Persephone Station

I was supposed to have read this book a long time ago but I'm still not very comfortable with sci-fi and I need to be in the right mood to appreciate it. I finally felt it was time and I'm glad I did.

This one took a while to get into, not that it's the book's fault - it's just me always needing some extra time to get used to the sciency and techy stuff in a sci-fi novel. But the characters more than made up for the initial hiccup - the author has created an amazing found family here, some old friends and some newly made, but seeing this wonderful group of women and non-binary folks kick ass was pretty satisfying to read. Also the whole idea of good mercenaries helping an indigenous species defend themselves against a greedy corporation and it's maniac head is very fascinating, and the unexpected help that our main group of characters receive was so cool. The pacing wasn't always consistent, with a more exciting beginning and ending alongwith a languishing middle - but the last 20% full of tense and nonstop action made up for any lack previously.

I don't know why but I didn't actually expect to enjoy this much, but I'm so happy I turned out wrong. Maybe if the book was only mercenaries and crime lords fighting against evil corporations and an artificial intelligence capable of empathy (and believe me all of this is present), I might not have liked it so much. But the strength of this book lies in the bonds these characters share with each other and the cause for which they are fighting. Definitely an interesting addition to my read pile.