Read this out loud to Max. He has seen the films and is in love with the story, but it is his first read through. You forget how long it takes to get to the actual quest in the novel. That’s a whole lot of time with hobbit history.

5 for the trilogy over all. Nothing beats the first one for me, but this was a decent wrapup. I’m wary of time travel stories is it always seems to screw up a decent mystery and plot. This definitely edged that for me. I also could go either way on the ending. There’s a part of me that, while hard, almost wished the author would’ve stuck with the “almost end.”

I love that we met back up with our original characters! None have held me as much as #1 but these are so fun 

Oh MurderBot, you so charming 

The voice and concept feels so fresh. I only wish they were longer!

I’m very much still enjoying the series, but the second installment lacked some of the charm of the first. I lost the threads a little bit as the mystery and character motivations got a little bit more complicated.

It felt really rushed. I love the lore and exploring that world, so that gets  the three stars. Otherwise this felt like several pitches that were all still under development. It needed a slower placed plot with better character development. I also don’t know what the preoccupation with virginity is in romance novels (or more so why that archaic ideal prevails). We’re supposed to believe that she’s crazy hot but also 132-year-old virgin? Why? You can still showcase that two people deeply love and care for one another and that makes a physical intimacy more satisfying without having the women be virgins.

I listen to this as an audiobook and plan to read the second one on my Kindle. This checked all the boxes for me. definitely elements of hard science fiction (AI, tech, etc), but also real character growth, cultural friction, political intrigue, and a solid mystery. The romance is incredibly compelling and slow paced - utterly charming as it compliments the plot rather than becoming the plot. This isn’t a romance novel, but a science fiction novel that looks at love. 

This is the thoughtful introspective Science Fiction I have wanted my entire life. I have rapidly run through Chambers entire library and I can’t wait for her to write more.