A chaotic blend of genres with moments of brilliance.

This book certainly aimed high, but in
the process, it tried to be too many things at once, ultimately resulting in a fragmented and messy narrative. At its core, there’s a grand sci-fi plot, but it’s somewhat clumsily explained. Alongside it, there’s a romance that seemingly materializes out of nowhere, sprinkled with moments of smut. Then, a direct critique of imperialism, racism, and other social issues is inserted—an interesting but awkward fit within the humor and scattered comedic dialogue.

As the story progresses, it unexpectedly shifts into a spy thriller, only to conclude in a way that feels sudden. The most interesting characters received the least attention, while the author inserts a version of themselves as the protagonist—who, unfortunately, turns out to be the least engaging character in the entire book.

That being said, the beginning held promise, and the final reveal was genuinely surprising. However, the middle section felt completely unstructured. Additionally, the inclusion of Graham’s past POV, seemingly just to clarify his character for a confused friend of the author, felt unnecessary and even laughable.

One of the book’s strengths is its unique and sophisticated writing style. It’s rare to see sci-fi written in a manner resembling high literature, which was a refreshing experience and even helped expand my vocabulary. However, after a while, the sheer number of metaphors and adverbs became overwhelming, slowing down the story and making it more confusing.

The author had a fun idea, but by attempting to merge too many styles and genres, it became evident that this is a debut work and it didn't deliver. Despite its flaws, I would love to see a translation into my native language—perhaps a second read with added clarity would allow me to appreciate it more.