Ryan

This was a delightful, cozy little read. The characters were warm and well-rounded, and seeing them deal with the complexities of their lives was rewarding.

We needed more Marcellus, though! He's presented as a major character and an interesting perspective in the early part of the book, and then mostly disappears in the third act. I think it would have improved the narrative to see more of it from the octopus's eyes.

This was a very ambitious novella. It tries to explore UBI and the arguments around it, while also trying to support multiple narratives and create an interesting four-act structure. I'm not sure it succeeds in any of its goals. I think I would have enjoyed it more if it had been either a full-length novel (to better explore all the perspectives contained within), or if it focused on the stronger narratives (Hannah and Janelle's, specifically).

This was a really interesting collection. The Dominion War was such an important part of Deep Space 9, but we really only got to see one front line of it. This anthology broadens our perspective to show us what was happening in other parts of the galaxy during that conflict, and in doing so really helps us to understand the size and scope of it.