Do you know what you’re supposed to do when you come across a new civilization that’s never  been touched by industrialized society? 

Well, it’s obvious that the opposing confederations in the background of The Fourth Consort don’t care about provincial notions like “observe and report”, because there’s a new planet in town and they’re both eagerly vying for its hand in…friendship. Sure. Let’s call it that. I’d call it evolutionary interruption, but violations of the Prime Directive really rile me so I may be biased. 

The Fourth Consort is a relaxing and enjoyable read that I feel is probably going to be better in audio than it came across in text. It’s got a bumpy first half but a darkly exhilarating second half that kept me reading when I otherwise might have felt compelled to put the book down. I found it dry and witty in the best way but wanted something more from the moral and philosophical discourse. While I enjoyed being in Dalton’s head, I didn’t always feel connected to his motivations as a main character. At times I was there with him, sure I was on the same page, and then there would be large swaths of the books where I didn’t understand why he was making the choices he made. As a whole it was a great plot and a slightly above average read. 3.5⭐️

🩶 What to Expect 🩶

🍒 A translation device developed based on BBC broadcasts

💣 Stay alive, prevent your foe from winning friends, and wait for help

🍒 You know what they say about assuming, right?

💣 “So you’re sending me into the middle of an alien city, in the company of a known hostile, alone and completely unarmed.” Okay then.

🍒 Do you want to be a spaceman?

💣 What if you are the bad guys?

🍒 Try not to get eaten

💣 Prey vs. predator philosophy

🍒 What are the qualifications for a good interstellar diplomat anyway?

💣 Extreme views of honor

🍒 Polyandry plus misandry 

💣 Darkly funny brother-husbands

🍒 Misadventures in mistranslation

💣 There was no discretion in that valor

🍒 Some words you just can’t take back

I was provided a copy of this title by the author and publisher via Netgalley. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. Thank you.