to be disappointed by a slim amount of action.
The ending was extremely disappointing. It was cheesy and dragged out for a bit too long. It definitely set the story up for a sequel and I will most likely read the sequel when/if it gets published, but I felt very unsatisfied from the ending.
I'm glad I read this book and I will be reading more science fiction in the future, but I’d only really recommend this book to other people who like science fiction with complex world building and fun characters. This book is definitely entertaining, however, it was also somewhat disappointing and lacking some elements that would’ve made it the phenomenal book that it had the potential to be.
Anyways, You Sexy Thing is a science fiction adventure with a unique found family and some fun cooking. There’s action, squad goals, violence, and many other unexpected events that makes this book stand out from a lot of other science fiction stories.
I feel like I don’t read as many science fiction books as I should. Science fiction always has such complex world building that sometimes it can be intimidating to read science fiction books. When I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway, I thought this would be my chance to dive into science fiction more. However, I found that I had very mixed feelings about this book.
My favorite part of this book was surprisingly the world building. It took a lot of effort and concentration to remember all the details of the world so that I could really understand the story, but once I got the hang of it, I was impressed by Cat Rambo’s creativity and imagination. Every detail of this universe was well thought out and unlike any other science fiction universe that I’ve read/watched. I especially appreciated all of the fun alien species that were in this novel.
I also really appreciated all of the characters. Atlanta was definitely my favorite, but they all had interesting personalities that created an amazing group dynamic. I would be really interested in more stories with these characters, especially maybe a backstory for Milly.
Despite liking a lot of things about this book, most of this book was just waiting around for something to happen. The first 70% of the book felt like preparation for the action in the last 30%. This book is only about 300 pages long, so it felt like too much just waiting around without much happening for this type of book. I would expect something like this for a second book in a trilogy that suffers from second book syndrome, but this was the first time that I’ve seen so much filler and waiting for the final event in the first novel in a series (possibly a standalone?). I almost wish the waiting portion could’ve been heavily focused on a romance or something. I put so much time into getting invested in this story only to be disappointed by a slim amount of action.
The ending was extremely disappointing. It was cheesy and dragged out for a bit too long. It definitely set the story up for a sequel and I will most likely read the sequel when/if it gets published, but I felt very unsatisfied from the ending.
I'm glad I read this book and I will be reading more science fiction in the future, but I’d only really recommend this book to other people who like science fiction with complex world building and fun characters. This book is definitely entertaining, however, it was also somewhat disappointing and lacking some elements that would’ve made it the phenomenal book that it had the potential to be.
July 6, 2021
3.5 Stars
This was a really cute, light hearted space opera that blended together my love of science fiction with my love of food. I loved the diversity of the characters in this novel, including some very fantastical aliens. In terms of tone, this story was definitely on the more goofy side than serious, which made for a fun easy read. This story will definitely appeal to readers who love books in the vein of Becky Chambers Wayfarer series. I would recommend to this one to foodie sci-fi readers looking for a fun adventure story
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
This was a really cute, light hearted space opera that blended together my love of science fiction with my love of food. I loved the diversity of the characters in this novel, including some very fantastical aliens. In terms of tone, this story was definitely on the more goofy side than serious, which made for a fun easy read. This story will definitely appeal to readers who love books in the vein of Becky Chambers Wayfarer series. I would recommend to this one to foodie sci-fi readers looking for a fun adventure story
Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
November 16, 2021
Ahoy there me mateys! I received this sci-fi eARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. So here be me honest musings . . .
This book was the perfect mood read at the perfect time. I loved it! The basic premise is that a bunch of ex-military have "escaped" their cult to open a restaurant called The Last Chance at the edge of the universe on a station called TwiceFar. A culinary critic is coming to judge their restaurant and the crew is hoping this meal leads to better things. Of course doom ensues and adventure (however unwanted) awaits.
This book was an excellent blend of character-driven moments and action. It is funny and thoughtful and just plain wonderful. I can't really get into the plot because I think it be better to go in blind. However here be a hint of things ye can find. A diverse crew, eggplant, ghosts, potential prophecy, banter, evil space pirates (Arrr!), awesome sounding meals, magic (science?), politics, found family, and other shenanigans.
While I loved the plot, the characters were the hit for me. The highlight of course is the bio ship, You Sexy Thing (Arrrrrr!). How can ye not love the sentient ship? Niko Larson, former Admiral and leader of the gang is the main point of view for most of the novel but other crew members get some time too. I love the many types of people and how they live and interact.
Do be aware that this book is not all light fluff. Murder, torture, and other things exist too. Evil pirates indeed. But this book worked for me on all levels and I highly recommend it. It can be a standalone but I hope there will be more. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
This book was the perfect mood read at the perfect time. I loved it! The basic premise is that a bunch of ex-military have "escaped" their cult to open a restaurant called The Last Chance at the edge of the universe on a station called TwiceFar. A culinary critic is coming to judge their restaurant and the crew is hoping this meal leads to better things. Of course doom ensues and adventure (however unwanted) awaits.
This book was an excellent blend of character-driven moments and action. It is funny and thoughtful and just plain wonderful. I can't really get into the plot because I think it be better to go in blind. However here be a hint of things ye can find. A diverse crew, eggplant, ghosts, potential prophecy, banter, evil space pirates (Arrr!), awesome sounding meals, magic (science?), politics, found family, and other shenanigans.
While I loved the plot, the characters were the hit for me. The highlight of course is the bio ship, You Sexy Thing (Arrrrrr!). How can ye not love the sentient ship? Niko Larson, former Admiral and leader of the gang is the main point of view for most of the novel but other crew members get some time too. I love the many types of people and how they live and interact.
Do be aware that this book is not all light fluff. Murder, torture, and other things exist too. Evil pirates indeed. But this book worked for me on all levels and I highly recommend it. It can be a standalone but I hope there will be more. Arrr!
So lastly . . .
Thank ye Macmillian-Tor/Forge!
December 26, 2021
"Full review to follow," he wrote, unwisely. Book is a ton of fun! As you might expect from the author, a lady with multi-colored hair, who runs the Rambo Academy for Wayward writers at kittywumpus.net
I'll grant you, I don't actually remember much about it, but so what? And I've lost my notes, if indeed I took any. So, lightweight book. Nothing wrong with that! Weak 4 stars from me, which is pretty much the current average rating here.
Here's the author, at Scalzi's:https://whatever.scalzi.com/2021/11/1...
Excerpt:
"I started it as military fantasy, but it turned into space opera along the way, which made me happy because space opera is big and beautiful and full of amazing sparkly bits. But beyond that, I strongly believe that it’s hopepunk, a newish name for a genre that has been around for a long time, narratives centered on the idea of found family, acceptance, and community, that also speak to a rejection of corporate-sponsored values and capitalism’s heavy handed stories.
Hopepunk’s not anti-reality, but it’s trying to show a reality that highlights the parts that draw us together in our fight against the darkness. It’s a genre that practices what it preaches, by modeling acts of community and kindness. Hopepunk posits that being kind is one of the most revolutionary things a human being can do in today’s world of corporate callousness, performative cruelty, and divisiveness. Kindness, hopepunk says, is essential if we want to survive as a species. ..."
Hopepunk! New one for me. I'm always up for optimistic SF....
I'll grant you, I don't actually remember much about it, but so what? And I've lost my notes, if indeed I took any. So, lightweight book. Nothing wrong with that! Weak 4 stars from me, which is pretty much the current average rating here.
Here's the author, at Scalzi's:https://whatever.scalzi.com/2021/11/1...
Excerpt:
"I started it as military fantasy, but it turned into space opera along the way, which made me happy because space opera is big and beautiful and full of amazing sparkly bits. But beyond that, I strongly believe that it’s hopepunk, a newish name for a genre that has been around for a long time, narratives centered on the idea of found family, acceptance, and community, that also speak to a rejection of corporate-sponsored values and capitalism’s heavy handed stories.
