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" Yes, yes. The 'worldbuilding' was nifty. I agree. But I need a bit more in the way of characterbuilding and plotbuilding and narrativebuilding to go along with all that. This served just fine for a quick & (mostly) shameless summer read, but it wasn't satisfying - and NOT in a way that means I'm itching to read the next book in the series, either. I have to say, I'm surprised at how positive some of these reviews are. "
- Susan, 2/13/2014
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" It's a grand world-building concept in the tradition of Ringworld and others. The hints of far-future we're given are tantalizing, but as with other hybrid retro/far-future SF I've read, I find myself wishing we'd see more far-future and less retro. It's an enjoyable ride, but despite owning the sequel I waited about a year before reading it. "
- Raja, 2/8/2014
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" This is the second Schroeder book I have read, and I think he might be my favorite contemporary SF writer. This book is a little hard to describe... It is essentially a semi-steampunk, pirate story set in a solar system sized balloon full of air with no gravity other than that you make. Its not terribly deep, more of a ripping yarn, but it was very fun. It is also the the first in a series. Good times. "
- J.B., 1/25/2014
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" Meh. A formulaic plot with the usual cast of characters. However, the believable blend between real-world physics, hard sci-fi elements, and a steampunk world made for an easy, entertaining read. "
- Jeremy, 1/22/2014
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" World-building lovliness. Quite a bit of action. Characters could have used a little more development. But a fast and entertaining read. "
- Ryan, 1/19/2014
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" Great fun! Explosively imaginative. "
- Charles, 12/18/2013
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" Ecco un altro autore di ottima fantascienza ignorato dagli editori italiani. Se Ian McDonald "
- Lbrt, 11/15/2013
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" A little soap opera-y at points, but interesting steam punk world building and good adventure. "
- Grillables, 10/22/2013
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" Fascinating science fiction with an amazing setting. The second book, "Queen of Candesce" was even better. "
- Annie, 9/17/2013
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" It's punk. I hate punk. "
- Darcy, 8/31/2013
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" This was a swashbuckling adventure in the classic tradition. A really fun read, furiously paced, couldn't put it down. The world-building was fabulous and the characters, although not what I would call "multi-faceted" were compelling. "
- Sebastian, 2/5/2012
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" Imaginative setting with an interesting, but a little uneven, story. "
- Josiah, 12/5/2011
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" fast-paced, interesting constructed world "
- Diana, 10/27/2011
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" I love these Virga stories more for the universe than anything else. Great stuff. "
- Rebecca, 9/4/2011
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" I love these Virga stories more for the universe than anything else. Great stuff.
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- Rebecca, 4/7/2011
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" This was a swashbuckling adventure in the classic tradition. A really fun read, furiously paced, couldn't put it down. The world-building was fabulous and the characters, although not what I would call "multi-faceted" were compelling.
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- Sebastian, 11/14/2010
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" Book #6 for 2010. I liked the story and its complex world. A lot of the characters and their interactions didn't quite ring true to me, though, and I found the ending rushed and unsatisfying. Still, I liked the book enough that I will probably read more Virga books.
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- Stina, 10/10/2010
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" Schroeder's worldbuilding is wildly inventive, and his attention to scientific detail is staggering. Unfortunately, the storytelling and characterization, while both strong at times, were uneven and left me feeling a little cold.
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- Seth, 6/25/2010
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" Took me a bit to get into the book. The more I read, the more I enjoyed it. Schroeder does an excellent job of building a unique world.
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- Kerry, 5/5/2010
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" I know from various SF blogs that there are plenty of people who loved this book. I am, sadly, not one of them. Bored silly, I gave up halfway through.
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- Heather, 3/9/2010
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" This one was disappointing. Flashes of inspiration were drowned out by ... well, everything from inconsistent contexts to out of character prose. Overall, I never bought into the premise. Parts were fun, but...
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- Steve, 1/10/2010
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" This was perfectly enjoyable as adventure stories go, it's true brilliance comes in the world-creation, this slip stream existence seems only to scratch the surface and paves the way nicely for the rest of the series, to find out what's outside the dome of Virga
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- Daniel, 12/30/2009
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