"The Sol Majestic" by Ferrett Steinmetz (BR)

[Silvana]

Come and join Bobby and I to read this culinary space opera, one of the losers in the recent hopepunk poll.

For Hugo voters, you could find this book under Diana M. Pho's (best editor long form) voter package.

[Bobby]

I just got the audiobook from the library, so I'll be ready. It will be fun to read a novel about food, especially set in space.

[Silvana]

I am 13% and while I am still not sure what this whole Philosophy thing is, I enjoyed the description of kitchen's hustle and bustle and the exotic food that sounds quite experimental.

[Ines, Resident Vampire]

I got it today and will hurry up to finish my last two hours of Exhalation before I join you, because I don't want to read too many books at the same time.

[Silvana]

Take your time, I would be occupied with both work and world Con this week so I am taking it more slowly than usual.

[Bobby]

I started last night, and got up to the end of chapter 9. I'm not sure what percentage that is because I'm on audiobook. The narrator isn't the best I've heard, but he grew on me. I think he does a great job with the description of Kenna's thoughts and feelings.

You can definitely tell the author is a foodie, because the way he describes the food is pretty intense. The prose is a little flowery, but it works for describing food and the characters' relationships with it.

Spoilers up to the end of chapter 9: (view spoiler)[The world building is pretty interesting so far with the Philosophies and the alternate dimensions being mentioned here and there. Obviously the food takes the main stage, but I've been having fun hearing about the technology along the way.

I like a lot of the characters in different ways. I'm suspicious of Scrimshaw and she seems to be manipulative, but I love that she has such a strong personality, and I have a feeling that she has peoples best interests at heart. Polius (not sure of spelling because of audio) is eccentric and fun as a brilliant chef doing crazy things in the name of great cooking.

The concept of people who have to try something new as a disease is very weird. I'm sure there's some brilliant social commentary intended, but I just find it a little heavy handed. That said, Montgomery is an interesting but very strange character.

I have to say the romance angle of it is a bit much for me. The actual romance story parts of it are fine, but the descriptions of Benzo are just over the top. This is like the opposite of the "boobs bouncing boobily" thing where an author over describes a woman's attributes. I get that Kenna is super attracted to Benzo, I just don't need to sit there and listen to how amazing he is for 20 minutes.

So overall I'm really enjoying it, mostly for the food descriptions, but I also like the strange characters and tidbits of world building. (hide spoiler)]

[E.D.]

Also started it yesterday. Up to chapter 3

[Amanda]

Finished through chapter 3 this morning, enjoying so far.

[Silvana]

Bobby: I assume I have reached chapter 9 so I opened your spoiler. Totally agree and the (view spoiler)[instalove thing was jarring. Is it how teens are? I totally don't remember (hide spoiler)]

Almost third of the way now. Seems to have very minimum plot, this one.

[Bobby]

I'm currently on Chapter 17. I'm still liking it, but it's not quite what I was expecting from the blurb and reviews.

Nothing too specific but I'll put it in spoilers just in case. (view spoiler)[I feel like it's a bit more angsty than I would have liked. This was supposed to be a happy food extravaganza, not a teenage boy struggling with faith and philosophy. So while I'm still entertained, and I think it's a good book, it wasn't what I was looking for at the moment. That won't stop me from continuing though (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

Bobby wrote: "I'm currently on Chapter 17. I'm still liking it, but it's not quite what I was expecting from the blurb and reviews.

Nothing too specific but I'll put it in spoilers just in case. [spoilers removed]"

Yes. I am halfway, and feeling kinda tired to be honest.
The plot just is not keeping me interested.

Another thing I noticed: (view spoiler)[the author still uses commodities to describe female character's body traits, like honey-colored and oil-colored. (hide spoiler)]

[Amanda]

The plot is actually the one thing keeping my attention, the world and character-building are just really flat and not coming alive for me.

[Silvana]

Yeah.... I found it hard to really get a grasp on the world and this technology. But maybe because I am not in the right headspace or physically exhausted/lack of sleep....

I am still interested with Montgomery and their (view spoiler)[living alien dough. I have been reading and hearing lots of dough themed stories lately so this one's intrigued me more (hide spoiler)]

[E.D.]

Halfway through, not spellbinding but reasonably interesting so far. Will reserve judgement till the end.

