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The Call: A Brief History of the Chirosapiencidae Revolution
(Please do note that I published this at seventeen and have since made it unavailable- I don’t regret it but it was Not Ready)
As humanity has spread across the stars, they have settled on dozens of planets. This includes Janus, home of the first alien species with human level intelligence. Unfortunately, they are still in their “stone age” phase, and are weak against exploitation by stronger forces. 19 year old Arthur Keene was raised in the colony of Janus, and enjoyed a childhood of isolated research until his world was shattered on his nineteenth birthday, when he discovered the real purpose behind the colony. Plunged into social and political conflict, Arthur must decide where his loyalties lie. Unfortunately, those rising against him include a metal faced messenger, corrupt government officials, and his own father. A movement begins to rise, and the foundations of the corrupt union are shaking. Twenty something environmental lawyers and teenage genetic experiments aside, is the possibility of change worth the dangers of action?
As humanity has spread across the stars, they have settled on dozens of planets. This includes Janus, home of the first alien species with human level intelligence. Unfortunately, they are still in their “stone age” phase, and are weak against exploitation by stronger forces. 19 year old Arthur Keene was raised in the colony of Janus, and enjoyed a childhood of isolated research until his world was shattered on his nineteenth birthday, when he discovered the real purpose behind the colony. Plunged into social and political conflict, Arthur must decide where his loyalties lie. Unfortunately, those rising against him include a metal faced messenger, corrupt government officials, and his own father. A movement begins to rise, and the foundations of the corrupt union are shaking. Twenty something environmental lawyers and teenage genetic experiments aside, is the possibility of change worth the dangers of action?
283 pages, Paperback
First published November 29, 2021
10 people are currently reading
323 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 23, 2022
I adore these characters. I think the pacing could be a bit better, but I enjoyed reading it!!
March 9, 2022
arthur my beloved
June 4, 2023
I am so so so sorry to say, but I did not enjoy this book as much as I thought I was going to, or as much as I wanted to. I have followed M. Quinn on Tik Tok and Insta since before this book came out and I was really looking forward to reading it. However, I did end up sort of DNFing this book after about 180 pages. (I mostly skimmed the last 100ish pages)
The main reason why I did not enjoy this book was because I wasn't invested in the characters enough. I felt this way to the point that when the main plot started, I didn't really care what happened to the main characters. I rooted for their cause, but I didn't really care about how it turned out.
I do wish the characters were more fleshed out and made me really care about them and their wants/needs. (this was more of the case for Nova)
The main reason why I did not enjoy this book was because I wasn't invested in the characters enough. I felt this way to the point that when the main plot started, I didn't really care what happened to the main characters. I rooted for their cause, but I didn't really care about how it turned out.
I do wish the characters were more fleshed out and made me really care about them and their wants/needs. (this was more of the case for Nova)
May 9, 2022
"When I fell through the gaping mouth of the mine, traveling through the rapidly closing darkness, it felt like forever. An eternity in silent motion. Yet, you'd be surprised how quickly an eternity can end."
i really enjoyed the beginning of this book, and i think it had a lot of potential. however, it fell a bit flat for me in terms of the characters' relationships-- they were rushed for my taste. overall, though, Quinn's syntax and writing style were beautiful, and i'm excited for books two and three.
i really enjoyed the beginning of this book, and i think it had a lot of potential. however, it fell a bit flat for me in terms of the characters' relationships-- they were rushed for my taste. overall, though, Quinn's syntax and writing style were beautiful, and i'm excited for books two and three.
December 16, 2021
The Call: Review
This book was great, and very fun- it’s a quick, snappy read. However, I finished this book this morning, and I have now realised that I have a lot of thoughts about it, so I have typed up this absolute beast of a review. Enjoy!
The World:
The Plot:
The Characters:
Typos:
There were a few typos. It was never anything major, and I could always understand what was trying to be said, but it did just distract me for a second each time, and there were probably around 10? (I didn’t keep track but that’s what it felt like). This didn’t affect my rating, just an fyi.
TL;DR (because it is very long and I’m not surprised if you didn’t read)
-characters were great
-really cool sci-fi/ world-building, but I just wish there was more, seems to be barely mentioned after the first half
-plot in the first half interesting, focused, well executed
-plot in the second half seems to barely relate to the overall goal and story, but with some fun character development
-some typos here and there
-less than 300 pages
-quotes before the start of each chapter were a good addition
In the end, I would recommend :)
This book was great, and very fun- it’s a quick, snappy read. However, I finished this book this morning, and I have now realised that I have a lot of thoughts about it, so I have typed up this absolute beast of a review. Enjoy!
The World:
The Plot:
The Characters:
Typos:
There were a few typos. It was never anything major, and I could always understand what was trying to be said, but it did just distract me for a second each time, and there were probably around 10? (I didn’t keep track but that’s what it felt like). This didn’t affect my rating, just an fyi.
