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Darkship #1
Darkship Thieves
Athena Hera Sinistra never wanted to go to space.Never wanted see the eerie glow of the Powerpods. Never wanted to visit Circum Terra. She never had any interest in finding out the truth about the Darkships.
You always get what you don’t ask for. Which must have been why she woke up in the dark of shipnight, within the greater night of space in her father’s space cruiser, knowing that there was a stranger in her room. In a short time, after taking out the stranger—who turned out to be one of her father’s bodyguards up to no good, she was hurtling away from the ship in a lifeboat to get help.
But what she got instead would be the adventure of a lifetime and perhaps a whole new world—if she managed to survive….
A Prometheus Award Winning Novel, written by a USA Today Bestseller.
You always get what you don’t ask for. Which must have been why she woke up in the dark of shipnight, within the greater night of space in her father’s space cruiser, knowing that there was a stranger in her room. In a short time, after taking out the stranger—who turned out to be one of her father’s bodyguards up to no good, she was hurtling away from the ship in a lifeboat to get help.
But what she got instead would be the adventure of a lifetime and perhaps a whole new world—if she managed to survive….
A Prometheus Award Winning Novel, written by a USA Today Bestseller.
395 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2010
99 people are currently reading
1313 people want to read
About the author
Sarah A. Hoyt
202 books175 followersSarah A. Hoyt was born (and raised) in Portugal and now lives in Colorado with her husband, two sons, and a variable number of cats, depending on how many show up to beg on the door step.
In between lays the sort of resume that used to be de-rigueur for writers. She has never actually wrestled alligators, but she did at one point very briefly tie bows on bags of potpourri for a living. She has also washed dishes and ironed clothes for a living. Worst of all she was, for a long time, a multilingual scientific translator.
At some point, though, she got tired of making an honest living and started writing. She has over 30 published novels, in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography. Her short stories have been published in Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, and a number of anthologies from DAW and Baen. Her space-opera novel Darkship Thieves was the 2011 Prometheus Award Winner, and the third novel in the series, A Few Good Men, was a finalist for the honor. She also won the Dragon Award for Uncharted (with Kevin J. Anderson.)
a.k.a. Sarah D'Almeida
a.k.a. Elise Hyatt
a.k.a. Sarah Marqués
In between lays the sort of resume that used to be de-rigueur for writers. She has never actually wrestled alligators, but she did at one point very briefly tie bows on bags of potpourri for a living. She has also washed dishes and ironed clothes for a living. Worst of all she was, for a long time, a multilingual scientific translator.
At some point, though, she got tired of making an honest living and started writing. She has over 30 published novels, in science fiction, fantasy, mystery, historical mystery, historical fantasy and historical biography. Her short stories have been published in Analog, Asimov's, Amazing Stories, Weird Tales, and a number of anthologies from DAW and Baen. Her space-opera novel Darkship Thieves was the 2011 Prometheus Award Winner, and the third novel in the series, A Few Good Men, was a finalist for the honor. She also won the Dragon Award for Uncharted (with Kevin J. Anderson.)
a.k.a. Sarah D'Almeida
a.k.a. Elise Hyatt
a.k.a. Sarah Marqués
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
March 23, 2011
Yes, please! (Morrissey, not the cats.)
How did this escape my bestiality bookshelf?
The naked chick on the cover is taken hostage by a race of quasi cat people who were mutated eons ago for nefarious governmental purposes. They started their own planet. They also hate humans. The naked chick pretty much has to put up with her cat 'napper and his family if she doesn't want to get murdered. He has a dark past because his previous wife killed herself. Should she trust him with her own love? And get over the ick factor from sleeping with a cat man? (That last part is easier for her than the first part. She's turned on by the constantly mentioned iridescent eyes. She probably watched anime porn at home.)
I remember she's a bit like Jewel Staite's character on Firefly and ridiculously good with machines. She gets a job on her new home system/planet/thing (can't remember which it was. I think planet?) doing that. She loves it even though everyone pretty much mistrusts and hates her wannabe Howl from Howl's Moving Castle. He should've been named Meow.
That's pretty much all I remember. Oh, and I was embarrassed by the hideous cover. That's what I get for reading books because it has a romance with cat people.
I suck.
P.s. I remember the naked chick has daddy issues. She was kicked out of loads of fancy schools for being a troublemaker. Daddy tries to kill her and that's why she was in the middle of space nowhere for the cat guy to nab her.
January 28, 2015
You have to love a heroine named Athena Hera Sinistra. By the end of the first chapter, we've learned that our 19-year-old protagonist is the terror of everyone she's ever crossed paths with, capable of beating up professional mercenaries singlehandedly, and has a rack that makes men stop to stare in the middle of a crisis. A little Mary Sue-ish? Well, some of her preternatural abilities are explained later in the book, but yes, we've got some serious Heinleinian wish fulfillment going on here.
"Heinleinian" is not necessarily a bad thing. Darkship Thieves reads a lot like an homage to Heinlein's classic space operas, with hyper-competent, rather ruthless but ultimately moral protagonists sharing pithy words of wisdom and vaguely libertarian sentiments while kicking bad guys in the crotch.
Athena Hera Sinistra is the daughter of a Patrician, one of the "Goodmen" who rule Earth as an oligarchy. Spoiled, tempestuous, brilliant, beautiful, and dangerous, and with some series Daddy Issues, she finds herself seemingly being kidnapped aboard her own father's space yacht by his mercenary goons. She escapes, doing plenty of damage in the process, and runs into the "Energy Tree" that someone centuries ago created to float beyond Earth orbit and grow "power pods" which are harvested for Earth's energy needs.
Okay, the science is a little dodgy.
Athena gets picked up by one of the legendary "Darkship Thieves," who steal power pods and flee back to their secret base in the outer solar system. Carried off by the superhuman genetically-enhanced cat-man, Athena begins what is of course an inevitable kiss-kiss-slap romance with our futuristic space highwayman. She learns about their advanced asteroid, "Eden," run along vaguely anarcho-libertarian principles, and begins to become integrated into their society. Then her boy gets captured while making another power pod run, and she has to go back to Earth for a confrontation with Daddy Dearest, in which we learn all kinds of deep dark secrets about Earth's real history and Daddy's sinister plans for his little girl, and an entire gang of space biker allies is introduced in the final act.
Darkship Thieves was a fun romp. The writing is just okay and the story was, as I said, largely rehashed Heinlein, with a stronger romantic element, but if you like classic SF, this is a fairly well-executed tribute. 3.5 stars.
"Heinleinian" is not necessarily a bad thing. Darkship Thieves reads a lot like an homage to Heinlein's classic space operas, with hyper-competent, rather ruthless but ultimately moral protagonists sharing pithy words of wisdom and vaguely libertarian sentiments while kicking bad guys in the crotch.
Athena Hera Sinistra is the daughter of a Patrician, one of the "Goodmen" who rule Earth as an oligarchy. Spoiled, tempestuous, brilliant, beautiful, and dangerous, and with some series Daddy Issues, she finds herself seemingly being kidnapped aboard her own father's space yacht by his mercenary goons. She escapes, doing plenty of damage in the process, and runs into the "Energy Tree" that someone centuries ago created to float beyond Earth orbit and grow "power pods" which are harvested for Earth's energy needs.
