Killing Gravity
Ratings12
Average rating3.8
15
Ratings12
Average rating3.8
Mars Xi can kill you with her mind, but she'll need more than psychic powers to save her in Killing Gravity, the thrilling science fiction space adventure debut by Corey J. White. Before she escaped in a bloody coup, MEPHISTO transformed Mariam Xi into a deadly voidwitch. Their training left her with terrifying capabilities, a fierce sense of independence, a deficit of trust, and an experimental pet named Seven. She's spent her life on the run, but the boogeymen from her past are catching up with her. An encounter with a bounty hunter has left her hanging helpless in a dying spaceship, dependent on the mercy of strangers. Penned in on all sides, Mariam chases rumors to find the one who sold her out. To discover the truth and defeat her pursuers, she'll have to stare into the abyss and find the secrets of her past, her future, and her terrifying potential.
Series
3 primary booksVoidwitch Saga is a 3-book series with 3 primary works first released in 2017 with contributions by Corey J. White.
Reviews with the most likes.
Pros: interesting characters
Cons: lots of swearing, lots of violence
Mariam Xi knows she's a danger to the new ship that picks up her distress beacon. So she's keen to leave them when they stop at a station. She's not surprised when MEPHISTO troopers show up. But Mariam doesn't want to go back to the program that gave her psychic powers - and she has the means to refuse.
I loved the characters. They had a lot of personality and verve. I especially liked the experimental cat thing, Seven, who's just so cute. Mariam is quite powerful, but that's in keeping with what was done to her in the past. It might take some readers a bit of effort to remember that Squid gets they/their pronouns, but how Mariam reacts to them, and the positive sexuality of some of the characters, makes the future feel like it's progressed in some good ways from our own time.
The novella length means you don't get to know the characters as much as I'd have liked. Mariam doesn't get to interact with the crew that much so while you get the feeling that they're starting to become friends, they don't really have the history of working together, being there for each other, etc. that the ending requires.
I did find the amount of swearing a bit jarring, especially as it came from Mariam. For some reason I couldn't reconcile how I pictured her with the language she often used. Which is weird because I didn't have the same disconnect regarding the amount of violence and destruction she causes.
It's a quick, interesting read.
