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.

A tightly written novella that's sure to spike reader's interests, whether they are coming for the space opera, the romance, the queer and neurodiverse characters, or the taste of Lovecraftian horrors, readers will come away with a taste of this fantastical world that will linger long after the cover is closed. New readers of the author will feel the need to seek out her other works. Fans of the weird, you've found another writer who brings something new to the sci-fi table. The writing is sharp and the author works the plots of duplicity and political maneuvering into a study of a few characters and a budding romance. The perspective is fresh while exploring a sci-fi trope, and adds enough twists and layers that readers will become immersed.

A group of Navigators are sent on a dangerous mission to capture a creature, called a Tangler, which has escaped the Hollows, the space between gates. Usually Navigators do all they can to avoid encounters with the strange tentacled creatures, since just a touch can bring insanity, and quickly thereafter death. The team is made up of Navigators from every clan, none of whom seem suited to the mission, but it's up to Nhi to lead the team and locate the creature before it escapes into a city to wreak havoc. However difficult that sounds, it's only the tip of the iceberg, soon the whole team is faced with a difficult choice, to whom do they owe their loyalty? In which direction is the path to justice? And to complicate matters further Nhi has found herself drawn to one of her teammates, another prickly situation she's not used to dealing with, especially when that person is an assassin from another clan.

A vibrant, emotional story that packs a lot of punch into a fairly short length. All of the important beats are in the story without any filler.

In Navigational Entanglements Aliette de Bodard gives us another unique space opera. As with most of de Bodard's work this took me a couple chapters to really get a handle on what was happening. Nhi is a Navigator- someone who uses the power of Shadows to guide spaceships through a realm populated by dangerous Tanglers. When a Tangler gets loose in the physical realm she must team up with other apprentices to track it down. There are two major problems. Nhi doesn't do well with people... and this might be a mission they aren't meant to win.

Nhi is a queer, neuro-spicy main character. Combing her with three other, VERY DIFFERENT, characters makes for a lot of headbutting and arguments. Even though they're not always a very likeable bunch, you still want them to succeed. It's a really fun dynamic, especially in a novella length book where you don't have the space for a ton of character development. The Shadow magic system is based on Xianxia martial arts and lead me down a long rabbit hole (which often happens wit de Bodard's books). This book is probably not going to appeal to the average reader, but there's definitely a niche market of readers who are going to devour it and hope for a sequel.

This is another of the author's Viet space novellas, and, as always, it is brilliant. This time, junior navigators from four clans are set to capture and kill a dangerous creature from the hollows between the stars. Unfortunately, the secrets they uncover along the way are much more dangerous than the creature itself.

Wildly dense worldbuilding, complex, engrossing narratives, the sensation of being dropped into a larger story that you'll only get glimpses of, and a tale that's far too short.

This cover! I love it.

This book is heavy on worldbuilding where I don’t think it needed to be, and the writing style itself wasn’t for me. That said, the audience is going to be niche, but likely an easy four to five stars for the right readers. I stopped 14% in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for the ARC.