Hopepunk’s not anti-reality, but it’s trying to show a reality that highlights the parts that draw us together in our fight against the darkness. It’s a genre that practices what it preaches, by modeling acts of community and kindness. Hopepunk posits that being kind is one of the most revolutionary things a human being can do in today’s world of corporate callousness, performative cruelty, and divisiveness. Kindness, hopepunk says, is essential if we want to survive as a species. ..."
Hopepunk! New one for me. I'm always up for optimistic SF....
December 9, 2021
3 of 5 stars at The BiblioSanctum https://bibliosanctum.com/2021/12/09/...
At the edge of the known universe sits TwiceFar station, home to Niko Larson, formerly of the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, who has left admiralship to start a restaurant business. Together with her kitchen crew of mostly fellow ex-Hivemind members, they’ve built quite a name for themselves out of the Last Chance, even if they are pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. Which is why, when rumors start floating around that the renowned food critic might be on their way for a visit, Niko knows how a good review could make all the difference.
As the story begins, Niko’s entire staff is working around the clock preparing for the critic’s arrival. At the very last minute though, the surprise arrival of a glitzy playboy in his sleek, fancy, state-of-the-art and absurdly expensive bioship called the You Sexy Thing throws a wrench into their plans. Normally, Niko would have turned him away, but the playboy also happens to be a big fan of the food critic who is coming and is willing to pay big bucks to share a meal with her, and with the amount he’s offering, Niko could hardly refuse…what could go wrong anyway?
Well, as it turns out, a lot. For scarcely after their esteemed guests have been seated, an explosion rocks TwiceFar, killing many on the station including the playboy. Before his death, however, Niko had managed to gain the passcodes to his bioship, You Sexy Thing, which she and her crew ends up using to escape. Unfortunately though, this feisty sentient ship has other plans. Believing its new passengers to be thieves, it programs a path to a prison planet instead, where Niko and her friends would be promptly arrested upon their arrival.
First, I just have the say, there was a good story here, but the execution? Not so smooth. From the start, the pacing was wonky, spending too much time on the intro with the Last Chance’s preparations for the food critic, which dragged on far longer than required. Then the action starts, Niko and her crew run afoul of space pirates, and to the plot’s credit, there’s some very interesting albeit bitter history there between the protagonist and the head pirate Tubal.
Still, at this point, I just didn’t know what this book was trying to be. Was it supposed to be a lighthearted, ensemble cast-type space adventure akin to Wayfarers or Firefly? If so, that impression gets blasted away by the later sections, some of which are filled with over-the-top and offputtingly brutal torture scenes. The villain is almost a caricature, as in, short of wearing a sign around his neck that says, “Look at me, look how diabolically evil I am, muahahaha!” you can’t get more obvious that he’s supposed to be a very bad guy who does very bad things. Then there was Petalia, a former lover of Niko’s, whose rancor made me go from thoroughly enjoying myself with this book to being extremely annoyed. Granted, given what she’d been through, I understood her resentment, but it was a shame that the handling of her behaviors and attitude was just so one-dimensional and contrived.
That said, I did love Niko and her mostly alien crew. In their relationships and the diversity, I could see and understand the comparisons to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, not to mention that really cool element of food or love of cooking that ties them all together. My favorite character other than Niko was probably her head chef Dabry, whose loyalty to her in one particular scene near the end of the book where he gives Petalia a piece of his mind was particularly touching and literally made me do a jumping fist pump in the air. And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the titular bioship, whose chapters added a different, “living A.I.” perspective to shake things up.
Bottom line, I think You Sexy Thing has a lot going for it, among them a core group of likeable characters and an adventurous storyline. What hurts it the most, however, is a combination of questionable pacing and lack of focus. I still had a good time with the book, mainly because there are certain unique aspects to it that I don’t think you can get anywhere else, but on the whole I think this falls pretty squarely in the “standard sci-fi space opera” category, which means that if you are a more avid reader of the genre, you’re going to need more.
At the edge of the known universe sits TwiceFar station, home to Niko Larson, formerly of the Grand Military of the Hive Mind, who has left admiralship to start a restaurant business. Together with her kitchen crew of mostly fellow ex-Hivemind members, they’ve built quite a name for themselves out of the Last Chance, even if they are pretty much out in the middle of nowhere. Which is why, when rumors start floating around that the renowned food critic might be on their way for a visit, Niko knows how a good review could make all the difference.
As the story begins, Niko’s entire staff is working around the clock preparing for the critic’s arrival. At the very last minute though, the surprise arrival of a glitzy playboy in his sleek, fancy, state-of-the-art and absurdly expensive bioship called the You Sexy Thing throws a wrench into their plans. Normally, Niko would have turned him away, but the playboy also happens to be a big fan of the food critic who is coming and is willing to pay big bucks to share a meal with her, and with the amount he’s offering, Niko could hardly refuse…what could go wrong anyway?
Well, as it turns out, a lot. For scarcely after their esteemed guests have been seated, an explosion rocks TwiceFar, killing many on the station including the playboy. Before his death, however, Niko had managed to gain the passcodes to his bioship, You Sexy Thing, which she and her crew ends up using to escape. Unfortunately though, this feisty sentient ship has other plans. Believing its new passengers to be thieves, it programs a path to a prison planet instead, where Niko and her friends would be promptly arrested upon their arrival.
First, I just have the say, there was a good story here, but the execution? Not so smooth. From the start, the pacing was wonky, spending too much time on the intro with the Last Chance’s preparations for the food critic, which dragged on far longer than required. Then the action starts, Niko and her crew run afoul of space pirates, and to the plot’s credit, there’s some very interesting albeit bitter history there between the protagonist and the head pirate Tubal.
Still, at this point, I just didn’t know what this book was trying to be. Was it supposed to be a lighthearted, ensemble cast-type space adventure akin to Wayfarers or Firefly? If so, that impression gets blasted away by the later sections, some of which are filled with over-the-top and offputtingly brutal torture scenes. The villain is almost a caricature, as in, short of wearing a sign around his neck that says, “Look at me, look how diabolically evil I am, muahahaha!” you can’t get more obvious that he’s supposed to be a very bad guy who does very bad things. Then there was Petalia, a former lover of Niko’s, whose rancor made me go from thoroughly enjoying myself with this book to being extremely annoyed. Granted, given what she’d been through, I understood her resentment, but it was a shame that the handling of her behaviors and attitude was just so one-dimensional and contrived.
That said, I did love Niko and her mostly alien crew. In their relationships and the diversity, I could see and understand the comparisons to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series, not to mention that really cool element of food or love of cooking that ties them all together. My favorite character other than Niko was probably her head chef Dabry, whose loyalty to her in one particular scene near the end of the book where he gives Petalia a piece of his mind was particularly touching and literally made me do a jumping fist pump in the air. And finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the titular bioship, whose chapters added a different, “living A.I.” perspective to shake things up.
Bottom line, I think You Sexy Thing has a lot going for it, among them a core group of likeable characters and an adventurous storyline. What hurts it the most, however, is a combination of questionable pacing and lack of focus. I still had a good time with the book, mainly because there are certain unique aspects to it that I don’t think you can get anywhere else, but on the whole I think this falls pretty squarely in the “standard sci-fi space opera” category, which means that if you are a more avid reader of the genre, you’re going to need more.
October 2, 2024
Reread 10/1/2024
4 1/2 stars
I really enjoyed this book, it seemed to be a bit of a slow start in the restaurant but
4 1/2 stars
I really enjoyed this book, it seemed to be a bit of a slow start in the restaurant but
April 5, 2022
I don’t hate this book, I just didn’t like it much.
It’s billed as “Farscape meets the Great British Bake Off” (or as we know it in the States, Great British Baking Show) the latter of which doesn’t fit. There’s precious little here in common with Farscape other than “borrowed” characters (D’argo the feline dude, the plant-based girl, and Moya the bioship), and while there is a focus on food, it doesn’t have any of the vibe one gets from GBBS.
