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Xandri Corelel #2
Tone of Voice
Xandri Corelel has spent six months living among the Ongkoarrat after her unceremonious firing from the crew of the Carpathia, and though she misses her home, she has settled into her new life. Then Diver arrives with news that changes everything.
The Hands and Voices--squid- and whale-like symbiotic aliens--are masters of bio-engineering and grow a wide variety of species of coral. Now they are in the process of creating coral that can withstand vacuum, with a most stunning end goal: To grow entire spaceships out of living organisms. The Starsystems Alliance is desperate to lure the Hands and Voices into the Alliance and bring this new technology into the fold. And the Voices and Hands are willing, with one stipulation.
They will only negotiate with Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia.
Returned from exile, Xandri is given the lead on this new mission. She quickly discovers that willingness isn't the problem; the Hands and Voices want to join, but they want full equality in their membership--including the ability to attend council meetings in person. Amid the sunshine and surf of the tropical, idyllic planet of Song, it seems the biggest hardship Xandri and her friends will face is the task of re-rigging a spaceship to carry creatures the size of killer whales.
Then the Last Hope for Humanity arrives, and this time they've brought an army.
The Hands and Voices--squid- and whale-like symbiotic aliens--are masters of bio-engineering and grow a wide variety of species of coral. Now they are in the process of creating coral that can withstand vacuum, with a most stunning end goal: To grow entire spaceships out of living organisms. The Starsystems Alliance is desperate to lure the Hands and Voices into the Alliance and bring this new technology into the fold. And the Voices and Hands are willing, with one stipulation.
They will only negotiate with Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia.
Returned from exile, Xandri is given the lead on this new mission. She quickly discovers that willingness isn't the problem; the Hands and Voices want to join, but they want full equality in their membership--including the ability to attend council meetings in person. Amid the sunshine and surf of the tropical, idyllic planet of Song, it seems the biggest hardship Xandri and her friends will face is the task of re-rigging a spaceship to carry creatures the size of killer whales.
Then the Last Hope for Humanity arrives, and this time they've brought an army.
Kindle Edition
First published May 1, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 9, 2018
If you're a sci-fi fan or interested in having a strong female lead that also has Autism then the Xandri Corelel series, books 0, 1, and 2 are unique reads that one should definitely pick up.
This is the second book in the series, though technically it's the third, and is definitely not a standalone. You can read books 0 or 1 in any order but don't get to this one until those are done.
Like the other books, Xandri is a stand out character and is in a unique position as a diplomat of sorts between new species and their introduction to the rest of the universe. I give Sønderby kudos for her imagination, vivid settings, and her talented ability to suck me into a new world. With every word, I'm either on a space shuttle, space station, new planet, jungle, underwater, wherever...just not in my real world reading about a fictional one.
This time around, Xandri is working with symbiotic underwater species Voices, whale-like creatures, and Hands, similar to octupi that live together as part of a greater whole. I thought these creatures and their world were really cleverly done. And the read delivers a full story with action, discovery, and romance using a large cast of memorable characters. There's a satisfying feeling of going full circle from book 1 by the end of the read.
For me, I enjoyed books 0 and 1 more not because this isn't just as well-written but due to personal preference. Books 0 and 1 are heavily in Xandri's point of view but this one is a pretty evenly split between Xandri and Diver. Diver is a great character but I prefer getting Xandri's perspective over anyone else's and I felt more distance from her. It also gave Xandri more of a super woman affect than the other books and I like seeing her internal struggles more.
Unlike books 0 and 1 that started off with action sequences, "Tone of Voice" does not. Due to events from "Failure to Communicate" we have to take some extra time to get Xandri into the middle of things in this one so it initially felt a little slow to me. However, it soon picks up. And, for people waiting on more Xandri and Diver interaction, that initial set up gives them more time together.
