Okay, I don't usually leave reviews, but today I have to because I literally got up out of bed to write this because I finished it in the middle of the night and I have THOUGHTS.

Halo Scott's written a doozy here. Towards the end, I was trending toward a 4 star for reasons I'll explain below but it ends up closer to a 5 star.

I don't do recaps because I want readers to go in based on Scot's blurb.

WHAT DIDN'T WORK
The caveat readers have to go into this book with is the writing style is very unique. Presenting dual POVs, one of which is from a neurodivergent MC named Slade is a challenge, but Scot pulls it off easily. What's more challenging is the way Slade thinks. I suffer from chronic migraines which have pretty much ruined my life. I mention this because when Slade becomes overwhelmed the sensory overload she experiences is the literary version of a migraine. Not to say that it's bad, it's rendered very well, but Slade gets overwhelmed quite frequently and this may be a trigger for some.

Next, on the writing style -- Scot shows off immense and seemingly effortless talent for spinning dreamy metaphors. For me personally, the hit ratio was about 66%. I'm generally a more straightforward person, so every 3rd metaphor read a bit purple to me. However, the other 2/3 metaphors were impressive because of how well she pulled them off. YMMV-- this is what lost the star initially for me.

Finally the emotions. Given the nature of the characters, I found the book to be quite emotional, a bit much towards the end, but again I tend to short-circuit (much like Slade - ha!) around too much emotion. That being said, I did enjoy the relationship between Slade and Koa, it was built with care.

WHAT WORKED
Oh Sweet Monkey Jesus the writing style was beautiful. It takes major talent to do what Halo Scot has done here and she deserves kudos. Once you buy into the writing style -- it's like being invited for a swim in a warm pool -- the writing lingers with you and keeps bringing you back. You know how after you've left the water you can still feel it? That's what Halo Scot has done here. I can still see the dusty Martian landscape in my mind's eye with the fluttering white capes of the dust suits worn by the characters.
Scot manages world-building with skill and scale that rivals the greats and calls to mind "Princess of Mars" and "Dune". She crafted a library so gorgeous I want to spend time there, sipping tea and chatting with Miro (another of her loveable characters - did I mention that they were endearing?)
Finally, the plot and action. Now I'm an action guy -- if you do action well you score big points with me. Let's just say the finale of this book is stunning. It EARNS that 5th star. Got my heartbeat racing and just when I thought it was over, Scot pulls you back in for something even greater. I can't emphasize enough how hard it is to pull good action off so when I say Scot ROCKED it, you know it has to be something spectacular.

SHOULD YOU READ IT?
Depends. If dreamy, tangled prose isn't your jam, then this won't work for you. If you're a fan of the aforementioned books and would like to visit an intriguing Mars with likeable characters and a slam-bang plot, then yes, go get this NOW. ( )