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Her Instruments #1
Earthrise
Reese Eddings has enough to do keeping her rattletrap merchant vessel, the TMS Earthrise , profitable enough to pay food for herself and her micro-crew. So when a mysterious benefactor from her past shows up demanding she rescue a man from slavers, her first reaction is to say “NO!” And then to remember that she sort of promised to repay the loan. But she doesn’t remember signing up to tangle with pirates and slavers over a space elf prince....
Book 1 of the Her Instruments trilogy is a space operatic adventure set in the Peltedverse, and kicks off your adventure into a universe with over thirty books. Dive into a friendly universe today!
Book 1 of the Her Instruments trilogy is a space operatic adventure set in the Peltedverse, and kicks off your adventure into a universe with over thirty books. Dive into a friendly universe today!
480 pages, Paperback
First published April 30, 2013
641 people are currently reading
3848 people want to read
About the author
M.C.A. Hogarth
145 books386 followersDaughter of two Cuban political exiles, M.C.A. Hogarth was born a foreigner in the American melting pot and has had a fascination for the gaps in cultures and the bridges that span them ever since. She has been many things—-web database architect, product manager, technical writer and massage therapist—-but is currently a full-time parent, artist, writer and anthropologist to aliens, both human and otherwise.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
Her fiction has variously been recommended for a Nebula, a finalist for the Spectrum, placed on the secondary Tiptree reading list and chosen for two best-of anthologies; her art has appeared in RPGs, magazines and on book covers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 258 reviews
March 29, 2020
Taken for what it is, Earthrise is perfectly enjoyable. The captain of a ragtag ship with a mysterious benefactor has a favor called in–a rescue of one of the mysterious Eldritch who is about to be sold off to slavers. Serious trouble ensues.
It’s a big universe, but most of the beings in it are human or human-adjacent, either purposefully or environmentally modified, and Hogarth has fun with it. The crew has a pair of cat-like beings, a centaur-like being, a taciturn bird-like Phoenix, and a creature that sounds suspiciously like a Tribble with empath skills. And is there ever diversity. Our captain is female. Our cat-like people are apparently half-siblings and mates, and will become part of a cat-like harem. No one knows much about the Phoenix.
It feels a bit like Firefly, Alien-Edition. Deadly serious adventure, interlude with personal experiences followed by another serious adventure. Intermixed are moments of real emotion, a few one-liners, new experiences for everyone, and unexpected discoveries about each other. Though there is supposed to be a romantic angle, this book is the first in a trilogy with the leads Reese and Hirianthial, and one could say that they do not make significant progress, at least according to romance conventions.
I enjoyed it, although Reese was a problematic character for me. Despite having the loyalty of her crew, she was almost universally prickly, obstinate and contrarian. Decisions were often emotional ones, not ones made out of thoughtfulness or judgement. It’s not inconceivable that people like that exist, but it is less conceivable that they find others willing to be loyal to that kind of behavior, particularly for poor pay. It’s even less likely that I’m going to enjoy reading about such people. Nonetheless, once Hirianthial is rescued, narrative frequently switches to his viewpoint, which proves interesting.
Overall, fun, and above average in its ability to integrate serious issues into its story. I’m doubtful I’ll go on to the next, however, as it seems to be taking Reese and Hirianthial back to his homeworld, which implies more personal and romantic growth, and less Adventures in Space. Your mileage may vary.
It’s a big universe, but most of the beings in it are human or human-adjacent, either purposefully or environmentally modified, and Hogarth has fun with it. The crew has a pair of cat-like beings, a centaur-like being, a taciturn bird-like Phoenix, and a creature that sounds suspiciously like a Tribble with empath skills. And is there ever diversity. Our captain is female. Our cat-like people are apparently half-siblings and mates, and will become part of a cat-like harem. No one knows much about the Phoenix.
It feels a bit like Firefly, Alien-Edition. Deadly serious adventure, interlude with personal experiences followed by another serious adventure. Intermixed are moments of real emotion, a few one-liners, new experiences for everyone, and unexpected discoveries about each other. Though there is supposed to be a romantic angle, this book is the first in a trilogy with the leads Reese and Hirianthial, and one could say that they do not make significant progress, at least according to romance conventions.
I enjoyed it, although Reese was a problematic character for me. Despite having the loyalty of her crew, she was almost universally prickly, obstinate and contrarian. Decisions were often emotional ones, not ones made out of thoughtfulness or judgement. It’s not inconceivable that people like that exist, but it is less conceivable that they find others willing to be loyal to that kind of behavior, particularly for poor pay. It’s even less likely that I’m going to enjoy reading about such people. Nonetheless, once Hirianthial is rescued, narrative frequently switches to his viewpoint, which proves interesting.
Overall, fun, and above average in its ability to integrate serious issues into its story. I’m doubtful I’ll go on to the next, however, as it seems to be taking Reese and Hirianthial back to his homeworld, which implies more personal and romantic growth, and less Adventures in Space. Your mileage may vary.
August 16, 2020
💀 Well I'll Be Damned the MacHalos Actually Picked a Non Despicable Book to Read for Once Buddy Read (WIBDtMHAPaNDBtRfOBR™). With the MacHalos. Duh 💀
Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, I'm on a nauseating book-loving roll. So sorry about that. I promise to read some pure, undiluted crap ASAP.
⚠️Friendly warning: Petronilla, my air-headed, blonde mojo with a silly smirk on her face is still unavailable at the moment. Read this thing at your own risk.
Okayyyy…So this little book right here made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And yet, I managed to survive. Not only that, but my black, withered heart actually enjoyed feeling all fluffy and cozy and stuff. And in case some of you were wondering : NO, my account hasn't been hacked by the Fluffy Siberian Bunnies (FSB™) again, and YES, this is really my little self writing this thing right now. You are most welcome.
The truthful truth is, I should have hated this book with a vengeance. It isn't packed with non-stop action. It isn't dark. It isn't violent. It isn't full of yummy blood and scrumptious gore. It isn't filled to the brim with deliciously backstabbing assholes and ruthlessly villainous villains. In other words, it is a slightly revolting, despicably tame affair compared to the kind of stuff I usuallyfangirl about sort of like. But, damn it all to shrimpy hell, I loved somewhat appreciated it anyway!
This right here ↑↑ is you feeling slightly appalled, My Comely Branchiopoda. Sorry, what? You can't remember why you should feel slightly appalled right now? Oh, good, that means my nefarious plan to side-track you with my fascinatingly insignificant digression worked *pats her little self on her deliciously nefarious exoskeleton*
So. Where were we? Oh yes, this book should have made me feel like this:
But it didn't.
The End.
Hahahahahahahahaha. I am so hilarious sometimes. Did you seriously think this crappy non-thing would be over so soon? You can be so scrumptiously naïve sometimes, my Lovely Arthropods, it really is quite cute. You should know better than to assume that my having zero inspiration means I can't pointlessly go on and on and on about this book. Which I slightly enjoyed. Against my better judgement and stuff.
Sorry, what? You want me to cut the crap and get on with it? Sigh. You really are no fun, my Little Barnacles. But hey, I just ate my pet hamster (which put me in an unexpected good mood) so I shall be uncharacteristically compassionate and kind-hearted and charitable and stuff, and do your silly bidding. De nada.
➽ I kinda sorta did not entirely think this book was complete and utter crap because:
① This is one of the mostest awesomest worlds ever :
Diversity, my Little Barnacles! DIVERSITY! This universe is so refreshingly and creatively packed with multifarious creatures and species and races I could cry (almost). Check this out:
Humans, space elves, a bucket load of pelted beings, phoenixes, centaur-like creatures, alien shapechangers, crystal stuff and last, but most certainly not least, deliriously fluffy, color-changing, neural fur-covered, volleyball-like beings that feed on light and communicate by projecting images in people's little heads. They are calledMy New Babies the Flitzbe. And they are MINE. Every single one of them. Just so you know. Oh, and by the the way, I'm planning to start my own Flitzbe breeding farm, because, you know, pincers are getting kinda sorta old and stuff . So if you are interested in acquiring a Flitzbe of your own, please call 1-800-Alien-Furballs-Are-Da-Bomb. Who knows, given the despicably altruistic mood this book has put me in, I might give you a 0.0001% discount if you buy more than 2000 of the little guys. I'm so generous sometimes, I disgust myself a little. It's beautiful. Excuse me, what? I'm digressing, you say? Really? So terribly sorry about that. Here, take a break, have a gif:
You are, as always, most welcome.
② Captain Theresa Eddings, aka Reese :
Okay, so Reese isn't as deliciously cut cut cut slice slice slice skewer skewer skewer as I'd like, BUT: she is a loner with tons of delightful issues. She is charmingly standoffish. She is exquisitely bad-tempered. And magnificently touchy. And a tiny little bit unreasonable sometimes. She can be splendidly difficult, too. Some Uncharacteristically Discerning Barnacles (UDB™) might even be of the opinion that she is ahuge pain in the ass. And there is a slight possibility that said UDB™ might actually be right for once. Because Reese can indeed get wonderfully annoying. It is quite charmingly mouthwatering. And you know what else? The woman is totally addicted to silly Exotic Alien Romances. You'd think that this would be a huge turn off for me, huh? Goes to show how well you know me, you Silly Decapods. Ha. Now the for the scrumptious shrimp on the paella icing on the cake: Reese is black. As in, you know, black. I kid you not. When was the last time you read a Fantasy/SF/Whatever books/series with a black MC, my Comely Branchiopoda? Thought so. I think this calls for a celebratory dance and stuff.
③ Reese's crew is one of the mostest coolest ones ever :
✔ A space elf prince-doctor-spy with telepathic abilities. Yum.
✔ Furry cat-like twins with dubious sexual practices. Double yum. They come from a planet where harems and sex slaves are the norm, too. Guess where I'm moving the day I retire from my life of nefariousness?
✔ A 7 foot phoenix of few words and metallic plumage.
✔ A chunky centauroid scientist with six limbs and bat-like wings.
✔ A Flitzbe that used to be Reese's but that is now mine because he is a Flitzbe and all Flitzbe are mine. QED and stuff.
④ Random Great Stuff (RGS™):
We've got adventure. We've got space stuff. We've got humour and great banter. We've got great action. We've got great non-action. We've got pirates. We've got slavers. We've got deliciously complex characters that feel real. We've got matriarchal societies. We've got all sorts of exciting stuff. We've got overripe yet lethal rooderberries. We've got judgemental, self-righteous relatives. We've got fun team building activities. And we've got surprisingly thought-provoking underlying themes, like prejudice, tolerance, cultural and racial differences . And it's all somewhat luscious and delectable.
» And the moral of this Bloody Shrimping Hell Cathy and I both Liked the Same Book for Once This Must Mean the End of the World is Near Crappy Non Review (BSHCaIbLtSBfOTMMtEofWiNCNR™) is: this book is slightly awesome. This book is SLIGHTLY FREE. So what the bloody shrimping fish are you waiting for, my Little Barnacles?!
· Book 2: Rose Point ★★★★★
· Book 3: Laisrathera ★★★★★
· Book 4: A Rose Point Holiday ★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
This book is disgustingly nice and fluffy and stuff. And yet I slightly liked it. Therefore, doom, destruction and complete annihilation of all life on this planet await. Run, my Little Barnacles, run!
►► Full Bloody Shrimping Hell I Should Have Hated this Book What the Fish is Wrong with Me Halp Crappy Non Review (BSHISHHtBWtFiWwMHCNR™) to come.