TL;DR (because it is very long and I’m not surprised if you didn’t read)
-characters were great
-really cool sci-fi/ world-building, but I just wish there was more, seems to be barely mentioned after the first half
-plot in the first half interesting, focused, well executed
-plot in the second half seems to barely relate to the overall goal and story, but with some fun character development
-some typos here and there
-less than 300 pages
-quotes before the start of each chapter were a good addition
In the end, I would recommend :)
November 27, 2023
i wanted to like this book so bad and i feel so bad writing this review but i feel the need to warn other people who are going into this with expectations as high as mine were. m quinn hyped it up a lot on tiktok and i really really really liked the concept. however, i have a hard time finding things that i actually thought were good about it. i think that most of my issues with it are mostly because it kind of feels like a first draft? mild spoilers ahead.
i really, really liked the worldbuilding. i think it poses an interesting concept with the whole space colonialism thing and it's probably my favorite part of the book. that being said, it did feel a little bit too on the nose? like m quinn was doing a lot of telling instead of showing, a sort of "this is everything that's wrong with our world" statement over and over again that i feel like could have been done in a bit subtler way. that being said, it was really good, and this point is only minor, especially compared to the rest.
a few other people have pointed out that there's very little plot in the second act of the book and i couldn't agree more. it sort of feels like the book could have ended after (spoiler) also this point is really nitpicky, but it feels like m quinn has only a vague understanding of how revolutions are organized and the sort of work that goes into them. like, it's not just writing speeches. in any other book this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but given that the revolution is sort of the whole point of this series, it feels like a major oversight on her part. it made it difficult to actually root for their specific cause and movement because it didn't feel real or serious enough. i suspect that in the following books she'll flesh this out a bit more, but the first book has to be the one to pull your audience in, and this is something i think she could work on.
my absolute biggest problem with this book is the whole found family aspect. this was one of its major selling points on tiktok and to be entirely honest with you, the main reason why i bought it but it was extremely disappointing. the pacing of the relationships in this book, especially the friendship between nova and arthur, is just too fast, so it's really hard to believe that these people actually care about each other as much as they do. the whole point of the found family trope is that the people involved organically build their relationships. in this book, nova and arthur are almost immediately devoted to each other, and it's not satisfying because they've literally just met.
i really don't think m quinn is a bad writer. her prose is engaging and compelling and her descriptions of this world she's built are very well crafted. but all of the other elements of her book feel sort of rushed, like they need a couple of revisions more. the concepts are sound and definitely feel like they could work if she revised it.
it's not an unenjoyable read so i definitely recommend that you check it out if you're looking for some sci-fi social justice vibes. just don't get your hopes too high.
i really, really liked the worldbuilding. i think it poses an interesting concept with the whole space colonialism thing and it's probably my favorite part of the book. that being said, it did feel a little bit too on the nose? like m quinn was doing a lot of telling instead of showing, a sort of "this is everything that's wrong with our world" statement over and over again that i feel like could have been done in a bit subtler way. that being said, it was really good, and this point is only minor, especially compared to the rest.
a few other people have pointed out that there's very little plot in the second act of the book and i couldn't agree more. it sort of feels like the book could have ended after (spoiler) also this point is really nitpicky, but it feels like m quinn has only a vague understanding of how revolutions are organized and the sort of work that goes into them. like, it's not just writing speeches. in any other book this wouldn't be too much of a problem, but given that the revolution is sort of the whole point of this series, it feels like a major oversight on her part. it made it difficult to actually root for their specific cause and movement because it didn't feel real or serious enough. i suspect that in the following books she'll flesh this out a bit more, but the first book has to be the one to pull your audience in, and this is something i think she could work on.
my absolute biggest problem with this book is the whole found family aspect. this was one of its major selling points on tiktok and to be entirely honest with you, the main reason why i bought it but it was extremely disappointing. the pacing of the relationships in this book, especially the friendship between nova and arthur, is just too fast, so it's really hard to believe that these people actually care about each other as much as they do. the whole point of the found family trope is that the people involved organically build their relationships. in this book, nova and arthur are almost immediately devoted to each other, and it's not satisfying because they've literally just met.
i really don't think m quinn is a bad writer. her prose is engaging and compelling and her descriptions of this world she's built are very well crafted. but all of the other elements of her book feel sort of rushed, like they need a couple of revisions more. the concepts are sound and definitely feel like they could work if she revised it.
it's not an unenjoyable read so i definitely recommend that you check it out if you're looking for some sci-fi social justice vibes. just don't get your hopes too high.
