A Big Ship at the Edge of the Universe

Although the beginning felt a little flat, and it took me a while to get past the inclusion of magic with the "hard" scifi elements, I'm glad I gave it a chance. Eventually, the story started to seem less formulaic, I came around to caring about the main characters, and I even started to enjoy the fact that when you've got magic in the mix, your space battles don't need to be so monochromatic. If you'd enjoy your space opera being a little gay and sparkly, give it a chance! Also, the ending of the story deals with political power and genocide, and has a satisfying denouement, so I wouldn't say it's pure fun romp. The writing of the action sequences is a particular strength of the author, I think.

I wasn't sure what to expect, but the mix of classic space opera and magic was weird. There were fun moments, some action and a few relatable characters, but the worldbuilding was lacking (when you can't say for sure if a place is a planet or a city at the end of a book, maybe something is missing). Some characters were flat, and it also felt like there were discrepancies, notably with the vilain(s), their goal and motivation.

Really wanted to enjoy this book, but was close to abandoning it multiple times. Characters are stiff and only 1 or 2 felt genuine. The author also believes that love at first site is the only way to establish relationships. It was not a good read, not worth investing the time.