Sandy Gelpieryn

Very well thought out premise that made me rethink many prior ideas. Worth reading a few times to get all the nuance. Well worth the time to dedicate and feel like a great deal was learned. And that you can follow a gameplay that values the many over the few or the one. Solidarity over loneliness. Values over apathy or nihilism. Human rights over free market pipedreams and inequity so deep it’ll take centuries to pull it out. Health care. Basic income. Voting for every citizen. I want to live with freedom to live my values, with government taking taxes from billionaires to lift us all up. And lastly an education that’s quality and obsessed with truth. So we can all have the freedom to thrive.

This YA had an interesting premise and was well told. The audiobook version and wonderfully performed. However the plot had some pretty big logic gaps. The bad guys had a point, which is usually good and makes you think. But the situation of the way magicians are treated (including the MC) belies the argument of the heroes too much. If a peaceful situation was the intent and excuse for a rather breathtaking deception, then at a minimum we should see true respect between magicians and non magicians. The deception alone is still enough to ponder. But the outcome of it should have been better. Other than that, the world building is rich and the two MCs are cute and honest with each other leading to an organic romance that didn’t seem forced. A good read that could have reached excellence if a little better thought through.

Strong performances without a doubt. But it did feel long. And I think it would have helped to get to know the couple somewhat before the tragedy. Much is said about the birth scene for accuracy. But it was very long. Many couples fall apart after a tragedy. But the husband was abusive. Had he been before? It was hard to know. I felt glad he left due to that. I would have preferred more about Martha and her sister and mother since we didn’t get her relationship with her partner. They showed him working. Then not. She had an office or at least a desk. But mostly she wandered looking just this side of dazed. How did she live? Mom’s money? I thought parts were just intended to be eye candy. The film was gorgeous. The story was lacking.

My husband and I binged it over a week. Not many shows we both enjoy but this was one of them. Fantastic ensemble show, with fun new faces and familiar ones in new guises. The show definitely gets better as we learn more about each character's back story. My favorite part was that the sci-fi/horror never overpowered the human element of who these people were. It ends with potential for more so I hope there will be a season 2. But as it is, it's a good, scary sci-fi--that pays homage to past classics but offers a fresh spin with the human touch.