Review by Booklist Review
All of these tales are a joy to read, even those that are heart-wrenchingly tragic. De Bodard (The House of Shattered Wings, 2015) proves, again and again, that space opera can be intensely personal against its galactic backdrop. Most of the stories exist in the Xuya universe, which centers on a space-faring empire largely inspired by Vietnam. There are also stories set in the alternate Paris of her Dominion of the Fallen series, which are both (relatively) low-stakes, entertaining pieces. The collection covers the consequences of war, survival in colonial culture, motherhood, mindships and space-travel, and aspects of grief. De Bodard's mindships in particular are reminiscent of a genre trope but ultimately handled in a way that makes them unique and compelling characters. As is often the case in collections like this, there are notes to accompany each story, which add a welcome layer of context. This is an excellent introduction to the sheer thematic and emotional range of the Xuya universe, and the tales of fallen Paris are a welcome treat for fans.--Regina Schroeder Copyright 2010 Booklist
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
These 14 deeply culture-bound tales, set in the universes of de Bodard's Xuya and Dominion of the Fallen series, evoke heartbreak from sacrifice, the price of peace, and memories lost. "The Shipmaker" and "The Waiting Stars" tell of mindships that are implanted with human-birthed artificial intelligences that teeter on the line between humanity and technology. In "A Salvaging of Ghosts" and "The Dust Queen," priceless treasured memories are retrieved at the cost of life and reality. The reader also gets a taste of the dark alternative world in the two Dominion of the Fallen prequel stories, "Children of Thorns, Children of Water" and "Of Birthdays, and Fungus, and Kindness," in which power and betrayal often go hand in hand. Fans of artificial intelligence will be enchanted by the Xuya stories, while those partial to fantasy with fallen angels will devour the bonus peek into characters of the Fallen. Readers prepared for melancholy and heartbreak will find them finely crafted here. Agent: John Berlyne, Zeno Literary Agency. (Oct.)
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Review by Library Journal Review
Award-winner de Bodard shows her famous worlds, the Vietnam diaspora-inspired "The Universe of Xuya" and the magical war-torn Paris of "The Dominion of the Fallen," here in a collection of 14 stories that push readers' boundaries with fascinating speculative fiction. A restaurant on a space station is the setting for the Nebula and Locus Award winner "Immersion," in which two women's paths cross, and they must deal with self-identity and virtual reality. In "The Waiting Stars," a young woman saved from being a vessel for a mind ship discovers that the truth of her existence is as vast as the universe. A shape-shifting dragon and his partner attempt to infiltrate a rival House and end up taking a turn when the childlike spirits of the House create havoc in "Children of Thorns, Children of Water." The final story, previously unreleased novella "Of Birthdays, and Fungus, and Kindness," focuses on House Silverspires and a simple birthday dinner gone horribly wrong. VERDICT This stunning collection showcases de Bodard's lush worldbuilding, meticulous research, and emotional prose. Whether fans of sf or fantasy, readers will find something to dive into here.--Kristi Chadwick, Massachusetts Lib. Syst., Northampton
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
