As much as I loved The Mimicking of Known Successes, I loved The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles even more. Mossa and Pleiti are now again an official(ish) couple. Mossa is still the hyper-focused Investigator. Pleiti is, as ever, the insular and yet fearless academic. The plot centers on multiple disappearances and an ensuing murder. Besides Giant, a lot of the activity takes place on the gas planet’s moon, Io. Thanks to this, we get a deeper sense of the history of the settlement of Earth’s refugees and some deep division between the descendants of Io’s settlers and those on Giant. There’s still only a vague sense of the power structures governing Giant, but the reasons for the disappearances hint at discontent among at least some of the populace.
An additional delight in the story is the culinary interludes that Pleiti and Mossa take:lots of tea and baked goods!
This is a wonderful followup to the first one!

I really enjoyed this and found it held up well as a sequel / second adventure. It was a little slower going, reading instead of listening, because I kept getting tripped up at all the words I didn't know, which is not a usual experience for me. Most of them my kindle didn't know either, and I don't know if they were just too obscure for the kindle dictionary or if they were actually made up for these books and this world. Regardless it was a little too much reading around the words to get the story and a little too slow going for me to love it.

I did like it though, very much. Pleiti is such an interesting character, as is Mossa, and their Sherlock and Watson dynamic is great fun. The mystery was interesting and different enough from the previoius mystery that it felt new and fresh. I also really like the university setting and the contrast between those who approve of the way the university is run and those who don't, and I like the way this book contrasts the viewpoints of those that live on Io and those that live on the platforms, and the prejudices each has. Humanity just can't get away from prejudices and feeling superior to others it seems.

This book is very much focused on Pleiti, with Mossa more of a side character, and Pleiti was difficult to like at times. She can be very petulant. She is also stubborn and can never decide whether she wants to remain safely cocooned in her rooms and university or jaunt about investigating with Mossa. It makes for interesting contradictions.

I'm glad it was a novella because I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed it as much if it were much longer. I feel like the overuse of difficult words and the tangled prose would have gotten tedious.

*Thanks to NetGalley and tordotcom for providing an early copy for review.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older is the second Mossa and Pleiti mystery. In this book, Mossa returns to Valdegard University to investigate a missing person case, and, with Pleiti's help, uncovers larger forces at work. Meanwhile, Pleiti is dealing with the aftermath of the events of the first book, which causes her to question her role in academia. 

I love that this book expands on the worldbuilding as well as the history of Giant. We learn about the exodus from Earth along with how the class and wealth divides have affected the descendants of those first travellers. It was fascinating to learn about the Io colony, and Older has a lot of things to say about the ideas of population growth, organizational power, and the self-indulgence of asceticism. 

Older also focuses a lot of this book on Pleiti's worries about her relationship with Mossa. Both women have a hard time communicating their wants, and it seems like they speak different love languages. Pleiti does a lot of assuming and guessing about what Mossa's actions and reactions mean, but they still remain a stable couple in a slowly evolving relationship. 

On the mystery front, Older did a great job layering facts and having Pleiti do a lot of the investigative work herself. She is tenacious and driven by curiosity and a desire for justice, while Mossa remains Sherlockian in her enjoyment of puzzles and grand revelations. 

I did enjoy this one more than the first, mainly because I could understand the world more having the background of the first book, and I appreciated the nuances worked in through the mystery, the romance, and the worldbuilding.

Having thoroughly enjoyed the first novel in the Mossa and Pleiti series, I was very much looking forward to returning to our sapphic Holmesian duo. Unfortunately, this was off to a slower start and failed to capture my interest in the same way.

On the trail of a missing student from Io, Investigator Mossa returns to Valdegeld – the colony's pre-eminent university – where her paramour Scholar Pleiti works. Upon some preliminary inquiries, she discovers that seventeen members of the Valdegeld community have disappeared over the past months. Their case takes them to the far reaches of the Jupiterian system, to the families who descended from the original colonists on Io.

