. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.

I think my favourite thing about robots is just how human they always end up being. Usually filled with more morality and humanity than any of the human cast. Think about IG-11, R2D2, and K2-SO from Star Wars, or Robot from Invincible, or Zane from Ninjago, and how they are vastly human characters, even though one of them only talks through beeps that are definitely cuss words.

Scribe IV easily cemented himself as another robot on my long list of "wow I love these metal dudes so much." It's truly incredible how much love, affection, compassion, and tenderness this automaton showed during this very short novel, and I loved every minute of it. And I loved the ending very much, the ability for Scribe to stay and watch and observe Angel without being overtaken by the human fear, but being filled with the human love.

Quin is, thankfully, not the typical character type I've come to call "Space Asshole," notably filled with types like Kirk, Solo, and Quill. He's remarkably damaged, notably gay, and desperately loves his sister and his friends. Even the angel who fed on him like a buffet is close to his heart--- so close that the Legion of Murmuration has to wipe memories of himself from Quin's head to let him begin to heal after everything that has happened.

And Angel--- wow, what a darling. I love xem so much. The innocence, the unending optimism, the humanity, and the power that are all wrapped up in xyr expansive yet small body is awesome. I love xyr fashion choices especially. And xyr relationship with Scribe IV had me cooing like a goddamn pigeon.

These three characters are all wrapped up in a murder mystery that is shockingly small scale for being, y'know, the death of the pope, who still holds quite a range of power in this time period and universe. This felt genuinely almost cozy, I wasn't prepared for that. In a world where your prayers and belief are what create gods (a concept I LOVED in the Supernatural, used through a creature called a Tulpa), belief in love and friendship triumphs over everything else. A small but vast story that makes you feel warm and cozy, in spite of the Eldritch horror and dread served on the side.

My thanks to NetGalley and Titan Books for a free eARC of "Out of the Drowning Deep" by A. C. Wise.
A blend of SF Horror with a Murder Mystery ellement.
What started as an intreaguing Murder Mystery in a unique SF- Fantasy world turned into much more.
I think this story tried to do to much in such a short span of time.
I felt like we got side traked from the murder investigation into a story of trauma and addiction for one of the investigators.
The fact that the resolution ti the crime was less then mediocre would have not bottered me as much if we got to explore this world in more depth.
I think thus sould have been two distinct novellas, set in the same world. One more polished Murder Mystery and the other the exploration of Quin's past trauma and his battle with adiction.
But everything crammed together was just frustrating.

Thank you to Net Galley and Titan Books for the ARC. Sci fi plus murder mystery is one of my favorite combos, but unfortunately, this one was boring. The concept and the world were really cool, but the actual investigation itself was boring.

This interesting blend of sci-fi and mystery is a cool read, following an outdated automaton, Scribe IV, a troubled investigator, Quin, and an angel named, Angel, as they team up to solve the Pope’s murder in a secluded galactic monastery. The narrative is skillful and weaves together deep character struggles and a suspenseful plot, and the design of the angel being a biblical angel is really fun. However, the use of xe/xyr pronouns for Angel seemed a bit pointless and didn't really add to the story for me while the world had me a bit lost in terms of religion and ruling.

I first picked this up expecting mermaids or sirens but the tale is actually set in deep space. When a Pope is murdered just before a controversial announcement, a old robot ask for help in a prayer, which is answered by an angel named Angel, and a private eye named Quinn. Quinn is addicted to another Angel, and keeps asking to loose his memories, but those memories might just hold the key to the murder. Wonderfully weird.