When I first started reading this, I didn't know that the author billed it as "sci-fi/romance." So, fellas in the audience, be aware of what you're getting in to with this one. Most of the male characters in the book are either rapists or garden variety assholes, and the book contains at least one scene of what is heavily implied to be attempted rape that has absolutely no bearing whatsoever on the wider plot, and seems to be included just to prove to the reader that all men are dicks. A few of the minor male characters are nice enough, but the only main male character who doesn't fit the mold is an incredibly tall, strong, and handsome man who literally comes from another planet, and who also happens to be high ranking nobility. He's also killed people in the past, but he's better now, so he has *just the right amount* of bad boy danger. Is there a name for the male equivalent of a Mary Sue? Because that's basically what Ehtishem is. I'm not usually one to look for hidden gender dynamics in every book and movie - frankly, it sucks all the fun out of everything - but this book is seriously like the literary equivalent of a Lifetime movie at some points.That said, it actually is a pretty good book. In spite of my griping about the rather sorry lot of men here, the characters are vividly realized. The protagonist has some annoying traits, but on the whole she is a pretty empathetic character, and that's all you need for a story to work. The plotting is excellent - this book could easily be used as an object lesson in three act structure and plot midpoint. There are some old sci-fi tropes used in some novel ways that make for a refreshingly new plot, and on the whole, once you get past the occasionally melodramatic romance novel-ness of it all, it's a pretty enjoyable and gripping read. The ending is a cliffhanger, but the author intends to make this the first installment of a series, and I think I'd probably read the next one. I found this book a little frustrating. It started off well, with believable characters, a protagonist who was likeably stubborn, an immersive and atmospheric world. I could practically picture it, and the dystopian environment was immensely enjoyable.At some point, though, it went off the rails. Once the character left the village, the pacing and storyline began to get confusing. The newly introduced characters were difficult to differentiate, and I could barely remember who the antagonist was - even after multiple mentions. The environment of the space station/ship was not well-described or crafted, and I found it difficult to picture. It never felt real to me at all.There were a lot of political machinations going on in this part of the book, but I had a devil of a time knowing who was who and what faction they were on. Given the lack of characterization in this portion of the book, and the less than believable premise, the end of the book felt really muddled and unfinished.I give the book four stars for the beginning, and two for the end, and an average of three stars. Based on the writer's skill at the beginning, I would give the author another chance. When she's good, it's a delight. When she's not, she's still readable. I am attached enough to the protagonist and her daughter to want to know how their story ends, and enjoyed the flashbacks of the protagonist's history in the first portion of the book to want to know more about how her story began.
Do You like book Girl Under Glass (2012)?
really enjoyed this book. well written, intriguing, original. Passionate without being trashy.
—jazelle
Wonderfully written science fiction/dystopian with aliens. Full review to come.
—missile
An interesting storyline but with very poor character development.
—MichelleMaria