Okay, the science is a little dodgy.
Athena gets picked up by one of the legendary "Darkship Thieves," who steal power pods and flee back to their secret base in the outer solar system. Carried off by the superhuman genetically-enhanced cat-man, Athena begins what is of course an inevitable kiss-kiss-slap romance with our futuristic space highwayman. She learns about their advanced asteroid, "Eden," run along vaguely anarcho-libertarian principles, and begins to become integrated into their society. Then her boy gets captured while making another power pod run, and she has to go back to Earth for a confrontation with Daddy Dearest, in which we learn all kinds of deep dark secrets about Earth's real history and Daddy's sinister plans for his little girl, and an entire gang of space biker allies is introduced in the final act.
Darkship Thieves was a fun romp. The writing is just okay and the story was, as I said, largely rehashed Heinlein, with a stronger romantic element, but if you like classic SF, this is a fairly well-executed tribute. 3.5 stars.
May 25, 2011
This is another book that I picked up for the Women of SciFi online book club. Despite reading a lot of science fiction I had not heard of this book and it’s doubtful I would have chosen it if it wasn’t on the reading list. The cover has beautiful artwork, but it doesn’t lead me to think the book is science fiction but instead screams fantasy. It’s not fantasy, it’s a space opera; there are no monsters, no one floating in space and for the most part everyone is wearing clothes. The book does span genres and while it definitely is scifi, it’s also a light romance and at times quirky and humorous.
Athena Hera Sinistra is on a routine trip with her father on his spaceship when an apparent mutiny takes place. She wakes in the middle of the night to find a stranger in her room. Outwitting the invaders she escapes in a lifepod seeking help. Unfortunately she heads right into the Powertree Ring, a dangerous area in space where the energy supply for Earth is produced. While trying to navigate the Powertrees she crashes into another ship hiding in the ring stealing power. The pilot of that ship, Kit, rescues her and brings her on board his ship. She soon finds out that he is from the colony of Eden, home to genetically enhanced descendents of earth that fled the planet years ago. Kit brings her back to Eden as a sort of half prisoner half guest. She wants to return to Earth and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I had zero expectations when I started it. Initially I found Thena annoying but once Kit entered the story it took off for me. It was fast paced, entertaining and fun with lots of action. It had good guys, bad guys, lots of adventure and romance, and I even liked the ending. Thena’s early annoying behavior becomes more understandable once we learn more about her past. The mystery surrounding her and her family became predictable toward the end but it didn’t matter because I was having fun with this book. The romantic relationship between Thena and Kit works; they both grew into better people because of each other.
Part of why I enjoyed this book is for what it wasn’t. A lot of the scifi coming out today is very depressing, gloomy, dystopian and often exists in a difficult to relate to world. Thena and Kit’s world was easy to understand and not too distant from something our world could become. A lot of this book reminded me of the older science fiction works of authors like Robert A. Heinlein. The author even dedicates this book to Heinlein who also wrote books with strong female lead characters like Athena.
I listened to the audio version. The narration was good although not excellent. I can’t really detail anything specifically wrong, but I know an excellent narration when I hear one. I would have no problem listening to another book by this narrator.
I would recommend Darkship Thieves to anyone who enjoys a light, fun read with a little romance and a strong female lead character. Even if you don’t read science fiction, give this one a chance. I was excited to find out there is a sequel coming out later this year called Darkship Renegade which I am looking forward to reading.
Athena Hera Sinistra is on a routine trip with her father on his spaceship when an apparent mutiny takes place. She wakes in the middle of the night to find a stranger in her room. Outwitting the invaders she escapes in a lifepod seeking help. Unfortunately she heads right into the Powertree Ring, a dangerous area in space where the energy supply for Earth is produced. While trying to navigate the Powertrees she crashes into another ship hiding in the ring stealing power. The pilot of that ship, Kit, rescues her and brings her on board his ship. She soon finds out that he is from the colony of Eden, home to genetically enhanced descendents of earth that fled the planet years ago. Kit brings her back to Eden as a sort of half prisoner half guest. She wants to return to Earth and will do whatever it takes to accomplish that.
I enjoyed this book a lot. I had zero expectations when I started it. Initially I found Thena annoying but once Kit entered the story it took off for me. It was fast paced, entertaining and fun with lots of action. It had good guys, bad guys, lots of adventure and romance, and I even liked the ending. Thena’s early annoying behavior becomes more understandable once we learn more about her past. The mystery surrounding her and her family became predictable toward the end but it didn’t matter because I was having fun with this book. The romantic relationship between Thena and Kit works; they both grew into better people because of each other.
Part of why I enjoyed this book is for what it wasn’t. A lot of the scifi coming out today is very depressing, gloomy, dystopian and often exists in a difficult to relate to world. Thena and Kit’s world was easy to understand and not too distant from something our world could become. A lot of this book reminded me of the older science fiction works of authors like Robert A. Heinlein. The author even dedicates this book to Heinlein who also wrote books with strong female lead characters like Athena.
I listened to the audio version. The narration was good although not excellent. I can’t really detail anything specifically wrong, but I know an excellent narration when I hear one. I would have no problem listening to another book by this narrator.
I would recommend Darkship Thieves to anyone who enjoys a light, fun read with a little romance and a strong female lead character. Even if you don’t read science fiction, give this one a chance. I was excited to find out there is a sequel coming out later this year called Darkship Renegade which I am looking forward to reading.
March 19, 2011
That book was phenomenal. I've not read something that bad for quite a while, I guess since I was 14, working my way through the sff shelf of our library, reading simply everything that came under my hands. The worldbuilding is sloppy, the plot that of a dime novel, the characters resemble cardboard figures, the style is between terrible and non-existent and everything is full of badly used tropes. I'm at loss where to start with examples of what went wrong with the book. Or how an editor might have let this thing through. Let me give you a few minor examples, since the big problems are too big and too many and would require a longer review than this book is worth of:
"Besides, all my shots for STDs were up to date"
-- this is not a pretty, but per se inconspicuous sentence. If it only weren't followed by another one half a page later:
"I was truly glad my STD shots were up to date."
-- yeah, yeah - I got it the first time. And even then the info was unnecessary! And things like this happen all the time.
Or another one: glass flowing? A simple look at wikipedia - I don't even speak of proper research - shows that this is an urban legend. Asteroid on irregular orbits? Yeah ... I dearly love science fiction when properly done, but there is only much disbelief I can suspend. This might have worked for a book written in the Golden Age of SF, but that was a few generations ago.
Or this: our heroine in naked and has to hide a burner. She cannot do so in her hair, because she does not have any at this point. So:
I hid the burned. Nobody's business where. Probably not nearly as thrilling as most people will think, but at any rate, it is a trade secret of sorts, and besides, I might need to hide it there again.
-- Erm, well - that's the laziest excuse I ever heard in a book when an author does not know how to manoeuvre out of a situation they themselves created.
