Fortuna by Kristyn Merbeth
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
I've had a run of bad books lately, and unfortunately this is another one. The worldbuilding in this one, while not outstanding, is adequate, and the setup could have been interesting. But the characters did this book in about halfway through.
I don't demand that my characters be likable. An unlikable character, if well-written with clear motivations and shades of grey, can be compelling. None of these characters meet that bar, except possibly for Corvus, and in the end he wasn't enough to overcome my active dislike of all the rest. I especially hated Scorpia, the 27-year-old purportedly grown woman who acts twelve at best, and who careens wildly between stubborn, impulsive, and Too Stupid To Live. Her jealousy, pride, and ambition gets everyone around her in trouble (I mean, smuggling in a creepy living plant from another planet, banned for good reason, that could spread and contaminate an entire biosphere? Come on now!). After yet another of Scorpia's reckless, dumb decisions, I had had it. Book, meet wall--or rather bed, bouncing indignantly from the pillows.
Bah. The library is getting quite a few unexpected windfalls from me lately. I can only hope my next book is better.
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