msrichardsreads89's Reviews (2.64k)

Another great installment in the Cozy Capers Book Group mystery series! Normally I am not a fan of cold cases in my cozies, but this one was good. It had the usual family and friends as well as Mac's upcoming wedding. There were some good red herrings, and I was guessing until the end! 

I jumped straight into this one after finishing The Outside, and I liked this one even better than book 1. What the characters lacked in book 1, Ada Hoffman made up for in book 2. They were more fleshed out, and we got a much more intimate perspective on the characters and their inner thoughts. The plot picks up from The Outside and ramps up even more, showing us how the world is changing and affecting the citizens of Jai as well as adding additional plot threads to the narrative. I loved the expansion of the politics, the exploration of trauma and psychological plurality, and the inclusion of more diverse, neurodivergent characters. The cliffhanger at the end made me want to immediately pick up the last book in the trilogy. 

Phenomenal! This was a fantastic science fiction with horror elements debut with complex worldbuilding. Hoffman does not hold the reader's hand when introducing them to this world, which can be confusing at first, but it evens out as you read. AIs/quantum computers have become godlike and have set limits for humanity. Meanwhile, energy has mysteriously started disobeying the laws of physics and creates chaos. 

I really enjoyed the characters and thought they were pretty well developed. There aren't a lot of physical descriptions of the characters, but the author does a good job of describing the world and scientific concepts. The main character is a multifaceted queer female scientist with Autism, and I thought she was beautifully portrayed. The novels also explores what makes us human, mental health, and what it means to be different.

The last half of the book is a lot to take in because of the fast paced plot and because we are still learning about the Outside, but it is definitely thought provoking and will stick with me. I was so invested that I jumped straight into the next book, The Fallen. 

While Children of Time will always be my favorite in this series, this was a solid entry in this trilogy. I really like that each novel focuses on a particular creature, and I did not expect birds for this one, but it was an interesting premise. The plot itself was very thought provoking, and it will stay with me for a while. My biggest criticism with this series is that the stories lack intimacy with the characters at times, so I feel as though I don't get to know them as well as I prefer. However, this one was very character focused, and I got to spend time getting to know the characters and their motivations. I feel as though the ending will be a bit of a hit or miss for readers. I enjoyed it and thought it was a satisfying conclusion. Overall I recommend this series to readers who love smart science fiction and enjoy though provoking concepts. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit for providing a review copy in exchange for an honest review.