And I don't even want to start on consistency - so does one need days or week to get to Circum? How hard and fire-resistant is dimatough? And so on.
In short: this book is a complete loss of time and money. Or also: one of those books which give SF its bad reputation. Pick another one - any other one, the chances that you'll get something better are very high.
"Besides, all my shots for STDs were up to date"
-- this is not a pretty, but per se inconspicuous sentence. If it only weren't followed by another one half a page later:
"I was truly glad my STD shots were up to date."
-- yeah, yeah - I got it the first time. And even then the info was unnecessary! And things like this happen all the time.
Or another one: glass flowing? A simple look at wikipedia - I don't even speak of proper research - shows that this is an urban legend. Asteroid on irregular orbits? Yeah ... I dearly love science fiction when properly done, but there is only much disbelief I can suspend. This might have worked for a book written in the Golden Age of SF, but that was a few generations ago.
Or this: our heroine in naked and has to hide a burner. She cannot do so in her hair, because she does not have any at this point. So:
I hid the burned. Nobody's business where. Probably not nearly as thrilling as most people will think, but at any rate, it is a trade secret of sorts, and besides, I might need to hide it there again.
-- Erm, well - that's the laziest excuse I ever heard in a book when an author does not know how to manoeuvre out of a situation they themselves created.
And I don't even want to start on consistency - so does one need days or week to get to Circum? How hard and fire-resistant is dimatough? And so on.
In short: this book is a complete loss of time and money. Or also: one of those books which give SF its bad reputation. Pick another one - any other one, the chances that you'll get something better are very high.
December 22, 2011
Hot damn! This is the best Heinlein book I've read in ages. It's certainly better than anything he's written since the 60's. It's "Podkayne of Mars" only she's all grown up. It's "Friday" only it's much better that that. It's a thrill a minute on every page. Our hero is paranoid and almost always correct. Great fun.
This is pure space opera. The science is minimal, but the characters are fun. The protagonist is a spoiled rich kid who is runs away when her Dad's minions try to kill her. She ends up with a band of honorable thieves and, of course, falling in love with the man she hates. She ends up having to go home and overthrow the rule of her father's peers and free the thieves, or something like that. The plot doesn't really matter; you read it for the ride, not the destination.
This is pure space opera. The science is minimal, but the characters are fun. The protagonist is a spoiled rich kid who is runs away when her Dad's minions try to kill her. She ends up with a band of honorable thieves and, of course, falling in love with the man she hates. She ends up having to go home and overthrow the rule of her father's peers and free the thieves, or something like that. The plot doesn't really matter; you read it for the ride, not the destination.
March 27, 2011
I read this for the Women in Science Fiction book club, and was pretty put off by the cover (which looks very trashy), but I thought it couldn't be that bad. But yes, it was pretty bad. Athena, our irritating heroine who has amazing abilities with machines, gets kidnapped by genetically altered humans, has to stay on their world for a while, heads back home, has a showdown with her evil father... that sounds kind of exciting, right? But the plotting either drags or races way too fast, the showdown that the entire novel builds up to takes about half a page, and the romance was awful (I disliked both characters, so I guess maybe that's what they saw in each other). Very disappointing.
December 27, 2012
I enjoyed the heck out of this book. It's old-school sci-fi evocative of Heinlein's juveniles, but with more grit and less social engineering. Hoyt gives us a plot that moves quickly and is full of unexpected detours without ever derailing the sense of purpose and discovery. But don't let me get away with implying that it's all about the plot. I really liked the characters, as well, and enjoyed seeing the two main characters learn to respect each other and forge the bond that they needed to weather the storms they faced.
April 16, 2013
Who wants to be blessed with the name Athena Hera Sinistra? Quite the mouthful. And so much heritage to live up to. I mean seriously . . . Athena? Hera? AND Sinistra?
At any rate . . . This is an intriguing story with some fascinating ideas. The story begins with Thena sleeping as she travels with her father aboard his spaceship. She is awakened by a stealthy intruder and manages to knock him out. She recognizes him as one of her father’s ‘thugs’. As she quietly investigates the remainder of the ship, she discovers her father in the medical bay, knocked out. She hears more ‘thugs’ searching for her, so she makes it to a lifepod and separates from the ship, thinking she will escape to Circum Terra and return to rescue her father. Unfortunately, her plan is thwarted as she hears a broadcast, in her father’s voice, saying that she is drugged up and having hallucinations. So, instead of Circum Terra, she flees into the dangerous powertrees. Once there, she literally runs into a Darkship, thought to be a myth, harvesting powerpods. The pilot, one Christopher (Kit) Bartolomeu Klaavil, an Enhanced Life Form (ELF) called a cat, enhanced to see in very dark conditions. . . . See . . . the Darkships need people who can see in the dark to pilot them . . .
Ahem. At any rate, ELF Cat Klaavil has now rescued an earthworm. Neither person’s parent planet is likely to welcome both of them. The Terrans believe the Darkships to be a myth. Even if they were real, they would not be welcome on Circum Terra as ELFing is against the law with the penalty of death. And, the Edenites are terrified the Terrans will discover their existence and wipe them out. Therein, our story actually begins as Thena tries to make a way for herself amongst the population of a planet that does not truly trust her and tries to find a way to go home.
The story proposes some very interesting ideas and reaches some very interesting conclusions about our, as a planet, inevitable future. It discusses the idea of a few men (and make no argument, they ARE men) governing and controlling a much larger population and the results of doing so. Eden, on the other hand, is governed by very little actual government. It has few laws (not even traffic laws!) and is, instead, guided by ‘tradition’. (The descriptions of Thena’s rides in the air cars are absolutely priceless, especially to those of us who have taught teens to drive.)
In addition, the narrative explores the morality of ELF and ‘bio’ing – basically genetically manipulation to achieve the desired fetus – and how the general population may (or may not) react to such things. The populations of the two planets are on polar opposites of the ideas, and it is engrossing to see the author’s viewpoints and resolutions. It also fascinates because, well, unfortunately, I see too much validity here. It is nice to see an author bringing my conspiracy theories to life. :D
I really enjoyed this story. I found it a refreshingly different, if not unique, approach to a tale. I mean, seriously, there are very few new ideas under the sun, and it is always fun to see an author take some ideas and wrap them up in different paper. Thena is a very scrappy young lady is quite used to fighting her way through situations. Even though she argued incessantly with her father and his rules, she desperately desires to make sure he is ok. Kit has a stable life, yet still has secrets he is not willing to share. You can probably guess where this leads. And, you would be correct. However, the ride along the way is enjoyable and both characters are quite likeable. The conversations have just enough snark to entertain me. And, I really liked the idea of ‘Eden’. Ms. Hoyt’s development of the refuge was fascinating and set my mind a jumping. I always appreciate a narrative that makes me think, “What if . . .?”
I give this book 4 stars. I’m holding off reading the next book until I see a synopsis for book three because I am not completely convinced I like where the story is going. I really like this story and its characters and hope to continue once book three is released.
As a very brief afterword, I have to wonder, how *I*, an avid *dog* person, keeps reading books about cats . . . Kitty Katt, wereCats, Cat Kit Klaavil . . . I suppose none of these situations would be better served by a canine reference . . . but still . . . .
