I have read and enjoyed several of this author's novellas so I was hopeful this would be a favourite.

I found the prose to be pleasing. However, I found the characters and worldbuilding to be underwhelming. I wanted to love this one but it was too vague for me to fully grasp and I found myself wanting more.

I think this author has a lot of potential but this story felt so undeveloped.

Disclaimer I received a copy of this book from the publisher.

Series Info/Source: This is a stand alone book. I got a copy of this on ebook from NetGalley to review.

Thoughts: This was a bit different from what I was expecting...if I am being honest I wasn't really sure what to expect since I hadn't read this author before. I ended up liking this although in the beginning I found it a bit confusing.

This follows a couple different characters, both Navigators of different clans who are assigned to hunt down a tangler (a huge beast that can take out who cities across the universe). Viet Nhi and Hac Cuc are from different clans but are assigned to the same team. As they work through personality issues on the team and face impossible challenges, they realize that there are more politics going on behind the scenes than they were originally led to believe.

The beginning of this is a bit of an info-dump and a bit confusing. As with a lot of sci-fi, you have a lot of terms thrown at you that are new and not very well explained. Fortunately, it is pretty easy to get this sorted out after the first couple chapters. Although, I still never really understood what exactly made the Navigator clans different (yes they have Shadows and can open gates but how did they get different from other human factions?). The other thing I struggled with were the names. You'll have to pardon my American ignorance here, but I believe these are Vietnamese inspired names? I had to re-read all the character names a lot and really put in effort to make sure I kept them straight throughout the story. By the mid-point, I felt more comfortable with them.

This starts out as a sort of hunt/space battle but then changes into something else as politics get involved. While the premise of betrayal and rebellion that the story follows wasn't all that unique, I did enjoy the characters and the setting. This ends up being more of a romance than anything else. There is also a theme of conflicting personalities learning to work together towards the same goal. Our characters are split in to clans and initially there is quite a bit about the characteristics unique to those clans. However, the longer the characters are together, the more you see that everyone has the same goals but different strengths and weaknesses.

There is a lot packed into this short novella. I found it interesting and entertaining despite some of the initial struggles I mentioned above. The story was different from what I was expecting but not in a bad way. This was a nice break from all the historical fantasy I have been reading. I did struggle with the flow of the writing a bit at points, but it wasn't enough to detract from the story.

My Summary (4/5): Overall I liked this and found it entertaining. I did struggle a bit with all the sci-fi terms thrown at the reader initially, and I also struggled to keep names straight because they were so foreign to me. I enjoyed the world-building and characters here and was surprised at how much story was packed in to this novella. I ended up enjoying this, although I was a bit surprised by how much romance was in here. I did enjoy the theme of a team of misfits learning to work together. This was a creative and intriguing read. I think I might seek out more stories by Bodard if I am in the mood for a different sort of sci-fi story.

I've loved Aliette de Bodard from my first discovery of their unusual writing themes years ago, watching the books develop and explore even more deeply - while still staying grounded in humanity and love.

This seemed at first to be a complex scifi adventure, with a bit of mystery involved. But as the title hints, it's a tangle. Who is the monster? Are these the unlikeliest heroes ever? What happens if the issues are dealt with but the status quo is not restored?

I especially liked how very real the primary quorum was, with personalities rubbing against each other and NOT coming together Disney-style by the end - but working together while understanding each other's differences. Everyone had issues and they were considered clearly and well. Internal battles are as important as external in this tale.

As I said, Aliette writes truth. This isn't the typical Western storytelling style, and neither characters nor universe are 'all fine at the end.' It twists and turns into unforeseen places... like life. That sense of realism in a very fantastic setting is a joy to me.

My only disappointment was that the ARC had no pronunciation guide for names. I'm unfamiliar with Vietnamese speech and did try to look these up, but without much success. I'd like to respect characters and author by naming them correctly, as I'm sure what I have in my head is coloured by my English baseline!

Another great book by an amazing and innovative author.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.
Another good one from Aliette de Bodard. I enjoyed this a lot, it was a fun space story, a good story about young people being disillusioned with the values of their elders, and a great romance between an anxious perfectionist and a neurodivergent person. Loved that! de Bodard always manages to put a lot into shorter books, and I love that.

