On Basilisk Station

I was hoping for more from this series opener featuring a strong female lead.

The book is very plot-focused, and not so much character / setting focused which I would prefer - or at least, more than I got. I didn't get to know any characters really except Honor herself and her (surely) adorable treecat companion. The others were just professions with no personality. Also, while I do like a good space opera, this was too much battle and politics and not enough world-forming. After several chapters in the beginning that were just full of confusing political background, I still pursued finishing the book given all the positive reviews. And while the politics did start to fade into the background, the foreground was full of battles and strategy that I still had a difficult time following.

This book was just ok at best for me.

I was horrified by the genocide of the native Medusans. I was horrified because it was simply brushed off, an "oh well, that's too bad" kind of attitude. It does make me want to read more in hopes that this tragedy gets explored, but given the unemotional perspective of the book in general, I can't hope too much.