At any rate . . . This is an intriguing story with some fascinating ideas. The story begins with Thena sleeping as she travels with her father aboard his spaceship. She is awakened by a stealthy intruder and manages to knock him out. She recognizes him as one of her father’s ‘thugs’. As she quietly investigates the remainder of the ship, she discovers her father in the medical bay, knocked out. She hears more ‘thugs’ searching for her, so she makes it to a lifepod and separates from the ship, thinking she will escape to Circum Terra and return to rescue her father. Unfortunately, her plan is thwarted as she hears a broadcast, in her father’s voice, saying that she is drugged up and having hallucinations. So, instead of Circum Terra, she flees into the dangerous powertrees. Once there, she literally runs into a Darkship, thought to be a myth, harvesting powerpods. The pilot, one Christopher (Kit) Bartolomeu Klaavil, an Enhanced Life Form (ELF) called a cat, enhanced to see in very dark conditions. . . . See . . . the Darkships need people who can see in the dark to pilot them . . .
Ahem. At any rate, ELF Cat Klaavil has now rescued an earthworm. Neither person’s parent planet is likely to welcome both of them. The Terrans believe the Darkships to be a myth. Even if they were real, they would not be welcome on Circum Terra as ELFing is against the law with the penalty of death. And, the Edenites are terrified the Terrans will discover their existence and wipe them out. Therein, our story actually begins as Thena tries to make a way for herself amongst the population of a planet that does not truly trust her and tries to find a way to go home.
The story proposes some very interesting ideas and reaches some very interesting conclusions about our, as a planet, inevitable future. It discusses the idea of a few men (and make no argument, they ARE men) governing and controlling a much larger population and the results of doing so. Eden, on the other hand, is governed by very little actual government. It has few laws (not even traffic laws!) and is, instead, guided by ‘tradition’. (The descriptions of Thena’s rides in the air cars are absolutely priceless, especially to those of us who have taught teens to drive.)
In addition, the narrative explores the morality of ELF and ‘bio’ing – basically genetically manipulation to achieve the desired fetus – and how the general population may (or may not) react to such things. The populations of the two planets are on polar opposites of the ideas, and it is engrossing to see the author’s viewpoints and resolutions. It also fascinates because, well, unfortunately, I see too much validity here. It is nice to see an author bringing my conspiracy theories to life. :D
I really enjoyed this story. I found it a refreshingly different, if not unique, approach to a tale. I mean, seriously, there are very few new ideas under the sun, and it is always fun to see an author take some ideas and wrap them up in different paper. Thena is a very scrappy young lady is quite used to fighting her way through situations. Even though she argued incessantly with her father and his rules, she desperately desires to make sure he is ok. Kit has a stable life, yet still has secrets he is not willing to share. You can probably guess where this leads. And, you would be correct. However, the ride along the way is enjoyable and both characters are quite likeable. The conversations have just enough snark to entertain me. And, I really liked the idea of ‘Eden’. Ms. Hoyt’s development of the refuge was fascinating and set my mind a jumping. I always appreciate a narrative that makes me think, “What if . . .?”
I give this book 4 stars. I’m holding off reading the next book until I see a synopsis for book three because I am not completely convinced I like where the story is going. I really like this story and its characters and hope to continue once book three is released.
As a very brief afterword, I have to wonder, how *I*, an avid *dog* person, keeps reading books about cats . . . Kitty Katt, wereCats, Cat Kit Klaavil . . . I suppose none of these situations would be better served by a canine reference . . . but still . . . .
November 2, 2013
I have to admit, I did not have huge expectations for this book based on the synopsis, mainly because plucky female action heroes just don't appeal to me. However, I have been a great admirer of Sarah Hoyt's blog for quite a while now, so I decided to give it a try, and in the end I'm very happy I did. The story, in spite of starting with a bang, takes quite a while to get fully going. However, the world building is interesting, the romance part is much sweeter than the punchy tone of the narration would lead you to believe, and the Big Reveal at the end is, well, BIG. My one major quibble is that there are several great characters introduced towards the end of the story, only to be left behind without us knowing their fate. There are two sequels set in the same world, so I'm hoping my questions will all be answered eventually. Over-abundance of interesting characters and potential side-track stories is not necessarily a bad problem for an author to have, but it did leave me somewhat frustrated. On the bright side, the final line of the book has to be one of the greatest ever and is a perfect reminder of everything that is in fact right with this story and this author.
Recommended to fans of sci-fi and/or romance. I have seen a lot of Heinlein comparisons in other reviews, and noticed some similarities myself, both in the dry sense of humor and in some of the world-building details, but this is definitely a writer with a voice of her own.
Recommended to fans of sci-fi and/or romance. I have seen a lot of Heinlein comparisons in other reviews, and noticed some similarities myself, both in the dry sense of humor and in some of the world-building details, but this is definitely a writer with a voice of her own.
November 30, 2010
I was enjoying this right up until she started with the weird gender essentialist libertarian politics. I *hope* the politics were just part of her Heinlein homage, but I am none too sure. Also, the heroine is *deeply* unlikeable, and while I don't demand perfect characters, I do need them to have a certain basic ability not to drive me screaming out of the room within 50 pages.
April 1, 2015
I wavered between one and two stars on this. Two because I have read worse. But it just. isn't. good.
The opening scene was pretty good. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Thena, as a character, was wholly unsympathetic. At times, she presented as a sociopath but not one with any redeeming qualities. Her inner thought processes took up most of the book so instead of reading about what she did, I got to read about what she thought about doing before she did it. That got old pretty quickly. Also, I got tired of her always mentioning how much faster she was than everyone else. And how good she was with mechanics. I stopped caring early on.
Cat, sadly, languished for most of the novel. He could have been more interesting; he actually had a few scenes that made me curious about him. Alas, he was pretty much relegated to Most Often Used Prop To Showcase Thena's Awesomeness And Growth. Except, Thena wasn't awesome nor did she really seem to grow as a person.
Eden could have also been great. The time she spent there was a little better to read simply because I kept hoping for something to tie everything together. Hoyt kept hinting at some huge conspiracy or secret or something but I never felt that she delivered. And when the information does eventually get revealed, it was done so in such an off-hand manner that I didn't realise it at first. Very anticlimactic.
The whole Earth bit at the end felt tacked on and rushed. It almost felt as though Hoyt originally intended to drag the story out over more than one book but then changed her mind and crammed it all into one. The big reveals were not big at all and done in such a way that I still don't understand what the fuss was about.
Overall, I'm left with more questions than answers. While this can sometimes be the mark of a good book because it provokes thought over issues or concepts or just the sheer brilliance of writing such a well-imagined world, in this case it is simply because I felt that nothing made any sense. There were so many contradictions, so many poorly explained things in the world building (just what are the brooms, exactly? how can she fly on one and yet keep it on her belt? does it magically expand? how does she steal one if it's so small?) that I was confused for most of the book. I had to skim the last hundred pages or so just to get through it all in the hopes that it would be explained. It wasn't. Or, rather, it wasn't explained well.
