Emergency Skin - Book Review

 

Emergency Skin (Forward series)

by N.K. Jemisin 

What is it about:

What will become of our self-destructed planet? The answer shatters all expectations in this subversive speculation from the Hugo Award–winning author of the Broken Earth trilogy.

An explorer returns to gather information from a climate-ravaged Earth that his ancestors, and others among the planet’s finest, fled centuries ago. The mission comes with a warning: a graveyard world awaits him. But so do those left behind—hopeless and unbeautiful wastes of humanity who should have died out eons ago. After all this time, there’s no telling how they’ve devolved. Steel yourself, soldier. Get in. Get out. And try not to stare.

N. K. Jemisin’s Emergency Skin is part of Forward, a collection of six stories of the near and far future from out-of-this-world authors. Each piece can be read or listened to in a single thought-provoking sitting.

What did I think of it:

I've been curious about Jemisin's work, so thought I'd start with a short story.

And although I really liked this story it doesn't feel like this was the right story to get a feel of Jemisin's style.

This story is told by a 'We' speaking to a 'You', so it feels as if you as the reader are being spoken to. I really had to get used to this way of telling a story. Once I got into it I really enjoyed the story though.

It's a short story, so I won't go into detail, but I loved the premise and the resolution of this story. I will have to try more by Jemisin.

Why should you read it:

It's a cool short SF story.

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Mass Effect: Initiation - Book Review

Mass Effect: Initiation (Mass Effect: Andromeda #2)
by N.K. Jemisin and Mac Walters

What is it about:
Lieutenant Cora Harper joins the Andromeda Initiative, a mission to send a fleet of colonization arks to the Andromeda Galaxy, each carrying a different council race. When key data is stolen by unknown parties, Alec Ryder personally recruits Harper to retrieve it before it can be used against the Initiative. If she fails, the Andromeda mission may be crippled before it begins. Harper is a human who has trained with the asari squad known as Talein's Daughters, under the direction of Nisira T'Kosh herself. Yet her training may not be enough when she discovers that she can trust no one-perhaps not even Ryder himself.

What did I think of it:
I'm addicted to the Mass Effect games and had hoped for some cool DLCs for Mass Effect Andromeda. Now that it's clear that's not going to happen, I decided to feed my addiction with this prequel. I really didn't like Cora in the game, but I thought maybe this book could change my mind.

Well, I will confess I did enjoy the story for the action and the intrigue, but it lacked in emotion, making it hard to see Cora in a new light. There were some attempts to show what Cora is feeling, but it never went too deep. And the one scene that could have been really emotional and could have been used to make haters change their minds about Cora, was told from the perspective of Alec Ryder! Talk about a missed opportunity. It's as if they want me to keep disliking Cora.

I really enjoyed revisiting places and even a minor character from the original Mass Effect trilogy and I'll confess I took a break from this book to replay Mass Effect 3. So in worldbuilding and creating atmosphere this book did a great job.

All in all this is a nice read if you love the Mass Effect Universe and action-packed and intrigue-filled SF. Nexus Uprising is the better book in this particular series though. Still I'll keep this book even though I don't think I'll reread it.

And I'll keep an eye out for the next book, which is set in Andromeda and won't have Cora in it.

Why should you read it:
If you love Mass Effect you'll enjoy this read.


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