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The Devoured Worlds #3
The Bound Worlds
Worlds will collide and fates will be rewritten in the thrilling conclusion to the Devoured Worlds space opera trilogy by award-winning author Megan E. O’Keefe.
Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future. Catastrophe strikes when Tarquin uncovers a plot to bring about the end of the universe. As humanity races against the clock to prevent their extinction, old secrets come to light and loyalties fracture, and Naira realizes she may be the key to saving the world—or ending it.
Naira and Tarquin have found a new home on Seventh Cradle. But the peace they’ve built is short-lived as mysterious assailants ambush the settlement and Naira is haunted by visions of a monstrous future. Catastrophe strikes when Tarquin uncovers a plot to bring about the end of the universe. As humanity races against the clock to prevent their extinction, old secrets come to light and loyalties fracture, and Naira realizes she may be the key to saving the world—or ending it.
496 pages, Paperback
First published June 25, 2024
About the author
Megan E. O'Keefe
17 books976 followersMegan E. O'Keefe was raised amongst journalists, and as soon as she was able joined them by crafting a newsletter which chronicled the daily adventures of the local cat population. She lives in the Bay Area of California, and spends her free time tinkering with anything she can get her hands on.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
Her fantasy debut, Steal the Sky, won the Gemmell Morningstar Award and her space opera debut, Velocity Weapon was nominated for the Philip K. Dick Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 147 reviews
April 10, 2024
The Bound Worlds was the perfect ending to The Devoured Worlds. It’s always scary to read the last book in a series you love, but this not only exceeded any expectations I had, but it did it beautifully.
If you know me, you know I love Megan E. O’Keefe’s space operas and I haven’t shut up about The Blighted Stars since I got my hands on that book. And here we are. It’s over and I’m in love with the ending. This was such a high-stakes book I knew, inevitably, characters would die. I told myself I’d be happy as long as a specific someone survived. And then I experienced the book through waves after waves of realization that I didn’t want anyone to die (not even he-who-shall-not-be-named).
The Bound Worlds felt like running an Iron Man (a crazy ‘obstacle course’ that not many people finish). And by the 85% mark, it all seemed to end… beautifully. But it wasn’t an ending. And what came after was such an emotional roller coaster I cried for the first time in three years (which is crazy, if this book has healed my tear ducts, I owe O’Keefe a beer lol). I’m going to do my thing and do my usual ‘fangirl’ review, meaning that I will talk about shit I keep obsessing about. I usually call it the ‘good’ and the ‘not-so-good’ list, but unlike Naira’s ‘to-stab’ list, my not-so-good list remains empty this time. This won’t have spoilers (but I will have spoiler talk at the end because wow).
- Characters: 10/10. Obsessed. What do I even say? I don’t do drugs, but what O’Keefe’s characters make me feel must be what snorting coke feels like. They’re funny, adorable, brilliant. By the end of the book I felt so dumb for how much I was crying. BUT I’ve spent so much time reading and re-reading about Nai, Tarq, Kav, and Kuma that I lowkey need them to come into existence and adopt me.
- Twists: Shit man. Too many. So good. I didn’t expect half of them. If you’re reading this book, I’ll just tell you: don’t forget the Chinese rooms. And do keep in mind who resonates and who doesn’t.
- No questions left unanswered and no loose ends: This. I had so many. All of them answered. Even at the end when I was bawling my eyes out and I was just thinking ‘I just don’t get why this had to happen.’ O’Keefe clarified it all brilliantly. And I do want to explain this wasn’t a deus ex machina kind of thing either.
- The writing and pace: I love her writing. Pace-wise? Shit. This was fast-paced. You didn’t get a break until the 80% mark and then all shit blew up and the sobbing started. But I loved it. I wish we had 50 more pages after the end just to vibe with everyone and chill for two minutes.
- Representation: I started my ‘O’Keefe journey’ with The Protectorate and I was coming from loving The Expanse series, and I was critical. Too critical. But the one thing that set O’Keege apart was just how deliciously diverse her characters are. We got nonbinary, we got trans, we got different ethnicities, we have straight, gay, old, and disabled (visually disabled but also the less visible kind). And it just rocks. I remember re-reading The Protectorate when I broke my right ankle because Sanda didn’t have a right leg and it just made me feel okay to know Sanda did not stop being badass and incredible for a single minute. And Naira is the same. I don’t have chronic pain or anything that I can sympathize with, but the visibility of this, the fact that we have a transgender main character, we have a nonbinary demisexual character, we have a mix of ethnicities and there is not an ounce of hate or discrimination. I always say sci-fi authors should do this: you’re creating a world and you have the power to make normal things normal. Sexual or ethnic minorities struggle in the real world, create one that isn’t as shitty. And O’Keefe is the queen of that.
- The badass women: Naira, Kuma, Helms, Ward, Dr Sharp, Jana (special mention to Paison here). The men are also OK, I guess, but the women 🤌🤌🤌🤌
- Tarquin: I have given Tarq his own section in every review just to berate him. That’s no more. I am sorry for calling Tarquin a shithead and a little shit and saying he hasmushed bananarocks in place of a brain.
- The ending: I already said it but it was perfect. Exceeded every expectation and did not let me down. I could’ve gone without O’Keefe making me cry for 40 pages though.
”What is grief, if not starving for what was lost?”
Now to the spoiler rambling:
If anyone wants to chat about the Devoured Worlds please do let me know I am and will forever be obsessed.
Thank you Orbit for the ARC!
If you know me, you know I love Megan E. O’Keefe’s space operas and I haven’t shut up about The Blighted Stars since I got my hands on that book. And here we are. It’s over and I’m in love with the ending. This was such a high-stakes book I knew, inevitably, characters would die. I told myself I’d be happy as long as a specific someone survived. And then I experienced the book through waves after waves of realization that I didn’t want anyone to die (not even he-who-shall-not-be-named).
The Bound Worlds felt like running an Iron Man (a crazy ‘obstacle course’ that not many people finish). And by the 85% mark, it all seemed to end… beautifully. But it wasn’t an ending. And what came after was such an emotional roller coaster I cried for the first time in three years (which is crazy, if this book has healed my tear ducts, I owe O’Keefe a beer lol). I’m going to do my thing and do my usual ‘fangirl’ review, meaning that I will talk about shit I keep obsessing about. I usually call it the ‘good’ and the ‘not-so-good’ list, but unlike Naira’s ‘to-stab’ list, my not-so-good list remains empty this time. This won’t have spoilers (but I will have spoiler talk at the end because wow).
- Characters: 10/10. Obsessed. What do I even say? I don’t do drugs, but what O’Keefe’s characters make me feel must be what snorting coke feels like. They’re funny, adorable, brilliant. By the end of the book I felt so dumb for how much I was crying. BUT I’ve spent so much time reading and re-reading about Nai, Tarq, Kav, and Kuma that I lowkey need them to come into existence and adopt me.
- Twists: Shit man. Too many. So good. I didn’t expect half of them. If you’re reading this book, I’ll just tell you: don’t forget the Chinese rooms. And do keep in mind who resonates and who doesn’t.
- No questions left unanswered and no loose ends: This. I had so many. All of them answered. Even at the end when I was bawling my eyes out and I was just thinking ‘I just don’t get why this had to happen.’ O’Keefe clarified it all brilliantly. And I do want to explain this wasn’t a deus ex machina kind of thing either.
- The writing and pace: I love her writing. Pace-wise? Shit. This was fast-paced. You didn’t get a break until the 80% mark and then all shit blew up and the sobbing started. But I loved it. I wish we had 50 more pages after the end just to vibe with everyone and chill for two minutes.
- Representation: I started my ‘O’Keefe journey’ with The Protectorate and I was coming from loving The Expanse series, and I was critical. Too critical. But the one thing that set O’Keege apart was just how deliciously diverse her characters are. We got nonbinary, we got trans, we got different ethnicities, we have straight, gay, old, and disabled (visually disabled but also the less visible kind). And it just rocks. I remember re-reading The Protectorate when I broke my right ankle because Sanda didn’t have a right leg and it just made me feel okay to know Sanda did not stop being badass and incredible for a single minute. And Naira is the same. I don’t have chronic pain or anything that I can sympathize with, but the visibility of this, the fact that we have a transgender main character, we have a nonbinary demisexual character, we have a mix of ethnicities and there is not an ounce of hate or discrimination. I always say sci-fi authors should do this: you’re creating a world and you have the power to make normal things normal. Sexual or ethnic minorities struggle in the real world, create one that isn’t as shitty. And O’Keefe is the queen of that.