The romantic arc develops on the m/f side so we get some satisfaction there after flirtations with it through the other books. But, I was disappointed to see the f/f relationship get sidelined. I'm not against Diver, and he is really great, but I'm definitely on Team Kiri so I hope that we get more of that later and not have it squashed all together. A polyamory V triad is totally okay with me here. Please, please, please.
Like the other books in the series, this also has a wide-breadth of ethnic diversity, neuro-divergences, sexual diversity, gender diversity, and species diversity.
A good read and just a really fun series that I recommend as a whole.
This is the second book in the series, though technically it's the third, and is definitely not a standalone. You can read books 0 or 1 in any order but don't get to this one until those are done.
Like the other books, Xandri is a stand out character and is in a unique position as a diplomat of sorts between new species and their introduction to the rest of the universe. I give Sønderby kudos for her imagination, vivid settings, and her talented ability to suck me into a new world. With every word, I'm either on a space shuttle, space station, new planet, jungle, underwater, wherever...just not in my real world reading about a fictional one.
This time around, Xandri is working with symbiotic underwater species Voices, whale-like creatures, and Hands, similar to octupi that live together as part of a greater whole. I thought these creatures and their world were really cleverly done. And the read delivers a full story with action, discovery, and romance using a large cast of memorable characters. There's a satisfying feeling of going full circle from book 1 by the end of the read.
For me, I enjoyed books 0 and 1 more not because this isn't just as well-written but due to personal preference. Books 0 and 1 are heavily in Xandri's point of view but this one is a pretty evenly split between Xandri and Diver. Diver is a great character but I prefer getting Xandri's perspective over anyone else's and I felt more distance from her. It also gave Xandri more of a super woman affect than the other books and I like seeing her internal struggles more.
Unlike books 0 and 1 that started off with action sequences, "Tone of Voice" does not. Due to events from "Failure to Communicate" we have to take some extra time to get Xandri into the middle of things in this one so it initially felt a little slow to me. However, it soon picks up. And, for people waiting on more Xandri and Diver interaction, that initial set up gives them more time together.
The romantic arc develops on the m/f side so we get some satisfaction there after flirtations with it through the other books. But, I was disappointed to see the f/f relationship get sidelined. I'm not against Diver, and he is really great, but I'm definitely on Team Kiri so I hope that we get more of that later and not have it squashed all together. A polyamory V triad is totally okay with me here. Please, please, please.
Like the other books in the series, this also has a wide-breadth of ethnic diversity, neuro-divergences, sexual diversity, gender diversity, and species diversity.
A good read and just a really fun series that I recommend as a whole.
November 22, 2019
3.5 stars. Not as engaging as the first book and with a touch too much romance, anyway I liked the switching points of view and I would invest again in this series.
My emotions roiled like a storm-tossed sea, a horrific mix of fear and uncertainty and happiness and warmth. Too much all at once. I lifted my head, brought my fingertips to my lips—and let myself smile. For just a moment, a tiny, precious moment that glowed like a spark in my heart, I let myself feel only the good and threw the bad to the back of my mind.
My emotions roiled like a storm-tossed sea, a horrific mix of fear and uncertainty and happiness and warmth. Too much all at once. I lifted my head, brought my fingertips to my lips—and let myself smile. For just a moment, a tiny, precious moment that glowed like a spark in my heart, I let myself feel only the good and threw the bad to the back of my mind.
May 12, 2018
It's 2 am but I refuse to call my decision to finish this story a mistake. loved it. more thoughts to come. :)
December 16, 2018
I am enjoying this series a lot! It's just the right combination of realistic and optimistic for me, with a lovely emphasis on found family. My favorite part is definitely the characters and their interactions, so I especially appreciated the first quarter of the book (others have found it slow, but it made me really happy). This book has even more development of secondary characters and relationships than the first, which I liked a lot (although the prequel novella is still the winner, in my book). I also love the explorations of new species and worlds, and how creative the author is in coming up with them. Can't wait for book three!
May 19, 2018
This second book (though let’s not forget the prequel novella) is a worthy sequel of my favourite book of 2017.
