Monalisa Foster

I’ve had this on my kindle for a while, ever since reading the prequel in the Fantastic Hope story collection last year. When the Outlander Book Club added a book challenge thread to knock out 12 books from my TBR pile this year, Ravages of Honor made the list.
I did an update at about the 30% point that oversimplified this as an elaborately science fiction version of the marriage of convenience trope. About 400 pages of political machinations and world building later, I don’t deny the trope (one of my faves) is there, but there was much more to the book. I’m not equipped to check the scientific basis for a book’s details, so I either think ideas sound neat or they don’t. I thought the nanites, which were the basis of so much of the technology in the book, were super neat. One of my favorite details about the book was the way Systeria heard people speaking the language she was learning. Foster took her through a transitional stage of misunderstandings and incorrect word choices rather than having her go from not understanding anything to understanding everything. I was glad the in-between stage wasn’t skipped over.
It’s a long book, especially considering where it ended. As far as I can tell, this will be all we get about Darien and Systeria. I appreciate the time the author took with the relationship, but I sure wish there weren’t so many loose ends left. There was relationship resolution, but the larger threat of war was left looming, and the fate of Systeria’s family left unknown.
One last quibble—I did not always understand Galen and Drea’s motivations, or Systeria’s revulsion at Palleton’s touch. I can make some guesses, but I wouldn’t have minded a bit of clarification. Maybe I just need to find someone else who has read this so we can chat ideas.
Overall, I was glad to finally get to this. It was a bit long for the story it told, but I liked the author’s imagination for the sci-fi elements and I enjoyed the slow burn romance.… (plus d'informations)

Whew!

It’s not that big a book, but it has a lot packed inside. Massive world building, intense characters, and deep plots keep things interesting.

Definitely not PG-13, the romance portion comes after the midpoint and is quite graphic.

The political machinations are just a touch murky, as several ‘Houses’ are implied but only 3 are named, one of which was previously destroyed. It’s a matter of scale. I was also somewhat confused in the early part of the book as to what the sides were. I was not clear that the Edylon was at least nominally loyal to the Imperium. I thought they were in a competing political structure, not a powerful house within the Imperium.

I don’t know how this moves forward, but I plan to seek out the related novellas. I would buy another book, we’re it to be written.… (plus d'informations)

Whew!

It’s not that big a book, but it has a lot packed inside. Massive world building, intense characters, and deep plots keep things interesting.

Definitely not PG-13, the romance portion comes after the midpoint and is quite graphic.

The political machinations are just a touch murky, as several ‘Houses’ are implied but only 3 are named, one of which was previously destroyed. It’s a matter of scale. I was also somewhat confused in the early part of the book as to what the sides were. I was not clear that the Edylon was at least nominally loyal to the Imperium. I thought they were in a competing political structure, not a powerful house within the Imperium.

I don’t know how this moves forward, but I plan to seek out the related novellas. I would buy another book, we’re it to be written.… (plus d'informations)