- The badass women: Naira, Kuma, Helms, Ward, Dr Sharp, Jana (special mention to Paison here). The men are also OK, I guess, but the women 🤌🤌🤌🤌
- Tarquin: I have given Tarq his own section in every review just to berate him. That’s no more. I am sorry for calling Tarquin a shithead and a little shit and saying he has
- The ending: I already said it but it was perfect. Exceeded every expectation and did not let me down. I could’ve gone without O’Keefe making me cry for 40 pages though.
”What is grief, if not starving for what was lost?”
Now to the spoiler rambling:
If anyone wants to chat about the Devoured Worlds please do let me know I am and will forever be obsessed.
Thank you Orbit for the ARC!
July 22, 2024
Reread July 2024: 🥹❤️
Reread June 2024: I still stand by my original review, but gah, gotta update to 5 stars!! The combination of O'Keefe's writing and characters with Saward's narration is just ✨magic✨
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4.75 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy; all thoughts my own.
This was my most anticipated book of 2024 and it did not disappoint! I’ve only experienced this story so far via audiobook, so I must admit that I did wonder whether my deep love for this series was in part down to the stellar narration by Ciaran Saward. However, I needn’t have worried; O’Keefe’s writing and storytelling shines, no matter the format! The banter and dialogue in particular were *delicious* and I absolutely cannot wait to hear Saward’s performance.
All of these characters are so dear to me, and right from the beginning when this story starts with a bang, O’Keefe doesn’t let up the pace. The tension was threaded throughout, meaning that I was constantly on the edge of my seat, head reeling at this twist or that, this revelation or that. And I loved every second of it!
My only slight issue with this book is that I found the major problem faced by our characters here to kind of have come out of nowhere – I would have liked to see more/stronger hints in previous books to tie the trilogy together a little better.
Still, this is an excellent conclusion, and I'm looking forward to many more rereads of this series in the future!
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4.75 stars! RTC, but for now: asfjkglslkfglkdjf
Reread June 2024: I still stand by my original review, but gah, gotta update to 5 stars!! The combination of O'Keefe's writing and characters with Saward's narration is just ✨magic✨
-----
4.75 stars.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance reading copy; all thoughts my own.
This was my most anticipated book of 2024 and it did not disappoint! I’ve only experienced this story so far via audiobook, so I must admit that I did wonder whether my deep love for this series was in part down to the stellar narration by Ciaran Saward. However, I needn’t have worried; O’Keefe’s writing and storytelling shines, no matter the format! The banter and dialogue in particular were *delicious* and I absolutely cannot wait to hear Saward’s performance.
All of these characters are so dear to me, and right from the beginning when this story starts with a bang, O’Keefe doesn’t let up the pace. The tension was threaded throughout, meaning that I was constantly on the edge of my seat, head reeling at this twist or that, this revelation or that. And I loved every second of it!
My only slight issue with this book is that I found the major problem faced by our characters here to kind of have come out of nowhere – I would have liked to see more/stronger hints in previous books to tie the trilogy together a little better.
Still, this is an excellent conclusion, and I'm looking forward to many more rereads of this series in the future!
-----
4.75 stars! RTC, but for now: asfjkglslkfglkdjf
November 15, 2023
IM CRYING
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc! full review to come
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the arc! full review to come
June 6, 2024
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley and Orbit Books.
Score: 3/5
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Read this Review and more on my Medium page:link: Distorted Visions
The conclusion to The Devoured Worlds trilogy, The Bound Worlds ties up the story of Liege Tarquin Mercator and Executor Naira Sharp as they battle against the alien outbreak within their neural implants, for the future of the human race.
Right off the bat, I must admit that I was left unsatisfied with the direction taken by the final installment of The Devoured Worlds trilogy, especially since I thought that the first book, The Blighted Stars explored novel concepts and provided reasonably fresh takes on standard sci-fi tropes. It is a novel that felt familiar yet provided enough to keep you glued to the series. The sequel, The Fractured Dark succeeded where most middle books fail: the world was expanded, new elements were added to deepen the lore, and the stakes were significantly increased. With a cracker cliffhanger, I was deeply looking forward to where the O’Keefe would take us with the finale, and was thrilled to receive a review copy of The Bound Worlds.
Which makes my disappointment that much more severe.
Fundamentally, The Bound Worlds is not a bad book by any means, nor is it a wholly disappointing conclusion to the series. My major grouse with this series ender was that it felt like O’Keefe reduced the scope of the narrative and narrowed down several aspects, perhaps to present a more cohesive and complete conclusion to the major plotline.
One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about The Fractured Dark was the broader universe impacts that were being built up towards the climax of the book. The stakes heightened considerably as the virophage canus continued to dig deeper into the material relkalite, used for all the post-human implants (called pathways) in the story. The pre-sentience that canus portrayed as it manipulated infected hosts towards its malignant spread across the imperium of human-occupied space was something that was expertly crafted. There is always something particularly delicious about a non-human malevolent antagonist that cannot be reasoned with, unlike human enemies.
All of that build-up was slashed down to an almost wall-hanging background quality, bringing forth Jonsun back as the primary antagonist, putting the narrative back in bog-standard Human Vs. Human territory, which ended up being quite lackluster.
The major focus of The Bound Worlds is the internal (and external struggle) of Naira Sharp as she navigates being “cracked” and that effect on her romantic progress with the now-leader of the Mercator faction, Tarquin. One of the areas where Megan O’Keefe excelled, particularly with the first two books of this series was in keeping the readers anchored in the personal element of an otherwise expansive sci-fi story. Told through the POVs of Tarquin and Naira, the story always felt grounded in something more tangible, even with increasing stakes. However, with the climax of the entire series looming over us in The Bound Worlds, the increased emphasis on the interpersonal (and romantic struggle) between Tarquin and Naira ate up far too much space in the overall narrative and stole much of the nervous excitement of a story ramping up to a crescendo.
In addition, a few more elements were added to the story (spoilers redacted) which felt more like a deux-ex-machina moment (quite literally in some cases) and signaled that the author struggled with tying all the plot threads set up over the series in a meaningful way. In addition, the character arc of the finalizer Fletcher Demarco from menacing hench-villain to antihero, to straight-up protagonist did not feel earned at all and went further to cheapen the stakes. Furthermore, Aceleus Mercator (Tarquin’s father) proved to be a much more capable and vehement antagonist, making Jonsun feel like a sub-boss that should have been dealt with as a side-plot rather than towards the end of the series. At no point, even in Act 3 of the book, did I ever feel satisfactorily anxious about the tension created by the weakened plotlines. Bah!
The downgrade of the non-human threat and heightened emphasis on the personal character conflict reached a climax that felt cheapened by the reduced stakes. All of these elements robbed The Bound Worlds of an ending that felt rewarding and earned. Moreso, it reduced my memory of the previous books as well, marring my overall impression of The Devoured Worlds series.
Score: 3/5
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Read this Review and more on my Medium page:link: Distorted Visions
The conclusion to The Devoured Worlds trilogy, The Bound Worlds ties up the story of Liege Tarquin Mercator and Executor Naira Sharp as they battle against the alien outbreak within their neural implants, for the future of the human race.
Right off the bat, I must admit that I was left unsatisfied with the direction taken by the final installment of The Devoured Worlds trilogy, especially since I thought that the first book, The Blighted Stars explored novel concepts and provided reasonably fresh takes on standard sci-fi tropes. It is a novel that felt familiar yet provided enough to keep you glued to the series. The sequel, The Fractured Dark succeeded where most middle books fail: the world was expanded, new elements were added to deepen the lore, and the stakes were significantly increased. With a cracker cliffhanger, I was deeply looking forward to where the O’Keefe would take us with the finale, and was thrilled to receive a review copy of The Bound Worlds.
Which makes my disappointment that much more severe.
Fundamentally, The Bound Worlds is not a bad book by any means, nor is it a wholly disappointing conclusion to the series. My major grouse with this series ender was that it felt like O’Keefe reduced the scope of the narrative and narrowed down several aspects, perhaps to present a more cohesive and complete conclusion to the major plotline.
One of the aspects I thoroughly enjoyed about The Fractured Dark was the broader universe impacts that were being built up towards the climax of the book. The stakes heightened considerably as the virophage canus continued to dig deeper into the material relkalite, used for all the post-human implants (called pathways) in the story. The pre-sentience that canus portrayed as it manipulated infected hosts towards its malignant spread across the imperium of human-occupied space was something that was expertly crafted. There is always something particularly delicious about a non-human malevolent antagonist that cannot be reasoned with, unlike human enemies.
