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Redsight
Korinna has simple priorities: stay on the Navitas, stay out of trouble, and stay alive. She may be a Redseer, a blind priestess with the power to manipulate space-time, but she is the weakest in her Order. Useless and outcast. Or so she has been raised to believe.
As she takes her place as a navigator on an Imperium ship, Korinna’s full destiny is revealed to her: blood brimming with magic, she is meant to become a weapon of the Imperium, and pawn for the Order that raised her. But when the ship is attacked by the notorious pirate Aster Haran, Korinna’s world is ripped apart.
Aster has a vendetta against the Imperium, and an all-consuming, dark power that drives her to destroy everything in her path. She understands the world in a way Korinna has never imagined, and Korinna is drawn to her against her better judgment.
With the Imperium and the justice-seeking warrior Sahar hot on her heels, Korinna must choose her side, seize her power and fulfil her destiny--or risk imperiling the future of the galaxy, and destroying the fabric of space-time itself.
As she takes her place as a navigator on an Imperium ship, Korinna’s full destiny is revealed to her: blood brimming with magic, she is meant to become a weapon of the Imperium, and pawn for the Order that raised her. But when the ship is attacked by the notorious pirate Aster Haran, Korinna’s world is ripped apart.
Aster has a vendetta against the Imperium, and an all-consuming, dark power that drives her to destroy everything in her path. She understands the world in a way Korinna has never imagined, and Korinna is drawn to her against her better judgment.
With the Imperium and the justice-seeking warrior Sahar hot on her heels, Korinna must choose her side, seize her power and fulfil her destiny--or risk imperiling the future of the galaxy, and destroying the fabric of space-time itself.
471 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 27, 2024
47 people are currently reading
6893 people want to read
About the author
Meredith Mooring
1 book85 followersMeredith Mooring is a science fiction, fantasy, and horror writer based in North Carolina. Her work examines disability and sexual orientation through fiction. She's the author of REDSIGHT, her debut adult space opera from Solaris.
She has a juris doctorate in law and runs her own law practice. In her spare time, she serves on the board of directors for a non-profit that pairs guide dogs with blind children.
She has a juris doctorate in law and runs her own law practice. In her spare time, she serves on the board of directors for a non-profit that pairs guide dogs with blind children.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 192 reviews
August 31, 2023
CW: gore, blood, violence, murder, sexual content
A queer, very bloody fantasy-sci-fi book, that should be right up my alley, but it wasn't.
Now I did like the world-building. It was interesting and something I haven't seen before. And the powers our main characters have are a lot more gory than expected, in a good way.
The representation in this book was also good. There is the main sapphic romance (overall it seems to be a queernormative world), lots of POC and one of the MCs is blind, which I thought was handled well.
I also liked the ending story wise.
That said: Everything else was not it.
First of all: This book explains/tells too much, to the point of it telling me about a conversation that happened like two minutes ago and consisted of maybe two sentences, instead of just writing it out. And it does that a lot. I don't mind a bit of "tell" but please also "show" me some things.
I think this was one of the main reasons why I did not care about the characters at all.
This book is fast-paced, which in itself is neither good or bad, but here it is bad. There is a lot of plot, but barely any character moments, which just adds to me not caring about the characters. And sadly not only that, but I couldn't even understand why they act how they do in a lot of cases.
The few times the book does try to explain that to me, it's only ever some kind of inner monologue of "Is what she's doing right? Can she trust her?". And it's like that for all three MCs, the same questions over and over again. And they change their answers to them constantly for no apparent reason.
To the MC's themselves: all of them are so incredibly naïve (all in their own way), but still everything works out for them. Now, yes, story wise there are some explanations for why they are so naïve, but after a while I just found it annoying. And for all of them, solutions to their problems just seem to pop out of nowhere because the plot needs it.
Korinna frankly just seems a bit stupid, nothing she does is thought through, but still everything works out. This happens every couple of pages.
Then there's Aster, who is millennia old, still doesn't think things through properly, but is presented as this super clever captain.
And lastly, there's Sahar, who does not have a character. She has the fewest chapters, the fewest "page time", and those are only there because the plot needs it.
While reading it also I had quite some moments of "that doesn't make any sense" concerning plot and world-building and decisions of other characters, but I don't want to get into that too. Maybe I just missed a lot of stuff. I do kind of hope so.
Note to the ending: I did like the idea, but it felt very rushed. Up until the end of the book I was sure that this was going to be a series, because there was so much left to do. But they just did the most important stuff in the last ca 10 pages. (It might still be a series but it had an acceptable conclusion.)
My favourite quote was "Korinna couldn't believe this was working", because me neither.
Spoilers ahead:
Very personal critique (don't take this too seriously it just really bothered me): In the first couple of pages Korinna writes an "essay on the impact of star density on homeomorphism" and that through me off. Grammatically it is incorrect: it's either "on a homeomorphism" or "on homeomorphisms". Content wise it is questionable at best. I'm aware that this is sci-fi, but homeomorphism has such a clear definition; one could have just come up with a new word and it would have been fine (or left that sentence out completly). Now I have come up with an explanation for myself as to what it could mean, but even then that would be a really bad essay title. (Yes, I've thought way too long about this. Yes, I should have just ignored it. But I like topology and it bothered me.)
A queer, very bloody fantasy-sci-fi book, that should be right up my alley, but it wasn't.
Now I did like the world-building. It was interesting and something I haven't seen before. And the powers our main characters have are a lot more gory than expected, in a good way.
The representation in this book was also good. There is the main sapphic romance (overall it seems to be a queernormative world), lots of POC and one of the MCs is blind, which I thought was handled well.
I also liked the ending story wise.
That said: Everything else was not it.
First of all: This book explains/tells too much, to the point of it telling me about a conversation that happened like two minutes ago and consisted of maybe two sentences, instead of just writing it out. And it does that a lot. I don't mind a bit of "tell" but please also "show" me some things.
I think this was one of the main reasons why I did not care about the characters at all.
This book is fast-paced, which in itself is neither good or bad, but here it is bad. There is a lot of plot, but barely any character moments, which just adds to me not caring about the characters. And sadly not only that, but I couldn't even understand why they act how they do in a lot of cases.
The few times the book does try to explain that to me, it's only ever some kind of inner monologue of "Is what she's doing right? Can she trust her?". And it's like that for all three MCs, the same questions over and over again. And they change their answers to them constantly for no apparent reason.
To the MC's themselves: all of them are so incredibly naïve (all in their own way), but still everything works out for them. Now, yes, story wise there are some explanations for why they are so naïve, but after a while I just found it annoying. And for all of them, solutions to their problems just seem to pop out of nowhere because the plot needs it.
Korinna frankly just seems a bit stupid, nothing she does is thought through, but still everything works out. This happens every couple of pages.
Then there's Aster, who is millennia old, still doesn't think things through properly, but is presented as this super clever captain.
And lastly, there's Sahar, who does not have a character. She has the fewest chapters, the fewest "page time", and those are only there because the plot needs it.
While reading it also I had quite some moments of "that doesn't make any sense" concerning plot and world-building and decisions of other characters, but I don't want to get into that too. Maybe I just missed a lot of stuff. I do kind of hope so.
Note to the ending: I did like the idea, but it felt very rushed. Up until the end of the book I was sure that this was going to be a series, because there was so much left to do. But they just did the most important stuff in the last ca 10 pages. (It might still be a series but it had an acceptable conclusion.)
My favourite quote was "Korinna couldn't believe this was working", because me neither.
Spoilers ahead:
Very personal critique (don't take this too seriously it just really bothered me): In the first couple of pages Korinna writes an "essay on the impact of star density on homeomorphism" and that through me off. Grammatically it is incorrect: it's either "on a homeomorphism" or "on homeomorphisms". Content wise it is questionable at best. I'm aware that this is sci-fi, but homeomorphism has such a clear definition; one could have just come up with a new word and it would have been fine (or left that sentence out completly). Now I have come up with an explanation for myself as to what it could mean, but even then that would be a really bad essay title. (Yes, I've thought way too long about this. Yes, I should have just ignored it. But I like topology and it bothered me.)
September 1, 2022
Full disclosure, as the author's agent I'm extremely biased. But I have no chill and I can't wait for you all to read this incredible book. Add it to your want-to-read shelf RIGHT NOW!
March 2, 2024
This should've been right up my alley, but sadly wasn't. I was hoping for something similar to The First Sister, and this did have subtle similar vibes, but overall I wanted more development.
I'm not sure if this is a standalone or if there are more books to follow, but as is I think it should've been split into two books at least. There was barely any time to get to know the characters, to care about them, especially Sahar who had so few PoVs.
Out of the other two PoVs, Korinne, who is the main character, is the most developed, but I still found it so hard to relate to her and care about her.
Aster was probably the coolest character (who eats stars!), though the names of her chapter titles kept changing. Which, while it made sense with the plot, felt a bit out of place. Because Korinna's chapters were all just her name, Sahar's too from what I recall. Either give all of them different titles, or none. Or at least give Aster just one, it was hard to keep track of all of hers when there were so many changes.
The romance started off very obsessive, Aster lived in Korinna's head rent free and vice versa. Despite that, I can't say I saw any chemistry there. But I do like the sapphic rep.
The pacing was both fast and slow, it would depend on the chapter. There were times where I felt like I had to push myself to continue reading, and times where I thought "ohh this is going well, let's read a few more chapters".
Generally though, I don't think this is a hard read that will take people longer to finish, but it can be info dumpy.
The magic system wasn't completely clear to me, but that's ok, I'm very much a "vibes" person so I don't need exact explanations for magic systems in books. I think I kind of get the gist?
I liked the world building and the plot, there were some interesting ideas there, and I'd be happy to read another book by this author which will undoubtedly be better.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
I'm not sure if this is a standalone or if there are more books to follow, but as is I think it should've been split into two books at least. There was barely any time to get to know the characters, to care about them, especially Sahar who had so few PoVs.
Out of the other two PoVs, Korinne, who is the main character, is the most developed, but I still found it so hard to relate to her and care about her.
Aster was probably the coolest character (who eats stars!), though the names of her chapter titles kept changing. Which, while it made sense with the plot, felt a bit out of place. Because Korinna's chapters were all just her name, Sahar's too from what I recall. Either give all of them different titles, or none. Or at least give Aster just one, it was hard to keep track of all of hers when there were so many changes.
