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We are an opinionated group of friends reviewing all sorts of fantasy and science fiction media. Don’t forget to get to know the curators and visit our curated Collection, where we discuss the stories that never cease to transport us to another world.
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- Book written by Becky Chambers
- Published in 2018
- Part 3 of the Wayfarers series
“From the ground, we stand. From our ships, we live. By the stars, we hope.”
When the Earth became uninhabitable, what was left of humanity sought refuge on the ships of the Exodus Fleet and left their solar system behind. Hundreds of years later, many of those humans and their descendants have settled on different planets throughout the galaxy and live there alongside other sentient species.
But some have remained on the Exodus Fleet, choosing to spend their life in space rather than on a planet. As more and more people decide to leave the fleet, the people who are left behind will have to decide what it means to them to live their life as part of this community.
I am a big fan of all of Becky Chambers’ books, but this one might be my favourite so far. As with the second book in this series, it is not a sequel to one of the earlier books, but it takes place in the same world and features one or two cameo’s from characters from the earlier books. It is similar in tone to the first two, but the narrative is very different.
Like all of Chambers’ works, this book considers the question of what it means to be human, while showing a deep belief in the ultimate good of humanity. Record of a Spaceborn Few looks at the traditions and beliefs that constitute a community and what these mean to the people in that community. It features a range of fantastic characters, whose experiences complement each other to form a picture of life on the Exodus fleet. The book is very wholesome while also managing to make you think. Definitely one to (re)read on a day when you’re feeling a bit down.
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- Book written by Christopher Paolini
- Published in 2020
- Stand-alone
During her work as an exobiologist on a newly colonised planet, Kira Navárez makes a discovery which accidentally sets off an interplanetary war. This is the beginning of a long journey for Kira as she desperately tries to minimise the damage her actions have unintentionally caused.
On the whole I quite enjoyed this book: it is pretty fast-paced and it has a cast of likable characters. However, there were a number of areas where the book fell short for me. None of the characters (except Gregorovich) are very original and the story on the whole did not particularly stand out to me either. With 800+ pages, it went on a lot longer than I felt it needed to. Especially the ending was drawn out far too much, becoming overly sentimental in places.
Pick this up if you feel like reading something engaging and easy to read (despite its length), but don’t expect too much from it. That said, Jennifer Hale does a very good job narrating the audiobook, with an impressive range of voices for the different characters. I would definitely recommend going for the audio version if that is something you enjoy.
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- Book written by Maggie Stiefvater
- Published in 2012
- Part 1 of The Raven Cycle
Every year on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue Sargant accompanies her clairvoyant mother to a graveyard outside their town to watch a yearly procession of spirits. Since Blue is not clairvoyant herself, she normally cannot see these spirits. But this year is different. When a boy that appears to her in spirit-form turns out to be a student from a nearby private school, she cannot stop her curiosity to find out more about him. But the spirit’s appearance on St. Mark’s Eve is only the first in a long list of increasingly strange occurances, and Blue is determined to find out the reason behind them.
I am often a little weary of books in the Young Adult category, because endlessly reading about teenagers and their romantic drama tends to get a little old once you have outgrown the age to be it’s intended audience. While the books of The Raven Cycle definitely fall in this category, I still found myself enjoying them a lot more than I expected going in. The main characters are well-written and all have their own stuff going on apart from the main plot of the books, which allows for an impressive amount of character growth. One character whom I did not care for at all in the beginning even managed to become my favourite by the end of the series. The paranormal events which play a large role in the books give the series a very mysterious, slightly ominous atmosphere which I really enjoyed.
The four books in the series are a continuation of the same story, so they cannot really be read on their own. While I enjoyed the first book, the story does get better and picks up speed as you get to know the characters and get deeper into the plot. The books are also relatively short compared to most fantasy books, so reading all four is not the massive time investment it might seem. If you can overlook a bit of teenage drama, I would recommend this series even for a more mature audience. I also especially recommend listening to the audiobooks performed by Will Patton.
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- Book written by Patrick Rothfuss
- Published in 2014
- Spin-off from The Kingkiller Chronicles
Underneath the buildings of The University lies a vast maze of forgotten spaces that no one ever enters. No one, except a girl named Auri who has sought her refuge there and has made it her home. This story is about her.