All of that build-up was slashed down to an almost wall-hanging background quality, bringing forth Jonsun back as the primary antagonist, putting the narrative back in bog-standard Human Vs. Human territory, which ended up being quite lackluster.
The major focus of The Bound Worlds is the internal (and external struggle) of Naira Sharp as she navigates being “cracked” and that effect on her romantic progress with the now-leader of the Mercator faction, Tarquin. One of the areas where Megan O’Keefe excelled, particularly with the first two books of this series was in keeping the readers anchored in the personal element of an otherwise expansive sci-fi story. Told through the POVs of Tarquin and Naira, the story always felt grounded in something more tangible, even with increasing stakes. However, with the climax of the entire series looming over us in The Bound Worlds, the increased emphasis on the interpersonal (and romantic struggle) between Tarquin and Naira ate up far too much space in the overall narrative and stole much of the nervous excitement of a story ramping up to a crescendo.
In addition, a few more elements were added to the story (spoilers redacted) which felt more like a deux-ex-machina moment (quite literally in some cases) and signaled that the author struggled with tying all the plot threads set up over the series in a meaningful way. In addition, the character arc of the finalizer Fletcher Demarco from menacing hench-villain to antihero, to straight-up protagonist did not feel earned at all and went further to cheapen the stakes. Furthermore, Aceleus Mercator (Tarquin’s father) proved to be a much more capable and vehement antagonist, making Jonsun feel like a sub-boss that should have been dealt with as a side-plot rather than towards the end of the series. At no point, even in Act 3 of the book, did I ever feel satisfactorily anxious about the tension created by the weakened plotlines. Bah!
The downgrade of the non-human threat and heightened emphasis on the personal character conflict reached a climax that felt cheapened by the reduced stakes. All of these elements robbed The Bound Worlds of an ending that felt rewarding and earned. Moreso, it reduced my memory of the previous books as well, marring my overall impression of The Devoured Worlds series.
August 8, 2024
♾️ STARS
———
UPDATE: this is the first 6 star series I’ve ever read. I finished this ONE MONTH AGO and I still think about these characters and this story every. single. day. I will NEVER be the same. The characters Naira and Tarquin are everything to me. The story was an absolute INSANE experience and I can’t possible comprehend how this author could ever think of it.
———
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 what an absolute mindfuck. I think this was a perfect trilogy. fuck me. I’ll return when I stop sobbing, tysm.
———
UPDATE: this is the first 6 star series I’ve ever read. I finished this ONE MONTH AGO and I still think about these characters and this story every. single. day. I will NEVER be the same. The characters Naira and Tarquin are everything to me. The story was an absolute INSANE experience and I can’t possible comprehend how this author could ever think of it.
———
👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽👍🏽 what an absolute mindfuck. I think this was a perfect trilogy. fuck me. I’ll return when I stop sobbing, tysm.
May 10, 2024
Unfortunately this instalment didn’t hit like the first two and I am left a little disappointed. I adore Megan E O.Keefe and have read all of her books so definitely went in with high expectations.
For me this just felt like far too much back and forth between the two main characters and one was constantly looking for reasons to be angry at the other. I was enjoying things well enough despite that but then a switch happened about the 40% mark that I really didn’t buy into and some plot introductions felt a bit too late in the game.
For me this just felt like far too much back and forth between the two main characters and one was constantly looking for reasons to be angry at the other. I was enjoying things well enough despite that but then a switch happened about the 40% mark that I really didn’t buy into and some plot introductions felt a bit too late in the game.
Shelved as 'anti-library'
May 17, 2024Speed rereading book 1 and book 2 because I actually have this more than a month before it releases? (But LBR, the og release date was sometime in May)
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I want it so bad gahhhh
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I want it so bad gahhhh
August 25, 2024
I am dehydrated from all my tears.
Incredible. Phenomenal. Astounding.
I am still shocked that O'Keefe managed to make me LOVE a character that she previously made me HATE. How??
This is one of my absolute favorite sci-fi trilogies with the most incredible world-building and characters. It has firmly and distinctly shoved me into a sci-fi headspace.
Just imagine my review is a standing ovation with tears just flowing down my cheeks, ok?
Incredible. Phenomenal. Astounding.
I am still shocked that O'Keefe managed to make me LOVE a character that she previously made me HATE. How??
This is one of my absolute favorite sci-fi trilogies with the most incredible world-building and characters. It has firmly and distinctly shoved me into a sci-fi headspace.
Just imagine my review is a standing ovation with tears just flowing down my cheeks, ok?
June 1, 2024
I devoured (ba dum tsss) the first book of the Devoured Worlds trilogy, and the second book kept that going. This book, I am delighted to say, sticks the landing. Delighted with the book and the trilogy, but there’s also a lot of other emotions kicking around here too. This book put me through the wringer.
I don’t want to give spoilers, either for this book or for the first two. So, to keep this generic: a lot of things happened I did not at all expect. There were some directions I thought things were going to go, and some that took me completely by surprise. A number of things that were foreshadowed (either subtly or in a “hey, look, there’s a gun on the wall!” kind of way à la Chekov) happened, some good, some … not so good. There were several moments where things happened that left me terrified to turn to the next page. At one point (despite my desperate desire to know what happened next) I spent probably 36 hours stalling before I could make myself continue.
This was more strongly character-driven than the first two books. There’s still lots of things that the characters are struggling against - it’s not about internal stuff, and it’s not about Tarquin and Naira’s relationship, per se. But the conflicts they’re dealing with are framed in terms of their relationship, and their relationship is what shapes their decisions.
My only real criticism is the science of the book. Relkatite has always been something of an Unobtanium as a plot device. I’ve never really had a problem suspending disbelief on that score, but this book pushed that at points. I also wish the villain from the first book played more of a role here; they were kind of sidelined, and didn’t have a huge amount of agency in the role they did play.
But those are, overall, minor complaints. This series is excellent, and I am very much looking forward to whatever else Megan E. O’Keefe has coming.
My blog
I don’t want to give spoilers, either for this book or for the first two. So, to keep this generic: a lot of things happened I did not at all expect. There were some directions I thought things were going to go, and some that took me completely by surprise. A number of things that were foreshadowed (either subtly or in a “hey, look, there’s a gun on the wall!” kind of way à la Chekov) happened, some good, some … not so good. There were several moments where things happened that left me terrified to turn to the next page. At one point (despite my desperate desire to know what happened next) I spent probably 36 hours stalling before I could make myself continue.
This was more strongly character-driven than the first two books. There’s still lots of things that the characters are struggling against - it’s not about internal stuff, and it’s not about Tarquin and Naira’s relationship, per se. But the conflicts they’re dealing with are framed in terms of their relationship, and their relationship is what shapes their decisions.
My only real criticism is the science of the book. Relkatite has always been something of an Unobtanium as a plot device. I’ve never really had a problem suspending disbelief on that score, but this book pushed that at points. I also wish the villain from the first book played more of a role here; they were kind of sidelined, and didn’t have a huge amount of agency in the role they did play.
But those are, overall, minor complaints. This series is excellent, and I am very much looking forward to whatever else Megan E. O’Keefe has coming.
My blog
August 11, 2024
AHHHHHH I have so many thoughts and feelings
This one was good. REALLY good. Such a breath of fresh air after all the crap I've been DNF-ing recently. The plot breaks all land speed records and the characters are actually enjoyable to hang out with, even if, full disclosure, they can be angsty little babies at times. But not so often that I didn't secretly really love it even though I'm supposed to sneer at all that romantic crap. Basically, this book goes hard on the emotional and action front and delivers on both.
But gods I wanted more explanations of the science. Please. I was so confused so often.
Full review here: The Sea Writes
This one was good. REALLY good. Such a breath of fresh air after all the crap I've been DNF-ing recently. The plot breaks all land speed records and the characters are actually enjoyable to hang out with, even if, full disclosure, they can be angsty little babies at times. But not so often that I didn't secretly really love it even though I'm supposed to sneer at all that romantic crap. Basically, this book goes hard on the emotional and action front and delivers on both.
But gods I wanted more explanations of the science. Please. I was so confused so often.
Full review here: The Sea Writes
April 30, 2024
Genre: science fiction
This review contains spoilers for books one and two, but not for book three.
