Whew boy do I have some thoughts. Full disclosure: I did not read past the 10% mark. To be fair, I read up to that point twice. The first was back in February when I got approved for the ARC (thank you, NetGalley). But I was completely lost. I could not for the life of me figure out what was happening. I put the book down, thinking I just wasn't in the right headspace for it that day, and decided to try it again later. Well, the later is now, only now I have lots of thoughts on why this book was so freaking confusing.

For starters, the novel begins with a prologue, moves to chapter one, then moves to chapter two. Okay? In the course of those chapters, we spend 4-5 pages with a different narrator, not revisiting any of them until mid-chapter two, when we revisit Ocean. There are novels (like Priory of the Orange Tree and Masters of Death) that do this well. They set up the character of focus clearly, orienting the reader in their personality, goals, and place, usually hinting or at least lightly alluding to how they might connect with other characters. (In Priory this is done with geographical references, in Masters of Death it's done through the fact that we have a medium who doesn't like supernaturals for some reason, and then a whole lot of supernaturals, several of which are suddenly in need of a medium). But we don't get that with this book. We just get scene after scene after scene that changes place and characters. They're also so short, we barely have any time to get to know the character. We're also not given much reason at all to care, which is so so important in the set up of a novel. I liked the scene in the restaurant--it was the only one that I could follow easily on the first read, and I remembered it clearly on the second. But that was because the narrator of that was at least interesting. He had a goal for the scene which he achieved quite competently. We knew him well by the end, because we saw him working his way through the steps to attain that goal as the scene played out.

None of the other scenes are like this. On my second read (which I actually did the audio to see if that would help, which bless the audiobook narrator it did), I found myself wondering why we even saw Ocean's first scene in the bar. I have SO MANY THOUGHTS about that scene that I will save for a bit later when I talk about the actual writing, but looking at this scene emotionally, it pales in comparison to Ocean's second scene. In Ocean's second scene, we see her going out to do some badass piloting so she doesn't have to go to the big social event next year. Now THAT'S relatable and interesting! We could so easily have gotten literally everything we learned from her first scene in a few lines of internal monologue. Not having the full story would have added more intrigue to her character as well, keeping readers asking questions about why she is so cold and numb to the world. Her opening scene did nothing for us. Not to mention the writing.

So. When I went in for my second read/listen of this, I put in a lot of focus and attention into trying to figure out why the hell this was so confusing the first go round. I literally thought Ocean was genderfluid and that her pronouns were just being poorly introduced because the scene was so confusing. She begins the scene in a bar packed with far too many people to track. Since it's in third person, it took me a minute to even orient myself to Ocean as the MC (tho to be fair, I'm awful with names) so I was fumbling with who I was supposed to be rooting for the whole time. She's also completely emotionally cutoff in the scene, which again means that we don't get anything from reading it. The point of seeing a scene up close like this instead of through reflections later as a backstory piece is that we can feel the emotional journey with the narrator. Now, I'm not saying emotional numbness is bad writing. That's a very real thing, especially in bad relationships, and is important to be portrayed. But we were given nothing else about Ocean's character aside from the fact that she somehow knew she'd been cheated on. And then we get a time skip her next scene anyway (I think?? Though i could be wrong there. Again: so. damn. confusing.) so there's just ... no point in seeing this stale, uninteresting scene? Also, thanks to the chaos of the crowded bar, I had a very difficult time grounding myself in the setting. This was a huge issue with every scene, but it was the most detrimental to my tracking what was happening in this scene, due to the sheer number of people in there. There was another character who was going to buy food? I think? And then suddenly the guy he was talking to was in a flying vehicle that zoomed away? Also we're apparently on earth this whole time, I think? though again, that alone is super unclear.

