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Navigational Entanglements
Award-winning author Aliette de Bodard presents yet another innovative space opera that broadens the definition of the this time bringing xianxia-style martial arts to the stars.
Using the power of Shadows generated from their own bodies’ vitality, Navigators guide space ships safely across the a realm of unreality populated by unfathomable, dangerous creatures called Tanglers. In return for their service, the navigator clans get wealth and power―but they get the blame, too. So when a Tangler escapes the Hollows and goes missing, the empire calls on the jockeying clans to take responsibility and deal with the problem.
Việt Nhi is not good with people. Or politics. Which is rather unfortunate because, as a junior apprentice in the Rooster clan, when her elders send her on a joint-clan mission to locate the first escaped Tangler in living memory, she can’t exactly say no.
Hạc Cúc of the Snake clan usually likes people. It says so on her “information gathering”―right after “poisoning” and “stabbing.” So she’s pretty sure she’s got the measure of this they’re the screw-ups, the spares; there isn’t a single sharp tool in this shed.
But when their imperial envoy is found dead by clan poison, this crew of expendable apprentices will have to learn to work together―fast―before they end up cooling their heels in a jail cell while the invisible Tangler wreaks havoc on a civilian city and the reputation of all four clans.
Using the power of Shadows generated from their own bodies’ vitality, Navigators guide space ships safely across the a realm of unreality populated by unfathomable, dangerous creatures called Tanglers. In return for their service, the navigator clans get wealth and power―but they get the blame, too. So when a Tangler escapes the Hollows and goes missing, the empire calls on the jockeying clans to take responsibility and deal with the problem.
Việt Nhi is not good with people. Or politics. Which is rather unfortunate because, as a junior apprentice in the Rooster clan, when her elders send her on a joint-clan mission to locate the first escaped Tangler in living memory, she can’t exactly say no.
Hạc Cúc of the Snake clan usually likes people. It says so on her “information gathering”―right after “poisoning” and “stabbing.” So she’s pretty sure she’s got the measure of this they’re the screw-ups, the spares; there isn’t a single sharp tool in this shed.
But when their imperial envoy is found dead by clan poison, this crew of expendable apprentices will have to learn to work together―fast―before they end up cooling their heels in a jail cell while the invisible Tangler wreaks havoc on a civilian city and the reputation of all four clans.
165 pages, Hardcover
First published July 30, 2024
70 people are currently reading
4771 people want to read
About the author
Aliette de Bodard
264 books2,225 followersAliette de Bodard lives and works in Paris. She has won three Nebula Awards, an Ignyte Award, a Locus Award, a British Fantasy Award and four British Science Fiction Association Awards, and was a double Hugo finalist for 2019 (Best Series and Best Novella).
Her most recent book is Fireheart Tiger (Tor.com), a sapphic romantic fantasy inspired by pre colonial Vietnam, where a diplomat princess must decide the fate of her country, and her own. She also wrote Seven of Infinities (Subterranean Press), a space opera where a sentient spaceship and an upright scholar join forces to investigate a murder, and find themselves falling for each other. Other books include Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders and its standalone sequel Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances, (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.), fantasy books of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court. She lives in Paris.
Her most recent book is Fireheart Tiger (Tor.com), a sapphic romantic fantasy inspired by pre colonial Vietnam, where a diplomat princess must decide the fate of her country, and her own. She also wrote Seven of Infinities (Subterranean Press), a space opera where a sentient spaceship and an upright scholar join forces to investigate a murder, and find themselves falling for each other. Other books include Of Dragons, Feasts and Murders and its standalone sequel Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances, (JABberwocky Literary Agency, Inc.), fantasy books of manners and murders set in an alternate 19th Century Vietnamese court. She lives in Paris.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 226 reviews
August 9, 2025
The idea of this world seemed interesting — who doesn’t like wormhole travel complications? Even if the premise of human navigators that belong to specific clans using their “Shadows” coming from their vitality to help navigate the ships to avoid the horrors living in the wormhole space is a bit odd, I’ve loved the books that were much stranger (Gideon the Ninth, for instance).