Tarquin and Naira know that every day they have is borrowed time. Naira’s map is cracked after being double printed, and she starts to have terrible visions of the future. Canus is assimilating whole populations of traditionally printed people. Amarthrite, the safer mineral, is in much shorter supply. Lines and alliances are crossed, and trust is hard to come by. On top of this, there’s a new problem: the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, and it’s intrinsically tied to some of the maps.
The final installment of the Devoured Worlds trilogy takes us to new emotional depths: Megan E O’Keefe dials up the angst meter (for historical romance readers, we’re talking Meredith Duran level angst for the first half of the book). O’Keefe is simultaneously working on multiple levels of development with plot, character, and worldbuilding. Her character development is impressive, giving main and side characters room to grow over three books, to continue to make mistakes, change their minds, betray each other, and fight for what they believe. Everything about the romance and the character development is absolutely top tier. Reading this for Naira and Tarquin, Kav, Kuma, Cass, Fletcher, and all of our other favorites and enemies, the book is a true five star experience.
It’s the mark of good worldbuilding that the writer still has room to expand their world in a third book, particularly when it ties meaningfully into our previous knowledge of the universe. That said, the literal expansion of the universe as worldbuilding and plot device was completely unexpected. As worldbuilding, I might have preferred hints of this in an earlier book to convince me of the necessity of the plot for the third book. The shift wasn’t entirely unwelcome, but it was unexpected, and made the trilogy feel less complete in some ways.
O’Keefe is tackling a lot of concepts again in this book, but the most important one may be that of Naira’s character. She’s cracked - the double printing for an extended period of time makes her neural map less cohesive - but she fights getting “fixed” because she knows the potential side effects could be worse, and she still sees herself as whole. Throughout this final installment we have a character that others perceive as damaged, and yet from her own perspective, we see Naira both struggle and embrace who she has become.
Look, I cried a lot, and that’s worth five stars in and of itself. This book isn’t perfect (in my opinion, book two, The Fractured Dark, actually is perfect), but it does everything emotional that I wanted it to. I suspect those reading for the romance may love this more than those reading for science fiction tropes. I’m looking forward to a reread when this comes out on audiobook, and Tarquin and Naira will live rent free in my head for years to come.
Thank you to Orbit for an eARC for review. The Bound Worlds is out 6/25/24.
This review contains spoilers for books one and two, but not for book three.
Tarquin and Naira know that every day they have is borrowed time. Naira’s map is cracked after being double printed, and she starts to have terrible visions of the future. Canus is assimilating whole populations of traditionally printed people. Amarthrite, the safer mineral, is in much shorter supply. Lines and alliances are crossed, and trust is hard to come by. On top of this, there’s a new problem: the universe is expanding at an accelerated rate, and it’s intrinsically tied to some of the maps.
The final installment of the Devoured Worlds trilogy takes us to new emotional depths: Megan E O’Keefe dials up the angst meter (for historical romance readers, we’re talking Meredith Duran level angst for the first half of the book). O’Keefe is simultaneously working on multiple levels of development with plot, character, and worldbuilding. Her character development is impressive, giving main and side characters room to grow over three books, to continue to make mistakes, change their minds, betray each other, and fight for what they believe. Everything about the romance and the character development is absolutely top tier. Reading this for Naira and Tarquin, Kav, Kuma, Cass, Fletcher, and all of our other favorites and enemies, the book is a true five star experience.
It’s the mark of good worldbuilding that the writer still has room to expand their world in a third book, particularly when it ties meaningfully into our previous knowledge of the universe. That said, the literal expansion of the universe as worldbuilding and plot device was completely unexpected. As worldbuilding, I might have preferred hints of this in an earlier book to convince me of the necessity of the plot for the third book. The shift wasn’t entirely unwelcome, but it was unexpected, and made the trilogy feel less complete in some ways.
O’Keefe is tackling a lot of concepts again in this book, but the most important one may be that of Naira’s character. She’s cracked - the double printing for an extended period of time makes her neural map less cohesive - but she fights getting “fixed” because she knows the potential side effects could be worse, and she still sees herself as whole. Throughout this final installment we have a character that others perceive as damaged, and yet from her own perspective, we see Naira both struggle and embrace who she has become.
Look, I cried a lot, and that’s worth five stars in and of itself. This book isn’t perfect (in my opinion, book two, The Fractured Dark, actually is perfect), but it does everything emotional that I wanted it to. I suspect those reading for the romance may love this more than those reading for science fiction tropes. I’m looking forward to a reread when this comes out on audiobook, and Tarquin and Naira will live rent free in my head for years to come.
Thank you to Orbit for an eARC for review. The Bound Worlds is out 6/25/24.
July 22, 2024
famously don’t like time travel, but this was a pretty darn satisfying conclusion. tarquin and naira will go
down as one of my fave fictional couples.
down as one of my fave fictional couples.
July 14, 2024
i'm going to need a whole business month to recover from how emotional this book made me
December 29, 2023
I can't honestly remember the last time I rated an entire book series five stars, but that's exactly what I'm giving it. I stayed up until 4am to read through the climax because I physically couldn't stop, so I'm a bit punchy. Therefore, I'll simply leave you with this post here. Oh, and let me just say FUCK YES for demisexual Cass rights. That was fucking lovely.
Anyway, this series was exactly what I needed this year to battle my own personal canus. I'll leave it at that.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Hatchette for the eARC. A proper review is coming when I don't have to concentrate on spelling correctly.
Anyway, this series was exactly what I needed this year to battle my own personal canus. I'll leave it at that.
Thank you to Edelweiss and Hatchette for the eARC. A proper review is coming when I don't have to concentrate on spelling correctly.
March 2, 2024
megan folio you will pay for the emotional turmoil you put me through!! As unpredictable and expertly written as ever - this book is a dark final installment in a stellar trilogy. I am impressed with folio’s ability to constantly up the stakes and while I didn’t always understand everything about the science the plot had me hooked all the way through. This is no soft landing - more of a gut punch. But the kind you’ll appreciate as a reader
ps I still have some lingering questions and do wish we’d gotten more character moments but overall I’m very satisfied
ps I still have some lingering questions and do wish we’d gotten more character moments but overall I’m very satisfied
June 18, 2024
4.5*
This is a really strong finale to a great series overall. In this conclusion, the stakes are higher than ever, especially for our main characters, but also, for the entirety of humanity. They keep finding out things that prove their situation to be more and more dire- and preventing it will inevitably cost someone, or multiple someones, their lives. I thought that especially in this book, the pacing was great. I was never bored, and always on the edge of my seat.
The characters were, as always, very well developed. I think even more than ever, their relationships with each other played a huge role in the story. Who to trust was akin to literal life or death, so their relationships were so important to the plot. The romance was not the focus, which I appreciated, but it was still present. I was honestly quite impressed that the author was able to have an active relationship between main characters that didn't at all weigh down the book. For me personally, that is a rare feat. Also because of the well developed characters and relationships, the emotional stakes for the reader was equally high, and the author delivered on that front, too!
My only qualm, and my only real qualm with the series really, is that I didn't ever fully get a grasp of the worlds- like, I could never quite picture the "cradles" and such. I think because of that, I had a wee bit of trouble understanding what was going on with Naira a few times, but this is really not a huge complaint. There were a lot of great twists to the story, and a lot of stuff I never saw coming. All in all, this was an excellent conclusion, and I finished the series very satisfied.
Bottom Line: We just love when a series finale nails the landing.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
This is a really strong finale to a great series overall. In this conclusion, the stakes are higher than ever, especially for our main characters, but also, for the entirety of humanity. They keep finding out things that prove their situation to be more and more dire- and preventing it will inevitably cost someone, or multiple someones, their lives. I thought that especially in this book, the pacing was great. I was never bored, and always on the edge of my seat.
The characters were, as always, very well developed. I think even more than ever, their relationships with each other played a huge role in the story. Who to trust was akin to literal life or death, so their relationships were so important to the plot. The romance was not the focus, which I appreciated, but it was still present. I was honestly quite impressed that the author was able to have an active relationship between main characters that didn't at all weigh down the book. For me personally, that is a rare feat. Also because of the well developed characters and relationships, the emotional stakes for the reader was equally high, and the author delivered on that front, too!
My only qualm, and my only real qualm with the series really, is that I didn't ever fully get a grasp of the worlds- like, I could never quite picture the "cradles" and such. I think because of that, I had a wee bit of trouble understanding what was going on with Naira a few times, but this is really not a huge complaint. There were a lot of great twists to the story, and a lot of stuff I never saw coming. All in all, this was an excellent conclusion, and I finished the series very satisfied.