For anyone wondering why I don't just finish the book: I kind of care about the one gay guy. (I don't remember his name.) I am a little interested in ocean after the ship race scene. But since there are so many confusing issues with the writing, I know that continuing is just going to make me feel stupid, and I don't feel like going through that. There are other books with characters I will care much more about that will not have me doing 180s every five pages trying to figure out where the hell we are, who the fuck we're with, and why I should give a damn.

Anyway. This review is already longer than like ... my last four reviews combined, probably. This novel desperately needs some more editing. I came for the space gays and left a confused queer. You have been warned.

Stars: 2.75/5.0

I was so excited going into this book!! I heard such a great review of it and was quickly sold, but unfortunately in the end, it didn’t live up to the expectations I had. It was such a cool book in concept with the world building with so many elements that would created such a rich environment if it wasn’t overshadowed by my issues. The exploration of death and grief are beautiful in this book. I rarely see in sci-fi books such a focus on death and grief, and Cho’s writing was stunning for it.

My primary complaints are:
1. The pacing was off, and it feels incomplete. We spend half the book getting to understand the characters dynamics with no real plot movement, but when we get a little more than half, then the story actually starts. Before this, we just exist as a viewer as long as we are willing to stay. Once we get to the end, I legit came back to Goodreads to see if the book is actually a series. It just ended. No real clear resolution. Cliffhangers maybe but if this was a series, it felt like we barely started to set up the conflict and things are ending.
2. I don’t know if Cho meant for the book to be Fast and Furious but make it space and sci-fi, but that’s what it felt like. I love cars, I love driving, but for the life of me I couldn’t stand listening to how this far future society, with top-of-the-line space exploration has this main character who can only drive this space ship if it is set up like a manual car basically. If you want to talk about racing spaceships like they are street cars, there’s better ways to explore that.
3. That Fast and Furious comment also does extent to the group dynamics too. I appreciate that these characters all have their own background which clearly influences the world they see. The way the characters interacted with one another were inconsistent. At times, things would feel natural, but others felt forced for the sake of the narrative (this does include the romance). At the second meeting of one character, they quickly 180 from the first time we meet them, and it felt like their whole purpose was to fill whatever gap existed in the narrative at the moment.

I wish it was better. I want it to be better because it was such a great idea, but it fell flat.

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This was an absolutely delightful experience to read. The characters were so interesting and engaging. The world building was phenomenal and really immerses the reader into the world of Ocean Yoon our protagonist/rebel Alliance pilot.
If you are a fan of Firefly and "found family" scenarios you will love this story.
The story circles the main character, Ocean Yoon, a pilot with a troubled past filled with loss and reckless decisions. When Teo, the second son of the Anand Tech empire and Ocean's best friend, is falsely accused of murdering his family, Ocean and her unconventional crew are thrust into a high-stakes battle. However, evading bullets and triumphing in space chases might prove to be the simplest challenges they face.
I really enjoyed this book and I anxiously await the next book because this one sure left off on a cliffhanger!
Highly recommended!

🧠 My thoughts
I grabbed this book due to its promising premise. I was so excited to read this sci-fi book that explored the themes of identity, colonialism, capitalism, etc. Most importantly, it was set in Korea with spacy elements, that sounded amazing right? But sadly it was not the case.

There were too many characters and the stories related to these characters in different timelines were told already in the first chapters in a very confusing way. I couldn’t keep track of all of the characters and the mystery behind their stories. I was already burned out in just 3 chapters. I felt so stupid not understanding anything. Moreover, the dialogues were super dry, it just couldn’t stand it. I tried to read more already but I really couldn’t.

I might give this book a try another time but I can’t promise.

Thanks NetGalley, Zando publisher, and the authors for a great advance copy of the book in exchange for my honest review!

4.5 STARS

CW: death (including of loved ones), grief, violence, blood, colonialism

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read which I had not necessarily expected so it was a delightful surprise. I was immediately sucked into this world and one of the reasons why I absolutely loved reading this was definitely that the worldbuilding is so inspired by Korean culture. I studied Korean for four years at uni, spent one year abroad in Seoul and just have a tremendous love for this culture and language.