I loved that Failure to Communicate was all about Xandri, but I also liked that the prequel novella Testing Pandora gave some chapters to other characters’ point of view, so it wasn’t that big a surprise to discover that Tone of Voice has a dual point of view between Xandri and Diver. Seeing first hand Diver’s thoughts about Xandri, his confidence and trust in her as well as his will to care and protect her and his respect for her skills was really great.
“That was the thing about Xandri; she fucking cared, even when she shouldn’t. I didn’t get the shit about people like her not having empathy. Far as I was concerned, she had way too damn much of it, and it was going to get her in some real, serious trouble someday, worse even than this business with Antilles.”
Seeing Xandri through the eyes of Diver was a cool addition because I feel that it showed autistic people’s beauty and how their differences are definitely worthy of love. It was really heartwarming to me. Xandri is also a person who suffered a lot of abuse in her past and seeing her friends be aware of this and care about her just filled me with a lot of emotions.
“Are you kidding? Sapient whale and squid symbiotes, and coral that may one day grow into starships? She’ll agree.”
The first half of the novel took time to show the aftermath of last book, Xandri’s exile and what she’s up to now, but also her return, and had more of a romance feel than the last. Things move between Xandri and Driver in an interesting way, and having both their point of view on the situation led to a better understanding of their feelings. Though I could have passed on the numerous occasion Diver talked about his physical reactions to her or even his “big boy’s pants” I think refering to him trying to be an adult and a badass? His voice was unmistakable from Xandri’s and helped seeing him as a person and not just the image we have of him from Xandri’s eyes on the first book. Kiri also is still in the picture but I think it’s reasonable to say the polyamory relationship will take more time to get into place, which I’m glad, because relationships take time and feelings are complicated. This book series is set to have several more volumes and I’m ready to trust the author on the long run!
“My brain switched from “oh dear god, relationship stuff” to “science!” so fast it nearly gave me whiplash.”
The first half also focused on the new planet and the whale-like and squid-like symbiotic aliens that the crew comes to help and counsel on their wish to join the Alliance. This book has a nice slice of life feel to it, where the characters can do science and have fun on the new planet, letting the reader immerse themselves on the new setting and get to know the new characters before the stakes get higher later on and the conflict develops in the second half, as well as more action.
I loved how the book delt with Xandri’s guilt and her learning to regain a certain self confidence, helped by her friends and crew. I loved how her skills were recognised by even more people, how she got to shine and even learn to be a leader. I would have liked to see more of her thoughts but I don’t feel that we miss too much important stuff with the dual narratives either.
“I wished, not for the first time, that I knew someone else like me, someone I could talk to, compare notes with.”
This was also the book I read while I was in London for the first time, because it came out on May 1st and I left on May 2nd. The book that accompanied me on the long underground and train travels and at night to fall asleep.
This book series always has a way to make me relax, even though it’s not all fluff, it’s still a comfort read where a character I deeply care about will be well treated by the author, a book that will make me travel farther than I could and with characters that make me feel safe.
Content warning: mention of past abuse and sexual assault, eating disorder, death
I loved that Failure to Communicate was all about Xandri, but I also liked that the prequel novella Testing Pandora gave some chapters to other characters’ point of view, so it wasn’t that big a surprise to discover that Tone of Voice has a dual point of view between Xandri and Diver. Seeing first hand Diver’s thoughts about Xandri, his confidence and trust in her as well as his will to care and protect her and his respect for her skills was really great.
“That was the thing about Xandri; she fucking cared, even when she shouldn’t. I didn’t get the shit about people like her not having empathy. Far as I was concerned, she had way too damn much of it, and it was going to get her in some real, serious trouble someday, worse even than this business with Antilles.”
Seeing Xandri through the eyes of Diver was a cool addition because I feel that it showed autistic people’s beauty and how their differences are definitely worthy of love. It was really heartwarming to me. Xandri is also a person who suffered a lot of abuse in her past and seeing her friends be aware of this and care about her just filled me with a lot of emotions.
