3 stars- this just wasn't for me. I DNF'd at 25% in. thanks netgalley & the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book.

"The Blue, Beautiful World" by Karen Lord is a captivating and thought-provoking novel that takes readers on a lyrical journey through a world both familiar and fantastical. With her exquisite prose and imaginative storytelling, Karen Lord crafts a tale that seamlessly blends elements of magical realism, social commentary, and deeply human experiences.

Set in a world much like our own but infused with magical occurrences, the story follows the lives of three protagonists: Sadie, a curious and adventurous teenager; Franny, a gifted artist grappling with the loss of her muse; and Ambrose, a scientist with a penchant for exploring the boundaries of reality. Their lives intersect in unexpected ways as they navigate a world where inexplicable phenomena known as "the Blue" challenge conventional understanding.

One of the novel's strengths lies in Karen Lord's ability to create a vivid and enchanting atmosphere. Her descriptive language paints scenes that come alive in the reader's mind, evoking emotions and sensations that resonate long after the pages are turned. Whether she's describing the ethereal beauty of the Blue or the mundane yet profound moments of her characters' lives, Lord's writing captivates and immerses.

At its heart, "The Blue, Beautiful World" delves into themes of interconnectedness, wonder, and the interplay between the known and the unknown. The Blue itself serves as a metaphor for the mysteries that exist beyond our comprehension, inviting readers to ponder the limits of human understanding and the awe-inspiring vastness of the universe.

The characters are wonderfully crafted, each carrying their own burdens and desires. Their journeys are not just about unraveling the enigma of the Blue, but also about discovering themselves and forging connections with others. The reader is invited to witness their personal growth, failures, and moments of triumph, making the characters relatable and endearing.

Moreover, the novel deftly touches on societal issues such as climate change, the ethics of scientific exploration, and the impact of human actions on the environment. These themes are seamlessly woven into the narrative, prompting readers to reflect on their own responsibilities in the real world.

While "The Blue, Beautiful World" is a captivating read, some readers might find its blend of genres and metaphysical themes challenging. The novel's deliberate ambiguity regarding certain plot elements might frustrate those seeking clear-cut explanations, but it also encourages readers to embrace the mystery and draw their own conclusions.

In conclusion, Karen Lord's "The Blue, Beautiful World" is a mesmerizing tapestry of storytelling that weaves together the magical and the mundane, the known and the unknown. With its poetic prose, multi-dimensional characters, and thought-provoking themes, the novel leaves an indelible impression. It's a book that invites readers to explore the boundaries of imagination and offers a timely reminder of the beauty and complexity of the world around us.

This sci-fi story starts out relatively strong with interesting and varied characters and just the right amount of intrigue about their origins and motives. However, the second part throws us into a completely different narrative that, while based on the first section, shifts entirely from speculative epic to YA dystopia and muddled first contact. The last section shifts abruptly once again to mysticism that both throws us into more confusion and offers too much belated exposition. Both too much and too little, the book needed far more development to be cohesive and coherent.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my free copy. These opinions are my own.

I avoid reading books in a series if I’ve missed the first entry. I also don’t read reviews before selecting books because I don’t want to read any spoilers. That did not serve me well in deciding to read The Blue, Beautiful World.

Imagine my surprise when I discovered this is the third entry in an award-winning and much beloved science fiction series. There is no hint of that fact in the publisher’s blurb. I had only read a few totally confusing chapters before I went looking for an explanation within the book’s reviews. I’m sure that this book would be great for series readers. But, for me, it was a convoluted and slow trip through an unfamiliar land with no GPS or signposts.

However, from what I did understand, the setting and plot are intriguing. What can unite people quicker than music, stage presence, and charisma? Look how Taylor Swift dragged country fans into pop territory and made country music, almost, cool.

Ultimately though The Blue, Beautiful World is a book about politics across worlds. Worlds that are not explained much at all within this book—but I assume were developed in the prior books in this series. There is also an interesting, but not very subtle, nod to the problem of ignoring the very real climate change fast encroaching in our current world.

“There was the desperation of a rich man in a mansion trying to enjoy the last of the party before the bill collectors broke down his door. Most of all, there was the manic optimism of incompetent politicians, assuring their public that the measures being employed were not at all too little and too late, and begging them not to erect the guillotines just yet.“

For readers of at least one previous book in the series, The Best of All Possible Worlds or The Galaxy Game, The Blue, Beautiful World may be a favorite. But for newcomers to the series, don’t start here. 3 stars.