Rambo mixes and matches elements from other shows and books, too, most notably Firefly and Becky Chambers’ works, with a few others sprinkled in. There are the twin were-lions Talon and Thorn, who are like the kzin from Larry Niven’s Known Space (the giant feline kzinti are all twins), the alien cook like Chambers’ Dr. Chef from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, the Mass Effect/Stargate portals, uplifted chimp from David Brin’s Uplift universe, and the introduction of Princess Atlanta, a mashup of Princess Leia and River Tam, who fills the same character role as Rosemary from Long Way, who even gets onto the ship the same way River does: frozen in a crate.
https://ibb.co/TvNZxZb
One of the characters has “dance combat” as a skill, just like River. There’s more, but you get it. Sometimes a book can overcome its inspirations, but that’s not the case here. Instead it just feels like a lesser-than version of what we’ve seen before, a kinda-sorta Farscape fanfic.
I was also a bit annoyed by the cover blurb from Ann Leckie praising the book and the dedication that basically says, “Hey Ann Leckie, here’s that space opera you wanted me to write.” (Like Leckie’s book, this is also *not* Space Opera. It’s not epic enough, and too much takes place not-in-space. Words mean things.) Likewise, there’s straight-up magic in this universe (see “were-lions��), which is always annoying in Science Fiction, but here it’s literally pointless as it never once plays a part. Just turn Talon and Thorn into kzin/hani/Caitian types and be done with it. Scrub the half-dozen mentions of magic, like the reference to “battle mages”, and keep it Space Opera. Boom, done. I don’t get it. Why even bother adding magic?
Oh well. YMMV.
For those unfamiliar with kzin/hani/caitian:
https://ibb.co/g9djq61
It’s billed as “Farscape meets the Great British Bake Off” (or as we know it in the States, Great British Baking Show) the latter of which doesn’t fit. There’s precious little here in common with Farscape other than “borrowed” characters (D’argo the feline dude, the plant-based girl, and Moya the bioship), and while there is a focus on food, it doesn’t have any of the vibe one gets from GBBS.
Rambo mixes and matches elements from other shows and books, too, most notably Firefly and Becky Chambers’ works, with a few others sprinkled in. There are the twin were-lions Talon and Thorn, who are like the kzin from Larry Niven’s Known Space (the giant feline kzinti are all twins), the alien cook like Chambers’ Dr. Chef from The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, the Mass Effect/Stargate portals, uplifted chimp from David Brin’s Uplift universe, and the introduction of Princess Atlanta, a mashup of Princess Leia and River Tam, who fills the same character role as Rosemary from Long Way, who even gets onto the ship the same way River does: frozen in a crate.
https://ibb.co/TvNZxZb
One of the characters has “dance combat” as a skill, just like River. There’s more, but you get it. Sometimes a book can overcome its inspirations, but that’s not the case here. Instead it just feels like a lesser-than version of what we’ve seen before, a kinda-sorta Farscape fanfic.
I was also a bit annoyed by the cover blurb from Ann Leckie praising the book and the dedication that basically says, “Hey Ann Leckie, here’s that space opera you wanted me to write.” (Like Leckie’s book, this is also *not* Space Opera. It’s not epic enough, and too much takes place not-in-space. Words mean things.) Likewise, there’s straight-up magic in this universe (see “were-lions��), which is always annoying in Science Fiction, but here it’s literally pointless as it never once plays a part. Just turn Talon and Thorn into kzin/hani/Caitian types and be done with it. Scrub the half-dozen mentions of magic, like the reference to “battle mages”, and keep it Space Opera. Boom, done. I don’t get it. Why even bother adding magic?
Oh well. YMMV.
For those unfamiliar with kzin/hani/caitian:
https://ibb.co/g9djq61
July 27, 2021
I received an advance copy of this book through NetGalley.
The summary for this book pitches it as Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off, and that's both amusing and apt. You Sexy Thing is a fluffy space opera romp through a far-future packed with various alien beings and unique places. Against this backdrop is an ensemble crew of (mostly) former soldiers who achieved freedom from the collective that once owned them by proposing that their true calling and cultural duty is to have a restaurant. That works out pretty well until the past catches up with them--especially beleaguered crew-leader Niko--when a mysterious box arrives at about the same time as a galaxy-famous food critic. When the station is attacked during that fateful meal, they take refuge on a sentient biological ship, the titular You Sexy Thing. From there, it's time for crew bonding, space pirates, and teaching a spaceship how to cook, because why not?
In case you couldn't tell, there's a definite element of whimsy throughout the book. I'm here for that. I just finished up some of K.B. Wagers' more intense and dark space opera books, so I was ready for a frolic through deep space. I'm a foodie, so I loved the food aspects, and the diversity of the cast is fantastic. My favorite is the most disliked character in the crew, the prophesying alien priest Lassite, who definitely gave me the vibe of Raistlin Majere, one of my all-time favorite lit characters. This particular exchange cracked me up:
Lassite appeared in the doorway. "Permission to speak of doom, captain?"
"Permission denied," Niko snapped.
The end of the book sets things up for a possible series but this would be a solid read on its own. No cliffhangers involved, just a space frolic with banter and pirates and cooking galore.
The summary for this book pitches it as Farscape meets The Great British Bake Off, and that's both amusing and apt. You Sexy Thing is a fluffy space opera romp through a far-future packed with various alien beings and unique places. Against this backdrop is an ensemble crew of (mostly) former soldiers who achieved freedom from the collective that once owned them by proposing that their true calling and cultural duty is to have a restaurant. That works out pretty well until the past catches up with them--especially beleaguered crew-leader Niko--when a mysterious box arrives at about the same time as a galaxy-famous food critic. When the station is attacked during that fateful meal, they take refuge on a sentient biological ship, the titular You Sexy Thing. From there, it's time for crew bonding, space pirates, and teaching a spaceship how to cook, because why not?
In case you couldn't tell, there's a definite element of whimsy throughout the book. I'm here for that. I just finished up some of K.B. Wagers' more intense and dark space opera books, so I was ready for a frolic through deep space. I'm a foodie, so I loved the food aspects, and the diversity of the cast is fantastic. My favorite is the most disliked character in the crew, the prophesying alien priest Lassite, who definitely gave me the vibe of Raistlin Majere, one of my all-time favorite lit characters. This particular exchange cracked me up:
Lassite appeared in the doorway. "Permission to speak of doom, captain?"
"Permission denied," Niko snapped.
The end of the book sets things up for a possible series but this would be a solid read on its own. No cliffhangers involved, just a space frolic with banter and pirates and cooking galore.
January 11, 2022
Former soldiers from the Hive Mind have been running a restaurant together - The Last Chance. The day the top restaurant critic is due for a visit, there is a big explosion at TwiceFar Station and they escape in a bioship owned by an uber wealthy customer. It is space opera, found family, and foodie all together, so I bet this will work for many readers. I'm hoping we get more of the story!
January 5, 2022
'It is not my habit to seem anxious, lest I rouse fear in my subordinates. Internally I am a cauldron of seething anxiety and negative emotions. It’s quite painful.'
AAAAH, this was good! You Sexy Thing wouldn't be the book it is without Niko and her crew and culinary skills and that's what sets this space opera apart from the rest. Skidoo is probably my fave, but Dabry is easily up there, too. THE TWINS, THOUGH! Ooh and the bioship, the Thing (AKA You Sexy Thing). Okay, so I don't have just one favorite ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I even liked Lassite the gloomy doom predicter. Milly and Gio were okay
But my favorite dynamic has to be that of Niko and Dabry's especially since their platonic bond is more or less the drift compatible kind. (Come to think of it, almost the entire crew's is thanks to the Holy Hive Mind 👀)
One of my favorite things to read about was the Thing discovering emotions and developing a sense for agency. There's also more stuff about cooking and making stuff for the crew and then rethinking it. An anxious sentient bioship, oh hell yes. Honestly, it's impossible not to adore the Thing. Also, that was hilarious about the ghosts and their presence/absence on the ship LOL. Who can say what 👀
Not too sure about the villain, though. I love pirates, especially space pirates, as much as the next sff obsessed reader, maybe even more so which is why all I thought Tubal Last was doing was basically putting a bad name towards all pirates. He almost read like a caricature of sorts. Plus, . Oh and where to even begin about Petalia. But I will say that . So yeah, Tubal Last is irredeemable as hell and I would love for him to stay that way forever
One a related note, .