“Are you kidding? Sapient whale and squid symbiotes, and coral that may one day grow into starships? She’ll agree.”
The first half of the novel took time to show the aftermath of last book, Xandri’s exile and what she’s up to now, but also her return, and had more of a romance feel than the last. Things move between Xandri and Driver in an interesting way, and having both their point of view on the situation led to a better understanding of their feelings. Though I could have passed on the numerous occasion Diver talked about his physical reactions to her or even his “big boy’s pants” I think refering to him trying to be an adult and a badass? His voice was unmistakable from Xandri’s and helped seeing him as a person and not just the image we have of him from Xandri’s eyes on the first book. Kiri also is still in the picture but I think it’s reasonable to say the polyamory relationship will take more time to get into place, which I’m glad, because relationships take time and feelings are complicated. This book series is set to have several more volumes and I’m ready to trust the author on the long run!
“My brain switched from “oh dear god, relationship stuff” to “science!” so fast it nearly gave me whiplash.”
The first half also focused on the new planet and the whale-like and squid-like symbiotic aliens that the crew comes to help and counsel on their wish to join the Alliance. This book has a nice slice of life feel to it, where the characters can do science and have fun on the new planet, letting the reader immerse themselves on the new setting and get to know the new characters before the stakes get higher later on and the conflict develops in the second half, as well as more action.
I loved how the book delt with Xandri’s guilt and her learning to regain a certain self confidence, helped by her friends and crew. I loved how her skills were recognised by even more people, how she got to shine and even learn to be a leader. I would have liked to see more of her thoughts but I don’t feel that we miss too much important stuff with the dual narratives either.
“I wished, not for the first time, that I knew someone else like me, someone I could talk to, compare notes with.”
This was also the book I read while I was in London for the first time, because it came out on May 1st and I left on May 2nd. The book that accompanied me on the long underground and train travels and at night to fall asleep.
This book series always has a way to make me relax, even though it’s not all fluff, it’s still a comfort read where a character I deeply care about will be well treated by the author, a book that will make me travel farther than I could and with characters that make me feel safe.
Content warning: mention of past abuse and sexual assault, eating disorder, death
July 11, 2018
This was even better than FAILURE TO COMMUNICATE.
Read my full review here!
Read my full review here!
April 23, 2019
This book. This whole series just hits me right in the feels and makes my heart so full.
January 4, 2025
Even though I had mixed feelings about the first book in the series (Failure to Communicate), I was really excited to get to this one because of the whales! I mean... they are not actual whales but the alien species largely featured in this installment are... whale-ish and I did love that.
I also loved the autistic rep:
What I didn't love was the polyamory rep. The romance continues to be incredibly imbalanced, we are not getting much of Kiri, but Diver gets his own POV chapters which was honestly a mistake, because it turns out that I overestimated the amount to which he has his shit together and he was very annoying narrator to me, any character who uses "saunter" as descriptor to themselves (like "I sauntered..." in first person) is like immediate jail time to me! If you feel the need to stress that you sauntered, then you didn't!
I also wasn't fan of the violence and the way military isn't really problematised, but I enjoyed the story overall and I flew through it. I really hope we will get more installments in the future!
Ada Hoffmann's review talking more about the autistic rep: https://www.ada-hoffmann.com/2020/02/...
I also loved the autistic rep:
"I feel ridiculous."
"You look hot."
"I am," I agreed. "It's like a billion degrees in this thing. Celsius."
What I didn't love was the polyamory rep. The romance continues to be incredibly imbalanced, we are not getting much of Kiri, but Diver gets his own POV chapters which was honestly a mistake, because it turns out that I overestimated the amount to which he has his shit together and he was very annoying narrator to me, any character who uses "saunter" as descriptor to themselves (like "I sauntered..." in first person) is like immediate jail time to me! If you feel the need to stress that you sauntered, then you didn't!