Actual rating: 4.5 stars. Yeah yeah yeah, I know, I'm on a nauseating book-loving roll. So sorry about that. I promise to read some pure, undiluted crap ASAP.
⚠️
Okayyyy…So this little book right here made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And yet, I managed to survive. Not only that, but my black, withered heart actually enjoyed feeling all fluffy and cozy and stuff. And in case some of you were wondering : NO, my account hasn't been hacked by the Fluffy Siberian Bunnies (FSB™) again, and YES, this is really my little self writing this thing right now. You are most welcome.
The truthful truth is, I should have hated this book with a vengeance. It isn't packed with non-stop action. It isn't dark. It isn't violent. It isn't full of yummy blood and scrumptious gore. It isn't filled to the brim with deliciously backstabbing assholes and ruthlessly villainous villains. In other words, it is a slightly revolting, despicably tame affair compared to the kind of stuff I usually
This right here ↑↑ is you feeling slightly appalled, My Comely Branchiopoda. Sorry, what? You can't remember why you should feel slightly appalled right now? Oh, good, that means my nefarious plan to side-track you with my fascinatingly insignificant digression worked *pats her little self on her deliciously nefarious exoskeleton*
So. Where were we? Oh yes, this book should have made me feel like this:
But it didn't.
The End.
Hahahahahahahahaha. I am so hilarious sometimes. Did you seriously think this crappy non-thing would be over so soon? You can be so scrumptiously naïve sometimes, my Lovely Arthropods, it really is quite cute. You should know better than to assume that my having zero inspiration means I can't pointlessly go on and on and on about this book. Which I slightly enjoyed. Against my better judgement and stuff.
Sorry, what? You want me to cut the crap and get on with it? Sigh. You really are no fun, my Little Barnacles. But hey, I just ate my pet hamster (which put me in an unexpected good mood) so I shall be uncharacteristically compassionate and kind-hearted and charitable and stuff, and do your silly bidding. De nada.
➽ I kinda sorta did not entirely think this book was complete and utter crap because:
① This is one of the mostest awesomest worlds ever :
Diversity, my Little Barnacles! DIVERSITY! This universe is so refreshingly and creatively packed with multifarious creatures and species and races I could cry (almost). Check this out:
Humans, space elves, a bucket load of pelted beings, phoenixes, centaur-like creatures, alien shapechangers, crystal stuff and last, but most certainly not least, deliriously fluffy, color-changing, neural fur-covered, volleyball-like beings that feed on light and communicate by projecting images in people's little heads. They are called
You are, as always, most welcome.
② Captain Theresa Eddings, aka Reese :
Okay, so Reese isn't as deliciously cut cut cut slice slice slice skewer skewer skewer as I'd like, BUT: she is a loner with tons of delightful issues. She is charmingly standoffish. She is exquisitely bad-tempered. And magnificently touchy. And a tiny little bit unreasonable sometimes. She can be splendidly difficult, too. Some Uncharacteristically Discerning Barnacles (UDB™) might even be of the opinion that she is a
③ Reese's crew is one of the mostest coolest ones ever :
✔ A space elf prince-doctor-spy with telepathic abilities. Yum.
✔ Furry cat-like twins with dubious sexual practices. Double yum. They come from a planet where harems and sex slaves are the norm, too. Guess where I'm moving the day I retire from my life of nefariousness?
✔ A 7 foot phoenix of few words and metallic plumage.
✔ A chunky centauroid scientist with six limbs and bat-like wings.
✔ A Flitzbe that used to be Reese's but that is now mine because he is a Flitzbe and all Flitzbe are mine. QED and stuff.
④ Random Great Stuff (RGS™):
We've got adventure. We've got space stuff. We've got humour and great banter. We've got great action. We've got great non-action. We've got pirates. We've got slavers. We've got deliciously complex characters that feel real. We've got matriarchal societies. We've got all sorts of exciting stuff. We've got overripe yet lethal rooderberries. We've got judgemental, self-righteous relatives. We've got fun team building activities. And we've got surprisingly thought-provoking underlying themes, like prejudice, tolerance, cultural and racial differences . And it's all somewhat luscious and delectable.
» And the moral of this Bloody Shrimping Hell Cathy and I both Liked the Same Book for Once This Must Mean the End of the World is Near Crappy Non Review (BSHCaIbLtSBfOTMMtEofWiNCNR™) is: this book is slightly awesome. This book is SLIGHTLY FREE. So what the bloody shrimping fish are you waiting for, my Little Barnacles?!
· Book 2: Rose Point ★★★★★
· Book 3: Laisrathera ★★★★★
· Book 4: A Rose Point Holiday ★★★★
[Pre-review nonsense]
This book is disgustingly nice and fluffy and stuff. And yet I slightly liked it. Therefore, doom, destruction and complete annihilation of all life on this planet await. Run, my Little Barnacles, run!
►► Full Bloody Shrimping Hell I Should Have Hated this Book What the Fish is Wrong with Me Halp Crappy Non Review (BSHISHHtBWtFiWwMHCNR™) to come.
March 19, 2017
*** 3.75 ***
A buddy read with the MacHalo Freaks:):):)
I had no clue what to expect apart from this book being classified as a Sci-Fi, so I was very pleased to discover a fun Universe of pelted races, humans and Space Elvs!!!! I know, how cool is that??? Well, we get to meet one of them, at least, when a Captain of the trader ship Earthrise, Reese is charged with finding and rescuing a mysterious Eldritch Hirianthial who has been captured by pirates and about to be given to slavers... Reese has no experience at rescuing anything or anyone, since she can barely keep herself and her shipping business out of debt and still running... But she owes a favor to an anonymous downer who once payed her loan to fix the ship's engines and this is it. Captain Theresa “Reese” Eddings gives the details of the planned rescue to her crew, two cat-people, Harat-Shar , one of them a 7 foot Phoenix with metal feathers, and the bio-organic specialist, a lady winged centaur-like person called a Glaseahn. Obviously, this universe is created for the fans of the Furies:):):)
"..."“The best things. Adventures. Destinations. Knowledge. Relationships. All of them start with uncomfortable moments. It's only when you're grappling with something new that you might uncover something wonderful... but unfortunately, that means grappling with something new.”” ...
The gang rescues the Eldritch by the skin of their teeth and become a mark for the pirates. In order to get their ship fixed and to stay low, they visit the Harat-Shar planet of feline people and the culture there is absolutely fascinating!!! I did end up wanting to smack some of those cats, but over all it was more interesting than frustrating:) Money is very tight though and we get to visit the colony on Mars where the Captain comes from. She goes to visit her female only family to borrow so she can fix the ship and pay her crew... Family lets her down and I disliked them with passion:) This leads to her deciding to take on a dangerous contract which pays very well... Things become more complicated as we go...
"..."“Sometimes the things you fantasize about aren't what you end up really wanting,” ...
Did I mention that the only way the Captain relaxes is by reading trashy romance novels? A girl after my own heart:)
I enjoyed the book, despite it having some pacing issues and me wanting to kill Reese on many occasions for her stubborn pride and prickliness. I see a lot of potential in this Universe and would like to continue with the rest of the series and maybe check the author's other work. A good choice for Sci-Fi and light Fantasy readers:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
A buddy read with the MacHalo Freaks:):):)
I had no clue what to expect apart from this book being classified as a Sci-Fi, so I was very pleased to discover a fun Universe of pelted races, humans and Space Elvs!!!! I know, how cool is that??? Well, we get to meet one of them, at least, when a Captain of the trader ship Earthrise, Reese is charged with finding and rescuing a mysterious Eldritch Hirianthial who has been captured by pirates and about to be given to slavers... Reese has no experience at rescuing anything or anyone, since she can barely keep herself and her shipping business out of debt and still running... But she owes a favor to an anonymous downer who once payed her loan to fix the ship's engines and this is it. Captain Theresa “Reese” Eddings gives the details of the planned rescue to her crew, two cat-people, Harat-Shar , one of them a 7 foot Phoenix with metal feathers, and the bio-organic specialist, a lady winged centaur-like person called a Glaseahn. Obviously, this universe is created for the fans of the Furies:):):)
"..."“The best things. Adventures. Destinations. Knowledge. Relationships. All of them start with uncomfortable moments. It's only when you're grappling with something new that you might uncover something wonderful... but unfortunately, that means grappling with something new.”” ...
The gang rescues the Eldritch by the skin of their teeth and become a mark for the pirates. In order to get their ship fixed and to stay low, they visit the Harat-Shar planet of feline people and the culture there is absolutely fascinating!!! I did end up wanting to smack some of those cats, but over all it was more interesting than frustrating:) Money is very tight though and we get to visit the colony on Mars where the Captain comes from. She goes to visit her female only family to borrow so she can fix the ship and pay her crew... Family lets her down and I disliked them with passion:) This leads to her deciding to take on a dangerous contract which pays very well... Things become more complicated as we go...
"..."“Sometimes the things you fantasize about aren't what you end up really wanting,” ...
Did I mention that the only way the Captain relaxes is by reading trashy romance novels? A girl after my own heart:)
I enjoyed the book, despite it having some pacing issues and me wanting to kill Reese on many occasions for her stubborn pride and prickliness. I see a lot of potential in this Universe and would like to continue with the rest of the series and maybe check the author's other work. A good choice for Sci-Fi and light Fantasy readers:)
Now I wish you all Happy Reading and my you always find what you need in the pages of a good book!!!
April 23, 2015
The cover! The cover! I adore this cover! So much awesomesauce with this cover! A heroine with dark skin and braids. How often does THAT happen in any genre? Julie Dillon is just so amazing when it comes to creating incredible fantasy art with PoC front and center.
Happy happy! Joy joy! Dancing around the room listening to the latest Blind Guardian. It's been ages since I've read such a kick-ass swashbuckling sci-fi adventure. The last one I'd read with a Black female lead was Ascension (which was also kick-ass).
Not only was this an amazing story, but intrepid ship captain Reese was the kind of heroine that I miss. Tough, no-nonsense, a bit unlucky in trying to keep her ship, the Earthrise, out of the red, but she's very loyal to her motley crew which includes a phoenix, two humanoid tigranes, a humanoid centaur and a cute aura reading fuzzball (which reminded me of a smarter tribble). Better still, there's no pesky romance to get in the way of the derring-do and adventure. Having said that, there's definitely the kind of push-pull between Reese and the mysterious Eldritch Hirianthial (and whoa, do I want this man because he's my kind of kryptonite, especially the long hair), but it doesn't take up the entire book nor does Reese lose her agency. Moreover, Reese makes mistakes, takes crazy risks that made me want to smack her, but the risks make sense for the kind of character she was.
Yes there's science and incredible world-building, but the most important aspects are the story and the characters. disparate beings manage to work together and create their own version of family. And it's hilarious that Reese is a huge romance reader (especially romances featuring the Eldritch) only to rescue one and discover Hirianthial isn't even close to the fictional being she read about. He's got secrets and isn't the least bit frail.
I'm off to read the next book in the series Rose Point, curious to see just what Reese and her crew manage to get into next.
Happy happy! Joy joy! Dancing around the room listening to the latest Blind Guardian. It's been ages since I've read such a kick-ass swashbuckling sci-fi adventure. The last one I'd read with a Black female lead was Ascension (which was also kick-ass).