The romance started off very obsessive, Aster lived in Korinna's head rent free and vice versa. Despite that, I can't say I saw any chemistry there. But I do like the sapphic rep.
The pacing was both fast and slow, it would depend on the chapter. There were times where I felt like I had to push myself to continue reading, and times where I thought "ohh this is going well, let's read a few more chapters".
Generally though, I don't think this is a hard read that will take people longer to finish, but it can be info dumpy.
The magic system wasn't completely clear to me, but that's ok, I'm very much a "vibes" person so I don't need exact explanations for magic systems in books. I think I kind of get the gist?
I liked the world building and the plot, there were some interesting ideas there, and I'd be happy to read another book by this author which will undoubtedly be better.
*Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*
January 31, 2024
More like 3.5 stars.
Literally nothing made logical sense and the ending was a giant deus ex machina, but the story was pretty creative and it was such a fun ride!
This is definitely more fantasy with a touch of sci-fi, so sci-fi purists, you've been warned. Not to mention that the science doesn't really make any sense. So, those looking for a logical story, you've also been warned. (And I'm saying this as someone who's definitely not a science person.)
Anyway...
I loved the concept of magic in space! The red/black/white witches gave me major Nightsisters vibes from Star Wars. Red witches can control humongous warships. Black witches swallow stars/energy. And white witches/lightbenders are in charge of law and order.
While the magic system was executed really well, the worldbuilding was pretty lacking. 99% of the book takes place in giant spaceships, so there's no planet exploration or anything classic sci-fi. There's a planetary setting near the end of the book, but the details are pretty sparse.
I did really like the interpersonal relationships between the main characters, Korinna, Sahar, and Aster. Some of their decisions don't really make sense logically, but they do read as real people who mess up now and then (or often).
The ending was really rushed though. It felt like the author wanted to quickly wrap things up, so it was done in a more metaphorical way. This didn't really work for me because it felt like a totally different tone than the rest of the novel.
All in all, I'd love to read a sequel or another book set in this world! It was very immersive and I ended up caring about the main characters. (Minus Sahar because she didn't really seem to have a personality.)
Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for this arc.
Literally nothing made logical sense and the ending was a giant deus ex machina, but the story was pretty creative and it was such a fun ride!
This is definitely more fantasy with a touch of sci-fi, so sci-fi purists, you've been warned. Not to mention that the science doesn't really make any sense. So, those looking for a logical story, you've also been warned. (And I'm saying this as someone who's definitely not a science person.)
Anyway...
I loved the concept of magic in space! The red/black/white witches gave me major Nightsisters vibes from Star Wars. Red witches can control humongous warships. Black witches swallow stars/energy. And white witches/lightbenders are in charge of law and order.
While the magic system was executed really well, the worldbuilding was pretty lacking. 99% of the book takes place in giant spaceships, so there's no planet exploration or anything classic sci-fi. There's a planetary setting near the end of the book, but the details are pretty sparse.
I did really like the interpersonal relationships between the main characters, Korinna, Sahar, and Aster. Some of their decisions don't really make sense logically, but they do read as real people who mess up now and then (or often).
The ending was really rushed though. It felt like the author wanted to quickly wrap things up, so it was done in a more metaphorical way. This didn't really work for me because it felt like a totally different tone than the rest of the novel.
All in all, I'd love to read a sequel or another book set in this world! It was very immersive and I ended up caring about the main characters. (Minus Sahar because she didn't really seem to have a personality.)
Thank you to Solaris and NetGalley for this arc.
February 10, 2024
Review originally on
JamReads
Redsight is the debut novel of Meredith Mooring, a sapphic space opera with complex characters, ancient and powerful religions, a book which is probably closer to fantasy in space than sci-fi per se, published by Solaris. An action packed story following Korinna, a Redseer, a blind priestess from the order of Vermicula, who has been raised to believe she was the weakest of her order, just surviving in the Navitas; but when she's revealed the truth of her nature by one of her superiors, a journey that will change the universe will start.
As a Redseer, Korinna is destined to be a navigator for one of the most powerful Imperium ships, a weapon used by them, and a pawn to reinforce the influence of the Vermicula's order on the universe; however, when her vessel is attacked by the pirate Aster Haran, she becomes free to trace her own way, and to take part in the vendetta Haran has against the Imperium and the orders. Haran is the last priest of Furia's order, which was on the verge of extinction after the prosecution suffered by the two other orders; her way to see the world is really different from what Korinna learned as part of Vermicula's order, and that attracts her toward Haran.
Korinna's path is extremely complicated, as we see how she passes from only having seen the Navitas' interior, to a universe full of secrets with more ways to see the world than the one she was taught by the order. Doubts devour her, and confronting Haran will take a lot of valour; truth is neither white nor black, and sometimes it feels Korinna is not really ready for the world that was opened in front of her after Haran's attack. Her inexperience draws her toward having a romantic relationship with Haran, which at some points can be felt as manipulative from Haran's side, as she can use her experience to manipulate Korinna.
However, Korinna grows during the entire book, from the insecurity to learn how to leader and take advantage of her power. It deserves a mention how well blindness is described in Redsight, putting sometimes the focus on the disability and not ignoring it when it's convenient.
The universe itself is imaginative, with three religious orders that share some foundational myths, but which have evolved into different functions, with the black one almost disappearing. The magic system is soft, based on tactus, an energy which can be used by the priestesses.
Spoilers ahead in this paragraph, but I would like to take a moment to give a shotout to the final scene, as it is full of symbolism and for me it's the perfect way to close this book; including the revelation of the truth behind the foundational myths of this universe, and the power of a communion which leads to the apotheosis of the three main characters.
Redsight is a promising debut, a perfect read if you are looking for an ambitious fantasy/space opera set in the space; Meredith Mooring is a name to watch in the future.
Redsight is the debut novel of Meredith Mooring, a sapphic space opera with complex characters, ancient and powerful religions, a book which is probably closer to fantasy in space than sci-fi per se, published by Solaris. An action packed story following Korinna, a Redseer, a blind priestess from the order of Vermicula, who has been raised to believe she was the weakest of her order, just surviving in the Navitas; but when she's revealed the truth of her nature by one of her superiors, a journey that will change the universe will start.
As a Redseer, Korinna is destined to be a navigator for one of the most powerful Imperium ships, a weapon used by them, and a pawn to reinforce the influence of the Vermicula's order on the universe; however, when her vessel is attacked by the pirate Aster Haran, she becomes free to trace her own way, and to take part in the vendetta Haran has against the Imperium and the orders. Haran is the last priest of Furia's order, which was on the verge of extinction after the prosecution suffered by the two other orders; her way to see the world is really different from what Korinna learned as part of Vermicula's order, and that attracts her toward Haran.
Korinna's path is extremely complicated, as we see how she passes from only having seen the Navitas' interior, to a universe full of secrets with more ways to see the world than the one she was taught by the order. Doubts devour her, and confronting Haran will take a lot of valour; truth is neither white nor black, and sometimes it feels Korinna is not really ready for the world that was opened in front of her after Haran's attack. Her inexperience draws her toward having a romantic relationship with Haran, which at some points can be felt as manipulative from Haran's side, as she can use her experience to manipulate Korinna.
However, Korinna grows during the entire book, from the insecurity to learn how to leader and take advantage of her power. It deserves a mention how well blindness is described in Redsight, putting sometimes the focus on the disability and not ignoring it when it's convenient.
The universe itself is imaginative, with three religious orders that share some foundational myths, but which have evolved into different functions, with the black one almost disappearing. The magic system is soft, based on tactus, an energy which can be used by the priestesses.
Spoilers ahead in this paragraph, but I would like to take a moment to give a shotout to the final scene, as it is full of symbolism and for me it's the perfect way to close this book; including the revelation of the truth behind the foundational myths of this universe, and the power of a communion which leads to the apotheosis of the three main characters.
Redsight is a promising debut, a perfect read if you are looking for an ambitious fantasy/space opera set in the space; Meredith Mooring is a name to watch in the future.
October 15, 2023
DNF at the 40% mark.
Unfortunately, this book was not an enjoyable experience as I had hoped.
The premise tells of a young woman who was initially thought to be the weakest of her class but is in actuality one of the most powerful. There are 2 main POVs: Korrina and Sahar who each belong to different magical sects that serve different goddesses.
This leads me to the magic system.
there are 3 sects, each with its power type that all make use of this thing called "Tactus"
I was not impressed by the magic system because I couldn't comprehend what tactus was or how it manifests.
For example, Korinna and multiple characters describe an object as exuding tactus. But what does that mean? I'm not sure, to be honest. Nothing comes to mind when something is described as having tactus.
Going by how the characters wield it, I took it to be some sort of telekinesis (at some point, I started to imagine something akin to the Force in Star Wars which still didn't seem quite right...)
I should be enjoying myself but when a simulation is described as loading "tactically", my immersion goes right out the window. Setting aside the real-life meaning of the word, how does a simulation load tactically?
I don't know. And something as little as that kept bothering me as I read on.
Korinna's sect has the added feature of using their blood for everything. As offerings to their goddess, as powerbanks and chargers for themselves, etc.
I grew tired of seeing the mention of the word or that someone was bleeding every couple of paragraphs. I'm not squeamish about blood but I'm sceptical when I see that Korinna's select orifices are leaking blood again after the last time which, in this universe's time, was likely the day before. Then another time, she loses so much blood her friend has to donate his blood. He gives so much that he nearly dies. Her reaction? To go "Oh no!" for a while before stopping the process when he has one foot in the grave. What about the deficiency? Transfusion reactions?
A quick, little, helpful exposition explains that transfusion reactions do not occur due to inhabitants of this universe being made genetically similar...
...mmhmmm...
In any case, this is a magic universe with spaceships that are being dragged about by telekinetic anaemics so powerful they can rip a hole in space-time.
I shouldn't be so underwhelmed but my disbelief can only be so suspended.
Then there's the characters.
Korinna initially appears to be naive and weak-willed but that isn't her fault as it is because of the society she grew up in. I would have liked her but she was an awfully boring PoV to follow.
She also falls into the insta-love trope. Veeeeerrrry eye-roll inducing.
Maybe it's just me, but I cringed at her already becoming a lovesick puppy over a stranger. I don't care how beautiful the lady is.
Sahar is the other PoV and she seemed fine. As fine as plain bread.
That's all I can say. A third of the way through I hadn't learned much about her other than she was distant from her friends and family. She also made some really stupid decisions, throwing her intelligence into question.