Thanks to Del Rey Books and NetGalley for a digital review copy of the book.

I recommend the Cygnus Beta books by Karen Lord even if I didn't like this and the second book as much as the first. I don't always require every plot element to be resolved, but there are too many things I want to know more about, such as the plight of those on New Sadira, along with how Earth fares now that they know about the other galactic civilizations. If Lord writes more in this sequence I will read it. My four star rating is rounded up a bit.

I was very excited about this one, for a long time. Here's a thing I did not realize though: it is not a direct sequel, but apparently connected to a series? I think just about all my issues with this book would have been resolved had I known that. And look- I read it under the impression that it was a standalone, and I wasn't like, losing my mind confused or anything, so you absolutely can read it as a standalone! But I think I'd have gotten more out of the story had I known the backstory, and I feel like it is sort of doing the book and author a disservice by not being super clear about that.

What I Enjoyed:

►Aliens, y'all! I mean come on, aliens! And their maybe-nefarious plans for Earth! And their infighting! I am always here for seeing how authors imagine other species to be, and this was interesting because we are dealing with more than one!

►I liked the characters. There may be a lot of them (see below), but I did really enjoy them. You've got people from all over the universe basically, and it was interesting to see that people are awfully similar, no matter what world you come from.

►It was definitely insightful and thought provoking. Oh, can you imagine how we, as a species, would act if we found out there were aliens? There's a line from the book, "'Hysteria on one end of the scale . . . indifference on the other. Well, good luck with this global government thing we’re trying, when we can’t even agree on if we’re being invaded or not.'” Which... right?! Half the world would refuse to believe it, half of them would start hoarding toilet paper again. So yeah, I loved that aspect of the story, how much both the people from Earth and those from other places had to grapple with these questions.

What I Struggled With:

►I felt kind of lost for a fair portion of the story. I'd say the first thirty percent seemed to go one way, and then BAM, whole new group of folks out of left field. Don't get me wrong, I liked the new guys, I was just pretty jarred by the story seeming to suddenly sway to a whole new set of characters. Also, I won't pretend to have realized that aliens were a thing for... well, probably too long, but that is likely on me.

►There are a lot of characters to keep track of. Heads up too that there is a very helpful cast of characters included. In the advanced copy, it was at the end, but I wish I'd known it was there because I probably would have been able to keep track of characters better. And like I said before, some were introduced after I'd just started to get the hang of who was who in the first batch, so.

Bottom Line: I wish I had known that this was part of a pre-existing world, because I think I'd have had a greater understanding of the world and characters. As it stands, it was quite enjoyable, aside from the bits of confusion.

I read approximately 20% of this book before giving up. By that point, I expected to have some idea of what the book was about, but just didn't. It's not clear from the synopsis, but looking elsewhere, it appears that this book is part of a series (or at least connected to other books in some way) -- that would have been helpful to know in advance.

She lost me. That said, knowing now that this is the third in a series of books, I think Lord's fans won't struggle the way I did. There wasn't enough world building for me (well, situation building) and I would have appreciated more about each character (and there are a lot of them). It isn't often that I think a novel is too short but this is one of those that should have been longer, Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC, A pass from me but I suspect there are others who will really enjoy it.

(This review is based on an uncorrected proof from NetGalley)

This novel had a lot of potential, but I didn't feel like it hit the mark for me. I'm hoping that since I'm reading an ARC, that this is an earlier edit and that some of these issues are fixed. Time will tell.

I felt like there were a lot of characters with very little development and it was hard to keep track of everyone and it just didn't flow. I think I would have enjoyed it more if I'd been able to keep up with who was who better.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and author for an e-ARC of this novel.

ehhh it's not memorable, or it's just not for me.

the story would have benefited from having more pages to develop the characters and the setting because it was all flimsy to me. information was also poured out on page so suddenly that i could barely keep up with the flood of information. with no proper development of the characters and the world, the novel lacked the very vital aspect to keep up— verisimilitude. i did not believe anything so i did not take anything seriously; the significance of certain events were lost on me and i did not care to understand them better. honestly, the first part was going well. it was the second part that was abrupt for me, with the sudden shift in focus and perspective. after that, i also lost interest.

personally, i think the concept of the novel is ambitious, in fact too ambitious for the author to write. a touch of subtlety and elegance are much needed to tell a story like this. i do appreciate the contribution to the genre even though it's not done well, as i feel like it could at least be improved upon.