Bottom Line: We just love when a series finale nails the landing.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
June 24, 2024
First of all, Disney needs to call Megan O'Keefe to write Ben Solo's atonement story. Wow! I am in awe with what she did with one of my favorite villains.
The Bound Worlds is the third and final book in the Devoured Worlds trilogy and O'Keefe took a different turn than I expected. We get a new threat that challenges Tarquin and Naira both as individuals and as a couple. From the very beginning, this final installment seemed more character driven than the other two and while the plot points helped hold the story together, it felt more like an afterthought. The political power structure seemed less involved and Tarquin's issues with being the head of a system he loathes took a backseat to the new problem he faced. O'Keefe kept the tension up and since this book is not a romance and there is no guaranteed HEA, I was on the edge of my seat and read this book in two sessions. The science fiction became more science fantasy and this may bother some readers who want their sci-fi to be more concrete. The world building aspects were still there, but not as heavy as they were in books 1 and 2 and while this book is still overall 5 stars, I would have liked to see more of canus, the relkatite supply issues, the underlying class caste system, etc. They aren't issues that can be resolved, but I'd love to see O'Keefe continue exploring this world even as we leave Tarquin, Naira, and their friends behind.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the arc for review purposes.
The Bound Worlds is the third and final book in the Devoured Worlds trilogy and O'Keefe took a different turn than I expected. We get a new threat that challenges Tarquin and Naira both as individuals and as a couple. From the very beginning, this final installment seemed more character driven than the other two and while the plot points helped hold the story together, it felt more like an afterthought. The political power structure seemed less involved and Tarquin's issues with being the head of a system he loathes took a backseat to the new problem he faced. O'Keefe kept the tension up and since this book is not a romance and there is no guaranteed HEA, I was on the edge of my seat and read this book in two sessions. The science fiction became more science fantasy and this may bother some readers who want their sci-fi to be more concrete. The world building aspects were still there, but not as heavy as they were in books 1 and 2 and while this book is still overall 5 stars, I would have liked to see more of canus, the relkatite supply issues, the underlying class caste system, etc. They aren't issues that can be resolved, but I'd love to see O'Keefe continue exploring this world even as we leave Tarquin, Naira, and their friends behind.
Thank you to Netgalley and Orbit Books for the arc for review purposes.
May 16, 2024
3-3.5 stars
June 30, 2024
Attempting to express what O’Keefe does with this series is impossible. But of course, I will try. The Bounds Worlds is book 3 in her The Devoured Worlds series. This is sci-fi with a major romance subplot and you must start from book 1. Since I am first and foremost a romance fan you’ll hear most about the relationship arc from me but I think it’s important to focus on a few other themes first:
Climate change: the worlds are actually being devoured by an infection caused by human hubris
Death/grief/afterlife: humans are reprinted into new bodies after death but eventually either the money or the mind runs out and those left behind are forced to finally face their grief.
Class: the class structure permeates every part of this series. It’s critical to character development, government structure, science, and war.
AI: there is a significant reliance on AI in this world with both positive and supremely disastrous consequences.
Gender: because of the reprinting system, many people (including a MC) are able to live in the bodies they choose. The cost is not insignificant which brings the series back to class issue.
And now for the romance. The love story between Tarquin and Naira is epic. They are enemies and then lovers. There are secret identities that allow them to see beyond their differences. They are from distinctly different classes. Naira (she is so badass) is a soldier who rose in the ranks to the top. Tarquin is at the top of the elites because of the family he was born into. There are miscommunications and massive mistakes. Tarquin has to learn to love and care for Naira without using his power and money to erase her past. Naira has to learn to let herself be loved while recovering from extensive trauma.
Naira and Tarquin build each other up, tell each other the truth, lead progressively, fight against those resisting progress, make the ultimate sacrifices to keep their people safe, and so move their friends with their love that they are able to find their way back to each other again.
I can’t say enough good things about this series (especially the audio) and cannot wait to reread all 3.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc.
Climate change: the worlds are actually being devoured by an infection caused by human hubris
Death/grief/afterlife: humans are reprinted into new bodies after death but eventually either the money or the mind runs out and those left behind are forced to finally face their grief.
Class: the class structure permeates every part of this series. It’s critical to character development, government structure, science, and war.
AI: there is a significant reliance on AI in this world with both positive and supremely disastrous consequences.
Gender: because of the reprinting system, many people (including a MC) are able to live in the bodies they choose. The cost is not insignificant which brings the series back to class issue.
And now for the romance. The love story between Tarquin and Naira is epic. They are enemies and then lovers. There are secret identities that allow them to see beyond their differences. They are from distinctly different classes. Naira (she is so badass) is a soldier who rose in the ranks to the top. Tarquin is at the top of the elites because of the family he was born into. There are miscommunications and massive mistakes. Tarquin has to learn to love and care for Naira without using his power and money to erase her past. Naira has to learn to let herself be loved while recovering from extensive trauma.
Naira and Tarquin build each other up, tell each other the truth, lead progressively, fight against those resisting progress, make the ultimate sacrifices to keep their people safe, and so move their friends with their love that they are able to find their way back to each other again.
I can’t say enough good things about this series (especially the audio) and cannot wait to reread all 3.
Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this arc.
July 5, 2024
This book was a doozy. I was really excited for it, and then I felt like it decided to go in different directions that were hard to follow.
We were dealing with politics and power, and a practically sentient fungal invasion of horrifying proportions, and prints and neural maps cracking and all that. And then it basically boiled down to man vs man, but also suddenly the sudden expansion of space and fucking time jumping/casting??? What??? Suddenly we're dealing with future Naira and a future where Tarquin does horrible awful experiments. And there's no timeline apparently where he doesn't do it or at least if he doesn't do it everyone dies or whatever. It's hard to follow.
Also, the two characters for a time are forced apart and while it's not great it felt like the entire chunk was just constantly making the other character angry at each other. To the point that it wasn't fun to read about your characters thinking awful of each other.
I love Naira and Tarquin deeply, and I loved the side characters. This book did make me forgive and enjoy Fletcher too! But basically the world was saved because um a kid told the World what was in the river and Naira was mad. I actually thought perhaps it was a very unique way it was going when Naira was struggling against not having anything to FIGHT or do, when it seemed like science would have to save the world. But no.
Also, the canus problem isn't fixed which is yes a hit realistic because how could you solve such a huge deep problem but it's in an AI ship (trapped maybe somehow???) and everyone just seems oddly okay by it??
I did completely SOB when Tarquin was cracked and Lee Cadwaller rocking his body like 😭😭😭😭😭😭 and Naira going FURY MODE because you really fucked up because she's got nothing to lose. But yeah, this book just felt like major flop to me.
But I am so happy Fletcher was able to uncrack Tarquin and bring him back. And Tarquin and Naira can live happily ever after.
We were dealing with politics and power, and a practically sentient fungal invasion of horrifying proportions, and prints and neural maps cracking and all that. And then it basically boiled down to man vs man, but also suddenly the sudden expansion of space and fucking time jumping/casting??? What??? Suddenly we're dealing with future Naira and a future where Tarquin does horrible awful experiments. And there's no timeline apparently where he doesn't do it or at least if he doesn't do it everyone dies or whatever. It's hard to follow.
Also, the two characters for a time are forced apart and while it's not great it felt like the entire chunk was just constantly making the other character angry at each other. To the point that it wasn't fun to read about your characters thinking awful of each other.
I love Naira and Tarquin deeply, and I loved the side characters. This book did make me forgive and enjoy Fletcher too! But basically the world was saved because um a kid told the World what was in the river and Naira was mad. I actually thought perhaps it was a very unique way it was going when Naira was struggling against not having anything to FIGHT or do, when it seemed like science would have to save the world. But no.
Also, the canus problem isn't fixed which is yes a hit realistic because how could you solve such a huge deep problem but it's in an AI ship (trapped maybe somehow???) and everyone just seems oddly okay by it??
I did completely SOB when Tarquin was cracked and Lee Cadwaller rocking his body like 😭😭😭😭😭😭 and Naira going FURY MODE because you really fucked up because she's got nothing to lose. But yeah, this book just felt like major flop to me.
But I am so happy Fletcher was able to uncrack Tarquin and bring him back. And Tarquin and Naira can live happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 20, 2024
The Bound Worlds by Megan O'Keefe
5⭐
I don't care if I give five stars "too much". When a book is good it's good. And the Blighted Worlds series is so dang good. The conclusion to a great sci-fi. This space opera has me invested in so many people from all over the universe.