I did read this after the Paradox trilogy - book 1 is Fortune's Pawn - which did live up to the hype and really delivered great world building and an engaging storyline. Perhaps some of my disappointment with Darkship Thieves is because it couldn't live up to the awesomeness Rachel Bach delivered in her stories.
The opening scene was pretty good. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. Thena, as a character, was wholly unsympathetic. At times, she presented as a sociopath but not one with any redeeming qualities. Her inner thought processes took up most of the book so instead of reading about what she did, I got to read about what she thought about doing before she did it. That got old pretty quickly. Also, I got tired of her always mentioning how much faster she was than everyone else. And how good she was with mechanics. I stopped caring early on.
Cat, sadly, languished for most of the novel. He could have been more interesting; he actually had a few scenes that made me curious about him. Alas, he was pretty much relegated to Most Often Used Prop To Showcase Thena's Awesomeness And Growth. Except, Thena wasn't awesome nor did she really seem to grow as a person.
Eden could have also been great. The time she spent there was a little better to read simply because I kept hoping for something to tie everything together. Hoyt kept hinting at some huge conspiracy or secret or something but I never felt that she delivered. And when the information does eventually get revealed, it was done so in such an off-hand manner that I didn't realise it at first. Very anticlimactic.
The whole Earth bit at the end felt tacked on and rushed. It almost felt as though Hoyt originally intended to drag the story out over more than one book but then changed her mind and crammed it all into one. The big reveals were not big at all and done in such a way that I still don't understand what the fuss was about.
Overall, I'm left with more questions than answers. While this can sometimes be the mark of a good book because it provokes thought over issues or concepts or just the sheer brilliance of writing such a well-imagined world, in this case it is simply because I felt that nothing made any sense. There were so many contradictions, so many poorly explained things in the world building (just what are the brooms, exactly? how can she fly on one and yet keep it on her belt? does it magically expand? how does she steal one if it's so small?) that I was confused for most of the book. I had to skim the last hundred pages or so just to get through it all in the hopes that it would be explained. It wasn't. Or, rather, it wasn't explained well.
I did read this after the Paradox trilogy - book 1 is Fortune's Pawn - which did live up to the hype and really delivered great world building and an engaging storyline. Perhaps some of my disappointment with Darkship Thieves is because it couldn't live up to the awesomeness Rachel Bach delivered in her stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2015
I liked parts of this book.
This book is not well-written. It very badly needed a good editor.
I did not like the beginning of this book. The poor writing was very much getting to me and I did not like the main character, Athena Hera Sinistra. And that name, I mean, come on. At least her nickname, Thena, was better. And that cover? *shudder*
I read this book for the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club. So when I decided to give up on it at about p. 70 or so, I went on the Goodreads forum for the group to see what other people thought of the book. I read some other members of the book club had similar responses to the book, though many stuck with the story and said it got better; that is, the story got better, but NOT the writing. One person recommended to "treat this book like you would a dumb action movie – the premise is weak, but it's all right if you just lower your expectations, sit back, and enjoy the explosions." Also, the wordbuilding was supposed to be interesting and good.
With this in mind, I picked it back up and powered through it, skimming often, while laying all day in bed to rest my messed-up hip.
The wordbuiling is interesting and I liked it. I am glad that I finished the book, for the story. Because the writing NEVER GOT BETTER.
I liked Kit, Thena's bioengineered love interest. I groaned when he was initially introduced, since the bioengineering made him look like a cat in certain aspects. I accepted that rather quickly, though, and ended up very much enjoying his character and his relationship with Thena. And Kit had a good influence on Thena's character, thank goodness. I liked Thena more once she found someone to love and who loved her.
Despite liking parts of this book, I would not pick up more books by this author and possibly not from this publisher.
This book is not well-written. It very badly needed a good editor.
I did not like the beginning of this book. The poor writing was very much getting to me and I did not like the main character, Athena Hera Sinistra. And that name, I mean, come on. At least her nickname, Thena, was better. And that cover? *shudder*
I read this book for the Vaginal Fantasy Book Club. So when I decided to give up on it at about p. 70 or so, I went on the Goodreads forum for the group to see what other people thought of the book. I read some other members of the book club had similar responses to the book, though many stuck with the story and said it got better; that is, the story got better, but NOT the writing. One person recommended to "treat this book like you would a dumb action movie – the premise is weak, but it's all right if you just lower your expectations, sit back, and enjoy the explosions." Also, the wordbuilding was supposed to be interesting and good.
With this in mind, I picked it back up and powered through it, skimming often, while laying all day in bed to rest my messed-up hip.
The wordbuiling is interesting and I liked it. I am glad that I finished the book, for the story. Because the writing NEVER GOT BETTER.
I liked Kit, Thena's bioengineered love interest. I groaned when he was initially introduced, since the bioengineering made him look like a cat in certain aspects. I accepted that rather quickly, though, and ended up very much enjoying his character and his relationship with Thena. And Kit had a good influence on Thena's character, thank goodness. I liked Thena more once she found someone to love and who loved her.
Despite liking parts of this book, I would not pick up more books by this author and possibly not from this publisher.
June 26, 2012
DarkShip Thieves is a fun space opera adventure. I've tried reading it once before and I think I just wasn't in the right mood for it then because I devoured it this time and it was an easy quick read.
Then Sinestra is the daughter of one of the Good Men, the ruling class on a far future earth long after current systems have collapsed. On what should be a routine trip she's attacked in her Father's ship and ends up fleeing into the power pod rings and finding a darkship...something she's heard of but hadn't really believed in. From here she's drawn on a fun adventure to determine who she is, who her friend Kit is and the politics and intrigues of her Father and the other Good Men.
This isn't a perfect book and there are several holes I could poke, however it remained internally consistent and she kept the plot moving well enough that the holes didn't throw me out of the story. The exception is the progression of the romance. Don't get me wrong I wanted the hero and heroine to get together, but it feels like from the point they do until the end of the book the story slows down and I don't feel the same connection between them. I want that grr in the relationship, to see the fire after they've gotten together not just in the foreplay. I do like the politics though, and the ending is satisfying. I'd read it again. :)
Then Sinestra is the daughter of one of the Good Men, the ruling class on a far future earth long after current systems have collapsed. On what should be a routine trip she's attacked in her Father's ship and ends up fleeing into the power pod rings and finding a darkship...something she's heard of but hadn't really believed in. From here she's drawn on a fun adventure to determine who she is, who her friend Kit is and the politics and intrigues of her Father and the other Good Men.
This isn't a perfect book and there are several holes I could poke, however it remained internally consistent and she kept the plot moving well enough that the holes didn't throw me out of the story. The exception is the progression of the romance. Don't get me wrong I wanted the hero and heroine to get together, but it feels like from the point they do until the end of the book the story slows down and I don't feel the same connection between them. I want that grr in the relationship, to see the fire after they've gotten together not just in the foreplay. I do like the politics though, and the ending is satisfying. I'd read it again. :)
March 8, 2015
I give the first half a 4, the second half a 2. I wanted more Kit and Athena in space or Eden. The Lair, rescue, and return fell completely flat for me.
