Karin Lowachee

Quick Word: Oh, how I wanted to like this one. The prose was flowing and lyrical, and all the characters had the potential of being, and occasionally were, fascinating. But the plot was lacking in structure, and there just wasn't enough to pull off the story despite the encouraging themes of prejudice and imperialism. Three stars because of the originality of the blended historical setting. And truly, I loved the concepts of the supernatural Dog spirits and how the Anwi girl was so strong and pragmatic.… (mais)

I really wanted to like this book, as I fully support the idea. Unfortunately it has some serious pacing issues. The first third drags and could have been condensed to maybe two chapters without any loss. The ending however rushes forward, and while it doesn't quite end in a cliffhanger, very little is resolved but instead sets up the second book (which doesn't exist). I find all that disappointing. More than that, though, most of the characters aren't very dimensional or appealing, so it's hard to struggle through the dragging. Nothing that sparked my interest ended up being fully developed in the story itself. Maybe a better read for someone who likes a different style than I do.… (mais)

I loved Warchild, the previous book in this series, and I'd heard that Burndive focuses on a different, less likeable character. But Karin Lowachee does not disappoint! Burndive is an outstanding follow-up, focusing on Ryan, the son of Captain Cairo Azarcon whom we met in the previous book. Ryan is a difficult character to like but Lowachee writes him with a lot of sympathy and he grew on me as the story progressed. It was also interesting to see old characters from Warchild, particularly Jos, through Ryan's eyes, particularly Jos, who was the main character of that book. There's some hilarious banter between the characters as well.

While Burndive lacks a lot of the action of Warchild, it was still an engrossing read. I was drawn in by the emotional journey that Ryan takes in navigating and ultimately mending his relationship with his father. The author is extremely skilled at writing emotionally true stories, and her careful, controlled prose is dripping with raw emotions. The characters face many difficult situations, and Lowachee never makes it easy for them, but it's through this that her characters truly shine.

An outstanding book overall, and highly recommended!… (mais)

This was quite a difficult read and vastly different from the two previous books in the series, in terms of the character's psychology and internal voice. Like Jos from Warchild, Yuri had also been taken by the space pirate Falcon and made into a protege, however, he turned out very different from the experience. Where Jos refuses to acknowledge the abuse he suffered at the hands of Falcone, Yuri talks fairly candidly about what he's been through, making this book absolutely brutal and heartbreaking at parts. Still, the novel is incredibly engrossing, and Karin Lowachee is excellent at writing damaged characters without portraying them as mere victims.

The characters and relationships in this book were handled with such nuance and complexity for the most part. In particular, really loved the relationship between Yuri and Finch, although it is not clear why Yuri is so attached to Finch-- in some ways I felt that he was replacing Estienne with Finch as his new anchor. It would be interesting to see how their relationship develops or changes in the future as Yuri heals from his past.… (mais)