I really enjoyed this adventure into a new corner of space operas and think that, while it may not have been the best introductory read to Aliette de Bodard's works, it does give a nice insight into her writing style. The pacing was understandably quick for a novella, but it really sold the fast-paced situation of an escaped beast needing capture without sacrificing worldbuilding or character exploration. On the topic of worldbuilding, I felt that de Bodard struck a near perfect balance of sprinkling in contextual information without bogging down the reader in particulars. I immediately understood the broad concept of individuals' use of Shadow as a kind martial art utilizing an ephemeral, biological extension of one's own energy without it needing to be fully laid out in front of me and I applaud de Bodard's skill to do that through character casual thoughts and actions. I truly enjoy when an author trusts their readers to understand the world they've created by illustrating the effects that world has on the characters instead of outlining each political system and social nicety and Aliette de Bodard seems to have mastered this skill. Nhi's neurodivergence was handled so beautifully without turning her into a caricature of the neurodivergent experience, and Hạc Cúc's own inner turmoil stood as a backdrop for her own insecurities and view of the world. I would love to see more of these characters or this universe in future books, but look forward to experiencing more of her writing.

Aliette de Bodard is one of those authors where I know eventually I will find a book that I love, but I haven’t found it yet. I was so hopeful about Navigational Entanglements would be it: it’s a novella space opera with a socially awkward main character who really just wants to be left alone, and it’s sapphic. The world building is incredible creative, but, unfortunately, I struggled to follow the events and felt a level of remove from the high stakes plot.

However, I liked the ending so much that I am going to reread this on audio once it comes out on July 30th because I think reading it in that medium will be more successful/enjoyable.

Aliette de Bodard’s Navigational Entanglements has quite a bit going on for a novella, with a bunch of worldbuilding around the navigators, their clans, the Empire, the politics between them, and the dangers of creatures that lurk out there in space. Việt Nhi, a junior, is sent with a couple of others (none of whom get along very well) to find and kill a tangler, a strange creature whose touch can kill humans. Predictably, things don’t go to plan.

Việt Nhi likes secrets and she likes rules. She likes to understand what’s at the root of things, because that’s easier to understand than the shifting rules of conversation and interaction with peers. She’s quickly drawn to one of her companions, Hạc Cúc, because even though she’s dangerous and relationships don’t usually seem to go well anyway, Hạc Cúc seems to understand a bit of what makes her tick, and want to work with it. Meanwhile, Hạc Cúc is struggling with her own feelings of inadequacy, her worry that she isn’t half as kind or capable as her mentor, her expectation that she’ll hurt those around her.

It makes for a pretty sweet romance, as each goes out on a limb for the other, and the bond that forms between them is also part of what makes the story come together. Their relationships with the other characters are less central, but also part of what makes it all tick — I got pretty caught up in whether they’d all come through for each other (and it didn’t feel like a foregone conclusion).

It works well at novella length, providing a story that’s both a glimpse of a larger world and complete in itself as far as Việt Nhi, Hạc Cúc and their motley band go. There are surely other adventures ahead of them, and there’d be room for a sequel — but it’s also complete in itself.

I did have to chew on this a bit to decide how much I liked it, because it wasn’t something I instantly connected with, but I enjoyed it the more for thinking over it.

My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher Tor Publishing Group for an advance copy of this science fiction novel about traveling, leaving one's comfort zone, and the monsters that exist all around us.

Reading a lot of science fiction one gets used to the myriad ways that authors use to get their cast from Point A to Point Z. There are Warps that lead to Hyperspace, dropping into a Wormhole, while Folding Space and all ending in Ridiculous Speed. And then there are ways like in this book, the ones that use the human factor to travel through space, with all the inherent problems that creates, and the dangers that come through. Navigational Entanglements by Aliette de Bodard is a story of love, finding oneself, and the scary things that lie both in space, and among those one things of as comrades.

