The publishers kindly provided my a complimentary copy of Saving Paludis to review through NetGalley but I simply cannot get past about 40% of the novel. The characters and plot are all over the place, disorganized and incoherent, and not enjoyable. I read to enjoy so this one is, sadly, a Did Not Finish.
The basic plot is Earth has colonized Paludis and shoved the natives to a small peninsula. Now the natives have managed to attack Earth (apparently it is the natives or some other unknown race from the same planet, it isn’t real clear at the 40% point) for revenge? freedom? (also not clear). The human colonists meanwhile have discovered a sleeping pill that enables long hibernation without side effects, thus opening more of the galaxy to exploration and exploitation. It’s not real clear yet why the sleeping pill and attacks on Earth are connected, or even whether they are connected; after reading so far I’d expect some hints that the novel is pulling together the disparate strands.
There are three main characters per the blurb, but it isn’t entirely clear what the other characters are doing or why they are present. The novel is uneven in narrative flow, pacing, character development and plot, and I cannot keep focused. Please note that many of the Amazon reviews are 4 and 5 stars, so I may be the outlier.
I am very sorry, but I cannot read any more. There are far too many other books out there to enjoy.
2 Stars
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