I also wasn't fan of the violence and the way military isn't really problematised, but I enjoyed the story overall and I flew through it. I really hope we will get more installments in the future!
Ada Hoffmann's review talking more about the autistic rep: https://www.ada-hoffmann.com/2020/02/...
August 3, 2019
4 stars. Paranoid waif with autism possesses extraordinary empathy-based communication skills with non-human life forms on other plants. As head of the Xeno-Liaisons Department of the spaceship Carpathian, she works to coax such life-forms--such as the symbiotic whale-like beings in this book who communicate by song--into the Alliance. The author's imagining of other-worldly creatures is stellar, though I found the characterization of the male love interest rather meh. Every time he wants act honestly on his feelings, he has to tell himself to put his big boy pants on. How old is he--twelve?
The sea battles against the forces of evil, on the other hand, were fantastic.
The sea battles against the forces of evil, on the other hand, were fantastic.
March 28, 2025
As I suspected, much better executed plot than the first book, but Diver's POV grated. Review to come.
August 24, 2019
I admit to only continuing with this series because I wanted to know what was in the letter.... but then it became about whales in space. Whales! In! Space!
October 21, 2020
This book was really good, and this is still a favorite series of mine, but it didn't impress me as much as the first one.
The first reason is because the Main Bad Guy doesn't appear at all until the last 3/4 of the book, and then he's just kind of ... suddenly there? He's supposed to be this big bad super evil guy that I had no idea existed at all until literally just now, and I'm supposed to take him seriously?? Diver even says something like "everyone knows who HE is" bitch no I don't, his name and existence literally hasn't even been mentioned before now. The villain from the last book was much more personal and like, actually existed.
The second reason is that while in the first book I felt very seen as an autistic person, I didn't really like how that was portrayed in this book. Xandri makes zero progress or character development whatsoever. I can understand her believing all the horrible things people have said about her and not understanding they're wrong in the first book, I can believe if that's something she struggles with, but there's no struggle. Two entire books, and at the end of it, she still genuinely believes she is a cold, terrible person incapable of love. It's just ... a real fucking downer. At this point, I'm no longer relating to another autistic person, I'm just watching borderline tragedy porn. I say borderline because I don't believe the author /meant/ for it to be like that, but how many more books do we have to read through before the autistic character is allowed to love herself? Or even just accept that she isn't a horrible monster, too irrational to think like or be treated as an adult? Those are actual examples of what she thinks of herself. That's not fun. I don't want to read that. If I wanted to hear that shit, I'd just talk to neurotypical people, thanks.
Since I gave it four stars, I obviously don't hate the book. I'm willing to give the third book a try when it comes out. But if Xandri doesn't have any character development in that book either, I'm not going to keep reading through an entire series of 3 ... 5 ... 10? books of autistic person hating themselves.
The first reason is because the Main Bad Guy doesn't appear at all until the last 3/4 of the book, and then he's just kind of ... suddenly there? He's supposed to be this big bad super evil guy that I had no idea existed at all until literally just now, and I'm supposed to take him seriously?? Diver even says something like "everyone knows who HE is" bitch no I don't, his name and existence literally hasn't even been mentioned before now. The villain from the last book was much more personal and like, actually existed.
The second reason is that while in the first book I felt very seen as an autistic person, I didn't really like how that was portrayed in this book. Xandri makes zero progress or character development whatsoever. I can understand her believing all the horrible things people have said about her and not understanding they're wrong in the first book, I can believe if that's something she struggles with, but there's no struggle. Two entire books, and at the end of it, she still genuinely believes she is a cold, terrible person incapable of love. It's just ... a real fucking downer. At this point, I'm no longer relating to another autistic person, I'm just watching borderline tragedy porn. I say borderline because I don't believe the author /meant/ for it to be like that, but how many more books do we have to read through before the autistic character is allowed to love herself? Or even just accept that she isn't a horrible monster, too irrational to think like or be treated as an adult? Those are actual examples of what she thinks of herself. That's not fun. I don't want to read that. If I wanted to hear that shit, I'd just talk to neurotypical people, thanks.