Sometime in the future, space travel is pretty much controlled by a group of people called the Navigators. Navigators are able to use their on khí, the life energy of the navigator to open up a portal in what is called the Hollows. Once there Navigators can guide spaceships safely thorough and out another portal. However the Hollows are not empty. Living inside are creatures called Tanglers. And Tanglers are very hungry. Usually they eat other creatures in the Hollows, but other creatures can be humans, and it takes a skilled navigator to make it through and keep their passengers safe. However a Tangler has escaped the Hollows, and the Navigators, who are divided into different clans are being blamed for this problem by the empire. Now the clans must unite and send well if not their best, some people to find the Tangler. Việt Nhi is chosen from the Rooster clan, a person who is not very good around people. Hạc Cúc has been chosen from the Snake clan, a person while good with people, is much better at poison. The hunt for the Tangler is hindered both by the empire and the death of an envoy. And the feelings the two clan members are feeling for each other.

A great little novella that introduces a fascinating world, with a lot of potential. This is the first book I have read by Aliette de Bodard, but I really enjoyed its mix of fantasy, science fiction, and the way the two characters interacted, and felt for each other. The idea of the shadow for space travel is interesting, and I loved the way it was explained, and the way it worked. For a book less than 200 pages there was a lot going on, and a lot explained, but never in a info-dump kind of way, or ponderous lecturing. The book was pretty sly and funny in many ways, and it really balanced everything out. Also, I enjoyed that there was a strong ending for the characters.

A fun story with a lot of good ideas, and some really clever writing. Also the characters are one's you root for. And that's always a good thing. I'm glad to be introduced to this author, and I can't wait to read more.

The author's writing was beautiful, and the characters were really interesting. However, I really struggled to understand the universe because the world lacked world-building. I felt like I was dropped into the middle of a story instead of the beginning. I got the basics of the plot, but I was missing the rules/setup of the world.

Going into this book, I didn’t have any expectations besides knowing that I thought the cover was interesting, and I think the story definitely fits it! NAVIGATIONAL ENTANGLEMENTS is a futuristic science fiction in space where a creature called a tangler is one of the most dangerous parts of travel, and the various navigational clans make their money off running that business. There are some classics with space travel and intergalactic creatures, while also having just a little bit of a mystery. The novella is pretty fast-paced, although I think it manages to tell its entire story. There were times where it felt like I was reading a companion novella to a larger world, and there was some specific terminology and elements of world-building that were a little bit harder to adjust to as I read, even when I enjoyed the story. Despite that, I was still able to follow the story and I think if you’re a fan of the author already or just read sci fi more frequently, it might not be as big of a deal. Overall, I thought this was a fun novella with an interesting plotline and some fun subplots of sapphic romance and found family vibes being built along the way!

This was an enjoyable story. The world building was a slow build for me but once I wrapped my head around it, it worked for me.

The plotting was good and the action really ramped up in the third act, driving the pacing to increase to a lovely, satisfying end.

I will probably check out the audiobook later so I can learn the pronunciations for the character names—and because this would be a fun reread!

What a fun book! I found the world building to be top notch and the characters were fun. I did have moment feeling like I was missing something but overall it was a good time.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

This novella did not feel at all like I was reading a novella, if that makes any sense (in a good way!). The story was engaging and the characters and universe were well-rounded and three-dimensional. I will always be here for main characters that are either queer or neurodivergent, and this novella gets bonus points for having both! I adored Nhi because I related to her and her struggles so much, and her budding romance with Hạc Cúc was so lovely. A wonderful, quick read that had me absorbed from start to finish.

I'm handing it four stars. I genuinely, truly enjoyed it as a short, sweet foray into a new sci-fi world, but I wish I had realized earlier that it was part of a larger, encompassing set of stories that contain more of the worldbuilding.

I loved Nhi as a character, of all the characters she was my favourite. They were all strong, but I feel like she was the strongest, the glue that kept them together. And as four juniors from four clans who were basically sent to fail their impossible mission, they really need that glue. I felt a lot of my own struggles with neurodivergence in Nhi. But she was a hero in the end, they all were. Even at the risk of their own lives, they did what was right, refusing to stand by.

I feel like I had just enough understanding of Shadows, the Hollow, and the tanglers to eek by without being confused. This is definitely one of those succinct sci-fi stories that you read in one sitting, or you'll be very confused when you come back. A stunning writing style also helps with single-sitting reads.