That being said, I absolutely loved how all the Korean expressions and words were used without providing translations in the text. The appendix with an explanation of all the vocab was very fun to go through even though I had no trouble understanding all the words that were used. This generally made me miss Korea a lot, the descriptions of food and general customs also contributed to that. I was just very nostalgic about my time in Korea while reading this.

In addition to this more sentimental aspect (for me), I think the story was very entertaining, I definitely see the Becky Chambers comparison and I really enjoyed learning more about the characters and get to know them more and more over the course of the story. They were all lovable, I think, and I loved seeing them interacting with each other in various constellations.

One thing that bothered me a little bit (but not a lot) was that what is pitched in the blurb of the book only happens at about the 50% mark. On one hand, I really liked the pace and getting introduced to the world and the characters, but on another I kind of wished that the plot would have moved along a little bit quicker.

From how the book ended I'm hoping that there will be a second installment. I desperately need more background info about how North and South Korea reunited in the canon of this story. This was another VERY interesting thing about the worldbuilding to me: thinking about what must have happened for a reunified Korea to attain dominance in space and how the Alliance came about.

If it has not become clear from my review yet, I'd definitely recommend checking this book out! It's perfect to read in between large tomes, it's a great palate cleanser in my opinion and it was just a great, entertaining read. Especially if you're interested in Korean culture, language (and history) in any way, I think this would be the perfect read. It's also not as focused on the science fiction aspect (not hard sci-fi at all) and more so about the characters and their relationships to each other which is where the Becky Chambers comparison comes from. Seriously, go buy and read this!

3.75, rounded up to a 4 because I had a fun time but my feelings depend on what happens next.
This book felt to me like Firefly/Battlestar meets Iron Widow - very much a space opera with a diverse cast of characters.
The main characters of Teo, Ocean and Haven I think stand out as the leads. There is a large cast of characters to keep up with but I think these three have the most development. There is a place for all of the characters but there were times where it felt like there were too many for how short the book is.,
The world building was cool, centered around a Korean superpower. For pacing, I felt like we were missing some pages and this book is very short. The ending felt very abrupt and unfinished even though a lot of characters got a semblance of a conclusion and I think my overall feelings on the plot of this book is dependent on what happens if there is a sequel.

This book has a lot of great things going for it but, unfortunately, is a bit rushed towards the end.

The beginning was pretty strong and continued to be compelling until around the 70% mark. I think at that part the pacing felt off. Most books go full speed at this point and hurtle towards the end. However this book slowed down to develop the romance which I think still felt rushed and a bit out of the blue. And the ending was really like... what?

There are a lot of cool elements and great world building. The characters all have distinct and interesting personalities. I think this books suffers from being too short. There are two different romance and three points of view, along with the main plot. This is too much to put into 362 pages so ultimately the romance suffered quite a bit. I wanted more of Sasani.

Not to be reductive, but I think my shorthand for handselling this book might be "Six of Crows in space in a future solar system where Korea has become the dominant political power." While this may be a very niche statement, perhaps the best compliment I can give is that I was delighted by the adventures of Ocean and her crew, even though as a person who usually covers their eyes during harrowing cinematic motion scenes, I experienced them on the page without the option of looking away. LOL!

**Thank you to NetGalley and Zando Books for the eARC of this unique title!**

On paper this book is everything that I love, and I was super excited to read about a badass female diver living in a cool, science-fiction world. The scifi parts of this book were incredible and I thought the world-building was well done. For a debut novel, I could see glimpses of a really good story under everything. Unfortunately the characters fell super flat for me and even when perspectives changed, it didn't feel like I was reading a different character.

I will 100% check out more from this author in the future and I think for fans of romance this one could work out really well. The cover of this one also gets an A+ !!

This was a very interesting book but I’m still unsure how I feel about its execution.