Since I gave it four stars, I obviously don't hate the book. I'm willing to give the third book a try when it comes out. But if Xandri doesn't have any character development in that book either, I'm not going to keep reading through an entire series of 3 ... 5 ... 10? books of autistic person hating themselves.
October 31, 2020
If you read the first book in the series and you're trying to decide whether to keep going, DO IT! The second book starts slow but interesting, and then takes off. Loved it.
August 25, 2024
This needs to be a 12 book series.
December 21, 2021
TL;DR
The romance killed my interest in the plot before the plot even started.
I'm doing a bang-up job this month of reading sequels that I thought were guaranteed for me to like and being horribly, irredeemably disappointed.
This book starts of so painfully slow - and it's not even the good kind of slowly building things up, but the 'here, have 80 pages of romance building and then another 70 pages of 'ladadade, we're working, but it feels like a vacation' before the plot even starts' slow.
The two biggest problems I have with the book is 1) the romance. (The romance infuses every cell of this book in such a way that you can never forget that there's something going on between Xandri and Diver. *wiggles eyebrows* Don't forget, they're having smooch-y feelings. (…Yes, it's also handled with that approximate level of maturity as well.))
And, 2) the fact that Diver becomes a co-narrator. (Look, I'm usually all for more narrators. But the first book worked as well as it did, I think, because we crawled inside Xan's head and never left. In this one, we have rotating first person POV - which is almost universally a terrible idea on it's own - and… Honestly, I sort of loathe Diver by this point. There's too much of his focus on Xandri's physical appearance and I'm a little skived out by him. Though, being 100% fair, most of my problem with him is likely because of his constant harping over putting on his 'big boy pants' (yes, that is what he calls it) and admitting he likes Xan because of putting on his 'big boy pants'. Instead of just, I don't know, acting like an adult - which, contrary to appearances - he actually is.)
So…yeah.
There is a plot here. It is good. The romance has been shoved so far down my throat that I don't care.
The romance killed my interest in the plot before the plot even started.
I'm doing a bang-up job this month of reading sequels that I thought were guaranteed for me to like and being horribly, irredeemably disappointed.
This book starts of so painfully slow - and it's not even the good kind of slowly building things up, but the 'here, have 80 pages of romance building and then another 70 pages of 'ladadade, we're working, but it feels like a vacation' before the plot even starts' slow.
The two biggest problems I have with the book is 1) the romance. (The romance infuses every cell of this book in such a way that you can never forget that there's something going on between Xandri and Diver. *wiggles eyebrows* Don't forget, they're having smooch-y feelings. (…Yes, it's also handled with that approximate level of maturity as well.))
And, 2) the fact that Diver becomes a co-narrator. (Look, I'm usually all for more narrators. But the first book worked as well as it did, I think, because we crawled inside Xan's head and never left. In this one, we have rotating first person POV - which is almost universally a terrible idea on it's own - and… Honestly, I sort of loathe Diver by this point. There's too much of his focus on Xandri's physical appearance and I'm a little skived out by him. Though, being 100% fair, most of my problem with him is likely because of his constant harping over putting on his 'big boy pants' (yes, that is what he calls it) and admitting he likes Xan because of putting on his 'big boy pants'. Instead of just, I don't know, acting like an adult - which, contrary to appearances - he actually is.)
So…yeah.
There is a plot here. It is good. The romance has been shoved so far down my throat that I don't care.
May 9, 2020
I am a autistic woman. I am uninspired by this book and its predecessor. What a schmaltzy romance.Oh my God putting on my book pants parts were so cringey I guess 42 in this series is basically 19 because that read it was from a twelve year old. Oh god Diver was just so schmaltzy in how adored Xandri.Not much happens until the end.