December 29, 2016
Not for me! Stalled out early. OK, I *hated* it. Dumb romance disguised as SF. I even bought a copy!
March 8, 2011
This book ended up being a bit up and down, but overall I really liked it.
It stared off well, then seemed to slow a bit (although not in a bad way) when Athena got to Eden. At that point, I could see it turning into SF Romance, and while I don't mind that at all, it wasn't exactly what I had been expecting.
But I was wrong. While the romance is there, it's nicely done and not dwelled upon on its own account too much. Instead, the SF plot begins to build up, tying in a lot of threads that I had thought were only background world-building, into a generally satisfying whole.
I did especially enjoy the parts back on Earth where Thena began to put all the pieces together and work out what was really going on. I did think she was a little slow on the uptake, as I'd worked out the basics (although I admit, not the specifics) back when she was on Eden, but I can also kind of see how they were pieces her back brain probably didn't want to put together, so I'll forgive it.
However, after all that excellent third quarter or more, it all seemed to resolve very easily and suddenly. I was reading the ebook and keeping a mild eye on my progress through the book. I had seen that part three started at something like chapter 46, with another 6 or 7 chapters to go to get to the end. That meant I was very surprised to find I was at over 90% of the book when I was still in the early 40s, chapter wise and in the middle of the action on Earth. I was wondering how Ms Hoyt was going to tie everything up and get them resuced and home again in the short space left.
Very quickly, turned out to be the answer. Suddenly escape becomes easy, the villain is dealt with with surprising speed (and really, very little action on the part of the main protagonists) and they're off home, to end on an ironic note, rather than a satisfying one.
Yes, finishing with the same officious controller was clever, but I wanted to see the family's reaction to having them back, and Doc Bartholomeu's response to all they had learned. Not to mention, whatever the heck is happening back on Earth and where the other Mules might have gone.
If this is the beginning of a series, hopefully I'll still learn those things, but for a standalone, the ending didn't work for me.
All the same, I really enjoyed myself reading this one. I loved the world Ms Hoyt created (and in a way, I'm not sure why) and the characters (well, I had a love/hate relationship with Thena, but I loved Kit and I want to see how they both live beyond the parental legacies they were given). I'll happily read more books by her, but next time, I really would like a more satisfying ending please.
It stared off well, then seemed to slow a bit (although not in a bad way) when Athena got to Eden. At that point, I could see it turning into SF Romance, and while I don't mind that at all, it wasn't exactly what I had been expecting.
But I was wrong. While the romance is there, it's nicely done and not dwelled upon on its own account too much. Instead, the SF plot begins to build up, tying in a lot of threads that I had thought were only background world-building, into a generally satisfying whole.
I did especially enjoy the parts back on Earth where Thena began to put all the pieces together and work out what was really going on. I did think she was a little slow on the uptake, as I'd worked out the basics (although I admit, not the specifics) back when she was on Eden, but I can also kind of see how they were pieces her back brain probably didn't want to put together, so I'll forgive it.
However, after all that excellent third quarter or more, it all seemed to resolve very easily and suddenly. I was reading the ebook and keeping a mild eye on my progress through the book. I had seen that part three started at something like chapter 46, with another 6 or 7 chapters to go to get to the end. That meant I was very surprised to find I was at over 90% of the book when I was still in the early 40s, chapter wise and in the middle of the action on Earth. I was wondering how Ms Hoyt was going to tie everything up and get them resuced and home again in the short space left.
Very quickly, turned out to be the answer. Suddenly escape becomes easy, the villain is dealt with with surprising speed (and really, very little action on the part of the main protagonists) and they're off home, to end on an ironic note, rather than a satisfying one.
Yes, finishing with the same officious controller was clever, but I wanted to see the family's reaction to having them back, and Doc Bartholomeu's response to all they had learned. Not to mention, whatever the heck is happening back on Earth and where the other Mules might have gone.
If this is the beginning of a series, hopefully I'll still learn those things, but for a standalone, the ending didn't work for me.
All the same, I really enjoyed myself reading this one. I loved the world Ms Hoyt created (and in a way, I'm not sure why) and the characters (well, I had a love/hate relationship with Thena, but I loved Kit and I want to see how they both live beyond the parental legacies they were given). I'll happily read more books by her, but next time, I really would like a more satisfying ending please.
April 10, 2013
I think this book had a lot of unrealized potential, but for starters, I was distracted by the first person viewpoint in the present tense throughout the story. I guess I just prefer third person past tense. Aside from that, I found the main characters to be, for lack of a better word, flighty. They were inconsistent in their conversations and motivations, which made it difficult for me to empathize with them and their relationship. I found myself just wanting to smack them both at times. I guess it could be an age thing, because the characters are quite young and their immaturity and inexperience should be taken into account, but both lived pretty extraordinary lives, and to my mind at least, that should have resulted in a more mature headspace for them both. I'm especially directing that at Thena. I also found that some of the scenes felt like they took too many pages - Thena deliberating what her next moves would be, describing how they might turn out, describing how the same moves turned out in the past, and then finally getting around to doing those moves now. But then what I'd expect to be major events, like her dual with Joseph and the wedding/honeymoon were given only a few words each and thus made to feel inconsequential to the story.
I guess overall, I kind of feel like this story needed more beta readers and editing. It feels like it's still a rough draft in parts. I actually found myself so aggravated that I was just skimming through pages to get through scenes that felt dragged out to me, and that is not something I normally do, at all. I usually savor each word in books.
I do think that the author has talent and I think that the world she's created is very interesting. I would just like to see how this book might have turned out if more eyes had been on it prior to final publication. YMMV.
I guess overall, I kind of feel like this story needed more beta readers and editing. It feels like it's still a rough draft in parts. I actually found myself so aggravated that I was just skimming through pages to get through scenes that felt dragged out to me, and that is not something I normally do, at all. I usually savor each word in books.
I do think that the author has talent and I think that the world she's created is very interesting. I would just like to see how this book might have turned out if more eyes had been on it prior to final publication. YMMV.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
August 24, 2015Darkship Thieves is narrated by the 19-year-old heroine, who has the fighting skills of a professional soldier and the tech know-how of an engineer. And, oh yes, her breasts can short-circuit the male brain. (I am not making this up.) She tends to run around with very little clothing on, making it easy to outwit the bad guys by flashing them.
As a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, David Weber, and other SF authors who write strong, capable female characters, I wanted to smack the heroine and send her back to the 1960s, where she belongs. Even though I liked her love interest, I had to give up about two-thirds of the way through. Just too ridiculous.
As if the over-the-top heroine wasn't enough, the science is laughable. A major plot point is control over the "powerpods" that grow from "powertrees" in space. In a vacuum. There's no explanation for this phenomenon. The heroine has "no idea" how they work. They just do. Apparently no one understands how they work, yet they're the basis for the entire civilization of Earth and its technology.
If your idea of defensive weaponry is gravity-defying breasts, you might like Darkship Thieves. It's a light-weight romp with some romance and a few spaceships and asteroids thrown in. But if Honor Harrington, Cordelia Naismith, and Sirantha Jax are what you're after, look elsewhere.