I hadn't connected with any of the characters, which made the reading experience terribly dull.
25 chapters in and we're still in the build-up phase. I wasn't eager to find answers with the protagonists about their respective predicaments.
It's a 'No' for me. 1 star.
Unfortunately, this book was not an enjoyable experience as I had hoped.
The premise tells of a young woman who was initially thought to be the weakest of her class but is in actuality one of the most powerful. There are 2 main POVs: Korrina and Sahar who each belong to different magical sects that serve different goddesses.
This leads me to the magic system.
there are 3 sects, each with its power type that all make use of this thing called "Tactus"
I was not impressed by the magic system because I couldn't comprehend what tactus was or how it manifests.
For example, Korinna and multiple characters describe an object as exuding tactus. But what does that mean? I'm not sure, to be honest. Nothing comes to mind when something is described as having tactus.
Going by how the characters wield it, I took it to be some sort of telekinesis (at some point, I started to imagine something akin to the Force in Star Wars which still didn't seem quite right...)
I should be enjoying myself but when a simulation is described as loading "tactically", my immersion goes right out the window. Setting aside the real-life meaning of the word, how does a simulation load tactically?
I don't know. And something as little as that kept bothering me as I read on.
Korinna's sect has the added feature of using their blood for everything. As offerings to their goddess, as powerbanks and chargers for themselves, etc.
I grew tired of seeing the mention of the word or that someone was bleeding every couple of paragraphs. I'm not squeamish about blood but I'm sceptical when I see that Korinna's select orifices are leaking blood again after the last time which, in this universe's time, was likely the day before. Then another time, she loses so much blood her friend has to donate his blood. He gives so much that he nearly dies. Her reaction? To go "Oh no!" for a while before stopping the process when he has one foot in the grave. What about the deficiency? Transfusion reactions?
A quick, little, helpful exposition explains that transfusion reactions do not occur due to inhabitants of this universe being made genetically similar...
...mmhmmm...
In any case, this is a magic universe with spaceships that are being dragged about by telekinetic anaemics so powerful they can rip a hole in space-time.
I shouldn't be so underwhelmed but my disbelief can only be so suspended.
Then there's the characters.
Korinna initially appears to be naive and weak-willed but that isn't her fault as it is because of the society she grew up in. I would have liked her but she was an awfully boring PoV to follow.
She also falls into the insta-love trope. Veeeeerrrry eye-roll inducing.
Maybe it's just me, but I cringed at her already becoming a lovesick puppy over a stranger. I don't care how beautiful the lady is.
Sahar is the other PoV and she seemed fine. As fine as plain bread.
That's all I can say. A third of the way through I hadn't learned much about her other than she was distant from her friends and family. She also made some really stupid decisions, throwing her intelligence into question.
I hadn't connected with any of the characters, which made the reading experience terribly dull.
25 chapters in and we're still in the build-up phase. I wasn't eager to find answers with the protagonists about their respective predicaments.
It's a 'No' for me. 1 star.
April 2, 2024
Korinna is the worst Redseer of the order of blood witches that the Imperium uses to navigate their ships. But as things move along, maybe she isn't so powerless, and soon she finds herself navigating a battleship of the Imperium on a mission of vengeance against mysterious space pirates.
I was so excited to read this, with a vision-impaired main character being written by a vision-impaired writer. Unfortunately this element of story was nearly non-existent with the only nods to the main character's blindness is that her love interest is the only person who's face she can see clearly and that when she reads, its via tactile script.
The next big problem is that sadly the author just isn't a very good writer, with multiple issues, including self-consistency, story elements that appear and disappear randomly (like Korinna's need for protective clothing) and dialogue that doesn't match the decisions that the characters are making, leaving many of the about-faces that the characters make feel unearned and fake.
But the worst issue for me is a basic issue of suspension of disbelief. Science Fiction is sometimes defined by the unreality of the concepts that the reader has to accept. Faster-than-light travel is a classic that's completely counter-factual. Or functional nanomachines of the gray goo variety, again common, but for all sorts of reasons, is something that's completely counter-factual. Or the concept of a beanstalk space-elevator. But we do accept them, and they're common in SF.
So why did I bounce off so many of the counter-factuals in this book? Things like that the center of the galaxy is apparently a font of star formation that is producing new planets fast enough for their to be a land rush to claim them. Or that eating a star is something that's simple to do for a particular character (yes, literally eating it), but absorbing a nuclear explosion from a missile is incredibly difficult to do. Or that the universe was created by human-looking goddesses and that countless civilizations rose and fell before humans even evolved.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I think it largely comes down to that the SF staples that we mostly accept are things that might be true or possible if we discover new physics or materials. They're things that we would like to be possible.
And then there's the things in this book, where we know for a fact that things aren't the way that they're depicted. We know that the center of the galaxy is not a font of stars. We know that when stars form, planets take billions of years to cool down enough for people to go to them. We know that a nuclear missile compared to a star is like the difference between a fart and a hurricane ... It's a bit like the moon being an egg in that godawful Doctor Who episode. My first reaction is "No, it's not. We checked."
Very disappointing book.
I was so excited to read this, with a vision-impaired main character being written by a vision-impaired writer. Unfortunately this element of story was nearly non-existent with the only nods to the main character's blindness is that her love interest is the only person who's face she can see clearly and that when she reads, its via tactile script.
The next big problem is that sadly the author just isn't a very good writer, with multiple issues, including self-consistency, story elements that appear and disappear randomly (like Korinna's need for protective clothing) and dialogue that doesn't match the decisions that the characters are making, leaving many of the about-faces that the characters make feel unearned and fake.
But the worst issue for me is a basic issue of suspension of disbelief. Science Fiction is sometimes defined by the unreality of the concepts that the reader has to accept. Faster-than-light travel is a classic that's completely counter-factual. Or functional nanomachines of the gray goo variety, again common, but for all sorts of reasons, is something that's completely counter-factual. Or the concept of a beanstalk space-elevator. But we do accept them, and they're common in SF.
So why did I bounce off so many of the counter-factuals in this book? Things like that the center of the galaxy is apparently a font of star formation that is producing new planets fast enough for their to be a land rush to claim them. Or that eating a star is something that's simple to do for a particular character (yes, literally eating it), but absorbing a nuclear explosion from a missile is incredibly difficult to do. Or that the universe was created by human-looking goddesses and that countless civilizations rose and fell before humans even evolved.
I've been thinking about this for a while. I think it largely comes down to that the SF staples that we mostly accept are things that might be true or possible if we discover new physics or materials. They're things that we would like to be possible.
And then there's the things in this book, where we know for a fact that things aren't the way that they're depicted. We know that the center of the galaxy is not a font of stars. We know that when stars form, planets take billions of years to cool down enough for people to go to them. We know that a nuclear missile compared to a star is like the difference between a fart and a hurricane ... It's a bit like the moon being an egg in that godawful Doctor Who episode. My first reaction is "No, it's not. We checked."
Very disappointing book.
September 11, 2023
Perhaps I came away from this novel with a lower rating that many of the current reviews because character development is probably what I love most in a novel. This was definitely a book that is more focused on pacing and plot. The world-building, which might also draw me in, was of inconsistent importance.
This one isn't coming out until February, so I'm wondering if there might be a last round of edits. At this point, I believe it could use a bit of tightening. Even though most of the chapters are short, many duplicated plot points or bits of world-building. I'm not sure whether this was intentional to indicate importance, but plenty of the rest of the novel required leaps of faith. Maybe that is appropriate for a novel that focuses on three religious orders. There are also some repeated phrases that seemed unnecessary, such as "cardiac cells" or whatever it was. Like, after the first time or two, I didn't really need the reminder that they were undead heart cells whenever they pulsed.
I was left puzzled by many things, though! If someone completely devours another person, there must be a magical element involved, right? So, why does the size of their mouth matter? If something can devour a star (magically) how big does it get? And since gravitational force is central to the novel, how does the massiveness of such beings figure into that? These sound nitpicky, but basically they're symptoms of me never really understanding the scale of anything within the novel.
And sure, some of the cosmic things the characters probably would never understand, either, but I still would love to know how the three central forces of the galaxy were chosen. White/Light/Intellect/Creation/Fission (supernova?) vs. Black/Gravity/Destruction/Fusion/Snakes (black holes?) vs. Red/Blood/...Propulsion?/Re-Use?/I dunno... I confess I left high school physics with some gaps, since my teacher was a bit too smart for us, but it was certainly cool that blind red priestesses worked with invisible forces of the universe.
I have similar thoughts about the emotional landscape of the characters. I decided to be fine with the insta-love aspect, but it seemed to involve very little time for the characters to completely switch their thoughts and feelings on nearly every issue from one end of the spectrum to the other. I think this was supposed to lend a bit or moral greyness to them (since that's very in right now) but it gave me CW tv show vibes rather than the Gideon the Ninth ones others speak of. All the talk of blood and exposed tissue does give a more surface level Gideon atmosphere, though.
Anyway, at this point I'm thinking this is a book for folks interested in the aesthetic and I think that will appeal to many.
This one isn't coming out until February, so I'm wondering if there might be a last round of edits. At this point, I believe it could use a bit of tightening. Even though most of the chapters are short, many duplicated plot points or bits of world-building. I'm not sure whether this was intentional to indicate importance, but plenty of the rest of the novel required leaps of faith. Maybe that is appropriate for a novel that focuses on three religious orders. There are also some repeated phrases that seemed unnecessary, such as "cardiac cells" or whatever it was. Like, after the first time or two, I didn't really need the reminder that they were undead heart cells whenever they pulsed.
I was left puzzled by many things, though! If someone completely devours another person, there must be a magical element involved, right? So, why does the size of their mouth matter? If something can devour a star (magically) how big does it get? And since gravitational force is central to the novel, how does the massiveness of such beings figure into that? These sound nitpicky, but basically they're symptoms of me never really understanding the scale of anything within the novel.
And sure, some of the cosmic things the characters probably would never understand, either, but I still would love to know how the three central forces of the galaxy were chosen. White/Light/Intellect/Creation/Fission (supernova?) vs. Black/Gravity/Destruction/Fusion/Snakes (black holes?) vs. Red/Blood/...Propulsion?/Re-Use?/I dunno... I confess I left high school physics with some gaps, since my teacher was a bit too smart for us, but it was certainly cool that blind red priestesses worked with invisible forces of the universe.