despite my 1-star rating, believe me when i say it's not entirely bad; i just personally did not like it and did not have a good time.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.
The Blue, Beautiful World by Karen Lord is a scifi fantasy novel that follows a group of people working together to prepare for first contact with other planets. Owen, the popstar who has more to him than you think. Peter Hendrix, a genius VR and tech inventor. Charyssa, a famous celebrity who has a love for the people of earth. Kanoa, a member of a global council of young people who has his own mysteries to solve.
It starts off slowly with an introduction to all of the players in the eventual group. Each has their own expertise and connection that will help the group in some way. You get to see how they live their lives before coming together on a mission. I will say the character switches are not always the most clear since they are not changed by chapter but rather changed whenever the story needs to be transitioned. This can make it hard to follow who is who at times. Overall, there are many wise and dynamic characters with some wit to laugh along to as you go. As the situation becomes more and more serious you see how the characters react under pressure.
The incredible expanse of the world that Karen Lord has created involves fascinating technology and even an exploration of earth itself that we have not seen in this life. I really enjoyed learning about all of the planets and technology. However, sometimes the sections of new information could be confusing and I did need to go back and reread in some instances. The world feels similar to our own most of the way through the book but as the situation ramps up you learn more at a faster pace and it is harder to keep up with.
I enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it for scifi fantasy lovers, especially those that like Dune.

Karen Lord's novel The Blue Beautiful World (to be published on August 29, 2023; I got to read an advance copy through Netgalley) is the third in her "Cygnus Beta" series of science fiction novels, following The Best of All Possible Worlds (2013) and The Galaxy Game (2014). (Lord has also written a series on novels based on West African and Caribbean folktales: Redemption in Indigo (2010) and Unraveling (2019), with at least one more forthcoming.
In any case, The Blue Beautiful World is the first book in the Cygnus Beta series to be set on Earth, rather than on other planets. The series as a whole takes place in the near- to mid-range future, on a number of planets that contain humanoid life, all of which are more technologically advanced than we (Earth) are. The planets all orbit stars that are relatively near us, in galactic terms: Vega, Fomalhaut, Pollux, Alpha Centauri, Epsilon Eridani, Epsilon Tauri, and 16 Cygni B. Most of these stars are within 25 light years of the Sol system -- though Epsilon Tauri is considerably further away (147 light years), and has been quarantined from the others. Lord is careful about most of her cosmological details, although the two least likely aspects of her set-up (both of which are necessary to the novels) are only hand-wavingly explained: the method of FTL travel, and the genetic similarity between Earth humans and the near-humans on other planets. The Blue Beautiful World in fact shares some characters with the earlier novels, but it can be read independently from them.
It is not easy to describe what The Blue Beautiful World is about -- it has a sort of wavering quality that is central to its charm. All three of the novels in Lord's series work on multiple levels. The Best of All Possible Worlds begins with a shocking incident of planetary genocide; but gradually it turns into something like a romance novel combined with an anthropological tour of multiple cultures. While there is nothing that extreme in The Blue Beautiful World, it also plays with a similarly disconcerting mix of levels and themes. A lot of readers on Goodreads and similar sites seem to find it 'confusing' -- which simply means that its plot is not entirely linear, and there are changes of focus throughout. That is to say, the elements that other readers complained about are precisely what delighted me about the book.
The Blue Beautiful World starts (after a single-page preface) with a pop star named Owen, who is extremely charismatic and is the most popular entertainer on Earth. But it shortly turns out that he is not actually human (i.e. he comes from one of the other humanoid planets), and that his mission is not just fame and popularity, but has political elements to it as well -- he seeks, either to take over our planet (not literally, but in a manner of speaking), and/or to produce the conditions which will make it possible for Earth to enter the galactic commonwealth with the other inhabited planets.
