I really liked this book. I loved the characters, and the lower stakes. The food descriptions were amazing. I did think the pacing of the romance plot was a bit fast, but overall I enjoyed it. I would recommend to someone wanting a cozy sci-fi book, or likes books about food. ( )

From the blurb, I expected a silly romp about a restaurant at the end of the galaxy. Instead I cried through the first chapters.

This is a meditation on food, art, expectations, family, and how to live with oneself. ( )

This is a really cool book and yet, it took me a long time to get through it, because I just didn't pick it up. Why?

What I liked
- The characters - they are diverse, interesting and flawed.
- The worldbuilding - a lot of interesting ideas done well.
- The story - it's not as action-packet, but more introspect and develops slowly, but I found this was done very well and I liked it.
- James Fouhey as audiobook speaker - he's the only one I've heard so far who can read the dialogue of women without me finding it cringy. People should hire him more often.

All in all, this book should have been right up my alley.

I think what put me off a bit was something that is not the book's fault but the marketing's and my personal preference: Despite Kenna's journey being super interesting, there was a bit too much teenage angst and whining for me, combined with instalove and a lot of descriptions of how great the love interest is. On top of it, everything was very on the nose, every lession was spelled out.
All of this makes me think this is more of a middle grade or YA book, which I just don't generally go for. In fact, I chose this book, despite its teenage protagonist, especially because it is advertised as "adult".

So I just expected something different from what I got. But I do think it is a good YA book and maybe people who like YA a lot more than I do will enjoy this.

I did like the ending a lot, though. Not everything worked out magically by the end of the story and Kenna actually had to work for his happy end. ( )

I really enjoyed The Sol Majestic, even though I got a little depressed by the weight of the middle. Pushing through paid off and there's a great warmth in my heart for these characters. Says quite a lot that I cared so much for the characters that I almost couldn't handle the challenges they had to face. ( )

I've been a fan of Steinmetz ever since [b:Flex|21965714|Flex ('Mancer, #1)|Ferrett Steinmetz|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1417021051l/21965714._SY75_.jpg|41227956], so it doesn't matter what he writes because I'll be there, enjoying the strong creativity and stronger characters.

I honestly didn't even bother to read the blurb. Silly me. But what really woke me up was the fact that I was now reading a FOODIE novel. Yes, indeed, this is a THING. Not only that, it's becoming more and more common in fantasy and SF.

AND I LOVE IT.

So now that Steinmetz is jumping into the mashup stew, mixing a weird social SF with a more traditional Space Opera and making it focus hard on food, food preparation, the restaurant biz (Sol Majestic, baby!), and the wonderful world of the MAGIC OF FOOD, I knew that I was in for a real treat.

This particular novel brings in philosophies as a political and religious foundation and it messes with people in very interesting ways, but for the most part, as we follow Kenna, a nearly starving outsider to the whole rat-race, we're focused on survival and the blossoming LGBT love and even stronger love associated with FOOD. :) In particular, he makes dear friends with the restaurant and is catapulted into the Philosophy royalty that seems rather preoccupied with a galactic internet popularity contest... of which he has won the jackpot. :)

Add some funny but dire mishaps, business decisions threatening to destroy the restaurant and a FREAKING TON OF BROTH, not to mention a lot of growing up to do, and I found myself thoroughly enjoying the tale.

I admit, I now have a problem. I'm addicted to foodie fiction. This is probably worse than watching Gordon Ramsey because there simply isn't enough of this particular sub-genre to fill my stomach properly. I CRAVE so much more!

BTW, if you don't think that Foodie Genre fiction is a thing, I invite you to read Andrew Hiller's [b:A Halo of Mushrooms|27504852|A Halo of Mushrooms|Andrew Hiller|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1446817307l/27504852._SY75_.jpg|47544767] and full sequence of books by Mathew Wallace starting with [b:Envy of Angels|25819511|Envy of Angels (Sin du Jour, #1)|Matt Wallace|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1443116470l/25819511._SY75_.jpg|45399552]. Fantasy, SF, wild adventures and all of it about FOOD. :)

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