I have similar thoughts about the emotional landscape of the characters. I decided to be fine with the insta-love aspect, but it seemed to involve very little time for the characters to completely switch their thoughts and feelings on nearly every issue from one end of the spectrum to the other. I think this was supposed to lend a bit or moral greyness to them (since that's very in right now) but it gave me CW tv show vibes rather than the Gideon the Ninth ones others speak of. All the talk of blood and exposed tissue does give a more surface level Gideon atmosphere, though.
Anyway, at this point I'm thinking this is a book for folks interested in the aesthetic and I think that will appeal to many.
February 28, 2024
*Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review*
Witches, priestesses and sacred orders in space. Think Gideon the Ninth meets Of Sorrows and Such.
Redsight is the story of Korinna, a blind red priestess who can manipulate space time, which is the power designated to pilot the warships of the galactic Imperium. Until very recently she thought she was the weakest in her order, but just when her powers return unexpectedly, she finds herself in a very difficult position: made to choose between being loyal to the Order that sees her as nothing more than an object and being free but paying a cost.
The story is set in a world ruled by a galactic Imperium that was originally created by three goddesses and where nowadays two of the Orders that worship their respective goddesses are charged with the task of finding and eliminating all remains of the third.
The worldbuilding and magic system in this book are some of the most original and imaginative I’ve encountered for a while. I also really enjoyed how the use of the priestesses’ power always comes with a price.
The characters are compelling and while they are brave and decisive, they are also deeply flawed, which made me engage with them from the beginning. My favourite character was, without a doubt, the villain: a black witch who can adopt the shape of a giant reptile in order to feed.
The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was having to wonder who the actual villains in the story were. The black priestesses and the Order of Furia? Or the Imperium and the supposedly good Orders who treat their initiates as if they’re nothing but a means to an end?
This is a self conclusive story with a well-paced plot and a lot of twists along the way. The book touches on the themes of revolution, betrayal and female rage. It also has a sapphic romance but it is not the main focus of the story.
I really enjoyed this book because of its intricate worldbuilding, charismatic characters and the pace of the plot. A very satisfying read and a new author to watch out for.
Rep: sapphic main characters and romance subplot
4/5 stars
Witches, priestesses and sacred orders in space. Think Gideon the Ninth meets Of Sorrows and Such.
Redsight is the story of Korinna, a blind red priestess who can manipulate space time, which is the power designated to pilot the warships of the galactic Imperium. Until very recently she thought she was the weakest in her order, but just when her powers return unexpectedly, she finds herself in a very difficult position: made to choose between being loyal to the Order that sees her as nothing more than an object and being free but paying a cost.
The story is set in a world ruled by a galactic Imperium that was originally created by three goddesses and where nowadays two of the Orders that worship their respective goddesses are charged with the task of finding and eliminating all remains of the third.
The worldbuilding and magic system in this book are some of the most original and imaginative I’ve encountered for a while. I also really enjoyed how the use of the priestesses’ power always comes with a price.
The characters are compelling and while they are brave and decisive, they are also deeply flawed, which made me engage with them from the beginning. My favourite character was, without a doubt, the villain: a black witch who can adopt the shape of a giant reptile in order to feed.
The thing I enjoyed the most about this book was having to wonder who the actual villains in the story were. The black priestesses and the Order of Furia? Or the Imperium and the supposedly good Orders who treat their initiates as if they’re nothing but a means to an end?
This is a self conclusive story with a well-paced plot and a lot of twists along the way. The book touches on the themes of revolution, betrayal and female rage. It also has a sapphic romance but it is not the main focus of the story.
I really enjoyed this book because of its intricate worldbuilding, charismatic characters and the pace of the plot. A very satisfying read and a new author to watch out for.
Rep: sapphic main characters and romance subplot
4/5 stars
Want to read
October 4, 2023"science fantasy with positive bisexual and disability representation which follows a blind priestess who powers warships for the galactic military by manipulating space time, when the captain of her ship is murdered by a pirate with a dark past, the priestess must choose between a painful life of service or a chance at freedom with the galaxy’s most wanted criminal"
i've literally never read anything like this!! the story sounds cool, + a blind MC ??????? omg ???
i've literally never read anything like this!! the story sounds cool, + a blind MC ??????? omg ???
September 10, 2024
Ja nee du. Also das war wirklich daneben. Alle drei Ladies waren maximal naiv und selbst bei der Romanze hab ich null vibes gespürt. Anscheinend ist die Hauptprotagonistin blind aber davon hab ich so gut wie nichts gemerkt. Schade.
Want to read
August 17, 2023"Redsight follows a blind priestess who powers warships for the galactic military by manipulating spacetime. When the captain of her ship is murdered by a pirate with a dark past, she must choose between a painful life of service or a chance at freedom with the galaxy’s most wanted criminal." PLS i need this in my life.
December 11, 2023
Ahh yes, my weakness: sapphics in space.
Korinna has been raised to believe that she is weak and useless. While she may be a Redseer, a blind priestess with the power to manipulate space-time, she is an outcast of her Order. Her true destiny is revealed as one brimming with power, and she takes her place aboard one of the Imperium’s ships. She is no more than a weapon to her Order, but at least she is something.
Enter Aster. Aster is a space pirate with a vendetta against the Imperium and an inescapable, dark power. When Aster attacks Korinna’s ship, Korinna must reconsider everything she’s been led to believe and choose what side she’ll take in a war that’ll determine the fate of the galaxy.
All I needed to know about the novel to want to read it was that it featured sapphics in space. A truly superb pitch, really. And then we also get an Order of blind priestesses who work with forces of the galaxy as an added bonus. I mean, how badass does that sound? (The answer is very.)
Beginning any SFF novel can be rough. So many new words and worlds and concepts all introduced one after another, and only after can the plot step up and take centre stage. This was very much the case with Redsight, except we never reach that point where the story takes off. Or rather the story features a fast-paced plot, but not enough time is spent exploring the characters and their internal conflicts for the plot to have emotional weight. The result is lacklustre action, because we as readers haven’t formed a strong enough connection to care about what happens to the characters.
Example: There’s a scene in the beginning where Korinna must make a choice with no good options. Instead of seeing her make the choice and struggle with weighing her decision, the story frustratingly skips to afterwards. It felt like a missed opportunity for internal conflict, especially when you consider what she actually ended up choosing to do. For such a monumental decision, it felt brushed to the side too easily.
I almost think that Redsight has the wrong main character. With three POVs, Korinna takes centre stage. She’s naive and any problem she encounters is resolved too easily. Aster, on the other hand? Deeply intriguing as a character. Unfortunately, the characters all come across as juvenile to the point where I kept double checking that this was an adult sci-fi novel. Even characters who are supposedly millennia old lack the maturity and wisdom to actually come across as such.
As far as the romance goes, it’s not great when and you’re pleased with that as a plot twist. I think that tells you enough about my feelings on Korinna and Aster’s relationship. If you need more information: and it all feels rather icky. Maybe if the characters were more developed, the relationship in turn could have been fleshed out some more. As it was, I really did not care.
I’ll wrap this up with one more thing I did enjoy, since this review has been pretty negative. The book does have it’s moments! Redsight features imagery that references Eve in the garden of Eden with the serpent and an apple, and that motif signalling when certain parts of the story start to take a turn made the literature student in me perk up.
Thank you to Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!
Korinna has been raised to believe that she is weak and useless. While she may be a Redseer, a blind priestess with the power to manipulate space-time, she is an outcast of her Order. Her true destiny is revealed as one brimming with power, and she takes her place aboard one of the Imperium’s ships. She is no more than a weapon to her Order, but at least she is something.
Enter Aster. Aster is a space pirate with a vendetta against the Imperium and an inescapable, dark power. When Aster attacks Korinna’s ship, Korinna must reconsider everything she’s been led to believe and choose what side she’ll take in a war that’ll determine the fate of the galaxy.
All I needed to know about the novel to want to read it was that it featured sapphics in space. A truly superb pitch, really. And then we also get an Order of blind priestesses who work with forces of the galaxy as an added bonus. I mean, how badass does that sound? (The answer is very.)
Beginning any SFF novel can be rough. So many new words and worlds and concepts all introduced one after another, and only after can the plot step up and take centre stage. This was very much the case with Redsight, except we never reach that point where the story takes off. Or rather the story features a fast-paced plot, but not enough time is spent exploring the characters and their internal conflicts for the plot to have emotional weight. The result is lacklustre action, because we as readers haven’t formed a strong enough connection to care about what happens to the characters.
Example: There’s a scene in the beginning where Korinna must make a choice with no good options. Instead of seeing her make the choice and struggle with weighing her decision, the story frustratingly skips to afterwards. It felt like a missed opportunity for internal conflict, especially when you consider what she actually ended up choosing to do. For such a monumental decision, it felt brushed to the side too easily.
I almost think that Redsight has the wrong main character. With three POVs, Korinna takes centre stage. She’s naive and any problem she encounters is resolved too easily. Aster, on the other hand? Deeply intriguing as a character. Unfortunately, the characters all come across as juvenile to the point where I kept double checking that this was an adult sci-fi novel. Even characters who are supposedly millennia old lack the maturity and wisdom to actually come across as such.
As far as the romance goes, it’s not great when and you’re pleased with that as a plot twist. I think that tells you enough about my feelings on Korinna and Aster’s relationship. If you need more information: and it all feels rather icky. Maybe if the characters were more developed, the relationship in turn could have been fleshed out some more. As it was, I really did not care.
I’ll wrap this up with one more thing I did enjoy, since this review has been pretty negative. The book does have it’s moments! Redsight features imagery that references Eve in the garden of Eden with the serpent and an apple, and that motif signalling when certain parts of the story start to take a turn made the literature student in me perk up.
Thank you to Rebellion Publishing and NetGalley for the eARC!
August 7, 2023
queer priestesses in space? sign me up.