Not only was this an amazing story, but intrepid ship captain Reese was the kind of heroine that I miss. Tough, no-nonsense, a bit unlucky in trying to keep her ship, the Earthrise, out of the red, but she's very loyal to her motley crew which includes a phoenix, two humanoid tigranes, a humanoid centaur and a cute aura reading fuzzball (which reminded me of a smarter tribble). Better still, there's no pesky romance to get in the way of the derring-do and adventure. Having said that, there's definitely the kind of push-pull between Reese and the mysterious Eldritch Hirianthial (and whoa, do I want this man because he's my kind of kryptonite, especially the long hair), but it doesn't take up the entire book nor does Reese lose her agency. Moreover, Reese makes mistakes, takes crazy risks that made me want to smack her, but the risks make sense for the kind of character she was.
Yes there's science and incredible world-building, but the most important aspects are the story and the characters. disparate beings manage to work together and create their own version of family. And it's hilarious that Reese is a huge romance reader (especially romances featuring the Eldritch) only to rescue one and discover Hirianthial isn't even close to the fictional being she read about. He's got secrets and isn't the least bit frail.
I'm off to read the next book in the series Rose Point, curious to see just what Reese and her crew manage to get into next.
March 18, 2017
Free ARC, provided by Netgalley, thank you!
Wasn't so sure at first, if I would like it, but about a quarter into the book I was in love with all of the main characters. I adore Hirianthial, his psychic landscape is fantastic. The Harat-Shar are great comic characters and the bird-like Bryer is fascinating. The Flitzbe is like a more advanced tribble.
Throw in a classic run-chase-and-hide scenario with an asteroid field, and your swashbuckling space adventure is off to an entertaining ride.
I really liked the second part of the book. The swashbuckling comes to an abrupt stop, but it gives a great additional depth to the characters of Reese and Hirianthial. The changing POV between those two is very well done and flows smoothly. The setting is a nice bit of world building as well.
And after the nice interlude on the planet of the hedonistic furry people and lots of eyebrow action we're back to the swashbuckling bit in part three of the book.
I am not sure, why this book resonates so strongly with me. Perhaps if I had picked it up at another time, it could have had the potential to bore me to death. But I really liked it. The characters are vibrant and their cultural misunderstandings and differences and moral codes feel so real. I just want to hug them all and join the crew for a bitchfest about the injustice of life. And then I want to ravish the Eldritch. What a fab character. I could laugh myself silly over Reese's addiction to Eldritch romance novels.
Fun, well-drawn characters, interesting plot, snark, humour, eyebrows. We have a winner. Onwards to the next installment.
Wasn't so sure at first, if I would like it, but about a quarter into the book I was in love with all of the main characters. I adore Hirianthial, his psychic landscape is fantastic. The Harat-Shar are great comic characters and the bird-like Bryer is fascinating. The Flitzbe is like a more advanced tribble.
Throw in a classic run-chase-and-hide scenario with an asteroid field, and your swashbuckling space adventure is off to an entertaining ride.
I really liked the second part of the book. The swashbuckling comes to an abrupt stop, but it gives a great additional depth to the characters of Reese and Hirianthial. The changing POV between those two is very well done and flows smoothly. The setting is a nice bit of world building as well.
And after the nice interlude on the planet of the hedonistic furry people and lots of eyebrow action we're back to the swashbuckling bit in part three of the book.
I am not sure, why this book resonates so strongly with me. Perhaps if I had picked it up at another time, it could have had the potential to bore me to death. But I really liked it. The characters are vibrant and their cultural misunderstandings and differences and moral codes feel so real. I just want to hug them all and join the crew for a bitchfest about the injustice of life. And then I want to ravish the Eldritch. What a fab character. I could laugh myself silly over Reese's addiction to Eldritch romance novels.
Fun, well-drawn characters, interesting plot, snark, humour, eyebrows. We have a winner. Onwards to the next installment.
September 21, 2023
There was a lot that I loved about this story. The crew, the plot, the pacing, the worldbuilding, the mysterious Eldritch (space elf) they rescue, all were fascinating. You can hear the "but", right? But the heroine, Reese, is a giant downer that dragged the whole thing down for the entire story.
It isn't that Reese is prickly. It's that she's all the prickly of a cactus planet. By which I mean a planet actually made of cactus. Worse, she's prickly to the detriment of her crew, the story, and the very nice man they rescued whose only crime is that he's some kind of telepath. So she judges him, the entire story, on things he might possibly find out about the very boring thing she's afraid he'll know. Like it's some super secret that she has conflicted feelings about her home and family? She took him to her home! He knows! Okay, fine, she's also concerned he'll know she kinda likes him without her telling him. There's some interesting trauma there that I'd love to explore if only it didn't involve her being so stupid about it.
And I'd be more down with this being about a growth arc that she's embarked on if it weren't that all the catalyst for reexamining her stupid emotional state came from her crew telling her to stop messing things up. I mean, it was cool the first couple of times. Like, she needed to hear it and they care and that's kinda cool. But she never learned to do it herself. Which is the point of character growth—you know, actually growing.
Which sounds dreadful, but the surrounding story really is quite fine. I liked the universe here. And the side characters were outstanding. And Eldritch guy (whose name I'd have to look up because it's, like, fifty syllables long and who can remember how to spell that?) was very awesome, and his backstory has all my attention. And empathy.
I'm going to give this 3½ stars that I really wish I could round up because I'm definitely interested in the next. But I very nearly stopped reading once or twice when Reese was being a particular pill. So three it stays.
A note about Chaste: With Reese being the main character and so uptight she'd vibrate in a strong breeze, there's no sex at all. Nor any intimacy, really. There's some non-sexual nudity, but with zero detail. So I consider this pretty chaste, though you could definitely go the other way on a tighter definition.
It isn't that Reese is prickly. It's that she's all the prickly of a cactus planet. By which I mean a planet actually made of cactus. Worse, she's prickly to the detriment of her crew, the story, and the very nice man they rescued whose only crime is that he's some kind of telepath. So she judges him, the entire story, on things he might possibly find out about the very boring thing she's afraid he'll know. Like it's some super secret that she has conflicted feelings about her home and family? She took him to her home! He knows! Okay, fine, she's also concerned he'll know she kinda likes him without her telling him. There's some interesting trauma there that I'd love to explore if only it didn't involve her being so stupid about it.
And I'd be more down with this being about a growth arc that she's embarked on if it weren't that all the catalyst for reexamining her stupid emotional state came from her crew telling her to stop messing things up. I mean, it was cool the first couple of times. Like, she needed to hear it and they care and that's kinda cool. But she never learned to do it herself. Which is the point of character growth—you know, actually growing.
Which sounds dreadful, but the surrounding story really is quite fine. I liked the universe here. And the side characters were outstanding. And Eldritch guy (whose name I'd have to look up because it's, like, fifty syllables long and who can remember how to spell that?) was very awesome, and his backstory has all my attention. And empathy.
I'm going to give this 3½ stars that I really wish I could round up because I'm definitely interested in the next. But I very nearly stopped reading once or twice when Reese was being a particular pill. So three it stays.
A note about Chaste: With Reese being the main character and so uptight she'd vibrate in a strong breeze, there's no sex at all. Nor any intimacy, really. There's some non-sexual nudity, but with zero detail. So I consider this pretty chaste, though you could definitely go the other way on a tighter definition.
April 15, 2017
I should learn to prioritize the books my dear wife recommends because this was great! It's been a while since I got so caught up in a series. I actually finished it in a week. Sure there were just three books but still. Especially since RL has been a bitch lately and my reading time is severely reduced.
Back to the book. Earthrise introduces the reader to a universe filled with genetically engineered species called the Pelted. At some point the Pelted left Earth and colonised their own planets. I loved the introduced species and their peculiarities. Even when some of them made me a bit squeamish. Mostly I loved the Flitzby and I want one for my own. Though considering it's more of a plant it might be best if I don't because my track record of keeping houseplants alive is dismal.
Captain Reese Eddings is the MC of the series along with her crew. A rescue mission she embarks on sets in motion the events of this series. I loved Reese with her rough edges. She reminds me a bit of me. Especially when I was younger. Hirianthial was also intriguing and I really wanted to learn more about him.
A note on the audio: it was absolutely awful! This is the worst narrator I've ever encountered. I couldn't stand his voice and quickly switched to normal reading. He has no ability to differentiate between the characters - all females sound the same - like chain smokers and the males aren't much better. Why was he kept for the rest of the series is a total mystery. If I had to stay with the audio I would have ended up DNF a great book. I hope the rest of the books set in this universe have a different narrator or else they would have to wait for a time when I have more actual reading time. *sigh* I miss the good old days when I could read for most of the day.
Back to the book. Earthrise introduces the reader to a universe filled with genetically engineered species called the Pelted. At some point the Pelted left Earth and colonised their own planets. I loved the introduced species and their peculiarities. Even when some of them made me a bit squeamish. Mostly I loved the Flitzby and I want one for my own. Though considering it's more of a plant it might be best if I don't because my track record of keeping houseplants alive is dismal.
Captain Reese Eddings is the MC of the series along with her crew. A rescue mission she embarks on sets in motion the events of this series. I loved Reese with her rough edges. She reminds me a bit of me. Especially when I was younger. Hirianthial was also intriguing and I really wanted to learn more about him.
A note on the audio: it was absolutely awful! This is the worst narrator I've ever encountered. I couldn't stand his voice and quickly switched to normal reading. He has no ability to differentiate between the characters - all females sound the same - like chain smokers and the males aren't much better. Why was he kept for the rest of the series is a total mystery. If I had to stay with the audio I would have ended up DNF a great book. I hope the rest of the books set in this universe have a different narrator or else they would have to wait for a time when I have more actual reading time. *sigh* I miss the good old days when I could read for most of the day.
Read
June 27, 2017Ufffffff.... It's complicated.
On one hand, Earthrise is a book with an intriguing plot, well-rounded characters, creative world-building and, most importantly, a cover that borders to absolute divine perfection!
On the other hand.... it took me several months to finish it. Why? Let's just say that despite one of the most likable and unique casts that exists in fiction, despite the huge amount of creativity in terms of races, worlds, psychology and the complete unpredictability of the plot, there was one single thing that failed to resonate with me and that's the writing style... and pacing. Ok, it's two things that are kind of connected.
Nevertheless, I highly recommend giving Earthrise a go if you're a sci-fi fan and if you're intrigued by the synopsis. It's just as awesome as it sounds. Be prepared for long and unnecessary dialogues, inner monologues flashbacks and other things that will slow the book down for you.
Conclusion:
I got bored way too easily and way too often. Wish future readers better luck.
Also, make sure to listen to the audiobook narration sample before investing any of your money in the audio version.
On one hand, Earthrise is a book with an intriguing plot, well-rounded characters, creative world-building and, most importantly, a cover that borders to absolute divine perfection!
On the other hand.... it took me several months to finish it. Why? Let's just say that despite one of the most likable and unique casts that exists in fiction, despite the huge amount of creativity in terms of races, worlds, psychology and the complete unpredictability of the plot, there was one single thing that failed to resonate with me and that's the writing style... and pacing. Ok, it's two things that are kind of connected.
Nevertheless, I highly recommend giving Earthrise a go if you're a sci-fi fan and if you're intrigued by the synopsis. It's just as awesome as it sounds. Be prepared for long and unnecessary dialogues, inner monologues flashbacks and other things that will slow the book down for you.
Conclusion:
I got bored way too easily and way too often. Wish future readers better luck.
Also, make sure to listen to the audiobook narration sample before investing any of your money in the audio version.
March 31, 2017
Alright, here it goes. A semi-crappy review bulked up with some pretty crappy pics but honestly, it's all I have the brain cells for anymore.
I purchased and listened to the audio for this one, and I'll be honest, I don't think he was a great choice for this book.
Big shocker there, right?