I would definitely read another novel from Bodard if given the chance, though I feel quite happy with the ending given to Nhi and Hạc Cúc.

A sweet little romantic space opera that I thoroughly enjoyed. The character interactions were probably my favorite part, but the efficient and effective world building provided a well-rounded backdrop for the action. Recommended for anyone who wants to escape to the stars for a little while.

Another solid read from Aliette de Bodard. Exhibits all the qualities that one expects from the author's Xuya novels and novellas: great characters, superb prose, and a few twists here and there. If you are familiar with the author's work already, then this will no doubt already be on your Must Read list. If you're new to de Bodard's work, then I would recommend... well, any of her novellas as a starting place.

Recommended. I enjoyed this.

I quite enjoyed this little novella! A sapphic mystery in space with monsters definitely worked for me!

Basically, a ragtag group of juniors (apprentice navigators, I guess? It’s a bit tough to explain the world and the various SF elements) are brought together by the powers that be to deal with a tangler that has escaped from the Hollow (to me this sounded almost like a pocket dimension, it’s not really explained).

Throughout the story there are things that don’t really make sense, how the tangler escaped, why it’s so big, etc, and when these questions are answered it’s revealed why this particular group was chosen to deal with it.

I know that it’s a short little book, but I did find it a bit tough to follow at times, because there are various elements that aren’t explained. You’re just dropped into this world and this is how it is. It mostly worked for me, except that I would have liked a bit more background. It’s also possible that this book is set in an already established world of de Bodard’s, as she has an extensive backlist, most of which I haven’t read.

Overall, enjoyed it, and will probably seek out some more of de Bodard’s backlist.

I was mostly confused reading this. I never got a grasp on who the characters really were, what was going on in the world they lived in, and nothing really sucked me in. The pacing was off, and I felt like the characters all came across as a bit flat.
2/5 stars

A delightful space opera that has fantastic world-building and characterizationsThere are clans who guide space travel through the Hollows, a sealed corridor which encloses a deadly creatures known as Tanglers, due to their gelatinous bodies and poisonous tentacles. A tangler has escaped and a small team of representatives from the four clans and an administrator are recruited to find and destroy the tangler. The four representatives are rivals since they are from different clans and the know but really don't like or trust each other. they embark on their mission but their administrator is killed and they are left to complete the mission on their own. They will have to learn to get along and learn to trust each other with their lives in order to complete the mission. This is a good beginning space opera for those readers new to the field. It is an enjoyable read.

A group of misfits are sent on a dangerous mission to defeat a monster in deep space, but perhaps their biggest challenge is learning to work together.

This novella has quite a different setting from Aliette de Bodard’s recent Xuya books, but it’s an equally fascinating place.

Việt Nhi is a lowly member of the Rooster clan, one of the four opposed navigator clans who help guide ships through the Hollows; another space entirely that is used as a shortcut to achieve faster-than-light travel. As with many shortcuts, there is a slight catch. The Hollows are also home to a form of life known as the Tanglers; large unknowable creatures with deadly intangible tendrils that love to feed on the travellers who cross through their realm.

The navigators are not defenceless however—they can project their life energy into a form known as their Shadow; a force that can tear open holes in the universe and protect their ships from harm. Sometimes though, Nhi just uses it to give herself a nice hug when she is feeling stressed out by life.

And Nhi is certainly stressed. Not only has one of these eldritch horrors escaped from the Hollows intent on devouring everything in its path, not only is she being sent to find and catch it, but she will have to work with delegates of the other three clans to do so, accompanied by an aloof imperial envoy intent on keeping everybody in line.

Nhi does not do well with people. They do not always make sense to her, and she finds social interactions particularly wearing. Plus, all the clans barely tolerate each other at the best of times, so this will be quite the challenge of teamwork. To complicate matters even further, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to another member of the team…

With a queer and neurodivergent main protagonist, and a band of lovably broken outcasts, this is a fun tale inspired by xianxia-style martial arts, but rooted in science fiction with an undercurrent of romance. It does a lot of world building despite the short length, and I hope we will get to see these characters again, or at least have more stories set in the same universe.

Definitely worth your time.

Thanks to Tor Publishing for the early review copy.