"redsight" by meredith mooring is an ambitious queer sci-fi novel. it's fast paced, exciting and full of danger. we mainly follow korinna, a redseer who isn't doing very well in her cohort. she worships her goddess, trains, and yet doesn't see her place in this universe. her future is uncertain.
this novel is very, very fast paced. you don't get much time to connect with korinna and her abilities, thoughts, and feelings before the drama of the story begins, before the metaphorical shit hits the metaphorical fan. it's a fun book, but i felt korinna was emotionally stunted. litia was the most compelling character, and her chapters are rather short. i didn't really pick up on queer themes, they seem hidden within the text and not exactly embraced.
nevertheless, i enjoyed this novel. i am excited to see where the series goes.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
"redsight" by meredith mooring is an ambitious queer sci-fi novel. it's fast paced, exciting and full of danger. we mainly follow korinna, a redseer who isn't doing very well in her cohort. she worships her goddess, trains, and yet doesn't see her place in this universe. her future is uncertain.
this novel is very, very fast paced. you don't get much time to connect with korinna and her abilities, thoughts, and feelings before the drama of the story begins, before the metaphorical shit hits the metaphorical fan. it's a fun book, but i felt korinna was emotionally stunted. litia was the most compelling character, and her chapters are rather short. i didn't really pick up on queer themes, they seem hidden within the text and not exactly embraced.
nevertheless, i enjoyed this novel. i am excited to see where the series goes.
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
September 21, 2023
*Thank you to the publishers via Netgalley for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review*
So, this was certainly a unique book, I'll give it that. The concepts, too, were very interesting. Three separate Orders--one of which was eliminated--with a militarized institution(?) called the Imperium taking up the slack to keep order among the Orders, all isolated from each other in space. The story follows three characters--Korinna (possessor of the titular Redsight), Aster, and Sahar--but their narratives are very uneven. Korrina gets the majority of the page-time, but she still feels underdeveloped as a character. Her progression from the weakest member of her Order to one of the strongest isn't done in a way that felt cohesive or narratively satisfying. Aster gets the second-most page-time and, while I think she has the coolest powers and motives, it also doesn't feel fully formed in a way that gets you to care about her as a character. Sahar has the absolute least page-time and barely feels like a character at all. Even when you get to the end, you kind of question why she was even there in the first place. She needed more fleshing out and more to do outside of just being a convenient plot device at times.
The reason the characters all feel so uneven is because this story moves at a breakneck pace. Some people might find that satisfying, but as a character-driven reader this really hurt the story for me. The emotional weight of certain aspects of the story didn't hit hard at all because there wasn't enough time given to really showcase how much any particular decision or revelation mattered. Even the ending felt far too abrupt, despite the magnitude of it.
The romantic relationship between Aster and Korinna was also supremely rushed. Nothing about it felt genuine nor did it feel like it made all that much sense. Perhaps if the chapters had been divided more evenly between the three characters and there had been more initial interactions between Aster and Korinna, then it might've given it a bit more substance. Unfortunately, it went from insta-lust to enemies(?) to lovers to "I love you and I can't live without you". It all felt very bland.
In terms of the writing, it was also very repetitive. There were multiple instances--sometimes even in the same chapter--where information was relayed to the reader in the exact same way each time multiple times. There were some cool action scenes and some of the way the powers were described were interesting. But the plot elements and even the character interactions felt a little stale.
Despite all the criticisms I have of this book, I will say that the concept is really interesting. I just wish it had been given a bit more room to grow and slow down to let the reader and the characters breathe.
So, this was certainly a unique book, I'll give it that. The concepts, too, were very interesting. Three separate Orders--one of which was eliminated--with a militarized institution(?) called the Imperium taking up the slack to keep order among the Orders, all isolated from each other in space. The story follows three characters--Korinna (possessor of the titular Redsight), Aster, and Sahar--but their narratives are very uneven. Korrina gets the majority of the page-time, but she still feels underdeveloped as a character. Her progression from the weakest member of her Order to one of the strongest isn't done in a way that felt cohesive or narratively satisfying. Aster gets the second-most page-time and, while I think she has the coolest powers and motives, it also doesn't feel fully formed in a way that gets you to care about her as a character. Sahar has the absolute least page-time and barely feels like a character at all. Even when you get to the end, you kind of question why she was even there in the first place. She needed more fleshing out and more to do outside of just being a convenient plot device at times.
The reason the characters all feel so uneven is because this story moves at a breakneck pace. Some people might find that satisfying, but as a character-driven reader this really hurt the story for me. The emotional weight of certain aspects of the story didn't hit hard at all because there wasn't enough time given to really showcase how much any particular decision or revelation mattered. Even the ending felt far too abrupt, despite the magnitude of it.
The romantic relationship between Aster and Korinna was also supremely rushed. Nothing about it felt genuine nor did it feel like it made all that much sense. Perhaps if the chapters had been divided more evenly between the three characters and there had been more initial interactions between Aster and Korinna, then it might've given it a bit more substance. Unfortunately, it went from insta-lust to enemies(?) to lovers to "I love you and I can't live without you". It all felt very bland.
In terms of the writing, it was also very repetitive. There were multiple instances--sometimes even in the same chapter--where information was relayed to the reader in the exact same way each time multiple times. There were some cool action scenes and some of the way the powers were described were interesting. But the plot elements and even the character interactions felt a little stale.
Despite all the criticisms I have of this book, I will say that the concept is really interesting. I just wish it had been given a bit more room to grow and slow down to let the reader and the characters breathe.
September 10, 2022
Full disclosure- the author gave me a copy of the unedited book as an ARC.
Redsight is a dark and evocative tale focusing on the theme of that a person is more than just their worst actions. And, naturally, on the nature of forgiveness. But also on that it takes diversity to balance things and that our differences are needed, even when we struggle to understand each other.
I loved the choices of which characters we follow. Placing the story within the viewpoints of a character so vital in each of the three factions (red, black, white) means the reader gets a complete overview of this universe and the stakes.
The characters were fascinating and multi-faceted and, imho, morally grey.
Redsight has such vivid and meticulous worldbuilding! It places you right in the setting, every detail explained and seeming plausible. Despite this, there is little “info dumping”. The worldbuilding is admirably fed to the reader in nice bite sizes when needed.
I must say, certain scenes REALLY got under my skin and made me feel deeply and those scenes stayed with me long afterwards. I’m sure it will for any reader!
Redsight is a dark and evocative tale focusing on the theme of that a person is more than just their worst actions. And, naturally, on the nature of forgiveness. But also on that it takes diversity to balance things and that our differences are needed, even when we struggle to understand each other.
I loved the choices of which characters we follow. Placing the story within the viewpoints of a character so vital in each of the three factions (red, black, white) means the reader gets a complete overview of this universe and the stakes.
The characters were fascinating and multi-faceted and, imho, morally grey.
Redsight has such vivid and meticulous worldbuilding! It places you right in the setting, every detail explained and seeming plausible. Despite this, there is little “info dumping”. The worldbuilding is admirably fed to the reader in nice bite sizes when needed.
I must say, certain scenes REALLY got under my skin and made me feel deeply and those scenes stayed with me long afterwards. I’m sure it will for any reader!
February 15, 2024
Content Warnings: Blood, Gore, Body Horror (Mainly relating to skin and fingernails, constant graphic descriptions all the way through), Sexual content, Murder, Torture, Medical Content, Toxic Relationships, Child death, Cursing, Slavery
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a rough one. Honestly if I didn't write down notes, I probably wouldn't have been able to make a review because it was so forgettable I was forgetting things as I read.
Somehow the book manages to constantly lore dump but explain nothing (I still have very little idea what tactus is, the core main concept of this *entire* universe it seems) - Sometimes it was used interchangeably with blood, sometimes it seemed separate. I also don't believe it was ever actually *really* explained why using tactus rips one cult apart and not others. Also couldn't get that good of a grasp on many other core concepts like the whole "unseeing, unburning, unfeeling". I got unseeing, unfeeling I don't really get the "feeling" part, and unburning I was just incredibly confused on. Like, what? Burning what? "Unlightened" or something would have been closer. Just a ton of really core things like that were just very under-explained and just not very intuitive.
The characters where honestly a mess. There's far too many different characters and the multi-POV just kind of confused things. There's 3 total POV characters, with 1 of them having a different name/title seemingly for every single one of their chapters while the other 2 just have their name as the chapter title. That really did not help with trying to work out who was who at the start. Near the end it was far too confusing as everyone piled in and I was just left wondering "am I meant to care about this character?" because except for the main couple characters, since there's so many side characters each one barely had any page time at all and due to that were quite flat.
The relationships are something that bothered me throughout this. There's no chemistry there, and it's honestly quite an abusive relationship. Not only is one centuries older than the other, with that much more knowledge of the world and the other being brought up sheltered, brainwashed and naive, the constant "break and make up" bullshit (to the most extreme levels) was absolutely wild in a really bad way. Again, no chemistry at all, not even any time passed. It was quite literally deeply in love at first sight and nothing else.. Can we please stop having sapphic relationships portrayed with absolutely abusive power dynamics as if they're super romantic and awesome like what the fuck is this trope trend??
The story felt really all over the place as well. Plans kept changing, and honestly even after reading it I still don't even know what the goals of the characters are. They kept changing on a dime and no one really stuck to what they wanted to do at first, or second, or even third. I genuinely have no idea how we even got to the ending because everything was just so convenient. The characters had to do basically not a single thing to progress to whatever their imaginary goal was because they overcame obstacles with no consequences or effort.
More on tropes, I never could understand this trend of using the chosen one trend to attempt to push a message of "people call you weak but you're actually just really strong, work hard and you'll show them how much you can grow!" when the characters holding that message just effortlessly get given god-like powers and are "the strongest anyone has ever seen". This book somehow even manages to take it even further, stronger than gods she becomes it gets honestly quite dumb.
The representation wasn't the best. I honestly was expecting some more from the blind representation but half the book you wouldn't even guess blindness was part of things if you were flicking through it. Tactus in the world sort of(?) replaces sight for redseers but not really. It seems like their sight is just very blurry (though sometimes I think it was described as a black void? also a very confusing concept honestly) and they use tactus to read and "feel" the world around them. But even if very low on tactus and very weak, somehow that doesn't really change much and navigation and all sorts is just like, no issues? There's also a ton of very detailed visual descriptions during Korrinna's POV which was very confusing. POV chapters are meant to be like, from their point of view. And sometimes it is, describing blurred views and such. But most of the time it seems like it's just describing a sighted person's view of the world - even taking the magical powers of tactus into account.
I won't spend too long on this topic but I got concerned about what I was reading when the first like, 20% of the book was just "shady religion that's kinda a cult secretly harvests blood - especially from children - to gain stronger powers to stay in power and control". I'll let you decide how to take that. In this universe, the magic is tied to blood, so blood sacrifices and more, are a constant strong theme. Mix that with the conspiracy shit and secretly taking blood from children and it's just a little too close to real-life conspiracies for my liking.