DNF, so no rating.
As a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold, David Weber, and other SF authors who write strong, capable female characters, I wanted to smack the heroine and send her back to the 1960s, where she belongs. Even though I liked her love interest, I had to give up about two-thirds of the way through. Just too ridiculous.
As if the over-the-top heroine wasn't enough, the science is laughable. A major plot point is control over the "powerpods" that grow from "powertrees" in space. In a vacuum. There's no explanation for this phenomenon. The heroine has "no idea" how they work. They just do. Apparently no one understands how they work, yet they're the basis for the entire civilization of Earth and its technology.
If your idea of defensive weaponry is gravity-defying breasts, you might like Darkship Thieves. It's a light-weight romp with some romance and a few spaceships and asteroids thrown in. But if Honor Harrington, Cordelia Naismith, and Sirantha Jax are what you're after, look elsewhere.
DNF, so no rating.
flipped-to-the-end
December 30, 2012Reading a lot of Bujold lately put me in the mood for something in the same vein, and unfortunately everything's falling way too short for my Bujold-refined standards.
The start of this book is full of adrenaline, highly pacey, with Athena's dramatic escape from her father's ship. I didn't particularly warm to Athena - spoiled, rebellious and privileged, she was full of chutzpah and bravado, telling us over and over how people were afraid of her, how she was deadly and battle-hardened from her childhood of riding brooms and getting herself chucked into psych wards. Cynical, unloving, trusting no-one. But while I didn't like her, I was certainly interested in why she was attacked on her father's ship and what was going on.
And then she meets her love interest, who immediately bests her in combat, and keeps explaining stuff to her. And the pace fell away completely, and all my cares with it. I pushed on for a while, but it just didn't work for me. I suspect readers in a less critical mood, without those particular negative triggers (I _loathe_ "love interest bests me in battle"), will enjoy this a lot more than me.
I think I'm going to have to re-read something I remember enjoying to satisfy my need for SF.
The start of this book is full of adrenaline, highly pacey, with Athena's dramatic escape from her father's ship. I didn't particularly warm to Athena - spoiled, rebellious and privileged, she was full of chutzpah and bravado, telling us over and over how people were afraid of her, how she was deadly and battle-hardened from her childhood of riding brooms and getting herself chucked into psych wards. Cynical, unloving, trusting no-one. But while I didn't like her, I was certainly interested in why she was attacked on her father's ship and what was going on.
And then she meets her love interest, who immediately bests her in combat, and keeps explaining stuff to her. And the pace fell away completely, and all my cares with it. I pushed on for a while, but it just didn't work for me. I suspect readers in a less critical mood, without those particular negative triggers (I _loathe_ "love interest bests me in battle"), will enjoy this a lot more than me.
I think I'm going to have to re-read something I remember enjoying to satisfy my need for SF.
September 30, 2012
This book is... erratic. It jumps around from place to place, but not all the time. Just, sometimes, out of nowhere, with almost no transition, suddenly the setting changes. That's odd, but not horrible.
What is horrible is that the author doesn't seem to know the character they're writing. Is she a somewhat spoiled princess-y brat? Is she a legendary space-biker chick? Does she have any opinions that aren't handed to her by other people? Who knows?!
Honestly, I feel like there's a lot of potential for the setting. The whole 'genetic purity versus genetic modification' thing is interesting, thought largely ignored. The politics of Earth and Eden could be interesting, but we're pretty much just told that Eden is right and Earth is wrong because governments are bad. The characters that COULD be interesting get no screen time, and the characters that really seem like empty shells hog the limelight.
I wish I could like this book, I really do. I just... don't.
Points for the original idea on how to create a plot device in space. A space tree that grows nuclear power cells. That's clever.
What is horrible is that the author doesn't seem to know the character they're writing. Is she a somewhat spoiled princess-y brat? Is she a legendary space-biker chick? Does she have any opinions that aren't handed to her by other people? Who knows?!
Honestly, I feel like there's a lot of potential for the setting. The whole 'genetic purity versus genetic modification' thing is interesting, thought largely ignored. The politics of Earth and Eden could be interesting, but we're pretty much just told that Eden is right and Earth is wrong because governments are bad. The characters that COULD be interesting get no screen time, and the characters that really seem like empty shells hog the limelight.
I wish I could like this book, I really do. I just... don't.
Points for the original idea on how to create a plot device in space. A space tree that grows nuclear power cells. That's clever.
April 12, 2019
I am not satisfied with this novel.
Points to take in account before reading this book...
a)Dull heroine.
b)Mediocre world building.
c)Very interesting plot.
d) Confusing and irrelevant events.
e)All characters in the book, even the heroine, feel like empty shallow decorations. You don't bond or get to know them.
d) I found the writers style not to my taste.
Despite all that...Still finished it recently.
One star for the plot and the second for effort. I bid you farewell and hope your future reads are fab!
Points to take in account before reading this book...
a)Dull heroine.
b)Mediocre world building.
c)Very interesting plot.
d) Confusing and irrelevant events.
e)All characters in the book, even the heroine, feel like empty shallow decorations. You don't bond or get to know them.
d) I found the writers style not to my taste.
Despite all that...Still finished it recently.
One star for the plot and the second for effort. I bid you farewell and hope your future reads are fab!
January 8, 2010
That's it. I am officially in love with this book. Which is great, because I haven't felt this way for a long time.
Athena is a package of snark, kickass and superspeed-fast heroine you can't help but like. There are so much twists and turns in the story and pages of heart-stopping action and suspense. I didn't feel like it was an information dump, although sometimes I had to read slowly to absorb the details, but it was such a great read and page-turner.
I felt that the romantic development was just right, and I had quite a couple of favourite quotes and moments between Kit and Athena. I loved the other characters, although I only got to know some of them towards the end of the book, and I wanted to read more about them.
That being said, the world Sarah A. Hoyt created is wonderful and worth the read, so I'm giving it 5 stars.
This book is filled with romance, adventure and more. And as the author said, this is urban fantasy in space.
Athena is a package of snark, kickass and superspeed-fast heroine you can't help but like. There are so much twists and turns in the story and pages of heart-stopping action and suspense. I didn't feel like it was an information dump, although sometimes I had to read slowly to absorb the details, but it was such a great read and page-turner.
I felt that the romantic development was just right, and I had quite a couple of favourite quotes and moments between Kit and Athena. I loved the other characters, although I only got to know some of them towards the end of the book, and I wanted to read more about them.
That being said, the world Sarah A. Hoyt created is wonderful and worth the read, so I'm giving it 5 stars.
This book is filled with romance, adventure and more. And as the author said, this is urban fantasy in space.
September 3, 2021
(If I knew this author was a key person in the Sad Puppies voting campaign before I would not have picked this book, but as it is I won't be supporting this author in the future.)
I won't be continuing the series.
I won't be continuing the series.