One thing that really struck me in this series was the redemption arcs. When ones nature is not always defined by a single action.
Read this series if you love snark, gritty perseverance, love stories, and space.
5⭐
I don't care if I give five stars "too much". When a book is good it's good. And the Blighted Worlds series is so dang good. The conclusion to a great sci-fi. This space opera has me invested in so many people from all over the universe.
One thing that really struck me in this series was the redemption arcs. When ones nature is not always defined by a single action.
Read this series if you love snark, gritty perseverance, love stories, and space.
June 30, 2024
crying screaming throwing up i spent the last 20% crying and this is one of the best series i've read in 2024 and has quickly cemented itself as one of my favorite series in general
July 14, 2024
Posso dire di avere una nuova trilogia preferita.
Un finale degno di questa trilogia e assolutamente IMPREVISTO. Tutti i miei pronostici sono stati ribaltati, e questo mi tenuta sulle spine per tutta la lettura perchè davvero non avevo idea in quale direzione stesse andando il libro.
Ora che la trilogia è finita, posso tirare le somme e fare alcune considerazioni.
Prima di tutto, la scrittura. Che cosa posso dire, adrenalinica. Non sono solo gli eventi, ma è proprio lo stile di questa scrittrice a essere trascinante, non annoia mai anche quando ci sono quei momenti in cui apparentemente non succede nulla. E infatti è solo apparenza, perchè la mole di informazioni che vengono date in questi momenti è enorme, ma non mi sono mai sentita sopraffatta e incredibilmente, anche se sul momento non ci ho fatto caso o pensavo di averle rimosse, quando diventa necessario ricordarsene mi tornavano subito alla mente. Non so se sia anche perché (per fortuna) ho una certa memoria visiva e comunque raramente dimentico quello che leggo (a meno che quella cosa non susciti il mio interesse), ma posso dire di non essermi mai sentita disorientata.
Secondo: le tematiche. Non è uno space opera, i viaggi spaziali (pochi) non sono il fulcro della storia e gli scontri sono effettivamente molto meno di quanto sembri.
In questo volume finale tutti i nodi vengono al pettine. Lo sfruttamento delle risorse si presenta come IL problema fin dal primo volume, ed è proprio questo a creare a cascata tutti gli altri. L'estrazione della rekalkite per la salvezza dell'umanità che a sua volta ha già distrutto il suo habitat ed è come al solito bravissima a sabotarsi da sola. La minaccia di una forma di vita esterna è senz'altro reale, ma come avevo sperato non assume i connotati del nemico mortale e monolitico versus il povero genere umano. Le vere battaglie rimangono sempre interne all'umanità.
La questione dell'individualità/comunità qui si presenta in modo molto più forte. Ho apprezzato gli intermezzi di "un" dato personaggio e personalmente avrei preferito che fosse più presente. I dubbi che Naira aveva mostrato nel secondo non si risolvono in maniera netta, e lo trovo giusto così, perché si tratta di questioni etiche e filosofiche a cui non può esistere una risposta univoca. La profondità sta proprio nelle domande, non nelle risposte, semplici e tagliate con l'accetta.
Inoltre, in questo volume le teorie e i termini scientifici sono aumentati considerevolmente. Espansione dell'universo, teorie delle stringhe, fisica, psicologia. Da persona che non conosce quasi nulla di scienza, leggere qualcosa di così impegnativo in una lingua straniera (e per me sarebbe complicato anche in italiano) potrebbe essere insidioso se la bravura dell'autrice non li rendesse così digeribili e comprensibili anche a una povera disgraziata come me.
Terzo: i personaggi.
Naira Sharp, vorrei sposarti. In alternativa, semplicemente abbracciarti. Un personaggio dal carattere complicato e sfaccettato, ma quello che apprezzo di lei è che non fa la dura tanto perché fa figo. Le sue reazioni, però, sono in linea con il suo carattere, i suoi trascorsi e il suo addestramento. La violenza di cui è capace può lasciare di stucco, ma non l'ho mai trovata fuori posto nè, soprattutto, immotivata. L'autrice non cade nella trappola del "la violenza è sempre sbagliata", né per Naira né per altri personaggi, cosa che sarebbe potuta essere piuttosto facile in alcune circostanze.
Dopo il secondo volume avevo un po' temuto che nel terzo Naira sarebbe stata ridimensionata, ma ero completamente fuori strada, e il modo in cui l'autrice me lo ha sbattuto in faccia è stato traumatico. Devo imparare a non fare troppi pronostici, tanto non li indovino.
Il legame tra Naira e Tarquin mi ha convinta di più rispetto agli altri due volumi, ma non posso dire altro per spoiler.
Quarto: la storia.
OMFG.
Non riesco ancora a processare quello che ho letto dopo 12 giorni. L'autrice è riuscita non solo a ribaltare le mie aspettative, ma mi ha attirata in una trappola. Già la prima parte è stata dolorosa, e partire con l'acceleratore dal punto di vista emozionale può essere rischioso perché la posta in gioco deve alzarsi sempre di più. Ma quello che O'Keefe ha fatto con la seconda parte è stato DEVASTANTE. Statico, all'inizio, ma solo in apparenza, perché ogni capitolo era una coltellata al rallentatore.
Questa trilogia e questi personaggi meriterebbero una valanga di fanart. Non è giusto che in giro non si trovi niente e che solo in pochi ne parlino, HO BISOGNO DEL POSTER DI NAIRA IN ARMATURA.
Un finale degno di questa trilogia e assolutamente IMPREVISTO. Tutti i miei pronostici sono stati ribaltati, e questo mi tenuta sulle spine per tutta la lettura perchè davvero non avevo idea in quale direzione stesse andando il libro.
Ora che la trilogia è finita, posso tirare le somme e fare alcune considerazioni.
Prima di tutto, la scrittura. Che cosa posso dire, adrenalinica. Non sono solo gli eventi, ma è proprio lo stile di questa scrittrice a essere trascinante, non annoia mai anche quando ci sono quei momenti in cui apparentemente non succede nulla. E infatti è solo apparenza, perchè la mole di informazioni che vengono date in questi momenti è enorme, ma non mi sono mai sentita sopraffatta e incredibilmente, anche se sul momento non ci ho fatto caso o pensavo di averle rimosse, quando diventa necessario ricordarsene mi tornavano subito alla mente. Non so se sia anche perché (per fortuna) ho una certa memoria visiva e comunque raramente dimentico quello che leggo (a meno che quella cosa non susciti il mio interesse), ma posso dire di non essermi mai sentita disorientata.
Secondo: le tematiche. Non è uno space opera, i viaggi spaziali (pochi) non sono il fulcro della storia e gli scontri sono effettivamente molto meno di quanto sembri.
In questo volume finale tutti i nodi vengono al pettine. Lo sfruttamento delle risorse si presenta come IL problema fin dal primo volume, ed è proprio questo a creare a cascata tutti gli altri. L'estrazione della rekalkite per la salvezza dell'umanità che a sua volta ha già distrutto il suo habitat ed è come al solito bravissima a sabotarsi da sola. La minaccia di una forma di vita esterna è senz'altro reale, ma come avevo sperato non assume i connotati del nemico mortale e monolitico versus il povero genere umano. Le vere battaglie rimangono sempre interne all'umanità.
La questione dell'individualità/comunità qui si presenta in modo molto più forte. Ho apprezzato gli intermezzi di "un" dato personaggio e personalmente avrei preferito che fosse più presente. I dubbi che Naira aveva mostrato nel secondo non si risolvono in maniera netta, e lo trovo giusto così, perché si tratta di questioni etiche e filosofiche a cui non può esistere una risposta univoca. La profondità sta proprio nelle domande, non nelle risposte, semplici e tagliate con l'accetta.
Inoltre, in questo volume le teorie e i termini scientifici sono aumentati considerevolmente. Espansione dell'universo, teorie delle stringhe, fisica, psicologia. Da persona che non conosce quasi nulla di scienza, leggere qualcosa di così impegnativo in una lingua straniera (e per me sarebbe complicato anche in italiano) potrebbe essere insidioso se la bravura dell'autrice non li rendesse così digeribili e comprensibili anche a una povera disgraziata come me.
Terzo: i personaggi.