I did notice a couple of inconsistencies, but nothing major enough to impact the plot. In all, You Sexy Thing is an adventurous, fun and at times sad and enraging space opera and I can't wait to see where the sequel takes the crew next
------------------------------
'Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.'
YES, I WANT
AAAAH, this was good! You Sexy Thing wouldn't be the book it is without Niko and her crew and culinary skills and that's what sets this space opera apart from the rest. Skidoo is probably my fave, but Dabry is easily up there, too. THE TWINS, THOUGH! Ooh and the bioship, the Thing (AKA You Sexy Thing). Okay, so I don't have just one favorite ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I even liked Lassite the gloomy doom predicter. Milly and Gio were okay
But my favorite dynamic has to be that of Niko and Dabry's especially since their platonic bond is more or less the drift compatible kind. (Come to think of it, almost the entire crew's is thanks to the Holy Hive Mind 👀)
One of my favorite things to read about was the Thing discovering emotions and developing a sense for agency. There's also more stuff about cooking and making stuff for the crew and then rethinking it. An anxious sentient bioship, oh hell yes. Honestly, it's impossible not to adore the Thing. Also, that was hilarious about the ghosts and their presence/absence on the ship LOL. Who can say what 👀
Not too sure about the villain, though. I love pirates, especially space pirates, as much as the next sff obsessed reader, maybe even more so which is why all I thought Tubal Last was doing was basically putting a bad name towards all pirates. He almost read like a caricature of sorts. Plus, . Oh and where to even begin about Petalia. But I will say that . So yeah, Tubal Last is irredeemable as hell and I would love for him to stay that way forever
One a related note, .
I did notice a couple of inconsistencies, but nothing major enough to impact the plot. In all, You Sexy Thing is an adventurous, fun and at times sad and enraging space opera and I can't wait to see where the sequel takes the crew next
------------------------------
'Niko and her crew are forced onto a sentient ship convinced that it is being stolen and must survive the machinations of a sadistic pirate king if they even hope to keep the dream of The Last Chance alive.'
YES, I WANT
Read
December 25, 2021The only thing I didn't like about this book is the title.
This book is a pretty traditional space opera. I am a fan of space opera. But you wouldn't expect that from the title, right? From the title, maybe you're thinking that it's humorous, or sexy, or at least light-hearted. It really isn't any of those things...not more than you'd get in any space opera, at least. If anything, it's a bit toward the darker side (not too dark. But there are a couple moments.)
The thing is, it's *good* space opera. It has a great found-family cast of various interesting and unique alien races. It has a sentient space ship. It has space pirates. It has multi-faction intergalactic politics, with one faction called The Holy Hive Mind. I mean...what's not to like? It's a really enjoyable story, and I fully recommend it to space opera fans. I think my favorite aspect was the different alien species, all of which acted in very non-human ways, both in their physical presence and in their cultural biases.
The title? It's the name of the ship. And while the ship is an important piece of the story, it's not really a story about the ship. The ship is simply one of the characters.
Stylistically, the book is written in third person omniscient, though some of the scenes, especially early, feel almost like third limited, to the point where it almost felt a bit head-hoppy at times. But once I settled into that, I found that I quite liked it.
If you're an audio book fan, the narration on this is exceptional.
This book is a pretty traditional space opera. I am a fan of space opera. But you wouldn't expect that from the title, right? From the title, maybe you're thinking that it's humorous, or sexy, or at least light-hearted. It really isn't any of those things...not more than you'd get in any space opera, at least. If anything, it's a bit toward the darker side (not too dark. But there are a couple moments.)
The thing is, it's *good* space opera. It has a great found-family cast of various interesting and unique alien races. It has a sentient space ship. It has space pirates. It has multi-faction intergalactic politics, with one faction called The Holy Hive Mind. I mean...what's not to like? It's a really enjoyable story, and I fully recommend it to space opera fans. I think my favorite aspect was the different alien species, all of which acted in very non-human ways, both in their physical presence and in their cultural biases.
The title? It's the name of the ship. And while the ship is an important piece of the story, it's not really a story about the ship. The ship is simply one of the characters.
Stylistically, the book is written in third person omniscient, though some of the scenes, especially early, feel almost like third limited, to the point where it almost felt a bit head-hoppy at times. But once I settled into that, I found that I quite liked it.
If you're an audio book fan, the narration on this is exceptional.
October 18, 2021
This was definitely an enjoyable sci-fi book! I'm somewhere between a 4 and a 4.5 star rating for it. There's less of the Great British Bake Off than I expected based on the blurb, but that wasn't a huge deal. Cooking certainly plays a role here, but it's not really a competition element like I anticipated. The pacing was pretty good in general. I definitely wanted to keep reading and find out what was going to happen to our characters! The beginning (first chapter or so) was a little harder to get into with the introduction of all of the characters and species. After that, the rest flowed pretty smoothly.
This gave me a lot of Wayfarers (by Becky Chambers) vibes with the found family, but this also has some darker moments with elements like torture. While this is generally a lighthearted book, it's certainly not like that for the entirety of the book. There's some great humor though and things that made me smile. I also had that song stuck in my head the entire time I was reading this, and I thought it was hilarious when the book actually references it as well!
The world was rather interesting in general. We have this Holy Hive Mind that...is not the best. Basically, it just wants to control a lot of things, and it isn't always interested in peace with other cultures. We also have a pirate society and an empire, but I think some of aspects of these were less developed. I do feel like there are some mysteries that aren't answered here to my satisfaction, so I'm curious if this is meant to be a standalone or the start of a series. If it's a standalone, I feel like things were a bit surface level here and I want more details. If it's the start of a series though, I feel much better about it (and would have bumped it up to 4.5 stars) because I'd assume we'd get more answers in future books. I really hope it is a series because I want to revisit our characters!
I obviously had a good time with our characters overall, though some are certainly more developed than others. Niko, the leader, is great and I loved her! She tries to protect her family and did rescue them from a life in the Hive Mind. She's always working towards a goal of a better life for them and does what she must to keep them safe. She's also skilled at combat, and I enjoyed seeing her in action. She's a person of interest in the Spiral of Destiny foretold by Lassite, the mystic in the crew. I feel like she's going to be an agent of change, and I'd really like to see more of her adventures.
Dabry, Niko's right hand man, is also great. I loved their relationship and how he's there to support her. He also loves to cook, and we get some great bonding moments with everyone over food and cooking. Skidoo is a squid person, and I loved her for obvious reasons (see: my booktube channel name). She seems like a really loving individual in general! Atlanta is a newer crew member, and she's led a somewhat sheltered life. I liked seeing her learn more about the world and other cultures. Following her allows us to see her embrace other people and celebrate diversity. Finally, we have to mention the Thing! It's a biological ship, and I really liked it. It was so fun getting to see it learn about people and itself. I think the Thing actually had some of the most character development in the book, and I really loved this journey!
Overall, I had such a fun time with this book. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to fans of the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers. If you're looking for some fun banter, found families, and a quick sci-fi read, this is a great choice.
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
This gave me a lot of Wayfarers (by Becky Chambers) vibes with the found family, but this also has some darker moments with elements like torture. While this is generally a lighthearted book, it's certainly not like that for the entirety of the book. There's some great humor though and things that made me smile. I also had that song stuck in my head the entire time I was reading this, and I thought it was hilarious when the book actually references it as well!
The world was rather interesting in general. We have this Holy Hive Mind that...is not the best. Basically, it just wants to control a lot of things, and it isn't always interested in peace with other cultures. We also have a pirate society and an empire, but I think some of aspects of these were less developed. I do feel like there are some mysteries that aren't answered here to my satisfaction, so I'm curious if this is meant to be a standalone or the start of a series. If it's a standalone, I feel like things were a bit surface level here and I want more details. If it's the start of a series though, I feel much better about it (and would have bumped it up to 4.5 stars) because I'd assume we'd get more answers in future books. I really hope it is a series because I want to revisit our characters!