I adore the world that Malka Ann Older has created. It's such a thrill to conceive of a sci-fi setting with humans living in floating platforms above the roiling gases and storms of Jupiter, connected by rails. The history of human settlement on Io and Jupiter ("Giant"), and the ensuing conflict between the original settlers and the newer arrivals, added to the rich context of this world. Paralleled with Pleiti's work to re-populate and re-seed a devastated Earth with life, we see the tension between traditional approaches and those who want to innovate.

That being said, I did not care for the heavy focus on Mossa and Pleiti's relationship, particularly when framed through Pleiti's "will she, won't she" perspective. Their love is beautifully tender, an understated affection, and the way they show that they care for each other is far more poignant than Pleiti's constant insecurity. Overall, this was still a solid read, but lacked the shine of the first novel.

TL;DR

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older is a wonderful followup to The Mimicking of Known Successes. Pleiti and Mossa are back, and we’re rooting for them to solve their mystery and figure out their relationship. Highly recommended.

Disclaimer: The publisher provided a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Any and all opinions that follow are mine alone.

Review: The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older

Jupiter is my favorite planet. I find the storms and the atmosphere beautiful. The idea of living amongst those swirling gases and turbulent storms is exciting and daunting. It’s also beyond the scope of technology that we have and could possibly foresee. So when Malka Older set her series of cozy mysteries on Jupiter, I was intrigued and pleased. After all, that’s what science fiction is for, right? Possibilities. Well, the second book, The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older continues to be set on Jupiter, called Giant in the novel. They’re on a platform that floats in the atmosphere and circles some portion of Jupiter. I don’t know how it works, and frankly I don’t care. I’m just glad it sits in Jupiter’s atmosphere and glad that Older delivers another cozy mystery worth snuggling up on the couch with a cup of something warm and reading.

Mossa is headed back to Valdegeld looking for a missing person. But mostly she wants see Pleiti. Their long distance relationship means they have to take advantage of each opportunity to be with each other that they get. As she begins investigating, though, she discovers that more people have gone missing. No one seems to have noticed. Yet, there are people missing from the university. Students, instructors, workers, all gone without anything seeming to connect them. Meanwhile, Pleiti is dealing with the fallout from their last adventure. She’s become a curiosity at the university because of the part she played. Once again, they’re reunited in pursuit of answers. Their investigation takes them off Giant to the moon of Io, where Mossa grew up. What exactly is going on at this university?

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older is a first person point of view cozy mystery. Although, roughly half of this novel is dedicated to Pleiti contemplating her relationship with Mossa. Still it’s a great blend of genres: science fiction, mystery, and romance. It’s a fun, fast read with a satisfying mystery. Though the mystery isn’t as compelling as the romance. Highly recommended.

Pleiti

Pleiti is the main character, and in this book, she’s evolving from academic researcher to investigator. Throughout she’s setting aside her own research in order to pursue the mystery. Readers get to see her level up as an investigator in this story, and it works. In addition, we see her begin to have a little confidence in herself with respect to Mossa. The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles cements Pleiti as a character worth getting to know.

Mossa and Pleiti

About half of the book is dedicated to Pleiti reflecting on her relationship with Mossa. Because I liked Pleiti so much, I enjoyed these reflections. Pleiti sometimes ignores Mossa’s signals out because she’s not confident. She rationalizes away Mossa’s outreaches as part of the investigation or the case. I so identify with this. Pleiti cares for Mossa but won’t let herself be vulnerable and take a chance. Mossa, to be fair, is hard to read and is quirky. But I read Mossa as being vulnerable in this story in Mossa’s own way. However Pleiti refuses to acknowledge it’s affection toward her. In less skilled hands, this investigation into their relationship wouldn’t be as satisfying as it is here. In the first book, I loved the mystery part more, and here, I loved the romance part more. Older gives us characters learning vulnerability amidst the stress of a missing person’s investigation. It’s wonderful.

Conclusion

Malka Older’s The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a wonderful followup to The Mimicking of Known Successes. The setting, the mystery, the romance, it all works. Pleiti and Mossa are characters that you root for in many ways. The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti is a series that’s rewarding and fun. I’m ready for their next mystery, and their next cup of tea together. Highly recommended.

