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Mur Lafferty: Solo (Paperback, 2019, Del Rey) 4 stars

Young Han dreams of someday soaring into space at the helm of his own starship …

Review of 'Solo' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

Quite the ride. I loved the idea of this series, and was a bit disappointed when I discovered the two protagonists were the embodiments of barely-clued-in teenagers. Even at the end, when they've been post-human far longer (presumably) than not, they still dropped pop culture references and audibly fumbled with comprehension. They felt like archetypes, as if everything that happened to them, every change and realization and discovery, was like a thin coat of clear varnish on a garishly painted piece of wood; no amount of layering would obscure their base natures, which were apparently locked in at the moment of their deaths.

That said, I rather liked all the ensemble players. Free from the expansive backstory of Kate and Daniel, the rest of the characters were free to be static or dynamic without pretense, and played their roles with aplomb.

All told, I liked the series, and while I couldn't connect with the main characters, I certainly could enjoy their adventures.