His voice was way too raspy, whispery, and gravelly for the role. He sounds like he should be voicing an old-time, down and out cowboy like this,
not a 30 year old woman like this,
I listened to bits in the car and my daughter even cringed listening. She said he just sounded like Batman reading different lines. So I guess he could even look like this:
Oops! Wrong Batman. But you get my drift.
I don't mean to be disparaging to the narrator. I can totally see his voice being perfect for other roles....just not this one.
It took me several starts and stops before I decided to push through it and acclimate. Unfortunately that never really happened. I feel like the narration kept me disconnected from the characters and pulled me right out of the story.
If I had time to actually sit down and read, I think I would have enjoyed this one much more than I did. I know that there is a good story here. I loved the cast (aside from Reese, who is just prickly, irrational, and rude---and who I hope ends up growing as a character.) Who wouldn't love overly amorous cat people (think Khajiit), phoenixes, and space elves?
I mean come on, that's a winning combination. Add mysterious benefactors, slave trades, harems, romance novels, inter-planetary travel, and extreme matriarchal societies and you have yourself a fun space opera. However, that last like 50% of the book just felt like it dragged on, and on, and on.
When the last line was read, my only thought was, "Finally." That can't be good, right? Again, I really think it was due to the poor narrator choice and not the content of the story. I'm even going to give book 2 a shot.
I'm giving it a solid 3 stars. I thought about going 3.5 stars but in the end it just felt too long and Reese got on my nerves for the majority of the book.
Initial Review:
Wow, I feel like I've been listening to this book for-ehhhhh-verrrrrrr. I think it's in part because I didn't like the narrator and truly felt he was not a good choice for the part (maybe another part, maybe another book, just not this one), but also because the last 40% or so of the book seemed to drag on. It's bad when the audio comes to an end and the only thing I can think to say is, "Finally."
RTC. Maybe. Hopefully. But we all know how that goes...
I purchased and listened to the audio for this one, and I'll be honest, I don't think he was a great choice for this book.
Big shocker there, right?
His voice was way too raspy, whispery, and gravelly for the role. He sounds like he should be voicing an old-time, down and out cowboy like this,
not a 30 year old woman like this,
I listened to bits in the car and my daughter even cringed listening. She said he just sounded like Batman reading different lines. So I guess he could even look like this:
Oops! Wrong Batman. But you get my drift.
I don't mean to be disparaging to the narrator. I can totally see his voice being perfect for other roles....just not this one.
It took me several starts and stops before I decided to push through it and acclimate. Unfortunately that never really happened. I feel like the narration kept me disconnected from the characters and pulled me right out of the story.
If I had time to actually sit down and read, I think I would have enjoyed this one much more than I did. I know that there is a good story here. I loved the cast (aside from Reese, who is just prickly, irrational, and rude---and who I hope ends up growing as a character.) Who wouldn't love overly amorous cat people (think Khajiit), phoenixes, and space elves?
I mean come on, that's a winning combination. Add mysterious benefactors, slave trades, harems, romance novels, inter-planetary travel, and extreme matriarchal societies and you have yourself a fun space opera. However, that last like 50% of the book just felt like it dragged on, and on, and on.
When the last line was read, my only thought was, "Finally." That can't be good, right? Again, I really think it was due to the poor narrator choice and not the content of the story. I'm even going to give book 2 a shot.
I'm giving it a solid 3 stars. I thought about going 3.5 stars but in the end it just felt too long and Reese got on my nerves for the majority of the book.
Initial Review:
Wow, I feel like I've been listening to this book for-ehhhhh-verrrrrrr. I think it's in part because I didn't like the narrator and truly felt he was not a good choice for the part (maybe another part, maybe another book, just not this one), but also because the last 40% or so of the book seemed to drag on. It's bad when the audio comes to an end and the only thing I can think to say is, "Finally."
RTC. Maybe. Hopefully. But we all know how that goes...
November 17, 2015
This came highly recommended by people I respect, but I guess it's just a matter of taste. The writing and editing were done well. I love the space camp-y feel. But I just disliked the heroine so much that it ruined the book for me. By the end, her TSTL actions because of her anger towards everyone close to her drove me crazy. She almost got them all killed, because she refused to listen to an ally who had proven himself. I HATE heroines like that. To me she acted like some middle-school brat.
edit: Plus the heroine and some other main characters were extremely judgemental and prejudiced towards other races' behaviors. You can't use your own conventions to judge other's sexuality and family traditions. That was a turn-off as well.
edit: Plus the heroine and some other main characters were extremely judgemental and prejudiced towards other races' behaviors. You can't use your own conventions to judge other's sexuality and family traditions. That was a turn-off as well.
June 27, 2017
The main character ... oh man. I shucked three stars from this otherwise excellent sci-fi novel just because the MC (Reese) is so poorly written. I get that she's supposed to be an anti-hero, oh boy do I get that, but the construction of her personality just makes no sense, at all, in any genre. She's constantly combative and angry (that's her personality, period); she has the galaxy's worst decision-making skills and shows absolutely no command capability, let alone the ability to be in a room with anyone for longer than five minutes without having a meltdown: she's so utterly negative her body is attempting to eat itself.
Yet she is surrounded by a crew who not only don't murder her for being such an utter, dunderheaded asshole but actively like her, even though her total unsuitability for a leadership role puts them in nearly constant mortal danger. Cuz ... there has to be menace in the novel? Lame.
If you can hold your nose and get past Reese's character this is interesting SF but I just found the whole thing annoying.
Yet she is surrounded by a crew who not only don't murder her for being such an utter, dunderheaded asshole but actively like her, even though her total unsuitability for a leadership role puts them in nearly constant mortal danger. Cuz ... there has to be menace in the novel? Lame.
If you can hold your nose and get past Reese's character this is interesting SF but I just found the whole thing annoying.
December 13, 2015
This book was absolutely perfect for me.
I don't know how to explain it, maybe by making a list: perfect characters, action but no non-stop-action, alternative humans and aliens, an every day live story, endearing characters, humour, a lot of good psychology, people who act like real people, a sentiment of reality in an alternative world and, at least but not last, a very easy and comfortable read.
Some people could say that the tonality is a little bit naive, but not me. On the contrary, I love this kind of intelligent choices, of letting the reader (if they wish) imagine the details about violence and sexuality. It's probably also my definition of Young Adult literature, and the reason why I love it so much.
The writing is very good, the alternance of points of view isn't excessive, the switching is sometimes quick, but always quite clear (well, except some few times on my kindle version, when the line break had disappeared).
The character of the heroin, Theresa, is also quite Young Adult as she's often cross, and impatient, and unjust. But she's also kind and loyal, and her history makes her reactions coherent. And, of course, she evolves slowly during the story - slowly and so, credibly.
I appreciated the numerous and funny veiled (or not so veiled!) references for she-readers, those who love romances. The whole book is probably quite feminine, and personal, and it's the reason why I loved it so much: there're no concessions to the supposed obligations of the genre, there aren't any stereotypes, it's a lovely melting-pot, clever and fun, thoughtful but never boring or preachy, full of delicious details...
(Allacazam is the best alien ever!! <3 ^-^)
If you appreciated books like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, or The Best of All Possible Worlds, or maybe my Lysandre Chalkhill - Livre 1 : "Filigranes", and if / or you're mostly / also a reader of fine social comedies like Jane Austen's books, you'll very probably love 'Earthrise'.
For myself it was a wonderful discovery! :)
I don't know how to explain it, maybe by making a list: perfect characters, action but no non-stop-action, alternative humans and aliens, an every day live story, endearing characters, humour, a lot of good psychology, people who act like real people, a sentiment of reality in an alternative world and, at least but not last, a very easy and comfortable read.
Some people could say that the tonality is a little bit naive, but not me. On the contrary, I love this kind of intelligent choices, of letting the reader (if they wish) imagine the details about violence and sexuality. It's probably also my definition of Young Adult literature, and the reason why I love it so much.
The writing is very good, the alternance of points of view isn't excessive, the switching is sometimes quick, but always quite clear (well, except some few times on my kindle version, when the line break had disappeared).
The character of the heroin, Theresa, is also quite Young Adult as she's often cross, and impatient, and unjust. But she's also kind and loyal, and her history makes her reactions coherent. And, of course, she evolves slowly during the story - slowly and so, credibly.
I appreciated the numerous and funny veiled (or not so veiled!) references for she-readers, those who love romances. The whole book is probably quite feminine, and personal, and it's the reason why I loved it so much: there're no concessions to the supposed obligations of the genre, there aren't any stereotypes, it's a lovely melting-pot, clever and fun, thoughtful but never boring or preachy, full of delicious details...
(Allacazam is the best alien ever!! <3 ^-^)
If you appreciated books like The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet, or The Best of All Possible Worlds, or maybe my Lysandre Chalkhill - Livre 1 : "Filigranes", and if / or you're mostly / also a reader of fine social comedies like Jane Austen's books, you'll very probably love 'Earthrise'.
For myself it was a wonderful discovery! :)
March 4, 2015
A cranky female space freighter captain unintentionally gets involved with interplanetary drug dealers and slave traders. It's not an overly original story, but it's entertaining enough for a light read. It's mostly a space opera with a fair amount of chaste romance, some fantasy, and a bit too much introspective angst (for my taste). I found some of the prose...awkward at times. The protagonist is not entirely likeable or believable. She seems slow on the uptake, and her reactions often do not seem to flow naturally. The supporting characters are interesting enough - there's a sapient tribble-like character; a couple perpetually horny feline mutants; a tall, pale mysterious stranger; what seems like a lobster-man; and a feathered fellow. There isn't much science in this sci-fi story. The editing is fair. What I liked was that the characters have integrity, and the novel does not overindulge in 'action', graphic violence, foul language, or gratuitous sex scenes.
Read
August 16, 2024Do you like found families? Do you like rag-tag crews having adventures in space? Do you like books that prioritise character over plot? Do you like romances that burn so slow you can barely see any progression at all? Do you like A Long Way to Small Angry Planet? Do you like things that make you your heart hurt a little but then fill it with joy?
Maybe give this book a try, is all I'm saying.
October 5, 2017
Oh, heh-heh, fluffy space opera. I love fluffy space opera! Dealing with pirates, everyone's broke, awkard situations— well that's some buried trauma we just dealt with. And that's some more trauma. OH WOW that's a lot of trauma. BLOOD. SO MUCH BLOOD AND TRAUMA. WHY IS EVERYTHING TERRIBLE. RUN. RUN. START THE SHIP WE NEED TO RUN.
July 20, 2015
3.75 stars. I found myself deeply annoyed by the main character's combative attitude and poor decision-making, but I kept reading to follow the other beings the storyline introduced. Here's hoping Reese is more tolerable in the next book in the series.
October 31, 2015
TL;DR Review:
3.5 stars. Where have you been all my life, book? Even with my few complaints, where have you been?
Longer Review:
Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided to me by Studio MCAH via Netgalley. I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me this opportunity. All opinions expressed from here forward are my own.
I almost put this book a little lower on my NetGalley pile because the NetGalley description had a side note that this was a space opera with a romance subplot. That made me grimace a little. However, the Goodreads description did not tout the romance, and I was extra good and didn’t read any of the reviews on Goodreads for this book. I was pleased to see that it seem to be fairly well-received by its readers just from gazing at the rating. I have no problem with romance. In fact, I love a good romance, but I find when it becomes the selling point for a book that doesn’t seem to exactly romance-oriented, it can come off awkward and unnecessary. However, since I’ve been looking into more speculative fiction that feature protagonists of color, I decided to go ahead and give this a chance. If I hated it, the worst that could happen was I wouldn’t finish it.
