Ragamuffin, by Tobias Buckell
Ragamuffin
by Tobias Buckell (
tobias_buckell)
316 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF
I've owned a signed paperback of Crystal Rain, Buckell's debut novel, since Alpha last July, but I somehow never got around to it; and I regretted not buying Ragamuffin instead, for the simple reason that female heroines attract me a lot more than the male equivalent. Nashara drew me into the world, and now I'm interested enough to go back and read about John and Pepper (oh, especially Pepper). Buckell writes fast-paced space opera (real space opera, unlike Grimspace) that focuses mostly on action/adventure. The romantic element is present, but I was unconvinced by it. This was, though, a very fast and fun read. Dare I say that Toby in person is just as cool as his books, or is that too cheesy?
In my opinion, the strongest aspect of Ragamuffin is the plot. Storyline is interwoven and tight, avoiding the all too common episodic feel. Characters are not always fully fleshed out, but Nashara (the protagonist, though not the only POV character) is a classic amazing superfighter and I adore her. I especially liked how Nashara is powerful, but not invincible--she can be tricked, and this fallibility makes her human. The duplication was also very cool, an original SF technology twist. Worldbuilding is strong as well, and original; I loved the integration of Asian and Caribbean elements in the Hongguo and Raga, respectively.
A lovely and classic, different space opera novel; I'm looking forward to reading both Crystal Rain and Sly Mongoose (forthcoming). Unfortunately--or fortunately--I don't have enough experience with SF to offer meaningful criticism on the tropes, but I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of space opera (or of speculative politics, if you happen to have my weird taste).
by Tobias Buckell (
tobias_buckell)
316 pages (hardcover)
Genre: Fiction/SF
I've owned a signed paperback of Crystal Rain, Buckell's debut novel, since Alpha last July, but I somehow never got around to it; and I regretted not buying Ragamuffin instead, for the simple reason that female heroines attract me a lot more than the male equivalent. Nashara drew me into the world, and now I'm interested enough to go back and read about John and Pepper (oh, especially Pepper). Buckell writes fast-paced space opera (real space opera, unlike Grimspace) that focuses mostly on action/adventure. The romantic element is present, but I was unconvinced by it. This was, though, a very fast and fun read. Dare I say that Toby in person is just as cool as his books, or is that too cheesy?
In my opinion, the strongest aspect of Ragamuffin is the plot. Storyline is interwoven and tight, avoiding the all too common episodic feel. Characters are not always fully fleshed out, but Nashara (the protagonist, though not the only POV character) is a classic amazing superfighter and I adore her. I especially liked how Nashara is powerful, but not invincible--she can be tricked, and this fallibility makes her human. The duplication was also very cool, an original SF technology twist. Worldbuilding is strong as well, and original; I loved the integration of Asian and Caribbean elements in the Hongguo and Raga, respectively.
A lovely and classic, different space opera novel; I'm looking forward to reading both Crystal Rain and Sly Mongoose (forthcoming). Unfortunately--or fortunately--I don't have enough experience with SF to offer meaningful criticism on the tropes, but I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to fans of space opera (or of speculative politics, if you happen to have my weird taste).