Naira Sharp, vorrei sposarti. In alternativa, semplicemente abbracciarti. Un personaggio dal carattere complicato e sfaccettato, ma quello che apprezzo di lei è che non fa la dura tanto perché fa figo. Le sue reazioni, però, sono in linea con il suo carattere, i suoi trascorsi e il suo addestramento. La violenza di cui è capace può lasciare di stucco, ma non l'ho mai trovata fuori posto nè, soprattutto, immotivata. L'autrice non cade nella trappola del "la violenza è sempre sbagliata", né per Naira né per altri personaggi, cosa che sarebbe potuta essere piuttosto facile in alcune circostanze.
Dopo il secondo volume avevo un po' temuto che nel terzo Naira sarebbe stata ridimensionata, ma ero completamente fuori strada, e il modo in cui l'autrice me lo ha sbattuto in faccia è stato traumatico. Devo imparare a non fare troppi pronostici, tanto non li indovino.
Il legame tra Naira e Tarquin mi ha convinta di più rispetto agli altri due volumi, ma non posso dire altro per spoiler.
Quarto: la storia.
OMFG.
Non riesco ancora a processare quello che ho letto dopo 12 giorni. L'autrice è riuscita non solo a ribaltare le mie aspettative, ma mi ha attirata in una trappola. Già la prima parte è stata dolorosa, e partire con l'acceleratore dal punto di vista emozionale può essere rischioso perché la posta in gioco deve alzarsi sempre di più. Ma quello che O'Keefe ha fatto con la seconda parte è stato DEVASTANTE. Statico, all'inizio, ma solo in apparenza, perché ogni capitolo era una coltellata al rallentatore.
Questa trilogia e questi personaggi meriterebbero una valanga di fanart. Non è giusto che in giro non si trovi niente e che solo in pochi ne parlino, HO BISOGNO DEL POSTER DI NAIRA IN ARMATURA.
July 17, 2024
The Bound Worlds was the much anticipated conclusion to one of my favorite series in SFF. The science and societal structure O’Keefe created had me fascinated from the beginning of the first book and I was extremely eager to see how she would finish out this trilogy that I have come to love so much.
While this did turn out to be my least favorite book of the three, that isn’t actually a big criticism and in no way a reason not to pick this series up because it was still a great book that took me off guard so many times with its twists and turns. The biggest of them being: XXXX.
I can’t actually tell you because that would be such a terrible thing to spoil. BUT HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND ON XXXX. I’m worried that’s already too much but I can’t not say anything!
The struggle with this book was that it used one of my least favorite tropes in SFF. While O’Keefe managed to put a really cool spin on it that I haven’t seen like this before, I was still a bit apprehensive at times. And for once, I actually wanted more details for this trope in regard to the potentials it hinted at. I think that would’ve worked up the tension and danger a lot more. But I still liked the additional drama and potential complications it added to the story. It was great that this wasn’t just a big easy fix for everything.
From a societal standpoint, I love that things really came to a head here. Ethical limits were hurdled over, the savagery heightened, loyalties were questioned, unlikely alliances forged, and trust destroyed. The cruelty of some apparently knew no bounds. All these things lead to an emotional intensity that felt incredible through much of the book.
Something I really liked before was that the author knew how to make me uncomfortable with her creations. She once again figured out how to do that here, not in a horror-ish way, but by pushing her narrative decisions in a direction far from the rest of this story at times. It was done in a really cool but sometimes unsettling way.
While I can’t say that I completely understood all the scientific aspects of the explanations, I still enjoyed their inclusion since that was something that’s worked really well for the other books too. It allowed for a badass and interesting conclusion to multiple aspects of the conflicts. Some things weren’t addressed in as much detail as I would’ve liked towards the end but overall it felt pretty satisfying.
So overall, this was still a really good book and a cool conclusion to an amazing series. I loved the emotional turmoil, the constant danger, the nods to mental health, and the badass ending to the conflict. While I usually am not a big fan of cheesy endings, I do think that was done well here also in more ways than one. It really put my heart at ease for some of these characters and showed that true love knows no bounds.
While this did turn out to be my least favorite book of the three, that isn’t actually a big criticism and in no way a reason not to pick this series up because it was still a great book that took me off guard so many times with its twists and turns. The biggest of them being: XXXX.
I can’t actually tell you because that would be such a terrible thing to spoil. BUT HOW DARE YOU MAKE ME CHANGE MY MIND ON XXXX. I’m worried that’s already too much but I can’t not say anything!
The struggle with this book was that it used one of my least favorite tropes in SFF. While O’Keefe managed to put a really cool spin on it that I haven’t seen like this before, I was still a bit apprehensive at times. And for once, I actually wanted more details for this trope in regard to the potentials it hinted at. I think that would’ve worked up the tension and danger a lot more. But I still liked the additional drama and potential complications it added to the story. It was great that this wasn’t just a big easy fix for everything.
From a societal standpoint, I love that things really came to a head here. Ethical limits were hurdled over, the savagery heightened, loyalties were questioned, unlikely alliances forged, and trust destroyed. The cruelty of some apparently knew no bounds. All these things lead to an emotional intensity that felt incredible through much of the book.
Something I really liked before was that the author knew how to make me uncomfortable with her creations. She once again figured out how to do that here, not in a horror-ish way, but by pushing her narrative decisions in a direction far from the rest of this story at times. It was done in a really cool but sometimes unsettling way.
While I can’t say that I completely understood all the scientific aspects of the explanations, I still enjoyed their inclusion since that was something that’s worked really well for the other books too. It allowed for a badass and interesting conclusion to multiple aspects of the conflicts. Some things weren’t addressed in as much detail as I would’ve liked towards the end but overall it felt pretty satisfying.
So overall, this was still a really good book and a cool conclusion to an amazing series. I loved the emotional turmoil, the constant danger, the nods to mental health, and the badass ending to the conflict. While I usually am not a big fan of cheesy endings, I do think that was done well here also in more ways than one. It really put my heart at ease for some of these characters and showed that true love knows no bounds.
July 29, 2024
Thank you Orbit and NetGalley for this eARC
I really loved the first 2 books but this conclusion to the trilogy felt like it dragged on and on and on. I ended up soft DNFing when I was about 30% in and had zero motivation to pick it up again. Alas, I finally did but needed the audiobook to help get through it.
Where The Fractured Dark expanded the world and heightened the stakes, The Bound Worlds returns to a very narrow narrative which worked exceptionally in book 1, but book 3 also changes the overall antagonist back to someone that ultimately made it feel lackluster.
Another big aspect I really loved about the first 2 books was the romance and how Megan O'Keefe was able to masterfully balance it with the plot. Whereas the romance in this 3rd book was too overdone in my opinion. A lot of the plot took a backseat to Naira and Tarquin's relationship, which would be fine if it didn't feel so repetitive and exhausting.
I used to be hesitant of the concept of mind mapping at first but was impressed with O'Keefe creating consequences for it and it not being a complete get out of jail free card. Yet, all of that is thrown out the window in this last book and the characters are constantly finding convenient solutions to avoid those consequences. So all of the stakes and tension that were created in book 2 end up dissolving in this final book. There's also a some time travel which is honestly a trope that is so hard to do well and felt like it was forced into the book and didn't have much of an actual impact.
I'm also usually such a sucker for a redemption arc but it just didn't work for me here. It didn't feel deserved at all and the book was more so telling us we were supposed to like them again instead of actually showing us.
Overall it's not a bad book but just such a disappointing ending to what I thought was going to be a new all time favorite series. I still am very excited to read more books by Megan O'Keefe and see what she comes up with next!
I really loved the first 2 books but this conclusion to the trilogy felt like it dragged on and on and on. I ended up soft DNFing when I was about 30% in and had zero motivation to pick it up again. Alas, I finally did but needed the audiobook to help get through it.
Where The Fractured Dark expanded the world and heightened the stakes, The Bound Worlds returns to a very narrow narrative which worked exceptionally in book 1, but book 3 also changes the overall antagonist back to someone that ultimately made it feel lackluster.
Another big aspect I really loved about the first 2 books was the romance and how Megan O'Keefe was able to masterfully balance it with the plot. Whereas the romance in this 3rd book was too overdone in my opinion. A lot of the plot took a backseat to Naira and Tarquin's relationship, which would be fine if it didn't feel so repetitive and exhausting.