Side note before I start this review. I wanted to take a little time out to mention that Julie Dillion did the artwork for the cover, and if you’re not familiar with her work, she is an amazing SFF artist whose Kickstarter I recently supported because of her beautiful artwork that I’ve seen featured many places including magazines. I highly recommend checking out her beautiful illustrations. On with the review!
Earthrise follows the adventures of Captain Theresa “Reese” Eddings, a mostly honest cargo captain, and her crew of misfit aliens, which includes a pair of Harat-Shar (humanoid felines) twins who hail from a libertine culture where sex and cuddling is a big thing, even among family members, a female winged centaur-like being called a Glaseahn who has an interest in bio-organics, and a male Phoenix with an impressive plumage and the distinction of being one of the best engineers around. Finally, there’s Theresa’s Flitzbe, she calls Allacazam, who sort of sounds like a tribble from Star Trek based on description, but can communicate telepathically with Reese and changes colors to express his moods.
Years prior to the book, Reese borrowed a large sum of money from a mysterious race known as the Eldritch (a very pale, almost elven-ish race of people), hoping to patch up her ship, TMS Earthrise, and make a fortune for herself and her crew before having to pay them back. As the old poem goes: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Reese hasn’t made her fortune after six years and now the Eldritch are calling in a favor. Reese was a spitfire for sure. Even though she’d been with her crew for years, she kept them somewhat at a distance, especially the twins, who are not shy about making their intentions known. She even devised a plan of keeping the areas she favors colder than normal to keep them at bay from wanting to be affectionate with her. However, Reese is much gentler than she appears. She has a love for romance novels, which belie her often fiery temper, but her past, which I found partly interesting and partly a shaky concept, is part of the reason that she enjoys romance. She finds escape in romance novels from her stress of being a captain who’s barely making it, but she doesn’t feel such romance is attainable in her real life.
She finds out her mission is to rescue an Eldritch spy from slavers, which is surprising. The Eldritch are isolationists partly due to the fact that their race can read minds through touching others. This isolationism has made them xenophobic and rarely seen outside of their home planet. Because no one knows very much about them, rumors say that they can do all kinds of extraordinary things like start fires with their mind. Even Reese believes some of these things about them, but because of her romance novels, she also sees them as fragile creatures who needs saving. So, imagine her surprise when Hirianthial proves not only to not be fragile, but more formidable than she ever expected. While she blames the inconvenience he caused her as her main reason for giving him such a hard time for most of the book, it’s her feelings for him that prove to be the real problem.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a fun dash across the galaxy as Reese tried to make ends meet while dealing with her new, very private crew member. Reese has nothing but the best intentions for her crew and for herself, but she often finds herself in the worst predicaments. She leads a dangerous life, but she’s not really a fighter. She depends mostly on her wits to get her out of situations. She carries a gun of some sort because she feels she has to, but she has no idea how to actually use it.
The so-called romance in this book didn’t really happen. I was afraid I was going to get a book with Reese falling all over Hirianthial, but really, there’s nothing more than a mutual interest between the two with only one real scene I guess you could consider romantic. Some may argue there seems to be no spark between them, but I beg to differ. He’s from a very private culture, one that doesn’t allow much emotion to be shown while Reese gets fired up enough for the both of them. I thought it was a very sweet, slow building relationship that’s still not a relationship by the book’s end. More importantly, it didn’t kill the book’s vibe.
So, no, I’m sorry. No smut. Especially given that Hirianthial has an aversion to touching for much of the book because he can feel people’s thoughts, fears, etc. He’s also unique in that he doesn’t actually have to touch people to get these thoughts. He can feel it from their aura when they’re in close proximity, but he still tolerates that much better better than touching. Allowing someone to invade his aural space and to touch him is considered the ultimate form of trust for him, and that’s not just something he reserves for Reese alone in this book because she’s not the only person he has to learn to trust on Earthrise. I was happy for that, though, because it gave the story and characters a chance to grow aside from being SO IN LOVE. You get to learn much about Reese and Hirianthial.
This story could feel a little trope-y in places. Remember, I don’t hate tropes. That would be ridiculous. They are unavoidable, but what the writer does with them is what counts. I wish there’d been more from Bryer (the Phoenix) and Kis’eh’t (the centaur), but they did get their chance to shine a little, especially Bryer toward the end. Irine and Sascha (the twins) and their predilection for being flirty and wanting sexy time all the time seemed to take up most of the time that could’ve been dedicated to showcasing more of the crew. Also, parts of this the reasoning for things that happened in this story felt like they were written on a weak foundation. I found myself frequently asking, “Why?” Some of the plot just felt ill-contrived and out of place. I’m still not sure I understand one particular bit, but I’m hoping the subsequent books might clear this up for me. It didn’t kill my enjoyment of the story or make me like the characters any less, though. I actually can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
3.5 stars. Where have you been all my life, book? Even with my few complaints, where have you been?
Longer Review:
Full Disclosure: A review copy of this book was provided to me by Studio MCAH via Netgalley. I would like to thank the author, the publisher, and Netgalley for providing me this opportunity. All opinions expressed from here forward are my own.
I almost put this book a little lower on my NetGalley pile because the NetGalley description had a side note that this was a space opera with a romance subplot. That made me grimace a little. However, the Goodreads description did not tout the romance, and I was extra good and didn’t read any of the reviews on Goodreads for this book. I was pleased to see that it seem to be fairly well-received by its readers just from gazing at the rating. I have no problem with romance. In fact, I love a good romance, but I find when it becomes the selling point for a book that doesn’t seem to exactly romance-oriented, it can come off awkward and unnecessary. However, since I’ve been looking into more speculative fiction that feature protagonists of color, I decided to go ahead and give this a chance. If I hated it, the worst that could happen was I wouldn’t finish it.
Side note before I start this review. I wanted to take a little time out to mention that Julie Dillion did the artwork for the cover, and if you’re not familiar with her work, she is an amazing SFF artist whose Kickstarter I recently supported because of her beautiful artwork that I’ve seen featured many places including magazines. I highly recommend checking out her beautiful illustrations. On with the review!
Earthrise follows the adventures of Captain Theresa “Reese” Eddings, a mostly honest cargo captain, and her crew of misfit aliens, which includes a pair of Harat-Shar (humanoid felines) twins who hail from a libertine culture where sex and cuddling is a big thing, even among family members, a female winged centaur-like being called a Glaseahn who has an interest in bio-organics, and a male Phoenix with an impressive plumage and the distinction of being one of the best engineers around. Finally, there’s Theresa’s Flitzbe, she calls Allacazam, who sort of sounds like a tribble from Star Trek based on description, but can communicate telepathically with Reese and changes colors to express his moods.
Years prior to the book, Reese borrowed a large sum of money from a mysterious race known as the Eldritch (a very pale, almost elven-ish race of people), hoping to patch up her ship, TMS Earthrise, and make a fortune for herself and her crew before having to pay them back. As the old poem goes: “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” Reese hasn’t made her fortune after six years and now the Eldritch are calling in a favor. Reese was a spitfire for sure. Even though she’d been with her crew for years, she kept them somewhat at a distance, especially the twins, who are not shy about making their intentions known. She even devised a plan of keeping the areas she favors colder than normal to keep them at bay from wanting to be affectionate with her. However, Reese is much gentler than she appears. She has a love for romance novels, which belie her often fiery temper, but her past, which I found partly interesting and partly a shaky concept, is part of the reason that she enjoys romance. She finds escape in romance novels from her stress of being a captain who’s barely making it, but she doesn’t feel such romance is attainable in her real life.
She finds out her mission is to rescue an Eldritch spy from slavers, which is surprising. The Eldritch are isolationists partly due to the fact that their race can read minds through touching others. This isolationism has made them xenophobic and rarely seen outside of their home planet. Because no one knows very much about them, rumors say that they can do all kinds of extraordinary things like start fires with their mind. Even Reese believes some of these things about them, but because of her romance novels, she also sees them as fragile creatures who needs saving. So, imagine her surprise when Hirianthial proves not only to not be fragile, but more formidable than she ever expected. While she blames the inconvenience he caused her as her main reason for giving him such a hard time for most of the book, it’s her feelings for him that prove to be the real problem.
I really, really enjoyed this book. It was a fun dash across the galaxy as Reese tried to make ends meet while dealing with her new, very private crew member. Reese has nothing but the best intentions for her crew and for herself, but she often finds herself in the worst predicaments. She leads a dangerous life, but she’s not really a fighter. She depends mostly on her wits to get her out of situations. She carries a gun of some sort because she feels she has to, but she has no idea how to actually use it.
The so-called romance in this book didn’t really happen. I was afraid I was going to get a book with Reese falling all over Hirianthial, but really, there’s nothing more than a mutual interest between the two with only one real scene I guess you could consider romantic. Some may argue there seems to be no spark between them, but I beg to differ. He’s from a very private culture, one that doesn’t allow much emotion to be shown while Reese gets fired up enough for the both of them. I thought it was a very sweet, slow building relationship that’s still not a relationship by the book’s end. More importantly, it didn’t kill the book’s vibe.
So, no, I’m sorry. No smut. Especially given that Hirianthial has an aversion to touching for much of the book because he can feel people’s thoughts, fears, etc. He’s also unique in that he doesn’t actually have to touch people to get these thoughts. He can feel it from their aura when they’re in close proximity, but he still tolerates that much better better than touching. Allowing someone to invade his aural space and to touch him is considered the ultimate form of trust for him, and that’s not just something he reserves for Reese alone in this book because she’s not the only person he has to learn to trust on Earthrise. I was happy for that, though, because it gave the story and characters a chance to grow aside from being SO IN LOVE. You get to learn much about Reese and Hirianthial.
This story could feel a little trope-y in places. Remember, I don’t hate tropes. That would be ridiculous. They are unavoidable, but what the writer does with them is what counts. I wish there’d been more from Bryer (the Phoenix) and Kis’eh’t (the centaur), but they did get their chance to shine a little, especially Bryer toward the end. Irine and Sascha (the twins) and their predilection for being flirty and wanting sexy time all the time seemed to take up most of the time that could’ve been dedicated to showcasing more of the crew. Also, parts of this the reasoning for things that happened in this story felt like they were written on a weak foundation. I found myself frequently asking, “Why?” Some of the plot just felt ill-contrived and out of place. I’m still not sure I understand one particular bit, but I’m hoping the subsequent books might clear this up for me. It didn’t kill my enjoyment of the story or make me like the characters any less, though. I actually can’t wait to read the rest of this series!
February 4, 2022
"But still... an Eldritch? Slavers? I'm just a trader, not a hero. I don't want anything to do with something this dangerous."
Excellent light science fiction with Eldritch. Elves in space? Why not, we’ve already got Amish vampires in space. And zombies. Not to mention aliens. Hogarth makes us want to believe.
"I wish I knew myself."
Hogarth builds a multi-species crew who often rub each other the wrong way. Introduction of a near-mythic character in the flesh knocks more than one of them into a new orbit.
“It's not magic just because we can't see it and we haven't codified the math that explains it." "He should have stayed out of my head." "You should have stayed out of his."
Reese has more than her share of issues with family, ship, crew, and creditors. Will two successive jobs from mysterious benefactors should cure her of reaching for the golden ring? Timely arrival of the “cavalry,” as the Alliance Navy is once referred to, is too convenient. Space opera-ish fun with a side of angst.
"Sometimes the things you fantasize about aren't what you end up really wanting."