I obviously had a good time with our characters overall, though some are certainly more developed than others. Niko, the leader, is great and I loved her! She tries to protect her family and did rescue them from a life in the Hive Mind. She's always working towards a goal of a better life for them and does what she must to keep them safe. She's also skilled at combat, and I enjoyed seeing her in action. She's a person of interest in the Spiral of Destiny foretold by Lassite, the mystic in the crew. I feel like she's going to be an agent of change, and I'd really like to see more of her adventures.
Dabry, Niko's right hand man, is also great. I loved their relationship and how he's there to support her. He also loves to cook, and we get some great bonding moments with everyone over food and cooking. Skidoo is a squid person, and I loved her for obvious reasons (see: my booktube channel name). She seems like a really loving individual in general! Atlanta is a newer crew member, and she's led a somewhat sheltered life. I liked seeing her learn more about the world and other cultures. Following her allows us to see her embrace other people and celebrate diversity. Finally, we have to mention the Thing! It's a biological ship, and I really liked it. It was so fun getting to see it learn about people and itself. I think the Thing actually had some of the most character development in the book, and I really loved this journey!
Overall, I had such a fun time with this book. I'd definitely recommend it, especially to fans of the Wayfarers series by Becky Chambers. If you're looking for some fun banter, found families, and a quick sci-fi read, this is a great choice.
I received a copy of this for review from the publisher via NetGalley - thank you! All opinions are my own.
March 21, 2022
"I may not believe in prophecy, but I do believe in jinxes."
She started to answer him, but whatever she was about to say was drowned out in the explosion.
—p.52
You've seen its like before, I'm sure. Although Cat Rambo's space opera You Sexy Thing isn't quite the same sort of glorious romp as Catherynne M. Valente's Space Opera, it certainly comes from somewhere in the same galaxy. Even closer touchstones from recent SF would be both the obvious (Becky Chambers, she of the beloved Wayfarers series), and the more obscure (Tim Pratt or Ryk E. Spoor)—all of whom have tried to preserve the whiz-bang excitement of Golden Age SF while modernizing the details.
For the closest analogue to You Sexy Thing, though, I think it's necessary to reach back much further, to the Galactic sweep of Andre Norton's science fiction. Rambo's work even features Forerunners and Free Traders by name—although you wouldn't find aliens fucking in the public areas of a starship, or abrupt amputations by space pirates, in Norton's novels. At least as I recall.
*
Captain Nicolette (Niko) Larsen, known far and wide as the "Ten-Hour Admiral" for reasons which you will discover, hopes to avoid a fate worse than death—but not like this. Having mustered out of (read: escaped) the so-called "Holy Hive Mind" (certainly a hive mind, though its holiness is debatable) through a technicality, Niko and her fellow former shipmates are struggling to make the Last Chance, their multi-species restaurant, into a successful concern. Even on a busy space station, that's going to take both skill and finesse. The stakes are high, too; the Hive Mind will reabsorb them if they can't make a go of their culinary artistry.
So it's a Really Big Deal when an influential critic—the kind who can grant the Last Chance a "Nikkelin Orb"—plans to show up for dinner... on the same night as a Holy Hive Mind Admiral checking up on Niko's progress.
And that's just the first chapter. You Sexy Thing is nothing if not eventful.
And yes, Rambo is well aware of the 20th-Century resonance of her title, although just how is only made explicit later on, when Niko and the rest meet the sentient bioship with that name.
Cat Rambo keeps the suspense level high throughout You Sexy Thing. You want things to end well, but it's hard to see how they could.
I guess it helps if you are willing to, as the song says, "believe in miracles."
November 30, 2022
I really wish I could insert a gif of someone staring at a wall.. but that's too much work so I'll just add this ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
This book had so much potential! It honestly wasn't at all what I thought in both good and bad ways. It has one of those things in books that makes me a little sad, where you can see the potential and see this rich, beautiful creation but there's too much time spent in one specific place and then everything all at once happens and it's over!!!
I was confused with the POV at times, since it wasn't specified and seemed to flow around freely without ever really explicitly stating (until there were obvious context clues) who we'd moved to. And I know that, thematically, this worked with the whole ex hive-mind aspect, but that aspect was either mentioned too little or too late for it to be an effective story-telling device.
I very very much loved the thinly veiled american military it seemed Rambo was poking at with the Hive (and if she wasn't, I adored the parallels I was able to see). I ADORE Niko, so rarely do I get to read about an older main character and an older WOMAN at that. She was such a great leader and seeing her constantly thinking of her people, sacrificing her own happiness at every turn to help those she loved was UGH top-tier character moments. Adore her.
This was honestly though a story that was all over the place. The pacing was off, you'd think there'd be a little more desperation, or even planning, from the crew as their brutal demise comes hurtling towards them. if they'd faced rougher odds it wasn't something I was told.
This would've been a really solid duology, in my honest opinion. We'd have had more time with Niko and her crew, maybe even have gotten to explore the universe or Niko and her crew's history. I loved the restaurant. It just focused on things for too short of a time that mattered much in the end. Especially Niko's history with their friend from the pirate kingdom who was in it so little and so quickly that their name escapes me!!
It was fun at first, but honestly turned into a slog as much as I tried to find joy in it (and at a certain point it got really hard to find any joy). The losses felt like nothing when it should've been a MOMENT.
tldr; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sums up how it feels to me. Wish it didn't...
This book had so much potential! It honestly wasn't at all what I thought in both good and bad ways. It has one of those things in books that makes me a little sad, where you can see the potential and see this rich, beautiful creation but there's too much time spent in one specific place and then everything all at once happens and it's over!!!
I was confused with the POV at times, since it wasn't specified and seemed to flow around freely without ever really explicitly stating (until there were obvious context clues) who we'd moved to. And I know that, thematically, this worked with the whole ex hive-mind aspect, but that aspect was either mentioned too little or too late for it to be an effective story-telling device.
I very very much loved the thinly veiled american military it seemed Rambo was poking at with the Hive (and if she wasn't, I adored the parallels I was able to see). I ADORE Niko, so rarely do I get to read about an older main character and an older WOMAN at that. She was such a great leader and seeing her constantly thinking of her people, sacrificing her own happiness at every turn to help those she loved was UGH top-tier character moments. Adore her.
This was honestly though a story that was all over the place. The pacing was off, you'd think there'd be a little more desperation, or even planning, from the crew as their brutal demise comes hurtling towards them. if they'd faced rougher odds it wasn't something I was told.
This would've been a really solid duology, in my honest opinion. We'd have had more time with Niko and her crew, maybe even have gotten to explore the universe or Niko and her crew's history. I loved the restaurant. It just focused on things for too short of a time that mattered much in the end. Especially Niko's history with their friend from the pirate kingdom who was in it so little and so quickly that their name escapes me!!
It was fun at first, but honestly turned into a slog as much as I tried to find joy in it (and at a certain point it got really hard to find any joy). The losses felt like nothing when it should've been a MOMENT.
tldr; ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ sums up how it feels to me. Wish it didn't...
December 28, 2021
A totally fun space opera about a former military squad now running a restaurant. The head of their squad, and now the restaurant, is Nicolette “Niko” Larsen, who receives a crate unexpectedly just before a very important dinner she and her staff need to create for a critic, whose good word could put them in line to apply for a prestigious Nikkelin Orb rating.
Things don’t go as planned when someone attacks the space station they’re on, and Nico and company must flee, ending up on a sentient bio ship the You Sexy Thing, While en route to a prison (the owner of the ship was not entirely happy to have them on board), they’re hijacked and taken to a massive, and hidden pirate settlement, run by a former adversary of Niko’s, who has been planning, in exquisite detail, a terrible revenge on Niko, and any of her friends.
I liked this and its many different aliens, and the focus on crafting delectable dishes. Which turns into surviving a deranged and cruel pirate. Nico, for all she was a soldier, and had to deploy people into bad situations, is actually not a particularly violent person, until she has to be. Otherwise, she’s quietly authoritative and considerate of her people. Her squad has interesting and varied types of people within it—the squid-like one intrigued me because her speech patterns evoked those of an alien in Tanya Huff’s Valor series (Presit a Tur durValintrisy) . Dabry, the actual chef of Niko’s restaurant, was great, in how he taught Atlanta and Thing how to cook.
