A decent space opera. I can see the talent poking thru. I'm not a fan of non-ending endings, so it immediately loses a star.

Thanks for the free ARC for review!

Ion Curtain is a fun read, but not without its flaws. It felt very dialogue-heavy for me at times, and said dialogue was often used to info dump. The ending also felt very abrupt - I can only assume this is the first in a series, but even so it didn't feel like a logical endpoint for this installment. There are quite a few POVs, which is usually something I'm a big fan of - in this case, however, I was left feeling a bit disconnected from the characters because of it. There are some interesting ideas here, but I feel like the novel as a whole could have been more cohesive - both in terms of character and plot. There are a lot of development (including the sex scene) which truly seem to come out of nowhere. That said, Ion Curtain is still an enjoyable read - and hopefully, if it is a series, some issues can be ironed out in the next instalment.

Challenging, very challenging.
Found it a difficult book to finish. Whilst some of the action sequences were entertaining and the AI concepts seemed original, there were many aspects of the book that were frustrating and other aspects that seemed downright lazy.
‘Borrowing’ concepts and labels from other books isn’t something that I can countenance: holodecks, the Silent and a planet Harkonnen all make an appearance. It seems just lazy to write in this way.
Add to that plot holes where major characters repeatedly just happen to make an appearance at the right place across multiple galaxies, basic errors such as a character struggling to make their way forward to an access panel to enter a ship against the slipstream in space, a human standing in for an AI to handle multiple tasks in a thousand ship battle, and an AI providing instructions about where a blow will land in a martial arts bout. This book is in dire need of a critical re-write.
A word of warning too: there’s a fairly graphic one off sex scene between two of the main characters which seems just thrown in for the fun of it. It plays no part in the story arc.
The challenging thing is that there are sections that are genuinely entertaining. Unfortunately they are few and far between. Not recommended.

This is one of those books that half-stars on ratings were made for: 3 stars feels a bit mean but 4 feels a bit generous, so in a world where this is possible, we're hovering around the 3.5 mark instead! Nice cover, btw.

Ion Curtain is set in a near future where known space is mostly divided between the Russian space navy and Chinese-dominated UN forces, in a long standing space equivalent of the Cold War. One of our protagonists commands a Russian ship with an AI who is uncomfortably human but when another ship with the same technology is attacked by one of their own side, it's a former-UN spy turned scavenger who ends up on the run with said technology. This is space opera with added spies, both past and present, so if that's not your kind of thing then this isn't going to be the book for you.

In general terms, I enjoyed Ion Curtain and found it an engaging enough read with some interesting world-building, even if it was teetering on the edge of info-dump territory at times. One minor caveat is that there's some teasing of a queer romance sub-plot that really doesn't go anywhere and feels a bit 'thrown in'. It also has quite an open ending, to be honest, which I find a little infuriating in a book where it's not clearly stated that it's the first of a series - I'd be less annoyed if this was the case, especially if that gave the opportunity to have a proper run at the romance sub-plot and have it actually effect things.

So, in general terms, I liked the book well enough to keep going, and also enough that I'd read a sequel if it materialises, but it left me a little unsatisfied in the end.

I received a free copy of this book from the publisher, via Netgalley. This is my honest review of the book in question.

It was a fun read, but it's no Ancillary Justice. It ended really abruptly; this is clearly the beginning of a series, but it doesn't really even come to a good pausing point.

I found it absurd to portray the Russians as THE space-faring superpower, since, like most of us, I'm used to that role belonging to the Americans or some warped/evolved version of them. After reading this fantastic adventure I realized that there was no other way to go. Lastly, I have a few words for you, words that sometimes hold no real meaning since they are thrown out indiscriminately, but that are perfect to describe this novel: riveting, dramatic, fun.

I had trouble buying in to some of the personal relationships, however, and felt that some of the characters - all basically spies - too trusting and willing to form ties. I also found the background universe to heavy handed and uniformly disagreeable. Little nits like using “galaxies” to mean “systems” and “infer” instead of “imply” were minor irritants. Of greater irritation was that this is in no way a stand-alone novel, finishing with every thread

I have mixed thoughts on this book. It is in many ways a routine space opera, though Anya Ow is a better writer than many in the genre. There are some good adventurous moments and some good dialogue. I had trouble buying in to some of the personal relationships, however, and felt that some of the characters - all basically spies - too trusting and willing to form ties. I also found the background universe to heavy handed and uniformly disagreeable. Little nits like using “galaxies” to mean “systems” and “infer” instead of “imply” were minor irritants. Of greater irritation was that this is in no way a stand-alone novel, finishing with every thread dangling. 3.5 of 5 for me.

Ion Curtain

[Blurb goes here]

This was a truly unexpected surprise. I hadn't come across the author before, so I had no idea on what to expect. I'm writing this review and, at the same time, stopping myself from giving away hints to the plot, since I believe that one should go into a book without spoilers. Reading the description of the novel, I found it absurd to portray the Russians as THE space-faring superpower, since, like most of us, I'm used to that role belonging to the Americans or some warped/evolved version of them. After reading this fantastic adventure I realized that there was no other way to go. Lastly, I have a few words for you, words that sometimes hold no real meaning since they are thrown out indiscriminately, but that are perfect to describe this novel: riveting, dramatic, fun.

Like Sci-Fi? Don't miss out in what—IMHO—could really be one of the best SF novels out there.

And about the They/Them pronounces? I have to say that, as soon as I encounter these, I groan. I find them to be fastidious. Their only contribution: confusion. Specially when the author just places them here and there, to play the "I'm not transphobic" card. It happens more often than not. Anya Ow, surprisingly, makes them flow perfectly, without giving them a second thought, making them feel organic. I really wish other authors could master these, as Anya Ow does.

Thank you for the free copy!