But the problem is, I just could not find any reason to care. Every one of the characters left me cold, and for the life of me I couldn’t find anything worthy of care in their clan squabbles. And it’s not that the characters are particularly unlikable, it’s just that they failed to stir much emotion in me at all. Maybe I’m getting too crusty for coming of age stories with fueled with righteous anger youngsters who spell out every feeling over and over again in their heads lest we get it wrong, or maybe it’s just these particular youngsters that felt simply uninteresting. I had a sneaky feeling that maybe those two who weren’t the central duo could have been potentially more interesting, but they were sidelined by the eventual central couple and their condensed love story.
And then the worldbuilding — something that in science fiction is of paramount importance, the nuts and bolts of the genre, the reason it appeals to the readers. Here it’s just too vague, overshadowed by the sort-of enemies-to-lovers angsty young romance (that takes up too much space in this novella and yet still feels like it came out of nowhere), leaving less room to developing the setting. Actually, how the worldbuilding still manages to be so vague even despite repetitive exposition dumps really baffles me.
It should have been either tighter and shorter, or else expanded into a full novel where we’d see more of the interactions we are supposed to care about - like the conflict of the relationship between Hạc Cúc and her mentor that lacks the emotional punch it is supposed to carry since we weren’t given any reason to care about it. But the way it is, it’s a bit too clunky and superficial, and ultimately unsatisfying.
2 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
“Most people didn’t appreciate being told all of the truth, and Nhi couldn’t always understand where the tipping point was between being honest and scaring off people. There were rules, but rules sometimes failed, because people were too messy.”
But the problem is, I just could not find any reason to care. Every one of the characters left me cold, and for the life of me I couldn’t find anything worthy of care in their clan squabbles. And it’s not that the characters are particularly unlikable, it’s just that they failed to stir much emotion in me at all. Maybe I’m getting too crusty for coming of age stories with fueled with righteous anger youngsters who spell out every feeling over and over again in their heads lest we get it wrong, or maybe it’s just these particular youngsters that felt simply uninteresting. I had a sneaky feeling that maybe those two who weren’t the central duo could have been potentially more interesting, but they were sidelined by the eventual central couple and their condensed love story.
And then the worldbuilding — something that in science fiction is of paramount importance, the nuts and bolts of the genre, the reason it appeals to the readers. Here it’s just too vague, overshadowed by the sort-of enemies-to-lovers angsty young romance (that takes up too much space in this novella and yet still feels like it came out of nowhere), leaving less room to developing the setting. Actually, how the worldbuilding still manages to be so vague even despite repetitive exposition dumps really baffles me.
It should have been either tighter and shorter, or else expanded into a full novel where we’d see more of the interactions we are supposed to care about - like the conflict of the relationship between Hạc Cúc and her mentor that lacks the emotional punch it is supposed to carry since we weren’t given any reason to care about it. But the way it is, it’s a bit too clunky and superficial, and ultimately unsatisfying.
2 stars.
——————
Also posted on my blog.
June 16, 2024
2.5 Stars
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.
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.
decided-not-to-read
June 17, 2025I am officially quitting this at around 26% of it. I meant to read all the Hugo finalists but I am getting bored and I think I saw enough here already to know this is not my cup of tea. It is not bad, it is not mediocre (not exactly. Feels professional) but 8 deadly words, I do not care about these people. Like, at all. And it does not seem to be any particularly cool ideas or concepts worth sticking around for...
SF is the genre where readers are expect to be more patient with lots of new concepts and ideas and characters and to keep reading and keep track of new ideas and concepts hoping for some payback. Some authors are a lot better at making this easy (Adrian Tchaikovsky for example), others are worse. This is not the worst offending story I have read, not by a long shot, but it it is an offender: tons of concepts and "houses" and characters introduced in group. The characters were hard to keep track of and were meant to represent house stereotypes (this always seems so immature...) but I also had to keep track of what house was which. Then some important person character just shows up to bully everybody without making any sense politically and feeling unreal. I really did not care about the plot or if one of those houses lost political importance. And to add insult to injury, there seems to be a kind of magic force (in my science fiction! No, not my cup of tea to have magic forces and feelings in SF) characters can sense.
Not my cup of tea, quitting here. Meh.
SF is the genre where readers are expect to be more patient with lots of new concepts and ideas and characters and to keep reading and keep track of new ideas and concepts hoping for some payback. Some authors are a lot better at making this easy (Adrian Tchaikovsky for example), others are worse. This is not the worst offending story I have read, not by a long shot, but it it is an offender: tons of concepts and "houses" and characters introduced in group. The characters were hard to keep track of and were meant to represent house stereotypes (this always seems so immature...) but I also had to keep track of what house was which. Then some important person character just shows up to bully everybody without making any sense politically and feeling unreal. I really did not care about the plot or if one of those houses lost political importance. And to add insult to injury, there seems to be a kind of magic force (in my science fiction! No, not my cup of tea to have magic forces and feelings in SF) characters can sense.
