The Light Brigade, by Kameron Hurley

The Light Brigade by Kameron Hurley

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Oof. This book is a tough read. Page after page of blood and gore spattering the protagonist and the pages. Slowly dawning realization of the uselessness of the awfulness--very slowly. Beginning with an over-the-top awful boot camp through the fatigue and drudgery of the end game, this one just beats the reader up.

All the hammering becomes something of a disguise for the story. Because a story does emerge. The technology core of the story is pretty much like a very early version of Star Trek's transporter, much less safe to use and prone to errors like materializing inside of something or all stirred up. (view spoiler)[Also, as it turns out, a time travel device (hide spoiler)]. As it emerges, you realize it's a story that's been told many times, but the reveal is very artfully hidden and done well. In the end I'm not sorry I read it, but also not sure it was worth it. Goodness. Oof.



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In An Absent Dream, by Seanan McGuire

In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


Seanan McGuire is a prolific author, and sometimes that shows with the Wayward Children books. They are very well done but just a tad structured and formulaic, this one more than the others perhaps. Could be because the theme of the Goblin Market is all about rules for living together in a very structured way, but then again this series has a lot of that theme. The protagonist, Lundy, is for me not really a sympathetic character--she has formed her defenses well and found a way to live in our world, but this new one opens new possibilities for her. The themes are the usual ones from YA--friendship and growth--but it starts to get interesting just at the end, where the source of the Market's structure becomes more clear. But then we get the sad ending. I'm thinking Lundy will appear in future installations of this series, either devoted to her or as a strong side character. There's room for more development of the Goblin Market.



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To Be Taught, If Fortunate, by Becky Chambers

To Be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers

My rating: 3 of 5 stars


This book is a departure from the Wayfarers series, so bringing a fresh eye to it helps. But I second what one reviewer said below--it's like reading non-fiction about a fantasy place. I think that's what the author was going for, and she succeeded.

There's a lot of exposition in this book, including an exposition on why there's so much exposition. In a way it never ends. The glory of science, including its not-so-glamorous parts, is what is supposed to carry the book along.

I liked it OK, though as hard SF it stayed somewhat superficial. There was drama but it didn't feel artificial. The crew got along super-well, diverse in various ways that seemed to intentionally complement each other.

But it seemed like much of the point of the mission was to be an inspiration to a planet trying to recover from the worst of climate change. That was definitely on the mind of the narrator. And yet there was very little of that inspiration or action in the story. And the ending, while it has a certain likelihood, seemed kind of random.

Decent book, Hugo nomination for best novella, can't see it winning.



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