Excellent light science fiction with Eldritch. Elves in space? Why not, we’ve already got Amish vampires in space. And zombies. Not to mention aliens. Hogarth makes us want to believe.
"I wish I knew myself."
Hogarth builds a multi-species crew who often rub each other the wrong way. Introduction of a near-mythic character in the flesh knocks more than one of them into a new orbit.
“It's not magic just because we can't see it and we haven't codified the math that explains it." "He should have stayed out of my head." "You should have stayed out of his."
Reese has more than her share of issues with family, ship, crew, and creditors. Will two successive jobs from mysterious benefactors should cure her of reaching for the golden ring? Timely arrival of the “cavalry,” as the Alliance Navy is once referred to, is too convenient. Space opera-ish fun with a side of angst.
"Sometimes the things you fantasize about aren't what you end up really wanting."
August 8, 2013
After having read and reviewed A Rosary of Stones and Thorns for Hogarth, I’d kicked her campaign for Earthrise – mainly because it was 1) a book 2) by an author I was familiar with 3) that was offering a signed copy of the book upon completion for an exceptionally reasonable amount of money.
Sold!
So when I finally got my copy of Earthrise after having copy-edited Mindtouch for her, I was ecstatic. Earthrise promised me more Eldritch and more Pelted people and more interesting times in the space world. I am a firm believer in more.
What I got was a distinct feeling of deja vu when I opened the book. It turned out I’d at least read a piece of the original online serial of Earthrise at some other point – possibly when I’d kicked the project – and had utterly forgotten. Luckily, my memory was that I was in favor of the book, and I kept reading.
That is, my friends, the exact thing to do when you’re handed a book. My father’s rule of thumb was that if a book couldn’t hook him in the first 100 pages, he wasn’t going to waste his time on it. Lots of books to read – if it’s not interesting, there are six more waiting to take its place. I’m of the same mind – and Hogarth, as usual – delivered. Reese Eddings, the captain of the wayward ship the book is named for, is a classic anti-narrator; she is gruff and rough around the edges and is a woman in a “man’s world” and is willing to kick any man that says that to her right in between the legs. But she means well, and her crew knows it. It’s a ragtag bunch on a ship that would have been junked by any other captain – but it’s Reese’s ship, and the Earthrise listens to her.
The context of the book is simple: Reese went into debt, and was bailed out by a mysterious benefactor, who said they would call on her to repay in the future. Reese has been toodling on blissfully, hoping that day is far in the future, at the beginning of the novel – when she is contacted by her benefactor and forced to pay the piper. What she is given is the name of an Eldritch – Hirianthial Sarel Jisiensire. What she doesn’t know, is who he is – or why he needs to be found, other than the fact that he’s an Eldritch far from home.
What she finds is a fight against slavers, pirates, the nature of her crew – and herself, more often than not, as she is faced with the utterly unknown.
Characters like Reese have always fascinated me. It’s exactly the type of character I love to write – the one that hates to let anyone get in, but undoubtedly has someone wheedle their way in so to find their much softer interior. Pairing a character that bristly with an Eldritch, the touch-espers who barely understand themselves (and they like it that way, thank you very much) let alone the rest of the world (and they like it that way)…and you get a kind of awkward and tense chemistry that keeps the most wary of readers intrigued. Every move is a time bomb; any altercation could be the last. Reese’s crew knows that she doesn’t really work that way – and for the most part, they’re right – but no one knows about Hirianthial. No one knows the limits of the race whose limits are apparently set so far out, their planet is barred from the rest of the universe.
And of course, Hogarth shows her finesse as a writer by not only making the central characters intriguing and engaging, but by surrounding them with a detailed and deep supporting cast. It’s easy to let friends and colleagues fall to the wayside when your interest lies somewhere else, but Hogarth doesn’t allow you to forget the rest of the crew. Sascha and Irine, the unflappable Harat-Sharii twin set with more to their history than either would normally ever let you see. Kis’eh’t the Glaseah and Bryer the Phoenix, the more somber balances to the extremes of the twins, who pop up in the most unexpected places to help center Reese. And Allacazam, the Flitzbe that reminds yours truly of an exceptionally more useful (and less…prolific) Tribble who gives Reese a safe place to be herself.
The second I heard a sequel was in the works for Earthrise, I’d started saving to held fund the Kickstarter. What Hogarth has done in this novel – and in most if not all of the rest of her work – is given a world filled with characters that the reader can’t help but fall in love with. Her grasp on plot is firm, but never overshadowed by her work with character, and she makes them work so well hand-in-hand that it becomes difficult to see where one begins and the other ends. Wherever Reese and the crew of the Earthrise are going next, I want to be there as well.
And if that doesn’t make a good writer, I don’t know what does.
This review is cross-posted from my blog.
Sold!
So when I finally got my copy of Earthrise after having copy-edited Mindtouch for her, I was ecstatic. Earthrise promised me more Eldritch and more Pelted people and more interesting times in the space world. I am a firm believer in more.
What I got was a distinct feeling of deja vu when I opened the book. It turned out I’d at least read a piece of the original online serial of Earthrise at some other point – possibly when I’d kicked the project – and had utterly forgotten. Luckily, my memory was that I was in favor of the book, and I kept reading.
That is, my friends, the exact thing to do when you’re handed a book. My father’s rule of thumb was that if a book couldn’t hook him in the first 100 pages, he wasn’t going to waste his time on it. Lots of books to read – if it’s not interesting, there are six more waiting to take its place. I’m of the same mind – and Hogarth, as usual – delivered. Reese Eddings, the captain of the wayward ship the book is named for, is a classic anti-narrator; she is gruff and rough around the edges and is a woman in a “man’s world” and is willing to kick any man that says that to her right in between the legs. But she means well, and her crew knows it. It’s a ragtag bunch on a ship that would have been junked by any other captain – but it’s Reese’s ship, and the Earthrise listens to her.
The context of the book is simple: Reese went into debt, and was bailed out by a mysterious benefactor, who said they would call on her to repay in the future. Reese has been toodling on blissfully, hoping that day is far in the future, at the beginning of the novel – when she is contacted by her benefactor and forced to pay the piper. What she is given is the name of an Eldritch – Hirianthial Sarel Jisiensire. What she doesn’t know, is who he is – or why he needs to be found, other than the fact that he’s an Eldritch far from home.
What she finds is a fight against slavers, pirates, the nature of her crew – and herself, more often than not, as she is faced with the utterly unknown.
Characters like Reese have always fascinated me. It’s exactly the type of character I love to write – the one that hates to let anyone get in, but undoubtedly has someone wheedle their way in so to find their much softer interior. Pairing a character that bristly with an Eldritch, the touch-espers who barely understand themselves (and they like it that way, thank you very much) let alone the rest of the world (and they like it that way)…and you get a kind of awkward and tense chemistry that keeps the most wary of readers intrigued. Every move is a time bomb; any altercation could be the last. Reese’s crew knows that she doesn’t really work that way – and for the most part, they’re right – but no one knows about Hirianthial. No one knows the limits of the race whose limits are apparently set so far out, their planet is barred from the rest of the universe.
And of course, Hogarth shows her finesse as a writer by not only making the central characters intriguing and engaging, but by surrounding them with a detailed and deep supporting cast. It’s easy to let friends and colleagues fall to the wayside when your interest lies somewhere else, but Hogarth doesn’t allow you to forget the rest of the crew. Sascha and Irine, the unflappable Harat-Sharii twin set with more to their history than either would normally ever let you see. Kis’eh’t the Glaseah and Bryer the Phoenix, the more somber balances to the extremes of the twins, who pop up in the most unexpected places to help center Reese. And Allacazam, the Flitzbe that reminds yours truly of an exceptionally more useful (and less…prolific) Tribble who gives Reese a safe place to be herself.
The second I heard a sequel was in the works for Earthrise, I’d started saving to held fund the Kickstarter. What Hogarth has done in this novel – and in most if not all of the rest of her work – is given a world filled with characters that the reader can’t help but fall in love with. Her grasp on plot is firm, but never overshadowed by her work with character, and she makes them work so well hand-in-hand that it becomes difficult to see where one begins and the other ends. Wherever Reese and the crew of the Earthrise are going next, I want to be there as well.
And if that doesn’t make a good writer, I don’t know what does.
This review is cross-posted from my blog.
February 3, 2015
4.5 Stars
When I picked up this full length sci-fi novel for free on Amazon, I was hoping for something with a bit of a 'Firefly' feel, and it scratched my itch. It may not be quite as humorous as 'Firefly', but the relationships between captain and crew and the solid world building did it for me. Since I don't read a lot of sci-fi I had a little trouble at first with all the different aliens on the ship (and there aren't many, it's just me) and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a book with only one human as a main character, but I did. Sometimes her moodiness got on my nerves because I didn't see where it was coming from, but by the end of the book I felt like it all made sense. The only thing I really didn't like about the book was that some of the aliens are pretty constantly referred to as partaking in or talking about deviant sexual behavior. It's explained away as their culture, but I still found it distasteful, and it made it hard for me to like the characters even though they're supposed to be likable.
The story moved quickly enough without being rushed, the romantic tension (if you can even call it that) was fantastic for me because it was totally understated and didn't detract from the rest of the story, and I can't remember any instances where it didn't follow its own rules, which can be a real failing in created worlds. The editing was really good, and I only noticed a couple little errors that were mild enough that they didn't take me out of the story.
Language: Very mild.
Sexual content: Just what I mentioned earlier. No acts are actually described, but I think I could have been aware of characters' activities without having them repeatedly mentioned.
Violence: Some fighting.
Over-all Message/Plot: No message, but the plot held together well. It is a long book, and there were a couple parts that might have been better if they'd been trimmed, but I never felt like I was getting tired of it. I feel that way pretty often, sometimes even in short books, so that's saying something. I already bought book two and look forward to reading it right after I fulfill a commitment to another book.
When I picked up this full length sci-fi novel for free on Amazon, I was hoping for something with a bit of a 'Firefly' feel, and it scratched my itch. It may not be quite as humorous as 'Firefly', but the relationships between captain and crew and the solid world building did it for me. Since I don't read a lot of sci-fi I had a little trouble at first with all the different aliens on the ship (and there aren't many, it's just me) and wasn't sure if I'd enjoy a book with only one human as a main character, but I did. Sometimes her moodiness got on my nerves because I didn't see where it was coming from, but by the end of the book I felt like it all made sense. The only thing I really didn't like about the book was that some of the aliens are pretty constantly referred to as partaking in or talking about deviant sexual behavior. It's explained away as their culture, but I still found it distasteful, and it made it hard for me to like the characters even though they're supposed to be likable.
The story moved quickly enough without being rushed, the romantic tension (if you can even call it that) was fantastic for me because it was totally understated and didn't detract from the rest of the story, and I can't remember any instances where it didn't follow its own rules, which can be a real failing in created worlds. The editing was really good, and I only noticed a couple little errors that were mild enough that they didn't take me out of the story.
Language: Very mild.
Sexual content: Just what I mentioned earlier. No acts are actually described, but I think I could have been aware of characters' activities without having them repeatedly mentioned.
Violence: Some fighting.
Over-all Message/Plot: No message, but the plot held together well. It is a long book, and there were a couple parts that might have been better if they'd been trimmed, but I never felt like I was getting tired of it. I feel that way pretty often, sometimes even in short books, so that's saying something. I already bought book two and look forward to reading it right after I fulfill a commitment to another book.
September 2, 2023
A fun story for bedtime rereading.
