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The Caphenon (Chronicles of Alsea, #1)

Fletcher DeLancey

Start date: March 24, 2015

Finish date: August 11, 2015

Discussion: Buddy Reads

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What Members Thought

Apr 30, 2016 Verechnaya rated it did not like it

Shelves: science-fiction

This is a very strange book, and perhaps it is a bit different than what I usually read— but my problems with it lie more in the world depicted by the author than in anything else. As it stands, this book is a lot more world building than character building— and the characters never really become more than somewhat simple, even extremely naïve. Ekayta, for example, is told to be one of the best Captains of the fleet, commanding one of the best ships there is— yet she is uncomprehendingly naive a This is a very strange book, and perhaps it is a bit different than what I usually read— but my problems with it lie more in the world depicted by the author than in anything else. As it stands, this book is a lot more world building than character building— and the characters never really become more than somewhat simple, even extremely naïve. Ekayta, for example, is told to be one of the best Captains of the fleet, commanding one of the best ships there is— yet she is uncomprehendingly naive as she falls in love with a terrifying society.

(view spoiler)

And then it got even creepier. Emotional blackmail, mind control, one of the hero getting close to a ruthless character that would have modified her very mind in order to do Teh Greaturr Good, even sacrificing thousands of civilians as a blackmail pawn. WON'T ANYONE CALL THESE CREEPS OUT FOR WHAT THEY ARE? They're a society that's based on EMOTIONAL ABUSE? All of this because of a moral dilemma 101 basic course, you know the one with a train that's going to kill people, can't be stopped, but you can divert it to kill other people.

And then I got bored. Save-the-world/universe/planet stuff is... Well, I'm fed up with it. I don't like the nationalistic/patriotic rhetoric, I don't like the fake choices and dilemmas, I don't like shoe-horned warmongering jingoistic pragmastism, I have no interest for NRA rhetoric (it's not the gun that kills it's the person behind it duhhhhhh) and I care little about us white people's fantasies of invasion/colonization at the hands of aliens.

So yes. Everything felt very forced, creepy, and frankly Alsea looks like a dystopian society with very strange morals. It's like a fascist utopia, really, and I'm terrified that this probably wasn't how the writer wanted to portray them, but it really is what it looks like when you take a closer look to it. ...more

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Mar 29, 2018 Amy rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

No matter how many times I read this story, I still take away something new, that I did not see in previous reads.

3 likes · Like · see review

Jan 08, 2017 Lauren rated it it was ok

Shelves: unfinished-abandoned, ff, female-protagonist, series

I really want to like this book. There are a lot of cool ideas here--but that's about it. I'm 30% in, and DeLancey has so far committed two sins of science fiction I consider most egregious:

1) Endless exposition detailing the world she has built, also known as "info dumping". Nearly every aspect of this universe is relayed to the reader through dialogue between characters. So. Much. Dialogue. Now, building entire worlds is hard; a certain amount of exposition is necessary and usually forgivable ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Jan 25, 2019 Ankita rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Aug 25, 2018 Rhiannon rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ff-sci-fi

Damn, what a mighty piece of art this is. I am stunned and totally mesmerised by the world building in this book. It started out slow but halfway through, something changes and you get to resonate with it and feel all that is meant to give you.

The concepts of the Alsean culture, the Sharing and amazing imagery you get of the world has left me wanting more.. Since this is only the first book, I am anxious to see what the next ones unfold.

Brilliant!!!

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