Sam Westlake > Recent Status Updates

This book is so good! The characters feel so alive and the machinery and weapons have some actual tangible weight to them. Very well-written so far with just the occasional line that maybe should have been reworked.

This book does not waste time. Super refreshing so far after getting bogged down in other Sci-Fi series options.

Time is not wasted in catching the reader up here, as by the third book in the series, the reader should have it figured out. Again, the characters feel accurately human and the tension is really starting to build.

It’s great when, on the third book in the series, the author jumps right into the story and doesn’t bother with over-explaining the setting. It feels like the first chapter does not waste the reader’s time, but gets you properly up to speed.

The main plot has really kicked off now and has grown exceptionally intriguing. Everything seems to fit so well within the universe the author has created, so it feels remarkably consistent to read, almost like it isn’t the next book in the series, but rather a continuation of the first book.

Excellent character development and interactions right now. It seems like everything is set up for the main plot and space opera portions of the book have been great so far!

Feels like a direct continuation of Ancillary Justice, in a good way.

There it is. The main plot point of the story has been revealed, the dots have started to connect it is really making more sense now. The dread building up to this part of the book has been substantial and it felt like the reason for this was given enough time to really play out.

Wow this book has a ton of world building! I understand why this is kind of a decisive book, as I can see many getting tired of the world building, but I think it is woven into the story really well and am enjoying this read so far.

I am actually loving how methodical, yet consistent the world building is in this book. It feels like right as things get confusing, the next chapter reveals what you need to know to put the previous or upcoming chapter into context. It is an interesting ebb and flow and yet, surprisingly well done.

I am starting to understand more about the societal implications of this book and how it relates to the core concept of “what does it mean to be human?” Admittedly, this is not what I signed up for, but this is very interesting and I am liking the world-building so far.

The dinner conversation back on Ors is shedding some light on how the different societies function. So far, the author has done a curious thing by making all of the characters presumably human, but with societies and mannerisms so different, they appear alien. It is rather fascinating to read from an outsider perspective.

While it is a little off-putting the the author uses very little pronoun variety, making it difficult to ascertain a character’s features or looks, the premise is quite interesting so far.