Didn't know this was a spin-off series! It glosses over a fair bit of context that I'm assuming was explored in the original trilogy, and I felt lost and frustrated for quite a bit of it.

Words and concepts were thrown around without being introduced properly and the phrasing and character reactions suggested I should have understood the context by now, except .. I have no idea what's happening other than at the most superficial level.  

In the wrong mood, requires a lot more mental bandwidth than I'm capable of giving at the moment. Will try again later!

Sadly, not vibing with the writing style at all 😞

I'll admit: the comparison to Good Omens and The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet got to me. I'm a huge fan of how Pratchett and Becky Chambers cradle your heart in their hands and inject it with a massive dose of hope and kindness. So when you advertise a book as an intersection of both of my favourite authors? I'm going to pick it up, eager to discover a new favourite. 

Alas, I've tried reading this three times now and have to admit that it just isn't the book for me. It's got all the elements I gravitate towards, but topped off with so much queer trauma and abuse that it made it extremely difficult to read. 

I might revisit this again at some point, but only when I'm better armed against the pain this book puts its characters through.