Every supposed likeable character is like a cheerleader to xandri. Thr other love interest was not there at all expect to be her cheerleader. This is eaten by the tumblr crowd. I am not inspired by Xandri.The twitter slacktivism of the author permeates throughout it. I do not find a a woman who lives off her husband and tweets all day as inspiring.A damsel getting rescued is what she is how ironic. Along with playing animals crossing.Hoshii and the red City circuit's author is a stem professor now that is admirable.Tweeting is not activism cash donation does more good.This book makes me consider only having a child only with crispr.yup this book made support the opposite.message.funny how i felt my happiest self on a certain nootropics.
. I still pro transhumanism and hope suramin becomes available for all autistic people by the end of the 2020's. Those who view there autism as gift got lucky with an interest that pays well or attract someone that loves indulging.So no this book does not speak for me.I guess I am almost too neurotypical to enjoy many of the my voice books.
Every supposed likeable character is like a cheerleader to xandri. Thr other love interest was not there at all expect to be her cheerleader. This is eaten by the tumblr crowd. I am not inspired by Xandri.The twitter slacktivism of the author permeates throughout it. I do not find a a woman who lives off her husband and tweets all day as inspiring.A damsel getting rescued is what she is how ironic. Along with playing animals crossing.Hoshii and the red City circuit's author is a stem professor now that is admirable.Tweeting is not activism cash donation does more good.This book makes me consider only having a child only with crispr.yup this book made support the opposite.message.funny how i felt my happiest self on a certain nootropics.
. I still pro transhumanism and hope suramin becomes available for all autistic people by the end of the 2020's. Those who view there autism as gift got lucky with an interest that pays well or attract someone that loves indulging.So no this book does not speak for me.I guess I am almost too neurotypical to enjoy many of the my voice books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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September 17, 2020TWs: ableism, war, death
Rep: autistic bisexual polyamorous mc
---
Listen. I cannot get enough of that good science shit, okay? It's just so interesting to me! The Hands and Voices were INCREDIBLY intriguing and all the technical stuff they did in the story was so fascinating to me. As with the previous book, there was some good intrigue and some good action. The m/f part of the growing polyam triad got a lot of romantic progression that was very fluffy and enjoyable. The only thing was that the ending was a little bit of a miss for me, mostly because there was a last little twist that felt like it came out of nowhere and was there only to get you excited for the next book. Not to say I'm not excited for it--I definitely am. Like I said, I need me that science shit, especially when it's headed by my girl Xandri.
Rep: autistic bisexual polyamorous mc
---
Listen. I cannot get enough of that good science shit, okay? It's just so interesting to me! The Hands and Voices were INCREDIBLY intriguing and all the technical stuff they did in the story was so fascinating to me. As with the previous book, there was some good intrigue and some good action. The m/f part of the growing polyam triad got a lot of romantic progression that was very fluffy and enjoyable. The only thing was that the ending was a little bit of a miss for me, mostly because there was a last little twist that felt like it came out of nowhere and was there only to get you excited for the next book. Not to say I'm not excited for it--I definitely am. Like I said, I need me that science shit, especially when it's headed by my girl Xandri.
December 29, 2019
Loved the continuation of Xandri's adventures with the Carpathia's crew, this time on the marine planet of Song, where the sentient species is a Cetacean-like creature in symbiosis with a Cephalapod-like species, the Hands and Voices. It's paradise and Xandri is happy. Her relationship with Diver is developing nicely in the warm world and the ocean provides her with new friends and new things to learn. For a change, even Christa is supporting her plans for the negotiations.
Until the news about the secret negotiations gets out, reporters arrive and the LHFH soon follow. It seems like Anmerilli all over again...
Until the news about the secret negotiations gets out, reporters arrive and the LHFH soon follow. It seems like Anmerilli all over again...