May 19, 2022
I really enjoyed this book. I think it really embodies kind of Gen Z‘s views of the future and our approach to that. I think Sci-fi needs this sort of writing. It’s obviously a future far post climate change which is just called the crisis but you know it’s really obvious to us readers what that crisis actually was. I do think that sci-fi needs this sort of stuff, we need young sci-fi writers who are writing about the world post ecological collapse or climate inspired, environmental inspired fiction. It’s got a bunch of classic sci-fi elements and the world building is pretty solid. Also I did genuinely enjoy the story although it could use a bit more polish. I think there’s a lot of room for growth here and I think the writer has a lot of potential. I really liked the quotes at the beginning of each chapter, even more so after I figured out they were original. They definitely show the authors strength as a writer.
I’m not sure how I feel about the first person POV especially because it’s written as a sort of reflection or history but I will say that it doesn’t prevent suspense or spoil any story elements. It’s used well I’m just not sure I like that style.
Spoilery ish things below but nothing explicit.
I also really enjoyed the world building although I was very confused by that last part, especially by the boy in the union facility. His location and purpose made no sense to me, but I expect that it will be covered in the next book. The ending seems a bit abrupt, especially after introducing two new characters. I think the relationship between Arthur and Rosaline needed to be built out more before that plot arc happened because it felt a bit rushed and was lacking emotional impact. The entire last quarter feels a bit rushed actually but it introduced some really interesting new elements to the plot I’m excited to read about in the next book. Hopefully we get to more of the actual revolution because that aspect felt neglected, especially in the second half.
Notes to the author: I’d like to see Arthur talk about his experiences in the mines and the culture of the chirosapiendice… I can’t spell that. I’d also like to see them referred to as the name they have given themselves, whatever that may be, instead of a scientific name. I thinking seeing their POV and having them be involved in the revolution and narration would be super cool, because right now it’s a bit human centric. They’re an independent people and culture, not accessories to the human MCs. However, it makes sense if Nova and Arthur are the only narrators throughout the entire series.
I’m not sure how I feel about the first person POV especially because it’s written as a sort of reflection or history but I will say that it doesn’t prevent suspense or spoil any story elements. It’s used well I’m just not sure I like that style.
Spoilery ish things below but nothing explicit.
I also really enjoyed the world building although I was very confused by that last part, especially by the boy in the union facility. His location and purpose made no sense to me, but I expect that it will be covered in the next book. The ending seems a bit abrupt, especially after introducing two new characters. I think the relationship between Arthur and Rosaline needed to be built out more before that plot arc happened because it felt a bit rushed and was lacking emotional impact. The entire last quarter feels a bit rushed actually but it introduced some really interesting new elements to the plot I’m excited to read about in the next book. Hopefully we get to more of the actual revolution because that aspect felt neglected, especially in the second half.
Notes to the author: I’d like to see Arthur talk about his experiences in the mines and the culture of the chirosapiendice… I can’t spell that. I’d also like to see them referred to as the name they have given themselves, whatever that may be, instead of a scientific name. I thinking seeing their POV and having them be involved in the revolution and narration would be super cool, because right now it’s a bit human centric. They’re an independent people and culture, not accessories to the human MCs. However, it makes sense if Nova and Arthur are the only narrators throughout the entire series.
August 18, 2022
Está escrito como medio raro, aunque el vocabulario no es complejo (he leído libros mucho más difíciles en inglés) aún así había ciertos términos que no llegue a entender. Me chocaba que fuese relativamente simple en cuanto a complejidad pero de repente incluyera párrafos enrevesados sin ningún sentido ni propósito narrativo.
La historia en sí es bonita pero el desarrollo es súper forzado. Tienen muchas adversidades como el quedarse encerrados en la mina, cuando lo arrestan al final del libro, el medio ciborg que los persigue, no sé son muchas cosas que podrían haber salido mal pero que mágicamente todo los sale bien. Lo único que salió relativamente mal es cuando se cayó arthur a la mina que quedo cojo, tonto, sin memoria y manco, y desde ahí todo el libro se centra en recordarte lo mucho que le duele todo y lo malito que está.
Quiero saber que le pasa al final al marcianito Ve
👉🏻👈🏻
La historia en sí es bonita pero el desarrollo es súper forzado. Tienen muchas adversidades como el quedarse encerrados en la mina, cuando lo arrestan al final del libro, el medio ciborg que los persigue, no sé son muchas cosas que podrían haber salido mal pero que mágicamente todo los sale bien. Lo único que salió relativamente mal es cuando se cayó arthur a la mina que quedo cojo, tonto, sin memoria y manco, y desde ahí todo el libro se centra en recordarte lo mucho que le duele todo y lo malito que está.
Quiero saber que le pasa al final al marcianito Ve
👉🏻👈🏻
December 26, 2021
This book was a great read and I can't wait for the next one. It brilliantly combines sci-fi, coming of age, with just a touch of dystopia. A great read for a variety of people. The characters are so easy to love and the story really ignites a fire in your heart. I couldn't stop reading. So many lovely little details. All in all, an absolutely phenomenal book that I will be recommending to everyone forever. Well done M. Quinn.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews