Reviews with content warning for Rape - L'Éveil du Léviathan

I read this after a Sanderson kick, so maybe I’m comparing apples to oranges, but if Sanderson is apples, these are tiny mouldy oranges left at the bottom of my lunch kit as a child. The first section of the novel, despite having the highest stakes possible, was hard to care about or believe in. From there, you’re met with a slog of exposition – telling and not showing, telling and not showing, and more telling and not showing – to the point that I felt exhausted. And, while I know one of the heights of sci-fi for some people revolve around its explanation of the science in the world, I couldn’t love the overexplanation of every little piece of technology. (Also, for a book in outer space, I really had to hear a lot about these two men’s balls. Please. Never again.)

Characters: 2.75⭐️/5

I would love to give this a higher mark, but how do you have so many characters and so few female characters that stand out? They really felt like accessories to the men: ready to make them look good, ready to be set down when the moment wasn’t right for them, and ready to be picked back up to adorn them at the end. We also follow two men who, despite trying to do their best, are so concerned with playing hero that they felt a bit fake – and incredibly boring.

Plot: 3⭐️/5

Did I enjoy the parts of this plot dedicated to being sexist? Not particularly. Do I have to hand it to the authors for making a story I couldn’t quite predict? Maybe. I did enjoy parts of the plot and, at certain moments, I almost started to love it. Of course, it was usually in those moments that we resorted to sexist tropes, unnecessary exposition, and/or the defilement of a woman’s body. Is there something interesting happening in this novel? Most certainly. I’m just not certain I would recommend it based solely on that.

Who Should Read This Book?

Fans of sci-fi who aren’t balked by a little sexism/misogyny

Content Warnings?

Body horror, death, gore, grief, war, genocide, suicidal thoughts, rape, sexual assault, misogyny, sexism, murder, blood, injury, injury detail,

Post-Reading Rating: 3⭐️/5

I wanted more from it, and also so much less.

Final Rating: 2.75⭐️/5

Content Warnings

veronicadidato's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Plot is intriguing and well-crafted. It never really feels like anything is unnecessary. The mystery and politics were well made, which only added to the interesting world building.

Some characters’ motivations for moving forward felt a little on the flimsy side but overall it was fine.

If you’ve watched the TV series: the first season is pretty accurate in terms of following the book content. You just get some more insight into the characters reasonings in the book. And the book doesn’t have any on-page sex - that was just added to the TV series.

Content Warnings

mabel_xo's review against another edition

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Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No

2.0

There are hardly any women in this book except when presented as objects of desire, victims of violence, or both. The male characters, meanwhile, are difficult to tell apart. All I know is one of them is a space cop with a weird prepccupation with a woman he's never even met. The others are just as eye-rollingly unbearable. I think they were supposed to be cool and masculine but they just came off as doofuses to me.

"'Naomi's a good person,' Amos said. 'I like her, you know? Like my kid sister, only smart and I'd do her if she let me. You know?'"

Actual quote from a character we're supposed to have some kind of affinity for.

"The sheet lay pooled on her lap. The sight of her half nude in the dimly lit room gave him an embarrassingly sudden erection.
Naomi panned her gaze up his body, pausing at his midsection, then at the water glass, and said, 'Is that for me?'
Holden didn't know which thing she was asking about, so he just said, 'Yes.'"

Another gem from this critically-acclaimed work.

Despite the stereotypically male-centric viewpoint, the plot did get slightly interesting once one of the key plot points was revealed. Unfortunately, that happened over halfway through this lengthy book. The worldbuilding also had the potential to lead to something worthwhile being said about class inequality, but that theme ultimately felt underexplored—at least in this first book in the series. I can't say the world and premise are worth suffering through the obnoxious dialogue and character choices. Maybe the TV show is better.

Content Warnings

bookswithbethx's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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