This took me far too long to read. Despite so much action happening constantly, it was just so incredibly slow paced due to the constant lore-dumping slowing it all down dramatically. I didn't know about the author's connection to Cait when requesting it or when I started reading it. But I'm honestly not surprised. I've really gotta get better on doing more research when requesting books, I just unfortunately got sucked in by both queer and disabled rep - something that's not overly common to have at the same time in books from what I can find...
Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
This was a rough one. Honestly if I didn't write down notes, I probably wouldn't have been able to make a review because it was so forgettable I was forgetting things as I read.
Somehow the book manages to constantly lore dump but explain nothing (I still have very little idea what tactus is, the core main concept of this *entire* universe it seems) - Sometimes it was used interchangeably with blood, sometimes it seemed separate. I also don't believe it was ever actually *really* explained why using tactus rips one cult apart and not others. Also couldn't get that good of a grasp on many other core concepts like the whole "unseeing, unburning, unfeeling". I got unseeing, unfeeling I don't really get the "feeling" part, and unburning I was just incredibly confused on. Like, what? Burning what? "Unlightened" or something would have been closer. Just a ton of really core things like that were just very under-explained and just not very intuitive.
The characters where honestly a mess. There's far too many different characters and the multi-POV just kind of confused things. There's 3 total POV characters, with 1 of them having a different name/title seemingly for every single one of their chapters while the other 2 just have their name as the chapter title. That really did not help with trying to work out who was who at the start. Near the end it was far too confusing as everyone piled in and I was just left wondering "am I meant to care about this character?" because except for the main couple characters, since there's so many side characters each one barely had any page time at all and due to that were quite flat.
The relationships are something that bothered me throughout this. There's no chemistry there, and it's honestly quite an abusive relationship. Not only is one centuries older than the other, with that much more knowledge of the world and the other being brought up sheltered, brainwashed and naive, the constant "break and make up" bullshit (to the most extreme levels) was absolutely wild in a really bad way. Again, no chemistry at all, not even any time passed. It was quite literally deeply in love at first sight and nothing else.. Can we please stop having sapphic relationships portrayed with absolutely abusive power dynamics as if they're super romantic and awesome like what the fuck is this trope trend??
The story felt really all over the place as well. Plans kept changing, and honestly even after reading it I still don't even know what the goals of the characters are. They kept changing on a dime and no one really stuck to what they wanted to do at first, or second, or even third. I genuinely have no idea how we even got to the ending because everything was just so convenient. The characters had to do basically not a single thing to progress to whatever their imaginary goal was because they overcame obstacles with no consequences or effort.
More on tropes, I never could understand this trend of using the chosen one trend to attempt to push a message of "people call you weak but you're actually just really strong, work hard and you'll show them how much you can grow!" when the characters holding that message just effortlessly get given god-like powers and are "the strongest anyone has ever seen". This book somehow even manages to take it even further, stronger than gods she becomes it gets honestly quite dumb.
The representation wasn't the best. I honestly was expecting some more from the blind representation but half the book you wouldn't even guess blindness was part of things if you were flicking through it. Tactus in the world sort of(?) replaces sight for redseers but not really. It seems like their sight is just very blurry (though sometimes I think it was described as a black void? also a very confusing concept honestly) and they use tactus to read and "feel" the world around them. But even if very low on tactus and very weak, somehow that doesn't really change much and navigation and all sorts is just like, no issues? There's also a ton of very detailed visual descriptions during Korrinna's POV which was very confusing. POV chapters are meant to be like, from their point of view. And sometimes it is, describing blurred views and such. But most of the time it seems like it's just describing a sighted person's view of the world - even taking the magical powers of tactus into account.
I won't spend too long on this topic but I got concerned about what I was reading when the first like, 20% of the book was just "shady religion that's kinda a cult secretly harvests blood - especially from children - to gain stronger powers to stay in power and control". I'll let you decide how to take that. In this universe, the magic is tied to blood, so blood sacrifices and more, are a constant strong theme. Mix that with the conspiracy shit and secretly taking blood from children and it's just a little too close to real-life conspiracies for my liking.
This took me far too long to read. Despite so much action happening constantly, it was just so incredibly slow paced due to the constant lore-dumping slowing it all down dramatically. I didn't know about the author's connection to Cait when requesting it or when I started reading it. But I'm honestly not surprised. I've really gotta get better on doing more research when requesting books, I just unfortunately got sucked in by both queer and disabled rep - something that's not overly common to have at the same time in books from what I can find...
December 24, 2023
This is an absolutely amazing book, and I'm very grateful to Solaris Books for gifting me an advanced copy to read.
Korinna is an adept of Vermicula, the Red Goddess, and a practitioner of the blood magic that comes with that position. Considered the least capable of her cohort, she finds herself thrown into a worlds-spanning conflict involving the pirate queen Aster Haran and the Galactic Imperium. But things are not what they seem, and soon Korinna finds herself falling in love with the wrong person, and agreeing to help them to revive a dead goddess.
This is one seriously insane book, but in the best possible way. It's easy to draw comparisons with Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb trilogy (religious orders gone awry, rebellious priestesses, crazy magical effects, and so on), but it's so much more.
The main point-of-view character, Korinna, starts off a bit broken, convinced that she's worthless and won't amount to anything. But as the story unfolds, and she starts to come into her power, she also grows as a character. She's still flawed, and still makes mistakes, but by the end of the book she's almost the antithesis of who she is at the start.
The other two main characters, Aster and Sahar, also go through their own, similar development, though their share of page time combined is slightly less than Korinna's. Even so, the author does a superb job of showing us who these characters are and getting us to empathise with their respective positions. There's also quite a bit of queer representation in this one, and it does get a little spicy at times, but it's not just there for the sake of it - it helps develop the characters and give reason to their later actions and motivations. And it is very well written indeed.
One thing that really stands out for me about this book is the setting, and especially the magic it uses. There are three religious orders, and each has its own unique form of matter/energy manipulation, all made possible through the use of a nebulous force referred to as tactus. The Red Witches manipulate space-time, allowing for the movement of massive spaceships across vast distances; the White Witches control light, and perceive the truth of the universe around them; and the Black Witches manipulate matter and gravity, up to and including the consumption of entire stars to fuel their power. There are no explanations or justifications for how these powers work, they just do, and that for me works so well it's ridiculous.
This is most definitely not the sort of sci-fi/space opera most readers will be used to. It pushes the boundaries of space fantasy to their limits, and subverts so many well-worn tropes that in some places my mind was very literally blown by what I was reading. If this is what Meredith Mooring is capable of with her debut novel then I'm most definitely interested in seeing where she takes us next.
If the idea of a weird, fantastical sci-fi with queer witches and galaxy spanning action appeals to you, give this one a read when it comes out in February '24.
Korinna is an adept of Vermicula, the Red Goddess, and a practitioner of the blood magic that comes with that position. Considered the least capable of her cohort, she finds herself thrown into a worlds-spanning conflict involving the pirate queen Aster Haran and the Galactic Imperium. But things are not what they seem, and soon Korinna finds herself falling in love with the wrong person, and agreeing to help them to revive a dead goddess.
This is one seriously insane book, but in the best possible way. It's easy to draw comparisons with Tamsyn Muir's Locked Tomb trilogy (religious orders gone awry, rebellious priestesses, crazy magical effects, and so on), but it's so much more.
The main point-of-view character, Korinna, starts off a bit broken, convinced that she's worthless and won't amount to anything. But as the story unfolds, and she starts to come into her power, she also grows as a character. She's still flawed, and still makes mistakes, but by the end of the book she's almost the antithesis of who she is at the start.
The other two main characters, Aster and Sahar, also go through their own, similar development, though their share of page time combined is slightly less than Korinna's. Even so, the author does a superb job of showing us who these characters are and getting us to empathise with their respective positions. There's also quite a bit of queer representation in this one, and it does get a little spicy at times, but it's not just there for the sake of it - it helps develop the characters and give reason to their later actions and motivations. And it is very well written indeed.
One thing that really stands out for me about this book is the setting, and especially the magic it uses. There are three religious orders, and each has its own unique form of matter/energy manipulation, all made possible through the use of a nebulous force referred to as tactus. The Red Witches manipulate space-time, allowing for the movement of massive spaceships across vast distances; the White Witches control light, and perceive the truth of the universe around them; and the Black Witches manipulate matter and gravity, up to and including the consumption of entire stars to fuel their power. There are no explanations or justifications for how these powers work, they just do, and that for me works so well it's ridiculous.
This is most definitely not the sort of sci-fi/space opera most readers will be used to. It pushes the boundaries of space fantasy to their limits, and subverts so many well-worn tropes that in some places my mind was very literally blown by what I was reading. If this is what Meredith Mooring is capable of with her debut novel then I'm most definitely interested in seeing where she takes us next.
If the idea of a weird, fantastical sci-fi with queer witches and galaxy spanning action appeals to you, give this one a read when it comes out in February '24.
January 15, 2024
ARC provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
3.5/5
Redsight is an action-packed space opera debut following a blind priestess, Korinna, who works as a spaceship navigator for the galactic empire and as she is exposed to the wider world, she must choose between servitude or freedom. Along the way, we are introduced to a space pirate captain and a regretful judge who who both get swept up in Korinna’s journey. The journey is immensely revelatory for all three women as they work towards their ideas of a better universe, and even as they commit monstrous and destructive actions, the author strives to show that people are more than the worst parts of themselves and to embrace these differences between each other. I enjoyed each pov, all the character voices were distinctive and while each woman face different challenges, they are connected by their struggles with their faith and their complicity in an exploitative system.
The founding mythology of the universe, where three goddesses violently created the universe and later violently turned on each other, and their subsequent religious orders is the backbone of the story. I enjoyed how overtly connected the role of the orders and their history was to the story as well as the contrasting ways they could manipulate tactus (the energy of the universe and the magic system of the book): one order creates, the other transforms and the third consumes. I also really liked the element of body horror and how viscerally gross it would sometimes get.
I think tactus was a little too undefined, it could be used to do almost anything including healing oneself from almost death, flying spaceships and divining truth. Often it would be used as a convenient solution to the characters’ problems and conflict would be solved immediately which prevented me from getting too invested in the stakes.