In the first 30%, I couldn’t tell where the heck the story was going at all and it took me a month to slug through it. I was intrigued by the mashup of cultures and the twist on the Korean language being used, but too much but also nothing was going on. Then we finally got to the meat of the story after all the set up and I loved it. Seeing Ocean, Haven and Teo on this raider ship was intriguing and I liked the fast pace of the middle part. But then, it ended on a major cliff hanger and I’m unsure if there’s going to be a pt.2? So now my feathers are ruffled.

The good:
- dual POVs
- queer rep
- diverse characters and language used
- space travel (so cool)

The eh:
- plot was confusing at points
- ending: where do we go from here?
- reading romanization for Korean always confuses me (also banmal being called common took me a few moments to realize)
- romance bits were also confusing

Overall, it was an interesting debut novel and I’m curious enough to read more of Cho’s work, especially if there is a book 2!

Overall 3.5 rating for me and thanks to NetGalley and Zando for the DRC!

Whilst this book had all the ingredients of a rollicking good space adventure, after 50% I found the end product just didn't quite deliver. I'm sure others will have appreciated the story and enjoyed the ride, but for me there were a couple of issues that meant it just didn't capture my interest enough to continue.

Firstly, it took a while to get a handle on the world-building - while I'm not an advocate of info-dumps, it is essential for the reader to be at least somewhat informed of what kind of technology etc we are dealing with. Korea's space-dominance is never really explained, and the current political situation only vaguely discussed. There's a lot of hand-waving going on with regards to the space travel part as well.
Ocean's custom-installation of footpedals in any spaceship she's piloting is giving very much "not like other girls" vibes, something later underlined by her infamous hostage-saving act that is the gossip of the entire world it seems. Both of these issues, the sparse understanding of setting and a way too unique, special, kickass heroine I can forgive if I am enamored of the Found Family characters and especially their dynamic but alas was let down here as well. Every character has at least two names, and whilst yes this is quite normal in a book add to this their nicknames and the fact that they are inconsistently used multiplied by the number in the ensemble... I honestly was struggling to understand WHO, at any given time, was actually in the room. I also didn't really warm to any of them, and I so wanted to take these quirkly, brave, potentially lovable spacefolk into my heart.

It's unusual for me to DNF a book this late however I did want to see if the pacing picked up and where the plot was going. Unfortunately, when the action only commences at 1/3 of the way through it was hard for me to buy-in and found myself uninterested in either the story or the characters. I do wonder if the pacing was off from a traditional three-act play because this is intended as the first in a series rather than a standalone, though there is no hint of this in the blurb or marketing. If so, the author needs to sketch the world and its politics on a grander scale, in order to place their characters more firmly within its architecture and give their quest more weight.

Review not publicly posted due to DNF.

I'm always in search of good Korean literature, so finding one in my favourite genre was exhilarating.

I enjoyed this story despite the pace being very slow. I felt like the last 20% of the book wrapped up the story too quickly and abruptly. I did like Ocean's character- she is fierce and really develops throughout the book. This book has a misfit crew, adventure, and a little romance that is the best mix I love in my books. We also have her best friend in need, who is framed for a murder and it's up to her and her new crew to navigate this new situation with the help of her friends while balancing who she is and what she can become.

I enjoyed the writing immensely and can't wait to read more by this author!

Real Rating: 3.75* of five

Well, what can I say. I love <I>Firefly</I>, I love Becky Chambers, I thoroughly liked the <I>Ketty Jay</i>. This story hits all those tales' beats, and does it from a new angle that centers Korean culture. The author, who lives in Seattle, is definitely working inside that frame. The strong anticolonial message is interesting, as the entire ide of human expansion is by definition colonialist....

Is the story anything groundbreaking? No. Do I want to read the next one, assuming there is one? Yes. The fun of being within this group of cooperative misfits led by a Korean lesbian far exceeds the investment in absorbing the different cultural background unfamiliar to most Western readers.

