Book Review Genre: Science Fiction
Disclaimer: Reading is all about exploring, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.
The Analysis:
I picked up this novel for the potential to read Christian theology perfectly married with Science. I got that, but not in the way that I thought. Fair warning: if you thought you were going to get the friendship and love of God like in the, Sister Act franchise, but in space, Nope.** So, let’s book review the second book. But first, follow me on Goodreads.
Here’s The Blurb:
Years ago, Old Earth sent forth sisters and brothers into the vast dark of the prodigal colonies armed only with crucifixes and iron faith. Now, the sisters of the Order of Saint Rita are on an interstellar mission of mercy aboard Our Lady of Impossible Constellations, a living, breathing ship which seems determined to develop a will of its own.
When the order receives a distress call from a newly-formed colony, the sisters discover that the bodies and souls in their care—and that of the galactic diaspora—are in danger. And not from void beyond, but from the nascent Central Governance and the Church itself.
Cover Critique:
It’s simple, but pretty. Not particularly eye-catching as others in this genre tend to be.
Now The Story:
Book Info:
Pages: 162
Author: Lina Rather
Available: Google Play
This story was multi-pov. It kept things more interesting that’s for sure. But I can’t say I particularly liked anyone outside of Reverend Mother superior. She just felt real to me in her inadequacy. She had been on the ship for a long time and she still remembered what life was like before. And as beautiful as the adventures and home she made in the sky, she still missed Earth. Now, she likely has Alzheimer’s and she was reflecting on her life and found sections coming up short. But she was as devoted to her duty as ever. And she sought God honestly as to the answer to Lucia’s philosophical question. She was great and multidimensional in how she saw and approached life. And in the end, she was brave.
Everyone else just had a nagging trait that I wouldn’t want to be stuck on a ship with for any length of time. But I kept reading because it’s rather short. But one point off because the other characters never took.
Faustina (1st Nun): Nothing worse than a woman who masks her selfishness behind altruism. No matter how destructive the new church might be, she’s not God. She shouldn’t get to decide for the women whether they return to the fold or not just because she likes her little safe haven. That doesn’t sound like altruism, but like someone’s afraid of change. Afraid to start over somewhere new because that’s her option if they decided to go back and she didn’t.
Lucia (2nd nun): Her personality was Disney princess. Like, no, stop, I don’t want to hear anymore. She was definitely a glass half full kind of nun while I’m looking at all the empty air.
Gemma (3rd nun): Lucia lite. This nun has an online romance. Hard to get invested. There’s no reason for the reader to believe that it’s the great love she believes it to be. This could be due to the short format and so many points of view. However, she is leaving the convent for a woman. So there is that.
The second nun is the one responsible for this 10% of this novella’s plot. The spaceship is an organic organism. She’s struggling with the notion of this being can have a soul and thus its own wants and needs. Hence where the religious aspect comes in outside of them being nuns. See this ship wants to mate and the other question is should they let it. The other 10% is a message from the pope that says all ship nunneries, should rejoin the fold. Any real action doesn’t occur until a quarter of the way through.
Frequently, the example they use for why the ship might not have a soul is relating it to a cow. It may be obvious, but I would have said horse. It’s the same concept for me, and thus I don’t think I would’ve struggled with this question at all. But on some level, I can respect that they are having it. And I agreed with the outcome of just letting it mate.
I also wasn’t upset when the others decided to ignore the message about the pope to rejoin the church. I just didn’t want Faustina to take their choice without giving them a chance to make it. It clearly was the right choice evidenced by the Priests actions and the fact that the Catholic church was behind the big conspiracy on-page.
I am religious (Christian) and it’s from that point of view that I take a point off for the religious portions. It’s not very religious. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to a Christian or a Catholic. The depictions of Catholicism have no nuisance to them. And the characters don’t have much growth towards the aim of loving or knowing God. Small Rant: Not everyone is Evangelical (what that has come to mean in popular media, and religion=blind) and many don’t want our views constantly depicted through the worse of that lens. In the same way that gay isn’t automatically synonymous with being flamboyant.
But I give a firm three stars for Reverend Mother.
The ending was almost worth it all. It was the story I wanted. That one chapter. A glorious moment that I stayed up late to read. These women work together to show the true love of God by rescuing a planet from an incurable disease. This story would have been five stars had it just been like that from the beginning. God’s love is an action, not just a duty. For me, had she actively included God’s word as part of that process it would have only been that much greater.
I settled on a half-point because per usual the handling of religion is just not very good. It’s not a story about nuns, it’s just a story of girl power. Unfortunately, you would think that’s the same thing, but how this is written, it is not. For instance, the adventure is spoiled when Lucia* feels disillusioned that Reverend Mother had a past and sinned. It made me think of that meme.
Like, ma’am, the whole point of Christianity and Catholicism is that all are accepted no matter their backgrounds. No, she is not a Saint, but for God she does not have to be. Yet, her actions upon joining the convent were that of a saint as she walked beside God and obeyed his orders. Forgetting her past to follow him. The true vow. That would include giving her life for the greater good as God did not approve of war, but understood its precipe as evidence of his support of King David during his many wars. So no, the ending is not complicated as to whether Reverend Mother did the right thing. And her past sin, while a shocker, would not change her character. A nun would know that, right? Smh, this story just couldn’t let me enjoy it all the way**.
Of course, by the end, everyone’s faith is shaken, smh. I also can’t help but notice by the end the main character (Faustina, strongest pov) replaces God with the universe. Like, the Universe wants me to protect it vs God. Do with that what you will.
*I did my best to remember all the characters’ names and who did and said what, but please excuse any mishaps if I mix them up in this book review. My thoughts on the actions remain the same.
** For Authors (concept): I’d be willing to sell this concept for a $1 just to read it. Unfortunately, I write romances so it’s not for me. A group of nuns on a ship doing missionary work [religious and/or medical] with a focus on their friendship and all-around badassery. Who balk against Catholicism while out on a mission to save passive aliens from more dangerous predator like aliens. Save the day. Then end up turning the tide on the downward trajectory of the organization. Book 2 would then be them stuck behind paperwork and meetings as a figurehead. Only to be called back to the open skies and the rest of the series is an adventure, God, and friendship. Like the movie I mentioned, the conflict would never be within themselves, each other, or their relationship with God, but outside forces. If this already exists then leave a comment as to the name and I’ll buy it.
Book Review At A Glance:
Recommendation: 3.5 out of 5
Book Cover Appeal:
🍓🍓🍓
Story & Narration:
🍓🍓🍓
Romance:
N/A
Character/(s) Personality:
🍓🍓🍓
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