The Sword and Laser discussion

I decided to go ahead with the other two books in the trilogy since the first one ended on a somewhat interesting note.

So far I'm about halfway through the second and finding it to be a jumbled mess. I'm still not sure what the plot is supposed to be.

(view spoiler)[Cheris has made not a single appearance. It's all Jedao in Cheris' body. So the central feature of the first book is gone.

TBH I'm mostly hanging on because I find this empire so repugnant. Torturing heretics to death on remembrance days to keep the populace in line? Slaughtering people in large numbers for the crime of thinking differently. This whole government deserves to come crashing down. I'm pretty much cheering for Jedao to succeed in doing that, and little else.

There's a whisper that the opposition is Even Worse but that's almost a throwaway. (hide spoiler)]

Usually I'll either stop at the first book or read the whole thing, but I'm honestly wondering if I have it in myself to finish. Peeps who have read all three, does it get any more coherent? Is there a payoff at end of book 2 or book 3?

Sounds like he’s taking Star Trek’s stance of “Space Opera as metaphorical fantasy” to the extreme.

The second volume is a much more standard tale of backstabbing and political manoeuvring - just in a space opera setting. I enjoyed the characterisation, but then I enjoyed the first book too. There's definitely a pay off at the end.

Haven't reached book 3 yet, but should get to it quite soon.

John (Taloni) wrote: "I decided to go ahead with the other two books in the trilogy since the first one ended on a somewhat interesting note.

So far I'm about halfway through the second and finding it to be a jumbled ..."

There's a payoff.

I just finished the third and there is a payoff albeit not a super strong one but I enjoyed the series.

Finished the second one and there is a decent payoff there. The book still reads like a description of unjointed action rather than a book. It only makes sense at the end. Not sure if this is a stylistic choice or a reflection of the author's aphantasia.

Paradoxically, I am enjoying the Yoon Ha Lee's neuro-atypical POV, at least in an intellectual sense. This could be rollicking space adventure and isn't. But it is a window into a different way of seeing the world. I may enjoy this series more in the rear view mirror.