After a few chapters with Owen, and with his human manager Noriko, who is eventually initiated into the ways he is more than just a pop star, the novel jumps forward a decade or two, and focuses on a different set of characters (though Owen and Noriko eventually reappear). These are young people (20ish) from around the world who have been chosen for a sort of junior diplomatic corps (actually, their mission will be to provide diplomatic representation for Earth to the other planets, only they don't know this yet). Owen and the other passing-for-human extraterrestrials are trying to manage the gradual entry of Earth into galactic society. But it turns out that the Earth is already being exploited, in a covert but clearly neo-colonialist sort of way, by capitalist cartels from one of the two habitable planets of the star Vega. A covert war is going on throughout Earth. Eventually this bursts into the open, and the entire population of the Earth suddenly receives the unexpected message that they are not alone in the galaxy. All hell breaks loose, but the more benevolent people from non-Earth planets do their best to manage the situation.
In describing the plot in this way, I am not doing a good job of conveying the mood or affect of the novel. Part of its brilliance in my eyes is the way it juggles different levels of action. The Blue Beautiful World is a First Contact novel, but it remains focused on individual characters who are affected in their personal, private lives by the grand events, without quite being actors in them. Actually, that is not quite a correct description either, since Owen is centrally involved in the grand politics and economics of the novel, and the young people in the latter part of the book also find themselves centrally involved with those politics. But the book mostly gives us the ways in which these grand events are not depicted in themselves, but make themselves known through the ways they filter into, and affect, the everyday lives of people. The novel is very canny and creative in the ways it fluctuates between backgrounds and foregrounds, mutating each into the other in various ways. I know what happens in terms of the plot, but the shifts and different interiorities are so subtly blended together that I find it hard to qualify the novel tonally -- and this is a big part of why I find it so wonderful.
There are a number of other aspects of the book that need mentioning here as well, ranging from discussions of cuisine and clothing, to a subplot involving an intelligence deep in the Earth's oceans that is willing to negotiate with us, the surface dwellers, but remains wary of being victimized by human exploitation in the way many human beings have been by the British and other empires. Also, there is something about the texture of the novel that I find it difficult to convey: some chapters are quite meditative, while in others events spiral and multiply frantically, and yet it all seems to hang together.
Karen Lord is from Barbados -- and I saw a reading/inteview with her, over Zoom, where she talks about the positionality of being from a largely Black small island country that is nonetheless connected to other parts of the world in all sorts of ways. It is both isolated, and a kind of international crossroads. And it is part of the Commonwealth, which both benefits them economically and reminds them of the British colonial subjugation and exploitation from which they have historically suffered. Lord emphasized that she sees her work as not just science fiction or speculative fiction but also as "sociological fiction", referring here to C. Wright Mills' notion of "the sociological imagination" -- which for Lord translates into equal consideration of "the personal concerns of the characters, the public issues of their community, and the historical context that has produced both the community and the characters." Lord also cited the idea of what Brian Aldiss called "cozy catastrophe", meaning apocalyptic stories that nonetheless provide comfort for their middle-class bourgeois readers. Lord said that she wanted to address issues of great scope, including the most horrific ones, and yet still provide the reader with a certain "cozy" sense nonetheless.
Lord's general comments seem to me to apply quite well to the way that The Blue Beautiful World -- like her previous science fiction novels -- is as shifting and as subtle as it is in its movements and especially in its continually modulating tonalities. Coming out of this novel, I had a strange lingering sense that something important had really happened, but that it would take me a while to sort it all out and to get a sense of just what it was that moved and affected me.

