On a prose level, Nicola Griffith is a phenomenal writer. Hild is one of my all-time favorite books, and it's clear that NG has been crafting an excellent sentence since this book, her debut. Reading her prose is a delight, and the theme she chose for this book—answering the question "are women people?" with a resounding yes and bewilderment as to how that's even a question—was brilliantly executed. The characters and cultures were compelling and very memorable.

However, Ammonite didn't really work for me as a sci-fi. The world felt far too Earthlike, and I often found myself forgetting that we were supposed to be on an alien planet in a universe where Earth also exists. Maybe Becky Chambers is too high of a bar for sci-fi worldbuilding, but if so then I am spoiled. I guess it's okay for the environment to be Earthlike since this is supposed to be a place habitable to humans, but I was frustrated with all the native life of the planet falling exactly into Earth taxonomic categories. The supposed futuristic technology felt dated, although maybe in 30 years, so will the tech of the great sci-fi authors of today. Also, why the Mirrors don't gain the additional sensory abilities that come with the virus after surviving it seemed like a moderately-sized plot hole to me. The whole espionage subplot was way underdeveloped; the final reveal was too predictable and also boring with little impact.

I'm glad to have read the debut of one of my favorite authors, but my expectations were let down in many ways. Menewood is still on my TBR (after a re-read of Hild since it's been 8 years) and I'm still excited.