The book was let down by its incredibly fast pace, the author fits an unbelievable amount of events into a single book (it would honestly be enough for a duology) which was to the detriment of character development and my emotional investment. Many ground-breaking things would happen to the protagonists but I felt that the author never devoted enough time to explore the impact of these experiences on the characters and rather told us how they felt and quickly moved onto the next event. This was super apparent in the romantic subplot - the romance felt very rushed, almost insta-love-like which I severely dislike, and there was a lack of chemistry between the characters which once again made it difficult to become fully invested.
Overall, Redsight is a fun, fast-paced ride with an engaging sociopolitical world and complicated characters albeit rushed at times.
3.5/5
Redsight is an action-packed space opera debut following a blind priestess, Korinna, who works as a spaceship navigator for the galactic empire and as she is exposed to the wider world, she must choose between servitude or freedom. Along the way, we are introduced to a space pirate captain and a regretful judge who who both get swept up in Korinna’s journey. The journey is immensely revelatory for all three women as they work towards their ideas of a better universe, and even as they commit monstrous and destructive actions, the author strives to show that people are more than the worst parts of themselves and to embrace these differences between each other. I enjoyed each pov, all the character voices were distinctive and while each woman face different challenges, they are connected by their struggles with their faith and their complicity in an exploitative system.
The founding mythology of the universe, where three goddesses violently created the universe and later violently turned on each other, and their subsequent religious orders is the backbone of the story. I enjoyed how overtly connected the role of the orders and their history was to the story as well as the contrasting ways they could manipulate tactus (the energy of the universe and the magic system of the book): one order creates, the other transforms and the third consumes. I also really liked the element of body horror and how viscerally gross it would sometimes get.
I think tactus was a little too undefined, it could be used to do almost anything including healing oneself from almost death, flying spaceships and divining truth. Often it would be used as a convenient solution to the characters’ problems and conflict would be solved immediately which prevented me from getting too invested in the stakes.
The book was let down by its incredibly fast pace, the author fits an unbelievable amount of events into a single book (it would honestly be enough for a duology) which was to the detriment of character development and my emotional investment. Many ground-breaking things would happen to the protagonists but I felt that the author never devoted enough time to explore the impact of these experiences on the characters and rather told us how they felt and quickly moved onto the next event. This was super apparent in the romantic subplot - the romance felt very rushed, almost insta-love-like which I severely dislike, and there was a lack of chemistry between the characters which once again made it difficult to become fully invested.
Overall, Redsight is a fun, fast-paced ride with an engaging sociopolitical world and complicated characters albeit rushed at times.
March 9, 2024
After spending seven years as a cleric of Vermicula, Korinna believes she is a failure with no natural aptitude for Redsight. However, during a test simulation, she catches the eye of a political advisor and gets assigned as a navigator to an important imperial warship.
There pirates seize her ship and her whole world is turned upside down, forcing her to decide where her loyalties lie.
Redsight by Meredith Mooring weaves a queer, Bene Gesserit-inspired space opera that unfortunately fell flat on its execution.
Coming into this one, I wanted to love it so badly (I mean, come on. Gay nuns in space sounds amazing), but so much of the plot and worldbuilding didn't make sense to me.
For instance, in one passage we're told: "Over the centuries, the cellular differences between Redseers had been eliminated until every descendant had the same proteins, the same flesh, the same blood."
If Redseers are all genetically the same though, how is it that there are varying power levels between them?
Also, if warships use Redseers as both a pilot and a fuel source, wouldn't it make sense to have at least one more as backup so they don't end up stranded in the middle of space--especially since the job is so physically taxing and Redseers often burn themselves out and die in the process? Better yet, why don't they use multiple Redseers at once to co-piolet the ship and distribute the workload? Otherwise, this seems like such a precarious set up that could doom everyone on the ship and spells disaster for battles.
Also, how do the higher up priestesses not notice Korinna's massive, matter-warping energy spikes when the whole thing about Redseers is that they can sense tactus (a type of energy like the Force in Star Wars)? How did she not alert the entire order while she was a cleric?
Overall, I’m left with so many questions and this was an incredibly frustrating read for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Solaris, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
There pirates seize her ship and her whole world is turned upside down, forcing her to decide where her loyalties lie.
Redsight by Meredith Mooring weaves a queer, Bene Gesserit-inspired space opera that unfortunately fell flat on its execution.
Coming into this one, I wanted to love it so badly (I mean, come on. Gay nuns in space sounds amazing), but so much of the plot and worldbuilding didn't make sense to me.
For instance, in one passage we're told: "Over the centuries, the cellular differences between Redseers had been eliminated until every descendant had the same proteins, the same flesh, the same blood."
If Redseers are all genetically the same though, how is it that there are varying power levels between them?
Also, if warships use Redseers as both a pilot and a fuel source, wouldn't it make sense to have at least one more as backup so they don't end up stranded in the middle of space--especially since the job is so physically taxing and Redseers often burn themselves out and die in the process? Better yet, why don't they use multiple Redseers at once to co-piolet the ship and distribute the workload? Otherwise, this seems like such a precarious set up that could doom everyone on the ship and spells disaster for battles.
Also, how do the higher up priestesses not notice Korinna's massive, matter-warping energy spikes when the whole thing about Redseers is that they can sense tactus (a type of energy like the Force in Star Wars)? How did she not alert the entire order while she was a cleric?
Overall, I’m left with so many questions and this was an incredibly frustrating read for me.
Thank you, NetGalley and Solaris, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
hard-dnf
March 3, 2024Thank you to everyone at Netgalley that made it possible for me to get this arc! My review is unaffected from that fact.
DNF at 61%
Redsight is a sci-fi following three different perspectives of the same world. There are three Orders. The white, the black and the red. Each Order has a different ability. The white priests can detect lies, the red can navigate ships through space and the black can... I'm unsure honestly. All I know is that they were almost entirely wiped out by other other two Orders.
Korinna is a red priestress that has been raised to believe that she is one or THE weakest of the priests. However, it was a lie and she gets the offer to be the navigator of a huge warship with lots of good reputation.
Sahar is a white priestress, working on a planet far away from other white priests. While finding evidence to support the arrest of a scientist, she finds a device that does not only endager her but the entire universe.
Aster is a pirate, attacking the ship that Korinna is stationed at. They find themselves drawn to each other against their better judgement.
I really wanted to love this book. Now, don't get me wrong. The worldbuilding was good in my opinion and so was the writing. Just as a disclaimer, the reason of me dnf'ing the book is a completely personal preference. I'm very much a person that needs to be able to root for a character. Characters can either be intriguing or boring, just like their relationship to each other. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any certain way towards any of the characters. I really don't care whether the charactes are morally good or not. Sadly, the characters and their relationships, especially Korinna's and Aster's fell seriously flat for me. I can't get myself to care about them or how this book ends.
I think there are definitely some people out there that will like it or love it but it's not me. It's really not bad and that's why I'm giving it 3 stars.
Thank you again to Netgalley.
DNF at 61%
Redsight is a sci-fi following three different perspectives of the same world. There are three Orders. The white, the black and the red. Each Order has a different ability. The white priests can detect lies, the red can navigate ships through space and the black can... I'm unsure honestly. All I know is that they were almost entirely wiped out by other other two Orders.
Korinna is a red priestress that has been raised to believe that she is one or THE weakest of the priests. However, it was a lie and she gets the offer to be the navigator of a huge warship with lots of good reputation.
Sahar is a white priestress, working on a planet far away from other white priests. While finding evidence to support the arrest of a scientist, she finds a device that does not only endager her but the entire universe.
Aster is a pirate, attacking the ship that Korinna is stationed at. They find themselves drawn to each other against their better judgement.
I really wanted to love this book. Now, don't get me wrong. The worldbuilding was good in my opinion and so was the writing. Just as a disclaimer, the reason of me dnf'ing the book is a completely personal preference. I'm very much a person that needs to be able to root for a character. Characters can either be intriguing or boring, just like their relationship to each other. Unfortunately, I didn't feel any certain way towards any of the characters. I really don't care whether the charactes are morally good or not. Sadly, the characters and their relationships, especially Korinna's and Aster's fell seriously flat for me. I can't get myself to care about them or how this book ends.
I think there are definitely some people out there that will like it or love it but it's not me. It's really not bad and that's why I'm giving it 3 stars.
Thank you again to Netgalley.
April 11, 2024
Thank you to Netgalley and Solaris for sending me an early copy of this book! All opinions are my own!
What a gorgeous story absolutely full of the beauty of humanity and the universe at large! The symmetry of this book left me in awe, and I adored watching everything unfold and fall into place. It was so satisfying to watch all the pieces fall into place like it was ordained by one of the goddesses themselves.
It started off pretty slow for me, but the uniqueness of the worldbuilding and the issues within kept me hooked. Korinna was intriguing from the start and was so easy to root for. Then you add in the other main characters and the intrigue just grows. It was so fun to watch them come together but it was also wonderful to watch them grow and learn from the universe around them and the powers within them.
There was plot twist after plot twist. There was morally gray characters and decisions that had to be made for the good of the universe. There was unique magic that was both science and physically/medically based that was so fun to learn about. Not to mention the magic being disability based with the Redseers! (And own voices for Mooring). There was such a heartwrenching sapphic love story. This book has it all and then some!
Definitely get your hands on this book, you will not regret it!
What a gorgeous story absolutely full of the beauty of humanity and the universe at large! The symmetry of this book left me in awe, and I adored watching everything unfold and fall into place. It was so satisfying to watch all the pieces fall into place like it was ordained by one of the goddesses themselves.
It started off pretty slow for me, but the uniqueness of the worldbuilding and the issues within kept me hooked. Korinna was intriguing from the start and was so easy to root for. Then you add in the other main characters and the intrigue just grows. It was so fun to watch them come together but it was also wonderful to watch them grow and learn from the universe around them and the powers within them.
There was plot twist after plot twist. There was morally gray characters and decisions that had to be made for the good of the universe. There was unique magic that was both science and physically/medically based that was so fun to learn about. Not to mention the magic being disability based with the Redseers! (And own voices for Mooring). There was such a heartwrenching sapphic love story. This book has it all and then some!
Definitely get your hands on this book, you will not regret it!
March 10, 2024
The premise for Redsight is really cool. The universe was created by three goddesses, and their priestesses have correlating powers. The neatest for me were the red witches, who could navigate ships with the power of their blood and the danger of bleeding out while using that power. There's a lot of blood pouring from eyes and out of skin and so on. Those with redsight can't see with their eyes, but they can use tactus to feel where everything is and even move ships. These world building ideas and visuals will stick with me for a long time.