[Amanda]

Oh, yeah, I would definitely read a whole side story about Montgomery!

[Silvana]

I finished. Gosh what a chore! (view spoiler)[Being in Kenna's head was both exhausting and boring.

But I did like the other characters who I found much more interesting. Scrimshaw was awesome, her letter to Kenna was touching. Paulius should have more pages about him. And Montgomery of course.

I think the book should have been a novelette or novella, I could not justify the number of pages, really. (hide spoiler)]

[Ines, Resident Vampire]

I got up to chapter 4 and it's less light-hearted (or funny) than I expected, which I like. I'm interested to see where the story is going.

[E.D.]

Finished - Not sure what to say! I feel that calling it a chore is a bit harsh (Silvana), and I must agree with Ines that it's a lot less light-hearted then it could have been. However, I feel that it's worth four stars, if only because of the way the author has tackled a number of issues. Having said that, I do feel that these serious themes (none of which individually would probably have attracted my interest) may have been over ambitious given the size of the book and the fact that the story is centred on one limited location .

(view spoiler)[I started off thinking that it must be a light-hearted work, given the descriptions of the main characters and how the action takes place virtually entirely in a restaurant kitchen. Then it becomes a study of gay awakening and issues of 'coming out', this develops more into the emerging freedom of a maturing boy who has been both neglected and at the same time restricted by his parents. Finally, it turns into a call for revolution and social justice (virtually within the last few pages) on a galactic scale.

Must agree with Amanda that Montgomery sounds interesting, particularly perhaps some short stories about pop up restaurants and their clientele. (hide spoiler)]

As I said at the start, not sure, not sure what I think.

[Silvana]

Uh, you're entitled to your opinion and so do I...

Glad you enjoyed it more that I did, though!

[Bobby]

I'm still chugging along. I didn't get a chance to listen to it at all over the weekend, but finally got some time yesterday. Just finished Chapter 22 last night.

(view spoiler)[Finally Kenna is starting to show some development. The way he talked to Captain Lizzy and the way he was there for Benzo were the kinds of things I was looking for. Before recently, everything was just thrust upon him and it never felt like he ever did anything or made any decisions on his own. Now at least he's starting to take a bit of a leadership role and I'm hoping he finds his Philosophy.

I'm still loving the food descriptions and Montgomery, and the plot is interesting enough but this was not really what I was expecting based on blurbs and reviews. (hide spoiler)]

[Silvana]

Agree on your Kenna's observation.

I also expected something else, but I kinda got the 'hope' thing at the end, I reckon :)

[Ines, Resident Vampire]

I've only read 25%, because I prefer the other book I'm reading right now. I don't know if this is because I read so much science fiction over the past months and not much else or because I'm not that invested in the story. It's probably a bit of both.

I still do like it, from the description I expected it to be a lot sillier than it actually is, which was a pleasant surprise. (I'm not that into funny and silly books.) But I am beginning to understand what some of you have been saying about there being not enough plot or the plot being too slow.

[Silvana]

Ines wrote: "I've only read 25%, because I prefer the other book I'm reading right now. I don't know if this is because I read so much science fiction over the past months and not much else or because I'm not t..."

Yes indeed, I was expecting something wacky like in the The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Yet I am fine with the book's own wackiness.

Also I am more convinced that Seanan Mcguire-blurbed books are not my thing.

[Ines, Resident Vampire]

So, I finally finished this and got around to putting my thoughts into a review.

This book stayed on my (virtual, because I listened to the audiobook) shelf for a long time and I just didn't want to pick it up, despite there being not anything wrong with it in my opinion. I liked the story, the worldbuilding and the characters.

Finally, I managed to find out what it was that put me off.

I agree with a lot you said before:
Despite Kenna's journey being super interesting, there was a bit too much teenage angst and whining for me, as well as instalove and a lot of descriptions of how great the love interest is.

On top of it, everything was very on the nose and every lession was spelled out and hammered home. All of this makes me think this is more of a middle grade or YA book, which I just don't generally go for. In fact, I chose this book, despite its teenage protagonist, especially because it is advertised as "adult".

So I just expected something different from what I got. But I do think it is a good YA book and maybe people who like YA a lot more than I do will enjoy this more.

I did like the ending a lot, though!