Lukas

This is a review of an ARC.

Wow! I was quite distant early in the book - as the title suggests, it's all about that. And in a way, it does. It's a non-stop cyberpunk action from start to finish. But it's also so much more interesting and engaging than the initial premise shows! Of course, there are genre standards like the questions about humanity, what it means to be human. And it's executed extremely well! I was thinking about giving it 3, maybe 4 out of 5, but the closer to the end, it was steadily growing. Chef's kiss! I love it when my expectations are turned around! I just wonder... Will there be a sequel? It doesn't need one, not really, but if it's in the plans, I sure will check it out!

I'm fresh after finishing so I guess I'll be parsing through plot events from the end but also spoiler free so don't expect to see here too much about the plot. I've also read the first review that showed up and as usual - I shouldn't have done it, as it impacts my own thoughts. Although in this case I have a different opinion.
Huge plus for not ending the book with as disruptive cliffhanger as volume one. I was super lucky that I could read ARC directly after volume one.
For me this was much better book and better writing than volume one and I see a writer that quickly steps up her craft. More focus on characters, their evolution and their backgrounds did a lot of good. Domitris became much more believable character for me compared to volume one where I finally got a reason why this soft and self doubting personality could become the first elected emperor. I still do like his companions more though

Excellent debut! Sadly I spoiled my brain, reading some reviews earlier and can't shake some thoughts read there off of my brain... but on that note later.
Modelling the world in a shape of Rome? Well... give me more

Ciężka to była przeprawa. Podziwiam research i zaangażowanie. Nieustannie czytając tę książkę zastanawiałem się ile z podstaw doświadczeń bohaterów książki jest i we mnie? Co jeśli coś się zepsuje to... sturlam się? A może tam jestem nieświadomie? Sam mam wiele problemów, które mają osoby, z którymi rozmawiały autorki. No excuses dla okropnych postaw wobec kobiet i tekstów jakie o nich są wypowiadane, ale jest dobry explanation. Ciężko siadło. Ważna książka i ważny problem społeczny. A jak na reportaże - wcale nie mój ulubiony gatunek - czytało się (odnośnie struktury i stylu pisania) bardzo dobrze.

I've heard that this book was wrongly advertised as YA, because it's actually for adults and smut. Well... I arrived here for smut

I didn't think about it when I started reading this book, but the moment was wrong for me—or I assume as much. Certainly, I need to re-read because, quite frankly, a lot of things around me were stealing my focus. And I do feel that you need to find a good and nice portion of time and space to truly enjoy it as it is quite serene.

I'm not best with words. While reading I was enjoying the vision of humanity revolving by the progress in the book. Just closer to the end I finally got a grasp how it was jumping through the timeline and although a bit confusing while it was happening it made a sense to me at the end. I'm not sure I'd agree with some major sentences that showed up here and there but in the end I'm very satisfied with my internal discussion with them and the book. So I was thinking about 4 out of 5, as I was thinking that 5 would be reserved for something that somehow “amazes” me. But in the end I find this book very peaceful and its vision of humanity invites nice discussion. After all the highest grade seems fitting although it doesn't align with prior “requirement” of mine. Great things don't need to be flashy and amazing. Not sure what I can add. I'm deeply satisfied after finishing this lecture.

Not bad but also not my cup of tea - it's a romance after all.

I just wanted to test if audiobooks are still a pass for me or not. Happily I'm ok with them now, especially that my current job makes my brain unable to read in any reasonable speed but it allows me to listen while driving.

So... I heard a lot about Sanderson. A lot of good things. Soooo... my first rating was 2 out of 5 and my brain called it “bad but edible”. But later I picked a different title and the contrast between this and that other title was so enormous... Right now I'm just angry that there is a popular author who earns a shitload of money, makes a crowdfunding to earn another huge pile and... and produces this? It would be an impressive book from a teenager but not from an established author. From such an author that is popular it's a shameless money grab and I am so sorry that I have even made another read count in Libby for it... it didn't deserve my time, my attention nor the slightest bit of any earning this read gives him. “Edible” is not enough when there are so many, too many good titles fighting for limited time of readers.

Soooo... I wonder... I will probably avoid Sanderson for a long time. Maybe even in general and forever. Super bad first impression.

Quite horrible and I don't know what to think of myself after listening to this audiobook

Attempted to read it again. This time actually listen to. I think I disengaged at almost the same spot somewhere in the middle. I love sci-fi but this... is... so... thoroughly... boooooring... can't force myself. Characters are without any meet, bone, soul or for the matter of fact - character. Doesn't help that the “game” idea reminds of the most cheesy and ridiculous holders episodes of Star Trek (I thoroughly hated these). Let it end in forever DNF category. I really do not understand what drove people to go through until the end and to praise it... The end is unreachable for me, thus whatever “genius” supposedly awaits there... well sorry... won't make it. These horrible, long monologues... impossible to digest and reminds me of the worst of school reading assignments

For super long time I'm trying to finish this crap to get it off my list, but every time I'm getting back to it, it feels like super freaking waste of time. So sorry for interesting story which is generally contained within this series (not this particular entry), although this series was never about writing style (IMO) - which is over-simplistic.

Jakoś spodziewałem się czegoś innego. Więcej research'u, tła, analizy, czegokolwiek bardziej intelektualnego albo więcej refleksji? Bo może to reportaż i opinię wyraź czytelniku sam? A ja tu widzę w sumie kilka porno-kadrów... i tyle. Brzmi skromnie jak na tytuł, który sugeruje pochylić się nad seksualnym życiem wcale niemałej populacji kraju, który w kontekście swojej religijności i konserwatyzmu byłby wcale ciekawym tematem. Brzmi ciekawie, ale w środku skromnie. Trochę ekscytacji jak przy porno, ale to za mało. Miałem większe oczekiwania niż tę odrobinę ekscytacji tu i tam. Książka nie bardzo, jeśli w ogóle, wnosi cokolwiek do tematu, który zapowiada swoim tytułem.