I used to be hesitant of the concept of mind mapping at first but was impressed with O'Keefe creating consequences for it and it not being a complete get out of jail free card. Yet, all of that is thrown out the window in this last book and the characters are constantly finding convenient solutions to avoid those consequences. So all of the stakes and tension that were created in book 2 end up dissolving in this final book. There's also a some time travel which is honestly a trope that is so hard to do well and felt like it was forced into the book and didn't have much of an actual impact.
I'm also usually such a sucker for a redemption arc but it just didn't work for me here. It didn't feel deserved at all and the book was more so telling us we were supposed to like them again instead of actually showing us.
Overall it's not a bad book but just such a disappointing ending to what I thought was going to be a new all time favorite series. I still am very excited to read more books by Megan O'Keefe and see what she comes up with next!
June 25, 2024
4.5 stars.
Author Megan E. O'Keefe concludes her "The Devoured Worlds" trilogy wonderfully. If you have not read the first two books, then stop here, read those, and come back, because I will be mentioning certain plot points that occurred in books two and three so that my comments on this book have some context.
Done?
Here goes.
When we left the characters in book 2, Jonsun was continuing with his plans to destroy the MERIT families' choke hold on well, everything, Naira is holding on, mostly by threads, to her self after what Jonsun did to her in the previous book, Tarquin is continuing to do his best to lead Mercator interests and find more amarthite.
Though the amarthite crisis continues in book 3, Tarquin finds his efforts at building more equitable and harmonious relationships derailed by other MERIT families blackmailing Mercator for more amarthite.
Then, if that wasn't bad enough, one of Tarquin's scientists discovers that something is causing the universe, which has already been expanding forever, to speed up in its expansion. This affects everything that human society is based on: transportation, communication, agriculture, etc., meaning, park every other problem, figure this out.
Canus makes a reappearance, and they are actually even more creepy (how is this even possible?? but O'Keefe does it) when they begin making new demands, which Naira heads out to deal with. But she doesn't make it home, and is instead captured, and kept in check by threats to Kuma's and Kav's lives.
O'Keefe has been giving us Naira's and Tarquin's PoVs in each book, and she does it again, as each character must deal with so many threats, while trying to find some their way back together. The pacing never lets up, and even though I found the whole universe-wrecking threat (its cause and fixing) hard to swallow, I loved everything else about this final instalment. So much peril, so many class-based misunderstandings, so much physical and mental pain overcome by Naira, so many instances when I thought surely things will get fixed now and Naira and Tarquin can reunite, but then yet another calamity or violence would ensue, and I was kept reading frantically, as O'Keefe carefully, but very capably, tied up loose ends and answered questions, injecting much needed gallows-humour and genuinely touching moments throughout.
And then the last few chapters left me a wreck and in tears, but also totally satisfied in how things were wrapped up.
Some random thoughts:
-Though Tarquin occasionally irritated me over the trilogy, I deeply appreciated how he kept trying to get past his privilege and do better, and be kinder.
-Helms and Ward are great in how they support Naira.
-Kav Ayuba and Caldweller are wonderful.
-I felt a little fondness for Fletcher in this book, something I never expected to feel.
-The standout character in this book, and this trilogy, for me is, unsurprisingly, Naira, in all her compassion, kindness, pragmatism, and ass-kicking glory, who'll go past all her limits, despite her chronic pain, to protect those who need it. She's been wonderful to get to know and to root for, and thank you Megan E. O'Keefe for creating her.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Book for this ARC in exchange for my review.
Author Megan E. O'Keefe concludes her "The Devoured Worlds" trilogy wonderfully. If you have not read the first two books, then stop here, read those, and come back, because I will be mentioning certain plot points that occurred in books two and three so that my comments on this book have some context.
Done?
Here goes.
When we left the characters in book 2, Jonsun was continuing with his plans to destroy the MERIT families' choke hold on well, everything, Naira is holding on, mostly by threads, to her self after what Jonsun did to her in the previous book, Tarquin is continuing to do his best to lead Mercator interests and find more amarthite.
Though the amarthite crisis continues in book 3, Tarquin finds his efforts at building more equitable and harmonious relationships derailed by other MERIT families blackmailing Mercator for more amarthite.
Then, if that wasn't bad enough, one of Tarquin's scientists discovers that something is causing the universe, which has already been expanding forever, to speed up in its expansion. This affects everything that human society is based on: transportation, communication, agriculture, etc., meaning, park every other problem, figure this out.
Canus makes a reappearance, and they are actually even more creepy (how is this even possible?? but O'Keefe does it) when they begin making new demands, which Naira heads out to deal with. But she doesn't make it home, and is instead captured, and kept in check by threats to Kuma's and Kav's lives.
O'Keefe has been giving us Naira's and Tarquin's PoVs in each book, and she does it again, as each character must deal with so many threats, while trying to find some their way back together. The pacing never lets up, and even though I found the whole universe-wrecking threat (its cause and fixing) hard to swallow, I loved everything else about this final instalment. So much peril, so many class-based misunderstandings, so much physical and mental pain overcome by Naira, so many instances when I thought surely things will get fixed now and Naira and Tarquin can reunite, but then yet another calamity or violence would ensue, and I was kept reading frantically, as O'Keefe carefully, but very capably, tied up loose ends and answered questions, injecting much needed gallows-humour and genuinely touching moments throughout.
And then the last few chapters left me a wreck and in tears, but also totally satisfied in how things were wrapped up.
Some random thoughts:
-Though Tarquin occasionally irritated me over the trilogy, I deeply appreciated how he kept trying to get past his privilege and do better, and be kinder.
-Helms and Ward are great in how they support Naira.
-Kav Ayuba and Caldweller are wonderful.
-I felt a little fondness for Fletcher in this book, something I never expected to feel.
-The standout character in this book, and this trilogy, for me is, unsurprisingly, Naira, in all her compassion, kindness, pragmatism, and ass-kicking glory, who'll go past all her limits, despite her chronic pain, to protect those who need it. She's been wonderful to get to know and to root for, and thank you Megan E. O'Keefe for creating her.
Thank you to Netgalley and to Orbit Book for this ARC in exchange for my review.
September 1, 2024
4.5 rounded up
I'm sad this journey is over. The culmination of this series leaves you constantly wondering who is on what side, and more importantly, which side is in fact the good side? Then it wraps up and everything is answered for us, some happy endings and some not so. There's not weird plot holes and the layers of why and how Megan O'Keefe wrote this trilogy keep unraveling. My brain can't even comprehend how.
I enjoyed my time with these characters and the way each character introduced added to the story in some way. The nuance given to the main characters was well done and the romance piece was heartbreaking in the best of ways. There is excellent representation throughout this book. I appreciate that no matter what print (aka body) the characters are in, they are exactly themselves. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.
This could very well be a movie, it has every element of a sci-fi/action movie that could be a blockbuster hit. Excellent banter, action, characters you care about, some mind fuckery, etc.
Final note: read the Devoured Worlds Trilogy
Naira Sharp is a badass. I am a Kav STAN. The end.
I'm sad this journey is over. The culmination of this series leaves you constantly wondering who is on what side, and more importantly, which side is in fact the good side? Then it wraps up and everything is answered for us, some happy endings and some not so. There's not weird plot holes and the layers of why and how Megan O'Keefe wrote this trilogy keep unraveling. My brain can't even comprehend how.
I enjoyed my time with these characters and the way each character introduced added to the story in some way. The nuance given to the main characters was well done and the romance piece was heartbreaking in the best of ways. There is excellent representation throughout this book. I appreciate that no matter what print (aka body) the characters are in, they are exactly themselves. It made me feel warm and fuzzy.
This could very well be a movie, it has every element of a sci-fi/action movie that could be a blockbuster hit. Excellent banter, action, characters you care about, some mind fuckery, etc.
Final note: read the Devoured Worlds Trilogy
Naira Sharp is a badass. I am a Kav STAN. The end.
July 13, 2024
An epic conclusion that had me in tears at the end. Absolutely loved it!
August 19, 2024
6 STARS EASILY
Good lord what a series, perfectly capped off with an absolutely beautiful ending. The bound worlds did a perfect job at bringing together all the loose threads still left over from the past two books and wrapping them up with satisfying answers, while still pulling out gut-punching twists at the eleventh hour. Tarq and Nai will forever have my heart, forever obsessed with this series now.
Good lord what a series, perfectly capped off with an absolutely beautiful ending. The bound worlds did a perfect job at bringing together all the loose threads still left over from the past two books and wrapping them up with satisfying answers, while still pulling out gut-punching twists at the eleventh hour. Tarq and Nai will forever have my heart, forever obsessed with this series now.
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