The book leaves some things open at the end, making me wonder if Cat Rambo would return to this universe, which I hope.
Things don’t go as planned when someone attacks the space station they’re on, and Nico and company must flee, ending up on a sentient bio ship the You Sexy Thing, While en route to a prison (the owner of the ship was not entirely happy to have them on board), they’re hijacked and taken to a massive, and hidden pirate settlement, run by a former adversary of Niko’s, who has been planning, in exquisite detail, a terrible revenge on Niko, and any of her friends.
I liked this and its many different aliens, and the focus on crafting delectable dishes. Which turns into surviving a deranged and cruel pirate. Nico, for all she was a soldier, and had to deploy people into bad situations, is actually not a particularly violent person, until she has to be. Otherwise, she’s quietly authoritative and considerate of her people. Her squad has interesting and varied types of people within it—the squid-like one intrigued me because her speech patterns evoked those of an alien in Tanya Huff’s Valor series (Presit a Tur durValintrisy) . Dabry, the actual chef of Niko’s restaurant, was great, in how he taught Atlanta and Thing how to cook.
The book leaves some things open at the end, making me wonder if Cat Rambo would return to this universe, which I hope.
December 16, 2021
So utterly generic and forgettable you can almost see the checklist the author is using. Captain is a former soldier, check! And queer, of course (can you even have a straight character in fantasy these days? Not that I'm complaining, but it IS definitely a trope at this point). Pirates? Sure, check. Exiled royals, check. Found family? An AI who Learns About Feelings? An alien who happens to be named after an American city for no goddamn reason? Aliens who basically have one general characteristic that defines the entire race? And the aliens are also extremely bland. A high schooler could have been more creative than "this one is a squid and this one is a lion and that one is purple with four arms." They were Futurama levels of exotic.
And Skidoo. Jesus that fucking character. I'm sure the author did a ton of work to create this character's syntax. Or maybe they just crammed two or three "is doing" or "is being" phrases into all the dialogue and called it a day. It got to the point where every time Skidoo spoke I rolled my eyes and grunted in annoyance. I've never wanted a character to die more than this fucking squid.
Oh! And is there a villain who is pure evil for no other reason beyond Evil Is Fun? Absolutely! The author didn't ever describe him swirling his mustache or eating an apple, but it was implied very heavily.
Anyway. Is you liking to being returning this fucking book? Yes very much so, unfortunately I is being listened to the whole is being thing.
And Skidoo. Jesus that fucking character. I'm sure the author did a ton of work to create this character's syntax. Or maybe they just crammed two or three "is doing" or "is being" phrases into all the dialogue and called it a day. It got to the point where every time Skidoo spoke I rolled my eyes and grunted in annoyance. I've never wanted a character to die more than this fucking squid.
Oh! And is there a villain who is pure evil for no other reason beyond Evil Is Fun? Absolutely! The author didn't ever describe him swirling his mustache or eating an apple, but it was implied very heavily.
Anyway. Is you liking to being returning this fucking book? Yes very much so, unfortunately I is being listened to the whole is being thing.
February 5, 2022
Didn't look promising. "The big critic is coming" ... found family ... charismatic ex-military leader ... space pirate lair ... If you're going to cook with those everyday ingredients, you'd better be a good chef. And Rambo is.
The diverse crew is well presented, and gradually; some of the details are withheld until WAY into the book, and just come out naturally. The gender/sexuality issues are also just there, no big deal, as if everyone in the story is used to them.
This isn't the first ship-AI-discovers-itself I've seen, but it's well done.
Not sure Last had to be QUITE so bad. and I don't look forward to two more books in which he's always in the wings going bwah-hah-hah, but it's a thing authors do, so OK. And clearly they weren't going to deal with Last by simply confronting him, so the resolution of that was good.
Things on board the pirate area were a tad inconsistent, but there was a lot happening so we'll forgive.
Interesting story, flowing style that never got in the way.
The stated goal was "third-party omniscient space opera" anbd that's what you get. I will definitely read the next one.
The diverse crew is well presented, and gradually; some of the details are withheld until WAY into the book, and just come out naturally. The gender/sexuality issues are also just there, no big deal, as if everyone in the story is used to them.
This isn't the first ship-AI-discovers-itself I've seen, but it's well done.
Not sure Last had to be QUITE so bad. and I don't look forward to two more books in which he's always in the wings going bwah-hah-hah, but it's a thing authors do, so OK. And clearly they weren't going to deal with Last by simply confronting him, so the resolution of that was good.
Things on board the pirate area were a tad inconsistent, but there was a lot happening so we'll forgive.
Interesting story, flowing style that never got in the way.
The stated goal was "third-party omniscient space opera" anbd that's what you get. I will definitely read the next one.
February 18, 2022
Neither a dog’s breakfast nor a gourmet read - You Sexy Thing has fun ingredients, but felt a bit thin, more like a prequel for fans of an existing property (which it isn’t) than a satisfying stand alone or lead-in to a new series (which I think it’s meant to be). I found this underdeveloped and over told. I’m not convinced I’d read a sequel in spite of loving the foodie focus and the petulant but powerful bioship (altho I think I said that about Murderbot, so I might just be in the wrong mood!)
Full review
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
Full review
I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 16, 2023
I'm going to have a lot to say about this short, three-star book.
And yet, I will not be saying it because I DECLARE REVIEW AMNESTY.
And yet, I will not be saying it because I DECLARE REVIEW AMNESTY.
January 30, 2023
DNF 15%
Вроде самостоятельная книга, а читается как кофешоп-ау, которую автор писал в обеденный перерыв на салфетках.
Кто все эти люди, почему фокал переключается в середине абзаца и главы ведут в никуда - хз.
Три звезды за рецепты и забавные диалоги.
P.S. Секса нет.
Вроде самостоятельная книга, а читается как кофешоп-ау, которую автор писал в обеденный перерыв на салфетках.
Кто все эти люди, почему фокал переключается в середине абзаца и главы ведут в никуда - хз.
Три звезды за рецепты и забавные диалоги.
P.S. Секса нет.
June 1, 2025
I would like to think that, as the crew under the command of Niko Larsen becomes friends with the new bioship in their space family, they would start to refer to it as Sexy instead of the Thing.
This book was unexpectedly enjoyable, full of colorful characters that rivalled any episode of "Deep Space Nine". It's got cozy, found family vibes, as well as some darker moments dealing with some members of the crew, sadly.
I am most interested in continuing the series. Off to scour the digital libraries!
This book was unexpectedly enjoyable, full of colorful characters that rivalled any episode of "Deep Space Nine". It's got cozy, found family vibes, as well as some darker moments dealing with some members of the crew, sadly.
I am most interested in continuing the series. Off to scour the digital libraries!
July 28, 2023
Niko Larson is retired from the military. Along with her crew they run a restaurant on a space station at the edge of the universe. No longer having to deal with the Hive Mind, they are more concerned with the food critic who could possibly make or break therm. When the station is attacked, they flee for their lives aboard a ship that is more alive than not. During their travels they learn more about the ship and vice versa. Then Niko's past comes after her and she must face it head on as she tries to keep her crew safe.
Starting out with this book, I was eager. I enjoyed it for most part but did have a couple issues. The pluses - great diverse characters, horrific space pirates, lots of action. The minuses - bland menu for a noted restaurant, lagging in places, and an odd set up with Niko and an ex-lover. All in all, I enjoyed it. I see a second book is coming out soon and I will definitely read it.
Starting out with this book, I was eager. I enjoyed it for most part but did have a couple issues. The pluses - great diverse characters, horrific space pirates, lots of action. The minuses - bland menu for a noted restaurant, lagging in places, and an odd set up with Niko and an ex-lover. All in all, I enjoyed it. I see a second book is coming out soon and I will definitely read it.
November 20, 2021
4.5/5 stars
The nitty-gritty: A delightful combination of space opera, mystery and loveable characters, You Sexy Thing is a hopeful adventure and an excellent start to a new series.