Let me first say, if you’re looking for a sci-fi cozy fantasy, this ongoing series of novellas is absolutely perfect! We return to Giant – the planet Jupiter renamed by the humans who colonized it after the climate crisis made Earth unlivable – and to our beloved main characters, Pleiti and Mossa. Pleiti’s life has resumed relative normalcy: mentoring and advising Classical students at Valdegeld University, visiting her partner, and working on some new-to-her avenues of research. Mossa, our investigator, surprises Pleiti one night on a work trip in Valdegeld: a student has gone missing from the university, so she’s following up on it. They join forces, once again, to locate this missing student, but soon uncover over a dozen more recent disappearances from the university – students AND employees. Flattered by Mossa’s desire to work with her on another case, Pleiti uses her connections at the university to gather information and feeds it back to Mossa. Together, their investigation takes them to Mossa’s home planet, Io, and halfway around their resident planet, Giant, before the case comes to an end.

This series has been dubbed a cozy murder mystery, and there’s no better way to describe it! Malka Older manages to build an intricate world with a rich history through her descriptive language and imagery. The internal dialogue of our narrator, Pleiti, provides insight in their world, and depicts the realistic sapphic longing she feels toward Mossa. Though they are in an established relationship, we witness Pleiti’s doubts about Mossa’s affection throughout the story, showing her vulnerability as a character, though the two are certainly getting better at navigating their relationship together. Watching the two grow together through their investigations is very reminiscent of a sapphic Sherlock and Watson situation, which I thoroughly enjoy, so I’m eager to see how the future investigations of Mossa and Pleiti continue to play out!

I really loved the first book in this series but this one didn’t have the same excited pull for me. Perhaps because I did book 1 on audio and that medium works better for me with this style book? It’s still 4 stars tho for the world building, future vs. past themes, climate change consequences, class and race division commentary, mystery vibes, and the subtle love story between Mossa and Pleiti. Plus I really liked the POV shift from book 1.

In the second installment of the Mossa & Pleiti series, "The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles" by Malka Ann Older, I found myself immersed once again in the thrilling world of sci-fi sleuthing and gender-swapped queer retellings. This latest adventure takes our dynamic duo into a new case involving multiple missing persons, weaving in Older's signature style, wit, and a journey across the cosmos.

One of the strengths of this installment lies in its ability to build upon the groundwork laid in the first book. The mystery in "The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles" is even more engrossing, leading the reader through a web of intrigue and surprises. The narrative skillfully incorporates the series' signature style, maintaining the balance between suspenseful investigation and moments of humor and charm.

The expansion of the world-building to include more insights into the inhabitants of Giant and a jaunt over to Mossa's home colony on Io adds depth to the story. The vivid portrayal of these diverse settings enhances the overall reading experience, offering a rich backdrop for the unfolding mystery.

While I thoroughly enjoyed the development of the relationship between Mossa and Pleiti, there was a lingering desire for more open conversations about their growing connection. These two brilliant sleuths navigate complex cases with ease, yet the reluctance to discuss their feelings became a source of mild frustration for me.

Nevertheless, "The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles" stands as a strong addition to the series. The chemistry between Mossa and Pleiti continues to shine, and the intricacies of their dynamic make for a compelling narrative. The blend of mystery, wit, and the exploration of a queer relationship in a sci-fi setting remains a unique and enjoyable aspect of the Mossa & Pleiti series.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
This was another fun cozy sci-fi mystery! I really liked the growing tension between Mossa and Pleiti, with the potential of growing feelings between them. The mystery itself is also quite compelling and kept me intrigued with its various twists and turns.

I really enjoyed the first novella in this series, and I'm happy to say I liked the sequel just as much! The worldbuilding expanded my understanding of Giant, and the mystery kept me hooked. Of course, I appreciated seeing more of Mossa and Pleiti’s relationship as well. Excellent!

First, I want to thank Net Galley and Tordotcom for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is the second book in the Mossa and Pleiti series. Mossa is an investigator and Pleiti a Scholar. Although once friends many years ago, their paths diverged, but a case at Pleiti’s University draws them back together. In this second volume, a new missing persons case brings Mossa back to Valdegeld. This is an amazing detective story set in a future where mankind clings to life on a series of platforms suspended on rings high in Jupiter’s atmosphere.

