Everina Maxwell

Space opera in which the troublesome Tennalhin, rich boy nephew to the Legislator is caught and sent off not just to involuntary military service, but to a permanent roll as the synced reader (mind reader) to the young architect (mind writer) Lieutenant Surit Yeni, a stickler for rules. But Surit is such a stickler for rules that he and Tennal fake the sync because it is not voluntary. And then then things start to go very wrong.
The story is interesting, mostly well placed, the characters have appeal, but do not entirely convince. The backstory timeline of 20 years seems too short for the events it covers. And for a culture in which gender rolls seem to be entirely voluntary, they don't seem to mean anything and yet we are absolutely in a M/M romance. Since neither genitals nor secondary sexual characteristics are described, everything but events are up to the reader's imagination.… (mehr)

I’m sure there are loads of reviews singing the praises of the (deserving!) leading men, so I’ll leave them for everyone to love on while I talk about our girl Bel.

Highly efficient, dignified ex-space pirate confusing 'personal assistant to Prince Kiem' with 'exasperated sister-figure to that lazy moron, Kiem'? A sweet, slow-burn fondness for Jainan? The whole, “you scared the shit out of me you idiot” bit when she comes to yoink the boys off the mountainside? The whole, “we are not getting this Thean child killed,” bit with the anarchist undergrad she barely knows but adopts on-sight (sidenote: same)? The whole, “lol fuck that lowbrow job offer” bit when she turns down thE EMPEROR just so she can keep chillin with the fool squad because she’s actually a not-so-secret die-hard softie?? ... I’m deeply in love.

Anyway, lovely characters. Great story. I’m excited to see if Maxwell writes anything else in this universe~… (mehr)