What a wonderful surprise this was! You Sexy Thing was a delight from start to finish, and before I start this review, I want to mention that yes, this is going to be a series, even though it doesn’t say so on Goodreads. You Sexy Thing is being compared to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and for good reason. This is a (mostly) feel good story about friendship, found families, emotional exploration and hope, with a diverse cast of alien characters who will burrow into your heart and stay there.
Captain Nicolette “Niko” Larsen owns a small restaurant called the Last Chance, tucked away on TwiceFar station, a waypoint that caters to several nearby planets. Niko was able to escape the Holy Hive Mind, the military faction she served in for many years, by claiming she was a “thwarted culinary artist.” This allowed her to start her restaurant, safe from the Hive Mind’s clutches. Niko’s fellow coworkers are a diverse group of alien life forms, including head chef Dabry, who served with her in the Hive Mind and is her closest friend and advisor; Skidoo, a Tlellan who organizes the restaurant’s reservations; Milly, a pastry chef; Talon and Thorn, twin were-lions who serve as busboys; Lassite, a Sessile prophet who acts as maitre d’; and Gio, an ape-like creature who communicates through sign language. When the story opens, it’s a big day for the Last Chance, because a well known restaurant critic named Lolola Montaigne d’Arey deBurgh is coming to evaluate their food, and Niko and Dabry think they could earn a sought-after Nikkelin Orb if everything goes as planned.
But an unexpected appearance by Arpat Takraven, a rich playboy who owns a rare and expensive bioship called You Sexy Thing, upends their plans, and things go from bad to worse when an explosion sends them running for their lives. Takraven dies in the explosion, but before he does, Niko convinces him to give them the password to his ship so they can escape. They manage to make it to the ship—along with Lolola and a young girl named Atlanta—but later discover the password Takraven gave them was actually a signal to the ship to set course for the prison planet Scourse, where they will be arrested as thieves. But there are worse things than a prison planet, as Niko and the rest are about to find out.
Space pirates, aliens, and living ships aren’t new elements, but I thought Rambo did a great job of putting their own spin on these familiar sci-fi tropes. The world building is vivid and intricate. Rambo has set up a political enemy—the Hive Mind—and given Niko a past history with them, which is explained through flashbacks. I hated the pirates, who are feared throughout the universe, and for good reason. Tubal Last is a dreadful man, and he’s fond of torture, so do be aware that there are tough-to-read torture scenes late in the story. There's also plenty of exciting action, and I loved the balance the author struck between the fast paced action scenes and the quieter, more introspective moments between the characters.
And speaking of the characters, they are without a doubt the heart and soul of this story. Niko is a tough but empathetic older woman. Her terrible experiences in the Holy Hive Mind have left her emotionally scarred, yet she’s determined to live a purposeful life outside the confines of the Hive Mind. Niko cares deeply for her fellow Last Chance coworkers, most of whom served with her during her Hive Mind years, and she’s determined to keep their little restaurant up and running no matter what. Niko has a secret plan, though, that involves rescuing her former lover Petalia, a Florian who was captured by a pirate named Tubal Last decades ago, although her plan is risky and probably impossible to pull off.
Each of the other characters brings something special and unique to the table. My favorite side character by far was Skidoo Skiddleskat, I mean just saying her name makes me smile! Skidoo is a squid-like creature who loves to cuddle. She explores the world through touch, and there are some very funny scenes where she’s trying to get to know Atlanta with her tentacles. Skidoo is a beam of sunshine, always happy and trying to make others happy, and I loved the way she talks: “I am being securing an important reservation!” I also loved the “lion” twins, Thorn and Talon, teenager-like were-lions who never leave each other’s side, and Milly, a bird-like alien who is the restaurant’s pastry chef. Even Lassite, who I did not like at first because he appears to be plotting against Niko, really grew on me later in the story. There is a wonderful subplot about Lassite and the restaurant ghosts he brings with him on You Sexy Thing, and I know those ghosts are going to pop up in future books!
Atlanta was another favorite character of mine, a naive young heir to the Paxian Empire. The longer she spends with the crew and Thing, the more she longs for a different life outside of the palace. Atlanta has an implant that allows her to access a private virtual space, where she can speak to her “advisors” whenever she needs advice. I loved this idea, especially because her advisors are different versions of herself.
And then there is Thing, the sentient bioship who really steals the show, in my opinion. Thing starts out as a ship who isn’t used to having strangers on board, strangers who have completely different needs and desires from Arpat Takraven, and it was a joy to see Thing slowly change and adapt over the course of the story. One of my favorite parts is when Dabry teaches Thing how to cook—considering Thing normally uses a food replicator, this is a big deal—and discovers a whole new world. Thing also discovers emotions and ideas as it gets to know its fellow travelers, like camaraderie and sadness and humor, to name a few, and each time it made a new discovery, I fell in love just a little more. All of the core group of characters come to care for each other, and it was their interactions during the quieter moments on the ship that really stand out for me.
Rambo uses third person omniscient POV to tell their story, which is a style that I haven’t run across that often. At first I struggled a little with the way the author would drop you into one character’s head and then abruptly switch to someone else with no warning whatsoever, but eventually it grew on me, and it has the benefit of giving the reader insight into all the characters’ thoughts. This style might be a negative for some readers, although there is so much to love about this book that it’s a very minor sticking point.
In an interview, Rambo says that they've already sold the next two books in the series to Tor, and overall they are planning on a ten book series. That is music to my ears, since the episodic nature of the plot and the vast size of the Known Universe and its many fascinating inhabitants promises many exciting adventures to come. You Sexy Thing wraps up the main conflict at the end, but there are several unsolved mysteries to be explored in future books, like Lassite’s ultimate goal with his Spiral of Destiny, and a mysterious race called the Arranti who may have been responsible for the explosion at TwiceFar. I’m dying to know more about the ghosts, who appear to be more important than they seem, as well as several twists at the end that I can’t talk about here.
The ending is slightly rushed, but it didn’t really take away from my overall love of this book. You Sexy Thing was thrilling and emotional, a joyful reading experience that I will remember for a long time.
Big thanks to the publisher and Wunderkind PR for providing a review copy.
The nitty-gritty: A delightful combination of space opera, mystery and loveable characters, You Sexy Thing is a hopeful adventure and an excellent start to a new series.
What a wonderful surprise this was! You Sexy Thing was a delight from start to finish, and before I start this review, I want to mention that yes, this is going to be a series, even though it doesn’t say so on Goodreads. You Sexy Thing is being compared to Becky Chambers’ Wayfarers series and for good reason. This is a (mostly) feel good story about friendship, found families, emotional exploration and hope, with a diverse cast of alien characters who will burrow into your heart and stay there.
Captain Nicolette “Niko” Larsen owns a small restaurant called the Last Chance, tucked away on TwiceFar station, a waypoint that caters to several nearby planets. Niko was able to escape the Holy Hive Mind, the military faction she served in for many years, by claiming she was a “thwarted culinary artist.” This allowed her to start her restaurant, safe from the Hive Mind’s clutches. Niko’s fellow coworkers are a diverse group of alien life forms, including head chef Dabry, who served with her in the Hive Mind and is her closest friend and advisor; Skidoo, a Tlellan who organizes the restaurant’s reservations; Milly, a pastry chef; Talon and Thorn, twin were-lions who serve as busboys; Lassite, a Sessile prophet who acts as maitre d’; and Gio, an ape-like creature who communicates through sign language. When the story opens, it’s a big day for the Last Chance, because a well known restaurant critic named Lolola Montaigne d’Arey deBurgh is coming to evaluate their food, and Niko and Dabry think they could earn a sought-after Nikkelin Orb if everything goes as planned.
But an unexpected appearance by Arpat Takraven, a rich playboy who owns a rare and expensive bioship called You Sexy Thing, upends their plans, and things go from bad to worse when an explosion sends them running for their lives. Takraven dies in the explosion, but before he does, Niko convinces him to give them the password to his ship so they can escape. They manage to make it to the ship—along with Lolola and a young girl named Atlanta—but later discover the password Takraven gave them was actually a signal to the ship to set course for the prison planet Scourse, where they will be arrested as thieves. But there are worse things than a prison planet, as Niko and the rest are about to find out.