It is, to me, very much an enhancing feature of the read. Get out of your cultural rut within your genre preference.

- Y’all know how much I love a ragtag space crew adventure, and OCEAN’S GODORI is a great one, full of gunslinging, witty quips, and found family love.
- Cho hits that sweet spot of worldbuilding and interstellar politics where it feels real but doesn’t get bogged down in too many people or other details.
- My one gripe is the pacing - some parts moved very fast and others felt super slow. However, it’s a pretty short book so even the “slow” parts don’t last too long.
- I really hope this becomes a series. The ending is left wide open, and I’d love to see what else Cho can do.

An amazing addition to the space opera genre, it oozes style and touches on the hallmarks of the genre. While at the same time it brings it's own spin with its Korean influence. Being this authors debut it has some rough spots and can seem a bit campy/cheesy at times but it is mostly forgiven. Wonderful representation and lovely wholesome story, feels as if Becky Chambers smashed together Cowboy Bebop and Firefly. Amazing work

I thought about DNFing this constantly until about the halfway mark, and that is obviously never a good sign. Once that Big, Catastrophic Thing happened, I was invested in the plot, but up until then it was just pointless, meandering filler plot with no real stakes and characters that I was unable to tell apart from each other. The ending was extremely rushed and made the whole book feel more like a prequel than an actual first part of a series. I still feel like I barely know anything about these bland, stereotypical characters, and I‘m frankly not invested enough in their fates to want to read the next book in the series.

I think one aspect that didn’t help at all with telling the characters apart was that they all have rather unique, gender-neutral names (or, well, at least the important ones). It gets confusing so quickly, when you have Phoenix, Gemini, Aries, Teo, Haven and Ocean and then she did this and he said that and he argued bla…wait, who is speaking now? I struggled so much to keep up with who was doing what that it hindered my enjoyment of the plot quite significantly. And then several of these names are codenames and we get hit with another bunch of other codenames and/or real names and I was just ready to give up by then. It would have been a different story had I been able to tell them apart by their unique characters, but they all seemed to blend into each other more or less.

The world building also felt super rushed. All I got from it is that Korea was unified and is the dominant spacefaring power, supported by the Anand family who run all kinds of (exploitative) companies throughout our solar system (and possibly others, I never did figure out quite where Haven‘s home world is). It’s the Alliance against the suppressed colonies, but there is no open warfare (yet?) and the characters in this plot get dragged into the conflict. But that’s literally all the reader ever gets to know. The exploitation of the colonies isn’t described very well, why Teo is so convinced that his family is doing good for the solar system is also never backed up, and why are Haven‘s people so severely ostracised?

I hope all of these issues will be dealt with in the sequel, although it is quite safe to say that I will not be reading it.

2.5/5 stars.

Ocean's Godori is the debut adult science fiction novel by Elaine U. Cho. It's a Korean space opera with rich cultural threads throughout a story of familial obligations, self-reflection, and a misfit crew who are pulled into a far-reaching conspiracy.

Ocean Yoon is the perfect disgraced character, with brilliant skills but a terrible attitude. She serves as the XO and pilot on an Alliance Class 4 Transporter, the Ohneul. Her character arc is somewhat stereotypical, but her observations are poignant, and her friendship with similarly disgraced Teophilus Anand is enchanting. When they're together, the book is delightful. The two only truly come alive and show their true selves when alone with each other.

"Back when they first met, he nicknamed Ocean 'Finesure' since that was how she answered every question." Teo thinks handling Ocean is like "trying to pet a cat. You have to feign complete disinterest and leave the door ajar for her to nudge open on her own."

The second son of the Anand Tech empire, Teo describes himself as the "solar’s favorite ne’er-do-well son." He "wonders how long Ocean is for the Alliance. How long she’ll stay in the limbo of her fallen state." With her skills, she "could easily get a job with some other spaceflight program, even with her record." That record is one of the many pulls that keep readers engaged, seeking answers.