One of my pet peeves is spoilers. I want to read a series in order so I get to see the story and characters develop. So, when a book is offered that's book 3 of 3, but there's nothing to indicate that. I feel annoyed and cheated out of the context that would make the book enjoyable.

This is a well-written book with interesting characters and a good plot, but it is book 3 of 3. That should be noted in the book itself and in the description so other readers don't get the same emotional reaction to it as I did. Without reading the other books in the series, I found that the context of much of the action was missing. There was enough background given to see the big picture, but too much of the detail was simply in those other 2 books for this book to be emotionally engaging on its own.

The sad thing is I would have read those other 2 books first if I had known they existed. Now I won't because this book is a huge spoiler to that.

The Blue Beautiful World by Karen Lord
Genre: Literary Fiction blended with Sci-Fi
Overall (out of 5) ⭐⭐⭐💫
Prose⭐⭐⭐
Pacing(1=slow 5=fast)⭐
Character Development ⭐⭐⭐
Atmosphere⭐⭐⭐
Library or Buy-worthy: Library
Similar vibe: Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis, Nyxia by Scott Reintgen

***Caution: Spoilers follow***
I went into The Big Beautiful World by Karen Lord almost completely blind. The first 25% of the book involves various characters narrating their daily lives. It's hard initially to see the point. Truths are slowly revealed about who the main characters are, the environment, time period and how they're all connected. Points of view change often and without clear division. Many times I just couldn't follow what was going on or who was talking and had to backtrack. I also hit points during this book where I questioned continuing. I finally broke down and had to go read the blurb for clarification. Don't get me wrong I like character driven storylines but I just couldn't tell where this one was going. I also read other reviews only realizing then that Blue Beautiful World is set inside a world of her previous books. There is also an addendum at the end of my egalley explaining who everyone is, that I didn't know existed until then. Having never read any of her books before I was largely lost. Despite that, by the 50% point I was beginning to see the plotline more clearly. Turns out it's the age old sci-fi trope, aliens are here to "takeover the world" <said in 'Pinky and the Brain' voice>. Karen Lord's writing style reminds me a little of MR Carey or Mary Doria Russell, which is a good thing but, other than the aforementioned authors, it's different than you'd expect for a first contact novel. Instead of action there's more of a focus on the individuals and political machinations. For those reading this as a stand-alone the world building is really light. You have to assume a lot and glean things from phrases sprinkled about. There was very little description early on and I just could not picture any of it. The pace is slow and plodding, along with a time jump. I really never felt like I was getting everything. I pushed through hoping my patience would be rewarded and I guess it was. I enjoyed the ending message but overall I just couldn't keep up completely. I can appreciate the overarching plan for this book but I think you need to have read her others to really appreciate it. Which probably why I didn't like it. I'll circle back for her other books. Because of that lack on my part I'm going to refrain from posting this review.

For such a short book (256 pages), this felt really long. That's not necessarily a bad thing, but this is a book I appreciated more than enjoyed. In the first section, we're following a mysterious pop star with uncommon charisma and his team around the globe, and then suddenly the story cuts off and picks up again 11 years later with a group of students studying diplomacy in preparation of First Contact with multiple alien civilizations. Some of the characters use two different names, and there were a huge number to keep track of, which meant I never felt invested in any of the storylines. This was dense science fiction that tackles some big topics, and I definitely found parts of it interesting and thought-provoking, but overall I struggled with wanting to pick it up. And it's only after reading other reviews that I'm realizing it's book three in a series (there's nothing about the other two books in any of the blurbs or title information). *Sigh* I would never have requested this ARC had I known that, or at least I would have made an effort to read the first two books. If you've read and liked Karen Lord's other two books in this series, The Best of All Possible Worlds and The Galaxy Game, you should definitely give this a go. Thank you to NeGalley, Random House Publishing Group, and Ballantine/Del Rey for a digital review copy.

Owen appear to be a beloved pop star with a number of interests—from football teams to virtual reality. As he tours the world enchanting audiences, he is also putting together a team that will be able to deal with a new reality, one in which the earth is not alone in the universe.

The Blue, Beautiful World goes well beyond most stories of first contact. The people on Owen’s team encounter not one civilization, but many, with histories, government and allegiances as complex as any culture found on Earth. Navigating Earth’s entry into this galactic community is anything but simple. Even Earth itself is not as straight-forward as many had assumed, with a civilization hidden in the depths of the ocean.

I was engaged from the beginning and would love to return to this works that Karen Lord has created.

I loved the first part and got a little mixed up at the start of the transition. In a way, that helped me mirror the characters' feelings, as they met new situations and discovered things they hadn't even suspected.
I don't want to say much at all about the plot, because the fun of this book is in it's discovery. I'd especially recommend it to fans of Becky Chambers.

No rating since I’m DNFing.

I didn’t realize when I picked this up that it’s connected to the Best of All Possible Worlds and The Galaxy Game. I read the first one and gave it 3.5 stars, but I never read The Galaxy Game. Since I liked Best of All Possible Worlds okay, I thought I’d give Lord another try, but I felt very disengaged here. There’s something cozy about it which I think will appeal to some readers, but not as much me. I could tell it would land around 3 stars again, so I’m moving on.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately I was not able to finish -- it was only after reading other reviews that I learned this is the third in a series. Nowhere does it say that this is the third book in a series, but that would have been great information. As someone who prefers to read books in a series chronologically (even interconnected standalones), I would have liked this information 😊

Additionally, I would suggest the publisher update the synopsis prior to publication. It sets up unrealistic expectations of what this is about.

I may revisit later if I read books 1&2 first. I really was excited about the concept and the writing is gorgeous! I just can't seem to understand what's going on, and that may be because I'm missing the background from the first two books.

Thank you Del Ray for my gifted eARC. ❤️

I love Karen Lord's books based on African folk lore so it really hurts me to give this book a negative review. First, I did not realize that it was part of a series. I have read The Best of All Possible Worlds and liked it, although not as much as her folk tales. However, this book did nothing for me at all. I am not sure if reading the middle book in the trilogy would have helped or not. There were so many characters and obscure motivations that may have been helped by more background.