January 17, 2010
I wish I could give this book half-stars, because I'd give it 3-1/2. The mostly nekkid woman on the cover should have been a give-away that it was a space romance, and not just sci-fi. Heh. Overall, I did enjoy the story, and much of the writing was tight and interesting. I felt that the ending could have been fleshed out a little bit though. For all the detail she gives on planning and fighting, to have an entire part of the wrap-up just be skipped, then resolved... it felt a little bit like when you fall asleep during a movie, miss 20 minutes, then ask what happened and have the answer be, "oh you know, the good guys got away, the bad guys got blown up, yadda yadda."
But yeah, I'd recommend it. Fun read.
But yeah, I'd recommend it. Fun read.
August 15, 2015
DNF. I got about 90 pages in and then flipped to the end to see if this was going to ever get better. Scary bad dreck. I tossed it.
Ok why so bad? Well, it's basically Heinlein fan fic... Which I guess might not be so bad, except for its got all the sleazy letcherous attitudes towards women he did. Sure, the heroine can be an action figure, as long as she is also super-sexy and half dressed. So, the first action we see our heroine in, she is wearing nothing but a teeny silk nighty, which gets slashed down the front, so her oversized perky breasts are showing, as she beats up bad guys.
It's a teenaged boy's wet dream and I'm disturbed that a woman - an adult woman - wrote it!
Excuse me while I go wipe the slime off my reading glasses.
Ok why so bad? Well, it's basically Heinlein fan fic... Which I guess might not be so bad, except for its got all the sleazy letcherous attitudes towards women he did. Sure, the heroine can be an action figure, as long as she is also super-sexy and half dressed. So, the first action we see our heroine in, she is wearing nothing but a teeny silk nighty, which gets slashed down the front, so her oversized perky breasts are showing, as she beats up bad guys.
It's a teenaged boy's wet dream and I'm disturbed that a woman - an adult woman - wrote it!
Excuse me while I go wipe the slime off my reading glasses.
August 8, 2016
This was a lot of fun to read. Nineteen year old Athena is a fighter, and from the first lines of the book where she wakes up knowing that someone is in her room through the last scene with "Daddy Dearest" she never lets us down. She breaks out of her room in that first scene, hops a life pod thing off her father's ship, and crashes into a Darkship piloted by twenty-two year old Kit. Little bit of a rocky start there but soon the two of them straighten things out. Many adventures ensue. I found this story non-stop entertainment and touchingly romantic. I'll be reading the continuation in Darkship Renegades.
February 17, 2010
I really enjoyed this science fiction romance/space opera adventure novel. You start out thinking you shouldn't like Athena, the female protagonist, but you just do. The woman won't quit. And Kit, her love interest, very fun! Their quirky romance is fun (no sex scenes and very light sexual tension). A bit on the dark side, but good storytelling.
May 11, 2012
Yay for the library because I probably would have never read this otherwise. You know it's a good book when you immediately go looking for possible sequels. I was in the mood for SF romance and this fitted the bill perfectly. Strong romance (Kit was fantastic!), and I loved the world-building and plot. I was engrossed from the first page to the last.
July 14, 2015
This was a fun read. Was a little nervous a first about another space-cat, but I liked the back story, it ended up being original (or at least new to me). The broomer stuff was a little off for me. but overall I enjoyed it and will prov read the next one sometime in the future.
March 10, 2011
This is the March book for the Women of SF Book Club, and I was really quite excited about reading it. Check out that cover! It's a 2010 book, but it looks delightfully pulpy, doesn't it? I was rather hoping that, being written by a woman and with a woman like that on the cover, this was going to be a good, maybe feminist, take on the old pulps: a good adventure with a strong, doughty female character as the lead. After the first two book club books - Dust and The Dispossessed - I was hoping that this book would be a bit more plot-heavy, a bit more adventure-y, a bit more... classic SF, I guess.
I was disappointed.
Some spoilers ahead.
I was disappointed from the outset, because the lead character - Athena Hera Sinistra - seems rather too preoccupied with her body, and especially her boobs. Now I have no problem with characters being concerned with body image; it's an entirely appropriate subject matter to be dealt with. But this novel is written in the first person, and I found Sinistra's discussion of her own body rather too much like what might come from a fairly juvenile male writer; it felt uncomfortably like she was objectifying herself, and not in an ironic way. Sinistra disappointed for most of the novel, frankly. She had the makings of a very interesting character: headstrong, with a difficult family life, some awesomely non-stereotypical skills, and a habit of kicking men in the balls. But... but. She suffered from a rather egregious problem, which was not really her fault: poor writing. She just was not believable. What could have been entertaining snark fell flat; what could have been an ironic take on the adventuring spacefarer that I was anticipating fell flat; what could have been a fascinating look at a strong woman in a man's world just got boring. And the other characters suffered from the same problem; they were far too 2D for the book to be engaging.*
Despite the book being set some fuzzy many years in the future, the world is indeed still a man's world - even more than it is today. That's a little disappointing, and it's not actually explained very well why that should be the case. And this was another aspect that was disappointing: the world-building. The small amount of history that is dished out over the course of the entire novel is really quite fascinating, and it was one of my favourite parts; I would probably read the book about her posited 21st/22nd century. But the world as it exists in this novel... doesn't get fleshed out enough. The world of the darkship thieves - where Athena finds herself for a while - is an interesting contrast to Earth, both in the novel and today, but it too isn't fleshed out very much. Coming after The Dispossessed I was perhaps always going to be let down by the lack of politics, but there's little explanation at all for how the place manages to exist, and less about why it exists as it does.
I was disappointed by the plot, and that's really what makes me sad. I could handle the characters being a bit flat, and I could handle skimpy world-building, if only the plot had zinged along at an exciting pace and had really great climaxes, reveals, and drama. But it didn't. It's not that the plot dragged; its problem was quite the opposite. Events happened at such a dizzying pace, in some sections, that you barely had time to draw breath - but they weren't events that should have happened that quickly. I can understand a battle, or a series of decisions, happening at a breathtaking pace - if they're well-written. Here, they were often events that would have been better off either being given very little space and therefore importance, or attended to with more leisurely writing and attention to detail. Rather than feeling absorbed by the plot and borne along by it, I felt thrown around and sometimes thrown out altogether. It left me disgruntled. And the twist at the end, about what Athena is? I saw it coming way too early. I don't usually pick twists, and I like it that way: I enjoy being surprised by the author. So that the bid ta-da was not so big saddened me all over again.
Finally, I was disappointed by the romance. If the romance had had any sizzle, if there had been any genuine suggestion that there would not be romance and then it happened in a really awesome way, I would have been able to regard the story with some fondness. But it was obvious from the get-go that the characters were going to get it on... and then they finally did, but there were no fireworks, and no passion; it wasn't even one of those delightful feelings-creeping-up-on-you scenarios. In a word: boring.
I was disappointed to be so disappointed. I really, really wanted to like this book. Of course, I've loved the first two books of the Book Club where many people have loathed both, so it will be fun to be the disgruntled one for a change...
This may be one of the snarkiest reviews I have ever written. I did indeed finish the book, because I was really hoping it would redeem itself. It didn't. I actually skim-read the final hundred pages or so...
* Yes, that's right people; I just totally dissed a book on account of the characters being too 2D. I know! Perhaps I am finally getting more sophisticated! ... keep reading...
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