March 17, 2023
I normally only write reviews for 5 or 1 star ratings, but I feel like I need to get out my thoughts on what kind of 3-star book this is for me. This is not a 'meh' or forgettable book - I still love Xandri, I still want to see more of her adventures with the crew of the Carpathia, I'm dying to know more about the message at the end!
But.
I feel like this one just wasn't all the way done and needed some more polishing. The pacing's funky, it's trying to do maybe too many things at once, and some of the prose just plain old isn't as nice to read as the first one.
I'll absolutely be getting the next book in the series if and when it comes out, but this entry did not quite do it for me.
But.
I feel like this one just wasn't all the way done and needed some more polishing. The pacing's funky, it's trying to do maybe too many things at once, and some of the prose just plain old isn't as nice to read as the first one.
I'll absolutely be getting the next book in the series if and when it comes out, but this entry did not quite do it for me.
April 30, 2021
I love being back with Xandri again!
I genuinely love the world of this series, and how Xandri interacts with it!
Personally, I would have liked a tiny bit more time explaining the LHFH, but that could just be me forgetting everything from the first book, as I haven't read it in about 4 years at this point!
TW for death, ableism against autistic people, autistic meltdown, xenophobia, death of animals, mentions of child abuse, and possible sexual abuse, though these last two are mentioning only briefly, and in vague terms.
I genuinely love the world of this series, and how Xandri interacts with it!
Personally, I would have liked a tiny bit more time explaining the LHFH, but that could just be me forgetting everything from the first book, as I haven't read it in about 4 years at this point!
TW for death, ableism against autistic people, autistic meltdown, xenophobia, death of animals, mentions of child abuse, and possible sexual abuse, though these last two are mentioning only briefly, and in vague terms.
May 1, 2022
I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE these books! Sonderby writes really good sci-fi - I'd read it happily even without the representation - but the fact that it has such FANTASTIC representation makes it so much more! If you have neuro-diverse people in your life, or LGBTQIA people in your life, especially if they enjoy sci-fi, please consider gifting them these books.
Triggers - there is some ableism, and the premise of the series includes eugenics; main character shows signs of PTSD from related trauma
Triggers - there is some ableism, and the premise of the series includes eugenics; main character shows signs of PTSD from related trauma
June 23, 2023
Real rating: 3.5 stars
A solid sequel and I can't wait for more! It's definitely a slower start than the first book (but that is the intention) and I liked the addition of Diver's POV even if I wanted a little more about him as a person (and a little less knowledge about his "big boy pants")
Still highly recommend this series for fans of sci-fi and aliens!
A solid sequel and I can't wait for more! It's definitely a slower start than the first book (but that is the intention) and I liked the addition of Diver's POV even if I wanted a little more about him as a person (and a little less knowledge about his "big boy pants")
Still highly recommend this series for fans of sci-fi and aliens!
August 6, 2019
I love the addition of a gender neutral character in this one! Once again, really intriguing writing with fantastic characters. This series is so different from other sci-fi and I love that about it.
July 17, 2020
This book might be even better than the first in the series & it's no surprise I finished it in a couple of days. Xandri is an extremely well written character & there are some interesting hints about her past in this book. I really hope there's a third book & I can't wait to read it!
January 13, 2024
Continuing adventures
I would definitely recommend reading Failure to Communicate, the first book of the series first. No harm no foul, since both books are terrific. Book one has more diplomacy, this one more action, but the characters, plot, and setting for both are excellent.
I would definitely recommend reading Failure to Communicate, the first book of the series first. No harm no foul, since both books are terrific. Book one has more diplomacy, this one more action, but the characters, plot, and setting for both are excellent.
September 26, 2018
3.5 stars.
June 13, 2021
Even better than the first one, there'd better be another in the series at some point because I need to know more about Xandri!
September 27, 2021
Hoping for a third in this series. Perhaps with more smooches and less violence? ;)
June 28, 2022
I want to be loved the way that Xandri is loved by Diver. I had to keep stopping to read out parts to my friend.
I need more now please
I need more now please
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