Rating: 
Summary: Boring! Might have been a good novella
Review: Talk about overblown hype. Passages of this book just drone on and on without going anywhere or contributing to the plot. The writing ain't all that "lyrical" or literary either. I read one other review here who said the reader was "drowning in math" -- what a crock! this is no hard sci-fi, this is no cyberpunk "redefined". I will grant that there are some interesting concepts such as the sociological makeup of the colonists and the biology of the native fauna of T'Nane. It might have been a good short story or maybe a novella, but Tricia Sullivan has stretched her ideas too thinly over a book filled with fluff and lacking much in the way of a compelling plot or characters. Maybe it's the lack of good bagels in her diet (oblique reference to trite "about the author" blurb.
Rating:
Summary: Boring! Might have been a good novella
Review: Talk about overblown hype. Passages of this book just drone on and on without going anywhere or contributing to the plot. The writing ain't all that "lyrical" or literary either. I read one other review here who said the reader was "drowning in math" -- what a crock! this is no hard sci-fi, this is no cyberpunk "redefined". I will grant that there are some interesting concepts such as the sociological makeup of the colonists and the biology of the native fauna of T'Nane. It might have been a good short story or maybe a novella, but Tricia Sullivan has stretched her ideas too thinly over a book filled with fluff and lacking much in the way of a compelling plot or characters. Maybe it's the lack of good bagels in her diet (oblique reference to trite "about the author" blurb.
Rating: 
Summary: It's Entertainment
Review: The colonization project didn't get off to a great start, and now Kalypso (our heroine) is about to get bitten by the secrets her elders have been keeping.Dreaming in Smoke served to occupy a few hours, but I have to say, it wasn't good enough to recommend. I never was much of a fan of stream of consciousness, particularly since I never have believed the character's stream. Kalypso is annoying. The whole colony could suffocate, and I really, really wouldn't care. There is a happy ending, yes, and that's nice. I'm not a believer in killing everybody just for effect. But it would have made it more interesting. I was uncomfortable with some of the science, as I'm almost sure there were some howlers I'd have caught if I paid the slightest attention in highschool biology, or taken chemistry. Ah, well. So, don't rush out and spend your money on this one. It's okay, you won't be outraged, but look for it, if you decide you want to read it, in your local second hand bookstore.
Rating:
Summary: Good imagery, non-compelling characters.
Review: The surreal imagery and lush poetry of Tricia Sulivan, combined with her tight plotting and mature philosophy, have captivated me. I had begun to despair for Science Fiction, but here is a lady with the ability to dazzle. "Dreaming in Smoke" has so many layers, and is so consistently good on them all, that I am not sure the average reader will be able to appreciate it. "Dreaming" has a more resolved ending than "Leith", her first book, and is less exhaustingly information dense than "Someone to Watch over Me". The best SF I have read this year.
Rating: 
Summary: Tricia Sullivan manages to delight again.
Review: The surreal imagery and lush poetry of Tricia Sulivan, combined with her tight plotting and mature philosophy, have captivated me. I had begun to despair for Science Fiction, but here is a lady with the ability to dazzle. "Dreaming in Smoke" has so many layers, and is so consistently good on them all, that I am not sure the average reader will be able to appreciate it. "Dreaming" has a more resolved ending than "Leith", her first book, and is less exhaustingly information dense than "Someone to Watch over Me". The best SF I have read this year.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a read
Review: This book was basically enjoyable and original enough to be interesting. The writing was not outstanding, but was not bad enough to reduce my enjoyment of the book. Unfortunately, the story sort of fell apart towards the end. It got difficult to follow and went on too long. After reaching a point that would have made a great ending, Sullivan opted instead to continue the story for another 20-30 pages. The result was an anti-climactic and disappointing end to an otherwise pretty good novel.
Rating:
Summary: Worth a read
Review: This book was basically enjoyable and original enough to be interesting. The writing was not outstanding, but was not bad enough to reduce my enjoyment of the book. Unfortunately, the story sort of fell apart towards the end. It got difficult to follow and went on too long. After reaching a point that would have made a great ending, Sullivan opted instead to continue the story for another 20-30 pages. The result was an anti-climactic and disappointing end to an otherwise pretty good novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Dreaming In Smoke
Review: This book was difficult to read. Maybe I just have a brain tumor or something but I couldn't stay awake while reading this one. Tricia starts her book off with way too much jargon and slang for her setting. The characters don't make any sense when there is dialog. Maybe there is some reason for this in the book but I didn't make it that far.
Rating:
Summary: What is Tricia "Smoking"?
Review: This book was difficult to read. Maybe I just have a brain tumor or something but I couldn't stay awake while reading this one. Tricia starts her book off with way too much jargon and slang for her setting. The characters don't make any sense when there is dialog. Maybe there is some reason for this in the book but I didn't make it that far.
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