Good story

This was a good concept. Took a while to get into but enjoyed the two storylines.

The narration was a little wooden but not enough to detract from a good story

I was a little overwhelmed at the beginning but it pays off in the end.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

overall poor

poor story line horribly connected. no real answers given about anythinf really. the performance is the only thing good about this audiobook

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Epic quest story...

Well-written and visceral story of a lost protagonist trying to find herself. Often violent and gory, it nonetheless has a strong message of hope. Beautifully narrated.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Awesome world-building

The universe that Hurley conjures in this book is incredibly rich and totally original. This is where the true magic of the book lies - think Mad Max but in a moist, breathing, birthing land instead of a desert. The story itself is engaging but not groundbreaking and the characters are sometimes at little simplistic - archetypal rather than realistic. However, overall I definitely recommend.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

2 people found this helpful

Astonishing book

A deeply visceral, disturbing and incredibly imaginative. Well read (despite some dubious accents). Strongly recommended.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Amazing ideas

This book had me hooked all the way through. It was such a breath of fresh air amid so many sci-fi novels in which the worlds seem to revolve and centre around men.
I adored the visceral biopunk setting and the continual themes of rebirth and the gruesome nature of, well, nature. Life and death and biology and war and love. I especially loved Zan's journey and the cast of women she met, all very distinct.

However I feel as a stand alone novel this tried to do too much at once and as such left a lot unanswered. This should have been at least a duology to fully explore the world. As in some parts feel underdeveloped (for example the nature of the world ships themselves and how they came to be and what they are).
I also felt that Jayd's storyline at times felt a bit like filler and I kept finding myself wishing to return to Zan instead. As others have pointed out, the ending also seems just a tad anticlimactic and rushed. The author maybe should have allowed this story to have a bit more breathing space.

But overall I loved it. Great story, great performance. Four out of five stars, I wish there was more.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Surprising plot, fascinating settings

Ships are living worlds in this novel, made up of layers of tissues and fluids, hosting a number of different beings (yet all women), and assigning to such beings the task to birth what is needed for their maintenance, as nothing is wasted and all is recycled. The main characters are involved in a complicated plot, aiming at regenerating and healing a world and possibly its whole legion. Their plan and path so far are only revealed at the end, and readers mostly discover the past as well as the present bit by bit, together with the amnesiac main character, while the other main character hints at past decisions that would put the story and characters in a different light. The quite imaginative settings and ecology of the ship-worlds are as gripping and fascinating as the plot and characters' mysteries. The interpretation is sometimes too dull and monotonous.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Unique world. Loved it

The story is decent and it's very setting is very organic and disturbing at times, which is awesome more makes you want to find out what's happening.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Painful listening !

I listened out of curiosity but was left willing the end so I could move onto another book.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

Gross

Imagine a long detailed description of all the foul, stinking and decaying parts of an enormous dying organism. Populate this organism with all the most depraved and amoral characters you can imagine, desperately trying to survive in competition with each other. Now add in a central character who knows nothing of her past, her former allegiances or her possible motivations.
An enormous fetid mess of a book. I thank evolution that I can't smell things through my ears.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!