sucked me in with an incredible setting and vibe, but the constant depictions of sexual assault, etc. just made it something I didn't enjoy and won't be revisiting. ( )

That. Was. Something. Else. ( )

224

Psychologically unstable individuals—a balance of abusers and victims—are bionicly altered to maintain the hydrothermal power stations at volcanic rifts on the ocean floor. Things go badly.

Why I picked it up: This was a book I'd read years ago, liked, but remembered almost nothing about other than that I liked it. It appears on lists of the best "seapunk" or undersea sci-fi, and having discovered that it has sequels, I thought I'd revisit it.

Why I finished it: I remembered that I liked the mechanics of the undersea bionics, and I remembered that part of the plot involved origins of life in the stew of heat and chemicals at undersea volcanic rifts. I had not remembered the abuser/abused psychology, nor the neurochemistry hacking that gave the rifters near psychic abilities.

I'd give it to: This book is an explosive mix of dark psychologies and impeccable, hard science, making it a tricky one to recommend. The inner portraits of minds addicted to abusive situations makes these characters unpleasant to be with, and I wouldn't pass it along without a content warning. ( )

Amazing book, but in some senese somehow similar in setting and topics than other books by this author. ( )