Hopefully it goes without saying that you should probably read the first book if you want to make any sense of this one, and I promise it is definitely worth the read. As for this book, I am so happy to be back in the world of Giant (the name given to Jupiter by its inhabitants). Although the main plot of these books is driven by the investigations of missing people, it seems that the elements that keep me engaged are the relationship built between our two sleuths, and the greater questions of humanities survival.

Valdegeld’s politics often revolve around the study of ecosystems, and more specifically, Earth’s ecosystem. The campus is even divided into buildings based on the study perspective on the best method of returning to Earth. Pleiti is a Classics researcher and seeks to discover the ancient makeup of successful ecosystems in Earth’s past. In this book, we are also introduced to a few other new schools of thought that force poor Pleiti to reevaluate her past assumptions. Pleiti will have to lean on her understanding of these politics if she is going to help Mossa in her most recent case, which may be a sign of a much larger conspiracy than either of them thought possible.

I love the writing of these books, the prose is sprinkled with some great terms to expand your vocabulary as well as a dash of sci-fi cultural references that plays well with the somewhat formal writing style. They are also very short novels that pack a lot of action in, as well as some very cozy creature comforts. Older does a great job of making you feel like you’re in an Edwardian city suspended above a distant plant, and somehow it all seems perfectly normal. I guess anything can feel normal with enough tea and scones.

This is definitely a fun read, and you can probably get through both books pretty quickly. I am looking forward to more stories in the world of Giant. I hope you enjoy them too.

The sequel to The Mimicking of Known Successes, Malka Older's second book in the The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti series is a "cozy space-opera detective mystery" with a queer romance at the center. I haven't read the first book in the series, but have heard great things about it, so I was a little disappointed after reading this novella. The language is stilted and I just wasn't very interested in the mystery. I will go back and read The Mimicking of Known Successes, and I hope to see more from this author in the future!

I adored The Mimicking of Known Successes and was so excited to read this follow up!! And Older did not disappoint, this adventure has all the charms of the first book and then some.

What I loved best was the deepening and connecting of all the plotlines. The first book reads like a fairly light mystery and very lovely relationship arc, with just enough worldbuilding to give almost literal structural support (if you haven't read these books yet, the characters live on a series of rails and platforms above the gas giant Jupiter). This book could have coasted on just being a second case for these two compelling characters as they further their relationship, but it doesn't!

We get Mossa and Pleiti's nice relationship stuff, yes, with all the doubts and sweetness of that, but also we get more complex politics! We get Mossa background! We get more about the abandonment of Earth, and this new society's different ways of dealing with the loss and the longing for it! We get all of these things connected, in a more fully realized social structure than I was expecting, and I was thrilled by it. I would read a hundred more books about their weird social strata, and Pleiti continuing to come to terms with the inequities of the system she's working in, and Mossa's enthusiasm for her home, and the two of them learning how to be together in more and more equal and solid ways.

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles is a strong, engaging book two this scif/mystery novella series by Malka Older. This cozy mystery follows two sometimes lovers Mossa (investigator extraordinaire) and Pleiti (academic scholar focused on gleaning information that might lead us back to a habitable Earth) as they solve murders and the machinations of mad-men on their habitat platforms precariously orbiting just above Jupiter. Where the adventure in book 1 was big and brass, book2 brings a more intimate mystery that speaks more to the human desire of belonging and connection which beautifully mirrors Mossa and Pleiti's own relational dance. Definitely worth picking up this series if you are a fan of cozy mysteries, science fiction, or queer stories.

I was happy to come back to this cozy gaslamp universe, where two intelligent women solve crime by talking about suspects over tea by the fire, take long train journeys and figure out a relationship. (And if you are in the market for this kind of things, you should do yourself a favour and pick up the Mimicking of Known Successes).

