novella, science fiction, series
As a fan of Beth Revis' Across the Universe series, I had high hopes for Full Speed to a Crash Landing. Even though it's a fast read and I was interested in the characters and the world they exist in, it's hard to get excited about a book when you know exactly what's going to happen.
How do you know what's going to happen? The main character, Ada, tells you over and over and over and over. She's meant to be presented as an unreliable narrator, I think, but her narration is very reliable. She wink-winks her way into spelling out her plans as clearly as she can without actually saying them out loud. As a character however? Ada is a completely selfish, unreliable person, which makes me less interested in her; I don't like people who use people.
I really liked the crew of the Halifax and was much more interested in and sympathetic toward all of them than I was Ada. And of course, we're meant to like Rian, and I did; I would have liked to hear more of his story, frankly. This novella is the first in a series and feels incomplete. I don't know how quickly Revis will release the next one, but I wonder if I will still remember any of this story when she does. As always, I would rather a book tell a complete story than string me along for years and years. Full Speed to a Crash Landing is long enough to start a story, but I'm not sure there was enough meat there to get me invested enough to read the next one.
edited to add: The next novella in this series is scheduled to be published in December. If Revis continues to publish the series this quickly, I will be thrilled!
Full Speed to a Crash Landing is scheduled to publish 8/6/2024. Thanks to DAW, NetGalley and Beth Revis for the advance reader copy.
How To Steal a Galaxy
This is the second book in Beth Revis’ Chaotic Orbits novellas. Knowing that this is releasing so quickly after the first book actually helped me enjoy it as now I’m confident that the next novella will be released in a few months. My concern after the first novella was that when the second was released, I wouldn’t remember anything. Thankfully, that didn’t happen.
It was lovely to spend more time with Rian and Ada. It wasn’t as actiony as the first one but I enjoyed the scenario and of course the banter between Rian and Ada. I don’t know if Revis will continue this will-they-won’t-they going for much longer, but their chemistry is wonderful and I’m eager to read the next part of their adventure.
While I’m enjoying these novellas, it’s hard to tell if How To Steal A Galaxy moved the story along at all. I mean, stuff happened, but does any of it impact the greater plot? Maybe. Probably. But I still find myself frustrated that I will be waiting again for the next section. I recommend the series if you like YA sci-fi, but I also recommend you wait until they have all been published so you don’t have to have these breaks in the story.
Thanks to DAW publishing, NetGalley and of course, Beth Revis, for the advance copy. This title will publish on December 3, 2024.
Lynnie
The blurb promised an, "explosive, satisfying conclusion" and a "happily-ever-after ending" - sadly, this book delivered neither of those. I was not at all satisfied with the end of this book and even though this is billed as a trilogy, it ends like the other two- on unanswered questions & frustration.
Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed the action and 98% of this novella and watching all the chaos unfold - it's that final 2% that left me dissatisfied, particularly since the happily-ever-after scenario was written in to an earlier chapter and I fully expected it would be the epilogue. Ultimately, it left me wanting more...more for the characters and for myself, as the reader. I don't think a fourth book is planned, but never say never I guess.
Should you read this trilogy? Absolutely, it's great fun! But set your expectations for those final page turns.
Thanks to Beth Revis, DAW publishing and NetGalley for the advance reader copy. This book publishes on April 8, 2025
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