Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. Did not finish. Barely started. The story seemed to be allover the place and I just could not keep things straight. Good premise for a story, just badly executed.

Ok. There is a lot going on here. I don't think the pacing serves the story well. I shifted between thinking it was too much too fast and to feeling like it was dragging on or just killing time until the next major set piece. I like the story and was intrigued by the world but just couldn't fully get into it.

Penumbra is an interesting story, tackling some important and relevant themes. It definitely had parts I liked, and some things I disliked. Mostly, it was a bit long and a bit much, and at times dragged too much for my taste.

The story’s about Arden, the Autarch (aka ruler) of Eden, a space station that’s floating over a dying planet. It’s a station with an oppressive class system, where the refugees had been given a debt they’re forced to pay off by working for so little wages they can never dream of getting rid of it. The rich are quite content with the system and aren’t keen on making concessions. However, Rhys, one of the workers, has earned Arden’s trust. Together, they’re on the verge of making some unpopular changes. It’s not just about disbanding an unfair, oppressive system. If nothing changes, Arden might not have a station to rule over if shortages continue.

As I said: Ackerman tackles some important themes in Penumbra. The political indenture system is still used in some countries today. It’s basically a modern kind of slavery. So it was very interesting to see how things unfold in the story: how the workers slowly get a sense of agency and how Arden slowly sees the wrongness of the system.

Arden’s love life felt like it was somewhat reflective of the relationship between the rich and the slaves. The better that relationship, the better Arden’s relationship. However, due to the large focus on the romance, it also felt that the story progressed very slowly. On top of that, Arden’s partner switched halfway through the story, and I didn’t quite understand that choice.

I did like that Arden is a transgender character, and that he has same-sex relations; we all need to read more diverse stories. Penumbra is definitely a good example of that. I didn’t quite like his character, though. I understand that he’s highly anxious and has some serious issues, but he seemed to act quite whiny and petty at some points, only to be completely in control and mentally healthy the other. The switches sometimes seemed to me more a means to progress the plot than his actual character progression.

The worldbuilding, however, was excellent. The space station is detailed, the political and economic systems made sense, and we get enough information on the background without being too much or boring.

So, when should you read this book?

If you enjoy a thought-provoking space story with a diverse protagonist written by a non-binary author, with a focus on politics and revolution, along with a heavy dose of romance, definitely give Penumbra a try.

I was given a copy of PENUMBRA through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
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PENUMBRA by Dan Ackerman sounded like something I would love! A space opera by a trans author, with a queer trans protagonist whose storyline isn't about his trauma? I was hooked. I very much enjoyed all the queer rep, and how diversity wasn't left out of this invisioned paradise. However, this book really dragged for me. It felt predictable, which left me unengaged. I also wish the characters were more fleshed out. Overall, I rated the novel 2 out of 5 stars. I think this has potential to win over lots of readers, it just personally let me down. I am, however, curious to see if I enjoy any of Dan Ackerman's other works!
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The EDEN was a spaceship designed to be a paradise. Now it's barely maintaining order whilst it orbits a dying planet. Arden Torre, ruler of EDEN, acquires the help of a servant in attempts to save the ship from it's doomed fate. However, are things too late to be fixed?

Penumbra

[Blurb goes here]

I won't go into much detail. I simply didn't like the story. The author jumps from one place to the other without warning. There's not a coherent story line. The characters are cardboard cut outs that change as they get thrown in every new situation, but don't confuse change with growth. The setting of the story is amazing, but the story itself is a clichéd social commentary on racism and class division, nothing more profound than that. The main characters is driven by his desires from start to finish, change begins with him for no other reason than giving into those desires.

While we are put in this world without knowing much of it, as the story progresses we're given clues as to what happened, and how things came to be the way they are. Having read a few of Ackerman's books, I felt disappointed at Penumbra.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

This is a hard one to review, to be honest. The world was interesting and the characters had a lot of potential but it genre hops a bit much and doesn't spend enough time in any one category to really let you get any depth. It's definitely a world that deserves exploration, but there's too much time spent on some things and not near enough on others to the point that the overall effect is rather confusing. Maybe more interesting to those interested in sci-fi worlds with a lot of potential but not entirely fleshed out.