But not going to lie, my absolute favourite character is hands-down the worldbuilding: I am so charmed by the aesthetic of the Giant, made habitable via a network of trains and metal platforms that became home to humans after they had to evacuate the Earth that they drove to ruin, and the sheer bulk of thinking that has underpinned the idea. I was really pleased to learn more about the world as the investigation progressed, in a way it was a lot like getting character development on the wb level: we get to explore more of what it means on a societal level to grapple with the idea of life on Jupiter, still largely unmapped, we get more informaiton on tensions between different waves of migrants (I do so love the idea of an additional migrant identity to Mossa the Holmes!), the history of colonizing the Giant interplaying with the future of prospective return on Earth. It's things like that that make this series memorable to me.

On a character level, I definitely appreciated the repercussions of events of book 1 on Pleiti as our main narrator: they "dislocate" her from her previous existence, in many ways, and force a struggle that's largely internal but no less material for it. Looking forward to reading more about that evolves.

Thank you to Tor Dot Com and Netgalley for an early copy of the book.

It’s a solid series with a cute premise but it’s as well it’s a novella series because I think the retro future setting would pall a bit in a full length novel. I also just finished The Tainted Cup which was an excellent fantasy mystery combo. This series hasn’t managed the combination of genres quite so well and with the comparison of the better book fresh in my memory this one lacks a bit…. It’s not a bad series at all, I full intend to read book three, but it’s the difference between yes, that was cute. Next? And wow, that was a really good book and the next one can’t come too soon! The five star system doesn’t leave enough nuance but this is a three star that was a fine book versus a four star that’s really good or a five star that was amazing book.

Mossa and Pleiti are back, with a brand new mystery to solve, and just as the first book in the series, I quite liked this one!

Where in the first book I struggled a bit with the worldbuilding and figuring out what exactly was going down, I understood it much better and had a far easier time getting into the story. That said, I think some of the spark of the first book was lost a bit as Mossa and Pleiti are in a relationship now and therefore lost the "will-they-won't-they" angst. Still, I quite enjoyed watching them navigate their new relationship, and I think many of us can sympathize with Pleiti's insecurities and worries. Pleiti overthinks so much and I really enjoyed seeing a character who does that! Now, there are also a lot of Thesaurus Words™. Like a lot. It reminded me at times of that scene from Friends where Joey uses the thesaurus to write the adoption recommendation letter? Yeah, it felt a wee bit unnecessary. Like- I get that Pleiti is scholarly, but it got exhausting after a while!

So overall, this installment was a huge win for me! As I understood the world and characters more, I was better able to get into the story and become invested in the mystery, too. Definitely looking forward for more Mossa and Pleiti's adventures!

Bottom Line: Solid sequel, can't wait for more!

I've been in a streak of reading sequel books that are as enjoyable as the first book, and I'm here for it. This book has the same Sherlock & Watson formula that made the first book so delightful. I also enjoyed the deeper level of elegant world building we receive in this book without the lengthy info dumps. Pleiti's deep longing for Mossa at times read like pieces of Sappho's poetry and honestly was one of my favorite parts of the book. When the mystery was solved at the end I was already looking forward to what the next book will bring.



****Thank you to Netgalley and Tor Publishing Group for an eARC of this book in exchange for my biggest review.****

Unlike many reviews I saw I liked this as much or more than the first book. I felt I had a grip on the dual first person narratives and could more easily identify who was speaking in each chapter. I appreciated the growing relationship between Mossa and Pleiti. Definitely recommend if you enjoyed the first book.

3 stars

It’s a delight getting back to Mossa and Pleiti, whose relationship is developing nicely. At times, alas, the actual mystery felt secondary to their romance, which will probably be perfect for some readers but was not what I was looking for.

I really enjoyed the way this mystery built off from the previous novella, as it makes the major concerns of this world feel important and not easily tied up in neat bows at the conclusion of a single novella. The continued worldbuilding around Giant is well done and the story is easy to want to keep reading.

The ending fell a little flat, however. I also found myself growing tired of Pleiti’s insecurities, which I had hoped were something in the past of her and Mossa’s second-chance romance and not something that would keep coming up the way they do here.

I do plan to continue in this series, which I very much enjoy, but I confess this story didn’t make as much of an impression on me as the first one.