As Rothfuss warns in the introduction: this book is not for everyone. For starters, you need to have read one, or preferably both Kingkiller books before this story will make sense. And it doesn’t even concern any of the main characters of those books. On top of that, it could be argued that this book lacks… a plot. It almost feels more like a long character study than like a conventional story. But that’s not to say that this book is boring. Despite its short length of 150 pages, I felt myself completely invested in Auri’s daily struggles. While this book is in many ways quite heartbreaking, I also find a lot of hope in the courage with which Auri attempts to mend, as best she can, a little bit of what was broken. I’ve already read this book twice and I am sure I will keep coming back to it whenever I need to be reminded of this courage.
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- TV show created by Rebecca Sugar, Kat Morris and Joe Johnston for Cartoon Network
- Starring Zach Callison, Michaela Dietz, Deedee Magno Hall, Estelle Swaray and Sarah Stiles
- First Aired on September 2nd 2019
- Running Time 82 minutes
- Sequel to the Steven Universe series
Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems have brought peace to the Galaxy and are ready to live their happily ever afters on Earth. With no more wars and no more conflicts, everything is now as it should be. However, their sentiments might be premature; someone is not content with the new status quo…
Take the lighthearted yet deep character-driven narrative of Steven Universe and combine this with a musical format. What do you get? An end result that I simply cannot resist.
I love this movie. Although the plot is not necessarily among the strongest, it’s interwoven with beautifully complicated themes such as trauma and identity. The way the story deals with this is simply brilliant, thanks in part to the collaboration between the lovely characters and the diverse songs.
For the people familiar with the series, this film is like a reunion with old friends, and a strong conclusion to that story and the narrative of its characters. I suspect others, unfamiliar with the series, will have a slightly different experience. In principle, the film is structured in such a way that prior knowledge of the world of Steven Universe is not required. The first scenes contain a concise summary of what happened before and what the primary motives of the characters were. This should be enough to enjoy this movie as a stand alone, though probably at the cost of some storytelling depth.
Children will love this movie in any case.
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- Video game developed by Starbreeze Studios
- Directed by Josef Fares
- Published by 505 Games
- Published in 2013
- Adventure Game, 1-2 players
- Playing time: 3 to 4 hours
- Platforms: Android, IOS, Microsoft Windows, Playstation 3, Playstation 4, Windows Phone, Xbox 360, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Desperate to save the life of their ill father, two brothers embark on a perilous journey to obtain a magical medicine. Along the way, they have to work together to overcome obstacles, as well as their own shortcomings.
I liked this game. Neither the plot nor the characters are particularly deep, but the story is skilfully supported by the unique game mechanics and the atmosphere of the art. Several times I was truly intrigued by the landscapes through which I passed, and I enjoyed most of the puzzles (even though they were largely simple). Only once was I taken out of the story, in this case by physical improbabilities that went beyond my suspension of disbelief. However, I expect that most will be able to condone this particular part of the game too.
I played this game on my desktop, both with Jasmijn and on my own. I can recommend both playing styles, each having their own merits.
A nice little story. A fairytale to escape into, with both cheerful and dark elements.
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Review: Record of a Spaceborn Few – Becky Chambers
Part 3 of the Wayfarer Series – When the Earth became uninhabitable, what was left of humanity sought refuge on the ships of the Exodus Fleet. Born and raised in space, their descendants are having to face difficult choices in their turn.
Review: To Sleep in a Sea of Stars – Christopher Paolini
During her work as an exobiologist on a newly colonised planet, Kira Navárez makes a discovery which accidentally sets off an interplanetary war.
Review: The Raven Boys – Maggie Stiefvater
Part 1 of the Raven Cycle – Every year on St. Mark’s Eve, Blue Sargant accompanies her clairvoyant mother to a graveyard outside their town to watch a yearly procession of spirits. Since Blue is not clairvoyant herself, she normally cannot see these spirits. But this year is different.
Review: The Slow Regard of Silent Things – Patrick Rothfuss
Spin-off from the Kingkiller Chronicles – Underneath the buildings of The University lies a vast maze of forgotten spaces that no one ever enters. No one, except a girl named Auri who has sought her refuge there and has made it her home. This story is about her.
Review: Steven Universe: The Movie – Cartoon Network
Steven Universe and the Crystal Gems have brought peace to the Galaxy and are ready to live their happily ever afters on Earth. However, someone is not content with the new status quo…
Review: Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons – Starbreeze Studios
Desperate to save the life of their ill father, two brothers embark on a perilous journey to obtain a magical medicine. Along the way, they have to work together to overcome obstacles, as well as their own shortcomings.