Redsight is big on interrelationship drama, including sapphic romance in space, but the characters' thought processes stay pretty shallow, so the book has a YA feel.
Here's where we get to the problems. The book feels like an early draft of something that could be incredible. I found myself distracted as I figured out line edits to fix repetition and to maintain tension. The plot was also built on a series of strung together reveals without any setup. Things are like this, but actually no, they were like this, but then this immediately happened, making that last point moot. The lack of explanations and ever-changing explanations remove a LOT of tension because there don't seem to be any stakes, and the goal posts move before we can even think about them very much.
Redsight is big on interrelationship drama, including sapphic romance in space, but the characters' thought processes stay pretty shallow, so the book has a YA feel.
Here's where we get to the problems. The book feels like an early draft of something that could be incredible. I found myself distracted as I figured out line edits to fix repetition and to maintain tension. The plot was also built on a series of strung together reveals without any setup. Things are like this, but actually no, they were like this, but then this immediately happened, making that last point moot. The lack of explanations and ever-changing explanations remove a LOT of tension because there don't seem to be any stakes, and the goal posts move before we can even think about them very much.
January 25, 2024
2.75🌟
This spacefaring Sci-fi unfortunately wasn’t it for me. The best thing about this book is the disability and the sapphic representation.
This spacefaring Sci-fi unfortunately wasn’t it for me. The best thing about this book is the disability and the sapphic representation.
January 8, 2024
DNF at 40%.
Shallow and boring. The protagonist is naive and stupid and does everything she's told, all the time. A lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I couldn't continue.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
Shallow and boring. The protagonist is naive and stupid and does everything she's told, all the time. A lot of telling and not a lot of showing. I couldn't continue.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC.
December 16, 2023
Received an arc from NetGalley in exchange for honest opinion, thanks!
While Redsight has every element that should make me fall in love, I just couldn't find a heart for this book. I adored world-building, it should be considered as a one of the greatest aspects of this story. Writing was decent, characters were interesting, basically on every step this book is good. I just couldn't focus on it; maybe it's the space opera element, maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I think I will come back to Korinna, Sahara and Aster, as there's a lot in them to explore, and reading about it was quite pleasant. But for now – three stars from me. I feel the thrill when I think of it, but no the connection.
While Redsight has every element that should make me fall in love, I just couldn't find a heart for this book. I adored world-building, it should be considered as a one of the greatest aspects of this story. Writing was decent, characters were interesting, basically on every step this book is good. I just couldn't focus on it; maybe it's the space opera element, maybe I just wasn't in the mood. I think I will come back to Korinna, Sahara and Aster, as there's a lot in them to explore, and reading about it was quite pleasant. But for now – three stars from me. I feel the thrill when I think of it, but no the connection.
March 31, 2024
Thanks netgalley for the arc.
Redsight was an intriguing book, with a compelling set of characters and I really enjoyed it. However it was a bit slow and I found it very long, it picked up after we've reached out the halfway point and I preferred second part over the first half !
We follow three main characters, each belonging to a different goddess, it's set in space with lots of action taking place on space ships ! Each MC is very different and one of them is more central than the other: Korinna ! She's my favorite, I really enjoyed her journey and all she had to face to defeat her fate was impressive !
Really loved the queer relationship depicted in the book too. It's always pleasant to see more representation !
Redsight was an intriguing book, with a compelling set of characters and I really enjoyed it. However it was a bit slow and I found it very long, it picked up after we've reached out the halfway point and I preferred second part over the first half !
We follow three main characters, each belonging to a different goddess, it's set in space with lots of action taking place on space ships ! Each MC is very different and one of them is more central than the other: Korinna ! She's my favorite, I really enjoyed her journey and all she had to face to defeat her fate was impressive !
Really loved the queer relationship depicted in the book too. It's always pleasant to see more representation !
February 14, 2024
**TL;DR**: Though this didn't make a lot of sense it was still interesting enough for me to read through. I'm also unsure as to the audience for this, a YA tone with very dark moments.
I’m going to be honest. This one was confusing, and it takes a lot for me to say that. Redsight follows a young woman who has always been the weakest of her Order, the Red Witches who navigate space ships. She abruptly finds out that her weakness is false - engineered by another priestess to keep her safe, and she gains immense power as she is assigned out to pilot a warship against a ‘pirate threat’ in the Borderlands of space.
First up, I thought I was getting a science fiction with this. This is pure Fantasy, with the trappings of some science fiction on it. Do not get fooled. I don’t really have a problem with this, but what failed it for me was that it didn’t make a lot of sense even as a fantasy. Magic, even if it’s *magic*, needs some internal logic. This didn’t have any of that and the story hinged on the magic. There is a lot of it. Korrina bleeds (and a lot at that) almost nonstop while doing her job for 12/16 hours and at one point is described as having ‘lost all her skin and being nothing but muscle and tendons’ but still just needs some time and heals. How are we supposed to feel any tension or worry for this character? Additionally another PoV character we have eats planets and stars. Just… for a big meal every few days. We’re not given any clear description of how, simply that she steps out of an airlock, transforms, and chows down. Where do all these planets and stars come from? You know how long it takes those to form? And what does she turn into?
There are a lot more examples of this throughout the book. The odd religions and the way the author never seemed to know the timeline of her history, or if she did she didn’t explain it well. There was a lot of telling us, not really showing us. Yet I did finish this. The writing was compelling, I was interested in the ideas, but frustrated by the lack of execution. Either this needed to be trimmed massively, or it needed to be expanded into several books with a lot more explanation.
Finally, two notes. The first - Please can we stop with the near immortal, millennia old being ‘falling in love’ with the naive 20 year old. It’s disturbing and unsettling. The second - ‘forcing’ someone to murder a child (even one vat born and ‘recycled’) doesn’t make me like them. Nope. Sure doesn’t.
2.5 very blood fingernails that keep disappearing out of 5
I’m going to be honest. This one was confusing, and it takes a lot for me to say that. Redsight follows a young woman who has always been the weakest of her Order, the Red Witches who navigate space ships. She abruptly finds out that her weakness is false - engineered by another priestess to keep her safe, and she gains immense power as she is assigned out to pilot a warship against a ‘pirate threat’ in the Borderlands of space.
First up, I thought I was getting a science fiction with this. This is pure Fantasy, with the trappings of some science fiction on it. Do not get fooled. I don’t really have a problem with this, but what failed it for me was that it didn’t make a lot of sense even as a fantasy. Magic, even if it’s *magic*, needs some internal logic. This didn’t have any of that and the story hinged on the magic. There is a lot of it. Korrina bleeds (and a lot at that) almost nonstop while doing her job for 12/16 hours and at one point is described as having ‘lost all her skin and being nothing but muscle and tendons’ but still just needs some time and heals. How are we supposed to feel any tension or worry for this character? Additionally another PoV character we have eats planets and stars. Just… for a big meal every few days. We’re not given any clear description of how, simply that she steps out of an airlock, transforms, and chows down. Where do all these planets and stars come from? You know how long it takes those to form? And what does she turn into?
There are a lot more examples of this throughout the book. The odd religions and the way the author never seemed to know the timeline of her history, or if she did she didn’t explain it well. There was a lot of telling us, not really showing us. Yet I did finish this. The writing was compelling, I was interested in the ideas, but frustrated by the lack of execution. Either this needed to be trimmed massively, or it needed to be expanded into several books with a lot more explanation.
Finally, two notes. The first - Please can we stop with the near immortal, millennia old being ‘falling in love’ with the naive 20 year old. It’s disturbing and unsettling. The second - ‘forcing’ someone to murder a child (even one vat born and ‘recycled’) doesn’t make me like them. Nope. Sure doesn’t.
2.5 very blood fingernails that keep disappearing out of 5
February 7, 2024
Meredith Mooring's "Redsight" embarks on an ambitious journey, presenting a universe filled with potential and complexity. Centering on Korinna, a blind priestess who discovers her formidable ability to manipulate space-time, the novel sets out to explore themes of empowerment, identity, and resistance against oppressive systems. While the premise and character arcs promise a rich narrative, the execution sometimes falls short of fully realizing the novel's ambitious scope.
The book's pacing and narrative structure occasionally hinder its ability to maintain engagement. Some readers might find the transitions between scenes abrupt, and the development of the universe's intricacies can feel underexplored. These aspects occasionally leave the plot feeling not fully explored in all its possibilities, despite the promising depth of its themes and characters.
Overall, I think it stands as a novel with great potential, marked by an imaginative premise and a strong protagonist. Mooring's debut is commendable, offering glimpses of brilliance and creativity. As Mooring continues to refine her storytelling, there's every reason to believe her future works will fully harness the promise shown in "Redsight".
The book's pacing and narrative structure occasionally hinder its ability to maintain engagement. Some readers might find the transitions between scenes abrupt, and the development of the universe's intricacies can feel underexplored. These aspects occasionally leave the plot feeling not fully explored in all its possibilities, despite the promising depth of its themes and characters.
Overall, I think it stands as a novel with great potential, marked by an imaginative premise and a strong protagonist. Mooring's debut is commendable, offering glimpses of brilliance and creativity. As Mooring continues to refine her storytelling, there's every reason to believe her future works will fully harness the promise shown in "Redsight".
June 14, 2023
Do you want to read a science fantasy book about sapphic priestesses worshiping chained gods in space? How about a chilling romance between a monstrous priestess and a naive yet powerful acolyte? Or if you like your atmospheric worldbuilding and fascinating plot served with a side of gothic body horror, this is also the book for you.
I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of REDSIGHT. To say that it sucked me in would be an understatement. It's a powerful, beautiful, vividly written book with a unique and memorable setting: a galactic empire ruling over a galaxy where new stars are constantly being born and consumed for fuel or resources, where three ancient religious orders vie for power and balance.
REDSIGHT features blind rep written by a blind author in a genre-defying blend of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I can't wait to read the author's next work.
I had the pleasure of reading an early copy of REDSIGHT. To say that it sucked me in would be an understatement. It's a powerful, beautiful, vividly written book with a unique and memorable setting: a galactic empire ruling over a galaxy where new stars are constantly being born and consumed for fuel or resources, where three ancient religious orders vie for power and balance.
REDSIGHT features blind rep written by a blind author in a genre-defying blend of science fiction, fantasy, and horror. I can't wait to read the author's next work.
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