Space pirates, aliens, and living ships aren’t new elements, but I thought Rambo did a great job of putting their own spin on these familiar sci-fi tropes. The world building is vivid and intricate. Rambo has set up a political enemy—the Hive Mind—and given Niko a past history with them, which is explained through flashbacks. I hated the pirates, who are feared throughout the universe, and for good reason. Tubal Last is a dreadful man, and he’s fond of torture, so do be aware that there are tough-to-read torture scenes late in the story. There's also plenty of exciting action, and I loved the balance the author struck between the fast paced action scenes and the quieter, more introspective moments between the characters.
And speaking of the characters, they are without a doubt the heart and soul of this story. Niko is a tough but empathetic older woman. Her terrible experiences in the Holy Hive Mind have left her emotionally scarred, yet she’s determined to live a purposeful life outside the confines of the Hive Mind. Niko cares deeply for her fellow Last Chance coworkers, most of whom served with her during her Hive Mind years, and she’s determined to keep their little restaurant up and running no matter what. Niko has a secret plan, though, that involves rescuing her former lover Petalia, a Florian who was captured by a pirate named Tubal Last decades ago, although her plan is risky and probably impossible to pull off.
Each of the other characters brings something special and unique to the table. My favorite side character by far was Skidoo Skiddleskat, I mean just saying her name makes me smile! Skidoo is a squid-like creature who loves to cuddle. She explores the world through touch, and there are some very funny scenes where she’s trying to get to know Atlanta with her tentacles. Skidoo is a beam of sunshine, always happy and trying to make others happy, and I loved the way she talks: “I am being securing an important reservation!” I also loved the “lion” twins, Thorn and Talon, teenager-like were-lions who never leave each other’s side, and Milly, a bird-like alien who is the restaurant’s pastry chef. Even Lassite, who I did not like at first because he appears to be plotting against Niko, really grew on me later in the story. There is a wonderful subplot about Lassite and the restaurant ghosts he brings with him on You Sexy Thing, and I know those ghosts are going to pop up in future books!
Atlanta was another favorite character of mine, a naive young heir to the Paxian Empire. The longer she spends with the crew and Thing, the more she longs for a different life outside of the palace. Atlanta has an implant that allows her to access a private virtual space, where she can speak to her “advisors” whenever she needs advice. I loved this idea, especially because her advisors are different versions of herself.
And then there is Thing, the sentient bioship who really steals the show, in my opinion. Thing starts out as a ship who isn’t used to having strangers on board, strangers who have completely different needs and desires from Arpat Takraven, and it was a joy to see Thing slowly change and adapt over the course of the story. One of my favorite parts is when Dabry teaches Thing how to cook—considering Thing normally uses a food replicator, this is a big deal—and discovers a whole new world. Thing also discovers emotions and ideas as it gets to know its fellow travelers, like camaraderie and sadness and humor, to name a few, and each time it made a new discovery, I fell in love just a little more. All of the core group of characters come to care for each other, and it was their interactions during the quieter moments on the ship that really stand out for me.
Rambo uses third person omniscient POV to tell their story, which is a style that I haven’t run across that often. At first I struggled a little with the way the author would drop you into one character’s head and then abruptly switch to someone else with no warning whatsoever, but eventually it grew on me, and it has the benefit of giving the reader insight into all the characters’ thoughts. This style might be a negative for some readers, although there is so much to love about this book that it’s a very minor sticking point.
In an interview, Rambo says that they've already sold the next two books in the series to Tor, and overall they are planning on a ten book series. That is music to my ears, since the episodic nature of the plot and the vast size of the Known Universe and its many fascinating inhabitants promises many exciting adventures to come. You Sexy Thing wraps up the main conflict at the end, but there are several unsolved mysteries to be explored in future books, like Lassite’s ultimate goal with his Spiral of Destiny, and a mysterious race called the Arranti who may have been responsible for the explosion at TwiceFar. I’m dying to know more about the ghosts, who appear to be more important than they seem, as well as several twists at the end that I can’t talk about here.
The ending is slightly rushed, but it didn’t really take away from my overall love of this book. You Sexy Thing was thrilling and emotional, a joyful reading experience that I will remember for a long time.
Big thanks to the publisher and Wunderkind PR for providing a review copy.
June 18, 2025
3 1/2 stars, rounded up.
I struggled a bit with this novel at the start. In the early chapters, it felt too desultory and too clever of its own good, and it struck me as borrowing often from several other SF works, from Douglas Adams to Martha Wells. But it eventually developed into a compelling story with depth and multiple dimensions that speaks particularly well to queer experience and by the end, I found myself willing to check out the second book in the series.
I struggled a bit with this novel at the start. In the early chapters, it felt too desultory and too clever of its own good, and it struck me as borrowing often from several other SF works, from Douglas Adams to Martha Wells. But it eventually developed into a compelling story with depth and multiple dimensions that speaks particularly well to queer experience and by the end, I found myself willing to check out the second book in the series.
July 26, 2023
With a title as You Sexy Thing, this book was bound to get a lot of attention. I was interested as well but it took me a while to get to it. I'm not sure I should have.
With the title and knowing this is about old soldiers getting roped back into something, my curiousity was quite taken. We meet Niko and her crew as they are setting up their restaurant for an exciting night. They were only able to leave the service of the Hive Mind as soldiers if they could show that they were artists. In this case they went for cooking as an art. So they had to start a restaurant. This night was exciting because a food critic would be visiting. They needed to do well. Unfortunately a person gets shipped to them in a crate and the station explodes. Oops.
It had a lot of potential in ideas but a lot of it fell flat because of the writing. It felt like it was trying an omniscient point of view but it was still too far in characters head for that, which was mostly Nio. It created a very far removed feel from the characters. Not true omniscient but also not a deep enogh focus. I didn't feel like I was truly getting to know them. We'd be in this scene with this character and then the next paragraph we would be in another scene with another character.
We got a tiny bit of this and a tiny bit of that. But never did we go in depth into a character. The death of a character and the betrayal of a character were barely dealt with. So nothing that happened got much of an emotional reaction from me as a reader.
Which is a shame because there are a lot of great ideas here. Many different alien races, the hive mind sounds like an interesting concept and a potential enemy. The bio ships like You Sexy Thing that they traveled on, created an extra dimension to their interactions. But a lot of the rest needed a lot of work.
With the title and knowing this is about old soldiers getting roped back into something, my curiousity was quite taken. We meet Niko and her crew as they are setting up their restaurant for an exciting night. They were only able to leave the service of the Hive Mind as soldiers if they could show that they were artists. In this case they went for cooking as an art. So they had to start a restaurant. This night was exciting because a food critic would be visiting. They needed to do well. Unfortunately a person gets shipped to them in a crate and the station explodes. Oops.
It had a lot of potential in ideas but a lot of it fell flat because of the writing. It felt like it was trying an omniscient point of view but it was still too far in characters head for that, which was mostly Nio. It created a very far removed feel from the characters. Not true omniscient but also not a deep enogh focus. I didn't feel like I was truly getting to know them. We'd be in this scene with this character and then the next paragraph we would be in another scene with another character.
We got a tiny bit of this and a tiny bit of that. But never did we go in depth into a character. The death of a character and the betrayal of a character were barely dealt with. So nothing that happened got much of an emotional reaction from me as a reader.
Which is a shame because there are a lot of great ideas here. Many different alien races, the hive mind sounds like an interesting concept and a potential enemy. The bio ships like You Sexy Thing that they traveled on, created an extra dimension to their interactions. But a lot of the rest needed a lot of work.
June 11, 2021
This was a really fun read! The GBBO comparison is a litttle bit weak - while cooking is featured throughout, the competitive nature of it is only in the VERY beginning. Regardless. the crew and ship interactions are really fun! The plot pacing is a little oddball - it doesn’t have the same sort of arc that I expect from this kind of book. It almost felt like it was at odds with what kind of book it wanted to be - examination of relationships/identity or high stakes adventure-y - it does both, and it works ok but feels a teeny bit herky-jerky at times. That said, unpredictability is not a bad thing and I enjoyed the ride regardless!
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