=========
A fun Firefly-esque space opera featuring a feisty, resourceful captain and her rag-tag multi-species crew. Struggling for funds to keep them going, Reece takes on a few jobs she probably should investigated more before accepting the pay up front. The book begins with the crew heading into slaver territory to rescue one of the mysterious Eldritch race who live only in legend (and in Reece's guilty pleasure, her romance novels).
From there things go from bad to worse ... and for us, of course, the story gets more fun all the time.
Recently I read a popular space opera, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, which kept coming to mind because it had so many similar elements to this book. The big difference is that this book avoids the flaws of the other. The action always has a point, the elements come together in the end, there is character development that the characters have to work for ... and everyone isn't always happy in the end because they don't always get what they want.
In fact, I'd say the flaw with this book is that the captain has a hair trigger and is so consistently angry (the long way to a small angry captain could've been the title). However, it was a forgivable flaw because of how enjoyable the rest of the book was. One of the things I liked most was how many romance novel elements this story packed in without ever really quite turning into a romance novel. As I said — fun.
In fact, as soon as I finished, I picked up the second in the trilogy. Reece needs romances ... I need space opera. Whatever works, right?
=========
A fun Firefly-esque space opera featuring a feisty, resourceful captain and her rag-tag multi-species crew. Struggling for funds to keep them going, Reece takes on a few jobs she probably should investigated more before accepting the pay up front. The book begins with the crew heading into slaver territory to rescue one of the mysterious Eldritch race who live only in legend (and in Reece's guilty pleasure, her romance novels).
From there things go from bad to worse ... and for us, of course, the story gets more fun all the time.
Recently I read a popular space opera, The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet, which kept coming to mind because it had so many similar elements to this book. The big difference is that this book avoids the flaws of the other. The action always has a point, the elements come together in the end, there is character development that the characters have to work for ... and everyone isn't always happy in the end because they don't always get what they want.
In fact, I'd say the flaw with this book is that the captain has a hair trigger and is so consistently angry (the long way to a small angry captain could've been the title). However, it was a forgivable flaw because of how enjoyable the rest of the book was. One of the things I liked most was how many romance novel elements this story packed in without ever really quite turning into a romance novel. As I said — fun.
In fact, as soon as I finished, I picked up the second in the trilogy. Reece needs romances ... I need space opera. Whatever works, right?
July 11, 2019
Earthrise is a pretty straightforward space adventure, something like a lighthearted Star Trek episode-of-the-week: a down-on-its-luck ship crew is given a secret mission from a mysterious benefactor, rescues and befriends an alien, tangles with interplanetary slavers, and eventually finds a clever way to bring them down with the help of some friends.
But the major props here go to the worldbuilding and character-building. If this is your first introduction to the Alliance, there’s a lot to discover here — the many (many!) species of Pelted, their history, Alliance technology, and so on — but it’s all dripped into the story quite naturally over time. The crew of the Earthrise is relentlessly cheerful and full of personality (if a little flat for a few characters who are developed more in later books), and it’s fun to see the author play with subverting standard romance-novel tropes... while one of the main characters is an avid romance novel reader, and continually bewildered that “real life” is nothing like the books. :)
———
Read: Oct 12, 2016
Reread: Jul 4, 2019
But the major props here go to the worldbuilding and character-building. If this is your first introduction to the Alliance, there’s a lot to discover here — the many (many!) species of Pelted, their history, Alliance technology, and so on — but it’s all dripped into the story quite naturally over time. The crew of the Earthrise is relentlessly cheerful and full of personality (if a little flat for a few characters who are developed more in later books), and it’s fun to see the author play with subverting standard romance-novel tropes... while one of the main characters is an avid romance novel reader, and continually bewildered that “real life” is nothing like the books. :)
———
Read: Oct 12, 2016
Reread: Jul 4, 2019
July 4, 2018
I read this a couple years ago...
It is more sci fi adventure/intrigue with a dash of romance.
I enjoyed this for the most part. The author has a vivid imagination!
I was more intrigued by the H than the h. I got tired of her bulldogged stubbornness. She's pricklier than a porcupine. Sure her family sucks, but why is that always an excuse in books to be a jerk? I also got tired of her stomach ailments (which were pretty darn serious). They made me cringe . But I did like the H... Love those tall, quiet mysterious types!
Rag tag crew of alien misfits. Kind of a david and goliath story, you know, the little guy totally outnumbered. Think Firefly meets middle earth...
I did mean to read the next book, but somehow never got round to it...
... although it does sound better than the first. Hmmmm.
Listened to this one on audio and the reader (Daniel Dorse) was good.
It is more sci fi adventure/intrigue with a dash of romance.
I enjoyed this for the most part. The author has a vivid imagination!
I was more intrigued by the H than the h. I got tired of her bulldogged stubbornness. She's pricklier than a porcupine. Sure her family sucks, but why is that always an excuse in books to be a jerk? I also got tired of her stomach ailments (which were pretty darn serious). They made me cringe . But I did like the H... Love those tall, quiet mysterious types!
Rag tag crew of alien misfits. Kind of a david and goliath story, you know, the little guy totally outnumbered. Think Firefly meets middle earth...
I did mean to read the next book, but somehow never got round to it...
... although it does sound better than the first. Hmmmm.
Listened to this one on audio and the reader (Daniel Dorse) was good.
October 21, 2015
Book one of a great series
With a crew of alien species, human Captain Reese is flying her battered merchant ship through space attempting to make a profit trading. Unexpectedly she is called to pay off a debt by picking up a Eldrich man being held prisoner for sale to slavers. This begins a series of adventures filled with danger, including those of emotional attachment.
The characters are all well developed with both lovable quirks and weaknesses, and you will soon be strongly invested in their lives. The story is strong, the alien worlds complex and unique. This is book one of a three part series, and so far I am looking forward to seeing the Eldrich home world in the next book.
With a crew of alien species, human Captain Reese is flying her battered merchant ship through space attempting to make a profit trading. Unexpectedly she is called to pay off a debt by picking up a Eldrich man being held prisoner for sale to slavers. This begins a series of adventures filled with danger, including those of emotional attachment.
The characters are all well developed with both lovable quirks and weaknesses, and you will soon be strongly invested in their lives. The story is strong, the alien worlds complex and unique. This is book one of a three part series, and so far I am looking forward to seeing the Eldrich home world in the next book.
October 10, 2015
3 1/2 stars
I've been awful busy these days writing my own series, but I finally had the (LONG, ARDUOUS, 4-HOUR FLIGHT-INDUCED) free time to read a title about a black female protagonist in a sci-fi setting. Thankfully, I was recommended this book, and it's a delightful change of pace from things I've tried previously.
Don't let the 3 1/2 star rating fool you. I'm prepared to go into detail, and please don't think there is anything overtly WRONG with the book. I actually like it more than I've liked a female-led sci-fi story in ages, so much so that I'm going to buy the next book tonight for my (LONG, ARDUOUS, 4-HOUR FLIGHT) back home. But let's get into the details.
Any seasoned nerd will immediately be able to tell that the author has to be a fan of Firefly, because the setting and tone of Reese and her crew aboard the Earthrise is unmistakably similar. But not in a bad way. It's more like an homage. You have a grumpy, no-nonsense Captain, but one who actually does genuinely care for the crew deep down. It doesn't shake out to the exact same crew as the crew of Serenity, but it's rather close, and I don't blame Ms. Hogarth since that's a fantastic formula.
I have to say what makes this book shine above the others in its genre is the meticulous quality of the writing. Ms. Hogarth can not only paint a pretty picture, but she also knows where to apply the energy. She spends time developing the personalities and desires of the characters, and that's something that too many authors forget to do because they either get caught up in the world-building, or they have a romance that smothers the remainder of the book.
The other thing that definitely got me to be a fan is the relationship between Reese and He-Whose-Name-Is-Too-Goddamn-Complicated-to-Fucking-Spell (NO HOW DID SHE KEEP WRITING HIS NAME THAT MANY TIMES IN THIS NOVEL GORRAM) Hirianthial. Remember how I mentioned how this smacks of Firefly? The two of them are 100% a gender-flipped version of Mal and Inara. Reese is the hothead who pretends not to notice the attraction and Hirianthial is the calm, measured but hiding something not-so-stoic beneath the surface opposite of her, constantly challenging her and pushing her outside of her boundaries. I found their interactions to be a breath of fresh air. I love romance, and that's why I write it so much, but too many authors rush into it, or they constantly have their heroine drooling over the hero to the point where it's out of character, annoying, and reduces her strength as an independent person. Reese is actually SO hardheaded about accepting Hiri (seriously, I'm not typing his name again, it hurts my fingers) that it goes in both the pro and the con columns for me. I love that she's so stubborn, but at the same time, that stick up her ass is a little too long. She should have seen how immature and tsundere she was being earlier in the story, especially after Hiri literally saved her life with his own two hands. That's a super-tsudere move there, lady.
I also think the creativity of the universe they explore and the cultures explored through her crew members are also well-done. It doesn't feel like it's retreading any popular tropes, either, which is another refreshing thing.
That brings me to the cons.
I personally think there are too many crew members. I think a couple of them could have been dissolved entirely or simply melded into another character. I forgot who some of them were constantly.
I also had a hard time picturing them because Ms. Hogarth kind of only does a drive-by description in the beginning. I would have liked her to slow down and give more detail considering these are alien creatures with atypical looks and personalities.
Hiri getting captured kind of got repetitive after a certain point, too, if I'm being honest. It was compelling, but I did get a bit exhausted with his empathic episodes.
Plus, and this is nitpicky, if you're a no-chill shipper like I am, you might feel impatient about how slowly the budding romance between Reese and Hiri goes on. She doesn't make much headway because she's so stubborn, and he remains impassive and (like Inara Serra) kind of pretends he doesn't notice she's sweet on him. That comes down to taste. Hardcore sci-fi fans will be fine, but some people can find it grating.
I really think this has the potential to be an awesome series, so I will scoop up Book 2 and see if Ms. Hogarth can deliver. I give it a solid recommendation, honestly, even with the few drawbacks I found.
I've been awful busy these days writing my own series, but I finally had the (LONG, ARDUOUS, 4-HOUR FLIGHT-INDUCED) free time to read a title about a black female protagonist in a sci-fi setting. Thankfully, I was recommended this book, and it's a delightful change of pace from things I've tried previously.
Don't let the 3 1/2 star rating fool you. I'm prepared to go into detail, and please don't think there is anything overtly WRONG with the book. I actually like it more than I've liked a female-led sci-fi story in ages, so much so that I'm going to buy the next book tonight for my (LONG, ARDUOUS, 4-HOUR FLIGHT) back home. But let's get into the details.
Any seasoned nerd will immediately be able to tell that the author has to be a fan of Firefly, because the setting and tone of Reese and her crew aboard the Earthrise is unmistakably similar. But not in a bad way. It's more like an homage. You have a grumpy, no-nonsense Captain, but one who actually does genuinely care for the crew deep down. It doesn't shake out to the exact same crew as the crew of Serenity, but it's rather close, and I don't blame Ms. Hogarth since that's a fantastic formula.
I have to say what makes this book shine above the others in its genre is the meticulous quality of the writing. Ms. Hogarth can not only paint a pretty picture, but she also knows where to apply the energy. She spends time developing the personalities and desires of the characters, and that's something that too many authors forget to do because they either get caught up in the world-building, or they have a romance that smothers the remainder of the book.
