Helpful Score: 3
"Symbiont" is the eagerly anticipated (by me, anyway) sequel to Grant's earlier "Parasite," the story of medicinal parasitic tapeworms gaining sentience and starting to, well, take over their human hosts.
Ten pages in, I was in love. I really love the way Grant can quickly set the scene and drag me in. The world building and set-piece portions of the novel are simply top-notch. And while our protagonist parasite's boyfriend has a *stunning* lack of revulsion at the state of his girlfriend, I really did like the way she actually interacted with the world around her.
But by 150 pages, that love-at-first-sight feeling had faded a bunch. I really feel like the care and love put into the craft of the early pages had drifted away, and things got much more pedestrian as the narrative moved forward.
Ultimately, I'm happiest when our main characters interact with the faceless personalities of the world (not necessarily the antagonists), where the excellence in world-building shows up. (And, I have to admit, when descriptions of the environment happen, I'm totally geeking out, because that's where I live. The street fair on Solano Ave in Berkeley & Albany? I've been there *many* times. It's a great fair. You should all go.)
And then we end with what I hope is *not* becoming a trend (raising a fist at Connie Willis, for starting this): simply stopping and asking us to wait for the next book in the sequence.
I really wish anthologies were more popular, because I think a lot of authors would do much better with smaller pieces. This one would really rise if it was shorter; as it is, however, it's simply solid fiction. I *did* enjoy it. It *is* a good novel. I think it could be better. I think Grant's character interaction is top-notch, most of the time, but eliminating the filler is the way to emphasize her strong points, and leave the half-hearted stuff behind.
At the end of the day: 4 out of 5 stars. DO NOT READ THIS FIRST. And then be prepared to be left hanging.
Ten pages in, I was in love. I really love the way Grant can quickly set the scene and drag me in. The world building and set-piece portions of the novel are simply top-notch. And while our protagonist parasite's boyfriend has a *stunning* lack of revulsion at the state of his girlfriend, I really did like the way she actually interacted with the world around her.
But by 150 pages, that love-at-first-sight feeling had faded a bunch. I really feel like the care and love put into the craft of the early pages had drifted away, and things got much more pedestrian as the narrative moved forward.
Ultimately, I'm happiest when our main characters interact with the faceless personalities of the world (not necessarily the antagonists), where the excellence in world-building shows up. (And, I have to admit, when descriptions of the environment happen, I'm totally geeking out, because that's where I live. The street fair on Solano Ave in Berkeley & Albany? I've been there *many* times. It's a great fair. You should all go.)
And then we end with what I hope is *not* becoming a trend (raising a fist at Connie Willis, for starting this): simply stopping and asking us to wait for the next book in the sequence.
I really wish anthologies were more popular, because I think a lot of authors would do much better with smaller pieces. This one would really rise if it was shorter; as it is, however, it's simply solid fiction. I *did* enjoy it. It *is* a good novel. I think it could be better. I think Grant's character interaction is top-notch, most of the time, but eliminating the filler is the way to emphasize her strong points, and leave the half-hearted stuff behind.
At the end of the day: 4 out of 5 stars. DO NOT READ THIS FIRST. And then be prepared to be left hanging.
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