The third major character is Haven Sasani, who is captivated by the story of Ocean and her fall from grace. Her position as a respected pilot in the Alliance was cut short by an incident that's been redacted and covered up. This mystery is what drives Haven to join the crew of the Ohneul when his father insists he leave home and join the Alliance for some much-needed life experience.

Haven is a member of "the close-knit community of Mortemians" whose "sacred ceremony in learning the death arts" sets him apart from the rest of the solar. His people were ostracised to the point that they no longer physically touch anyone outside their community. While most people who learn about Haven are disgusted, the crew of the Ohneul is mostly curious, and respectful of his avoidance of physical contact. The Ohneul's captain appreciates the bonus she received for having a Mortemian on board; Ocean is distant and watchful, and there's a delicious tension whenever she and Haven interact.

Together, they become entangled in a plot of sabotage, where Teo is framed not only for the destruction of the Senobi Embassy to Mars - a brutal attack that almost killed him, as well - but also for the murder of his own parents. Ocean is determined to prove her friend's innocence; Haven and the rest of the crew of the Ohneul are along for the ride.

Sprinkled with vivid characters and subtle glimpses of future technologies, and seeped in Korean culture, Ocean's Godori has a setting that is rich, deep, and integrated into every scene. The reader is firmly transported to a place and time that feels real.

Ocean's Godori is beautifully written, too, with descriptions that catch the eye without taking the reader out of the story. There are dozens of quotes I could share, but I'd prefer to let you discover the magic on your own. With excellent writing and captivating characters, there's lots to love.

I look forward to more books in this universe, and hope to see Ocean, Teo, and Haven again soon. The ending was a cliffhanger and I want to know what happens next.

Did this book start a little slow, yes, but was it worth it, also yes though the cliffhanger! The ride was worth it though from raiders, to romance, and to space chases. Despite the larger cast of characters, it was easy to keep track of them and their histories because I had so much fun with the story.

I loved this book from the first page! This book builds on itself, starting small to establish itself and the characters before showing the scale of impact. The plot was engaging, with enough mystery and unanswered questions propelling me further into the exciting future Cho has created. I found the characters complex enough to be interesting but still straightforward enough to be relatable, each unique and entertaining and compelling on their own, but an absolute delight together. Their relationships (familial or platonic or romantic) feel developed naturally and organically, and I appreciated that romantic relationships aren't the drive of the story without being nonexistent. However, some of the characters seem far more attached and loyal to each other than I would anticipate, given the history we know they've shared, so I'm curious if there's more to them we've yet to learn, or maybe those characters just attach to others easily. There are also things I don't fully understand about the plan and motives of the antagonist, but I am confident that more will be revealed and resolved in later books.

I feel like the end of this book came out of nowhere - not what happened, I mean the actual end of the book came far too soon and left me wanting more! It seemed like too sudden of a conclusion, and it was actually a little jarring when there wasn't another page. I look forward to the sequel (THERE BETTER BE A SEQUEL!) to continue on this amazing adventure with Ocean & Company.

Language: High
Violence: High
Drugs: None
Sex: Mild

Too much Lifetime TV style drama and half-baked romance, not enough sci-fi. Very sad about this one, because the premise sounded amazing: "a thrilling adventure across the solar that delivers hyperkinetic action sequences and irresistible will-they-won't-they romance alongside its nuanced exploration of colonialism and capitalism". Where was all of this? Buried under drawn-out drama that's happening to extremely bland and cliché characters. I did enjoy the world-building though, which was the best part of the novel. Korea as a leader of space exploration in a future headed towards utopia? Sign me up! Give me more of that! Sadly, the story didn't live up to its beautiful setting, and if I'm being honest the first half of the novel barely has any plot at all.

"Ocean's Godori" is another book I had to skim through after the halfway point - the storytelling and character work just weren't there, unfortunately.