The other thing that definitely got me to be a fan is the relationship between Reese and He-Whose-Name-Is-Too-Goddamn-Complicated-to-Fucking-Spell (NO HOW DID SHE KEEP WRITING HIS NAME THAT MANY TIMES IN THIS NOVEL GORRAM) Hirianthial. Remember how I mentioned how this smacks of Firefly? The two of them are 100% a gender-flipped version of Mal and Inara. Reese is the hothead who pretends not to notice the attraction and Hirianthial is the calm, measured but hiding something not-so-stoic beneath the surface opposite of her, constantly challenging her and pushing her outside of her boundaries. I found their interactions to be a breath of fresh air. I love romance, and that's why I write it so much, but too many authors rush into it, or they constantly have their heroine drooling over the hero to the point where it's out of character, annoying, and reduces her strength as an independent person. Reese is actually SO hardheaded about accepting Hiri (seriously, I'm not typing his name again, it hurts my fingers) that it goes in both the pro and the con columns for me. I love that she's so stubborn, but at the same time, that stick up her ass is a little too long. She should have seen how immature and tsundere she was being earlier in the story, especially after Hiri literally saved her life with his own two hands. That's a super-tsudere move there, lady.
I also think the creativity of the universe they explore and the cultures explored through her crew members are also well-done. It doesn't feel like it's retreading any popular tropes, either, which is another refreshing thing.
That brings me to the cons.
I personally think there are too many crew members. I think a couple of them could have been dissolved entirely or simply melded into another character. I forgot who some of them were constantly.
I also had a hard time picturing them because Ms. Hogarth kind of only does a drive-by description in the beginning. I would have liked her to slow down and give more detail considering these are alien creatures with atypical looks and personalities.
Hiri getting captured kind of got repetitive after a certain point, too, if I'm being honest. It was compelling, but I did get a bit exhausted with his empathic episodes.
Plus, and this is nitpicky, if you're a no-chill shipper like I am, you might feel impatient about how slowly the budding romance between Reese and Hiri goes on. She doesn't make much headway because she's so stubborn, and he remains impassive and (like Inara Serra) kind of pretends he doesn't notice she's sweet on him. That comes down to taste. Hardcore sci-fi fans will be fine, but some people can find it grating.
I really think this has the potential to be an awesome series, so I will scoop up Book 2 and see if Ms. Hogarth can deliver. I give it a solid recommendation, honestly, even with the few drawbacks I found.
December 24, 2019
Earthrise is smash-up of fantasy with magical creatures such as elves with animal/humanoid hybrids as aliens with space opera and romance elements. We follow a grumpy black female captain, Reese Eddings who owes a favour to a benefactor. She has to rescue a male Eldritch, an elf-like creature who has been caught by space slavers.
The premise of this book is quite original with the use of science fantasy to explore themes of family, slavery and discrimination based on ignorance of other cultures. The Eldritch are xenophobic and tend to keep most of their culture and themselves separate from the rest of the world. Needless to say, myths and rumours have filled in the details so that they are revered or hated or both. And so the rescue set the stage to learn more. Not only of the Eldritch but also the other races.
No book is perfect and the major grouses are the protagonist and some writing elements. Theresa"Reese" Eddings is prickly character. Despite her background being explained, her behaviour can be off-putting. Is she just the caricature of the angry black woman who has achieved power? Or is she just a romance stereotype but reversed- woman rescuing the man? Regardless, she remains a problematic figure for any reader. Secondly, there are some minor issues with the flow of the plot and pacing. There were periods when the story felt disjointed as if portions had been left out. The story is divided into long parts, not quite chapters so one was forced to stop in the middle of certain developments. And it didn't help that one could go to a new paragraph that was entirely new development. These were minor but can be off-putting if this is a pet peeve. Pesronally it was an engaging read with meaty themes being explored. I am definitely going to continue this series, even though I know it will become a forbidden romance with space opera themes. I really hope that the other crew members get their spotlight.
The premise of this book is quite original with the use of science fantasy to explore themes of family, slavery and discrimination based on ignorance of other cultures. The Eldritch are xenophobic and tend to keep most of their culture and themselves separate from the rest of the world. Needless to say, myths and rumours have filled in the details so that they are revered or hated or both. And so the rescue set the stage to learn more. Not only of the Eldritch but also the other races.
No book is perfect and the major grouses are the protagonist and some writing elements. Theresa"Reese" Eddings is prickly character. Despite her background being explained, her behaviour can be off-putting. Is she just the caricature of the angry black woman who has achieved power? Or is she just a romance stereotype but reversed- woman rescuing the man? Regardless, she remains a problematic figure for any reader. Secondly, there are some minor issues with the flow of the plot and pacing. There were periods when the story felt disjointed as if portions had been left out. The story is divided into long parts, not quite chapters so one was forced to stop in the middle of certain developments. And it didn't help that one could go to a new paragraph that was entirely new development. These were minor but can be off-putting if this is a pet peeve. Pesronally it was an engaging read with meaty themes being explored. I am definitely going to continue this series, even though I know it will become a forbidden romance with space opera themes. I really hope that the other crew members get their spotlight.
September 18, 2020
Really interesting world-building, even though it seems like some elements of alien species characteristics were tacked on at the end just for a quick quip or two. One thing I did find strange is how Reese's blackness was discussed as frequently as Hirianthial's alien and elf-like appearance. It was frustrating to read so many mentions of Reese's skin colour because it's almost as if Hogarth is going, "Look, guys, this character is black. She's... she's totally black. Did you notice how black she is?" Reese's appearance should arguably be the least described since she's the only actual human on the Earthrise crew and, ya know, black people actually exist in real life and you can find us everywhere.
Another issue I have is how fundamentally unlikeable Hogarth made Reese. She's petulant and needlessly hostile/rude, she underpays her staff but constantly bosses them around, and she seems utterly incapable of rational thought because she's too busy being angry and resentful. She hates it when Hirianthial calls her lady, but gets jealous when he calls other people lady. She's constantly complaining about how he always needs to be rescued, even he really only needed rescuing once and immediately went on to save her life because her cavalier approach to her own health almost led to her hemorrhaging. She even complains about it right after he saves her own and her crew's lives from pirates. She hates him being around, but then notes his absences moodily. What the hell? Why would anyone want to be around a person like that let alone cheer for them as the underdog in need of a win??
The plot for the second book sounds really interesting, but I'm really not inclined to read it if I have to endure more of Reese's emotionally underdeveloped personality.
Another issue I have is how fundamentally unlikeable Hogarth made Reese. She's petulant and needlessly hostile/rude, she underpays her staff but constantly bosses them around, and she seems utterly incapable of rational thought because she's too busy being angry and resentful. She hates it when Hirianthial calls her lady, but gets jealous when he calls other people lady. She's constantly complaining about how he always needs to be rescued, even he really only needed rescuing once and immediately went on to save her life because her cavalier approach to her own health almost led to her hemorrhaging. She even complains about it right after he saves her own and her crew's lives from pirates. She hates him being around, but then notes his absences moodily. What the hell? Why would anyone want to be around a person like that let alone cheer for them as the underdog in need of a win??
The plot for the second book sounds really interesting, but I'm really not inclined to read it if I have to endure more of Reese's emotionally underdeveloped personality.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2019
So a human spaceship captain, two furries, a phoenix, a sphynx and an alien elf walk into a bar...
Hey, I really liked this one! It was less sci-fi than I'd maybe hoped for, but a lot more entertaining that I could've guessed. I absolutely loved the familial ease with which the Earthrise crew pokes at each other, and Hirianthial (yes, I had to look up how to spell his name) will fit in there so well. Though also Reese is going to need large amounts of "shut up and leave him be"...
Also listen, I'm all for Mars being colonialised by lesbians. Even though Reese's family sucks, the rest of Mars sounds like the place you want to be.
I've read enough to be pretty sure that Hirianthial (someone please give the guy a nickname. I'm begging you) and Reese are going to be paired up eventually, which... well, alright. It might get Reese to fix her attitude, but I sincerely hope that it won't turn her into a damsel in distress. So in that regard I'm kind of on the fence about her and Hirianthial.
But overall this was really fun and entertaining to read; also easy enough to read in increments whenever I had a few minutes. The characters are absolutely lovely and give me a more than Star Trek-ian feeling of being a space family. Found family trope? Hell yeah!
Hey, I really liked this one! It was less sci-fi than I'd maybe hoped for, but a lot more entertaining that I could've guessed. I absolutely loved the familial ease with which the Earthrise crew pokes at each other, and Hirianthial (yes, I had to look up how to spell his name) will fit in there so well. Though also Reese is going to need large amounts of "shut up and leave him be"...
Also listen, I'm all for Mars being colonialised by lesbians. Even though Reese's family sucks, the rest of Mars sounds like the place you want to be.
I've read enough to be pretty sure that Hirianthial (someone please give the guy a nickname. I'm begging you) and Reese are going to be paired up eventually, which... well, alright. It might get Reese to fix her attitude, but I sincerely hope that it won't turn her into a damsel in distress. So in that regard I'm kind of on the fence about her and Hirianthial.
But overall this was really fun and entertaining to read; also easy enough to read in increments whenever I had a few minutes. The characters are absolutely lovely and give me a more than Star Trek-ian feeling of being a space family. Found family trope? Hell yeah!
Read
March 16, 2015Abandoned. (DNF'd)
I'm sorry to say that I just could not keep going with this audio book. The narration was just too off putting. The narrator's voice is extremely deep which under normal circumstances would be a plus for me, however in this case his voice was so raspy that it sounded to me like he was just recovering for a bad bought of laryngitis. There are odd sections of the audio that feel spliced together along with some kind of odd ambient noises in the background. I think that I like the story so I will eventually get around to reading the book for myself. Because of this I won't give it a star rating since I don't know if it's just my listening experience that I am not enjoying or if I didn't enjoy the story itself. I still have hope that I will enjoy the actual story it was just the narration that was a miss for me.
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
I'm sorry to say that I just could not keep going with this audio book. The narration was just too off putting. The narrator's voice is extremely deep which under normal circumstances would be a plus for me, however in this case his voice was so raspy that it sounded to me like he was just recovering for a bad bought of laryngitis. There are odd sections of the audio that feel spliced together along with some kind of odd ambient noises in the background. I think that I like the story so I will eventually get around to reading the book for myself. Because of this I won't give it a star rating since I don't know if it's just my listening experience that I am not enjoying or if I didn't enjoy the story itself. I still have hope that I will enjoy the actual story it was just the narration that was a miss for me.
You can find more from me at Monlatable Book Reviews
http://www.monlatablereviews.com/
May 19, 2015
You really have to look a gift horse in the mouth. Reese Eddings took a loan that is now putting her ship the Earthrise, her crew and herself in danger.
I loved the characters in Earthrise. Reese Eddings is at the center the story. She has a lot of internal problems that play out throughout the story. Her mixed race crew is full of interesting people. I loved the pelted ones. They added a lot of humor.
In spite of the danger at the heart of the story this is a slow moving story. Hogarth takes the time to build a complicated world with interesting characters who have a complicated back stories. The tension in the story starts at the beginnings and stays at a high level throughout the book.
This is book one in a series. All are out so I don’t have to wait to read the next book.
I loved the characters in Earthrise. Reese Eddings is at the center the story. She has a lot of internal problems that play out throughout the story. Her mixed race crew is full of interesting people. I loved the pelted ones. They added a lot of humor.
In spite of the danger at the heart of the story this is a slow moving story. Hogarth takes the time to build a complicated world with interesting characters who have a complicated back stories. The tension in the story starts at the beginnings and stays at a high level throughout the book.
This is book one in a series. All are out so I don’t have to wait to read the next book.
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