Not my cup of tea, quitting here. Meh.
July 8, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up
Navigational Entanglements is a sci-fi novella that is seemingly about a group of junior Navigators assigned to find and take care of a dangerous monster that was wandered into the wrong realm. But in many ways this is more about the interpersonal relationships and internal arcs of the characters. The four women assigned are from different clans and mostly don't get along (even if there is an undercurrent of attraction between two of them) but the mission will test their limits.
At times this felt like it was dragging a bit. The language and pacing are slow, but I like the overall story and characters. We have queer and neurodivergent POV characters and the novella explores elements of how they experience the world. The sci-fi elements are somewhat interesting. Not my favorite book from the author, but I liked it. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
Navigational Entanglements is a sci-fi novella that is seemingly about a group of junior Navigators assigned to find and take care of a dangerous monster that was wandered into the wrong realm. But in many ways this is more about the interpersonal relationships and internal arcs of the characters. The four women assigned are from different clans and mostly don't get along (even if there is an undercurrent of attraction between two of them) but the mission will test their limits.
At times this felt like it was dragging a bit. The language and pacing are slow, but I like the overall story and characters. We have queer and neurodivergent POV characters and the novella explores elements of how they experience the world. The sci-fi elements are somewhat interesting. Not my favorite book from the author, but I liked it. I received a copy of this book for review, all opinions are my own.
May 26, 2025
well…! High highs and low lows. I think my disappointment with this story comes from recognizing that it could’ve easily been a 5/5 with some work.
Sometimes “this novella should have been longer” is a kind of backwards compliment - “I liked this, I wish there were more of it.” And while I would’ve enjoyed more of this story on its own merits, Navigational Entanglements really feels kneecapped by its length. There’s a baffling time jump at the very beginning, jumping over when the characters must settle into living with one another, summarizing those interactions retroactively. The romance here moves startlingly quickly, and with no indication of time passing it’s unclear if the events of the story take place over a few days or a few weeks.
That being said, Navigational Entanglements works on the small scale. Nhi’s way of navigating a very regimented, social world as an autistic woman reads as grounded and thoughtful. I appreciated how layered the story makes our two main characters for its length, and the dialogue felt true to how people miscommunicate (with the exception of the elders, who felt a bit jilted in the two scenes centering them). The world is by far the most interesting part of this story, and though I’m not familiar with xianxia-style Cultivation, Bodard’s introduction dunks into the deep end while making me curious for more.
I can’t see myself returning to this story very often, and I’m anticipating that it won’t be landing the Hugo this year. But I enjoyed it for a short space opera fix and introduction into Cultivation.
Please note that I work for Macmillan, but opinions are my own. I am not involved in book production.
Sometimes “this novella should have been longer” is a kind of backwards compliment - “I liked this, I wish there were more of it.” And while I would’ve enjoyed more of this story on its own merits, Navigational Entanglements really feels kneecapped by its length. There’s a baffling time jump at the very beginning, jumping over when the characters must settle into living with one another, summarizing those interactions retroactively. The romance here moves startlingly quickly, and with no indication of time passing it’s unclear if the events of the story take place over a few days or a few weeks.
That being said, Navigational Entanglements works on the small scale. Nhi’s way of navigating a very regimented, social world as an autistic woman reads as grounded and thoughtful. I appreciated how layered the story makes our two main characters for its length, and the dialogue felt true to how people miscommunicate (with the exception of the elders, who felt a bit jilted in the two scenes centering them). The world is by far the most interesting part of this story, and though I’m not familiar with xianxia-style Cultivation, Bodard’s introduction dunks into the deep end while making me curious for more.
I can’t see myself returning to this story very often, and I’m anticipating that it won’t be landing the Hugo this year. But I enjoyed it for a short space opera fix and introduction into Cultivation.
Please note that I work for Macmillan, but opinions are my own. I am not involved in book production.
June 17, 2025
I wanted to wrap up my thoughts before this goes back to the library, but I'm not sure that I have much to say about this one. In short: it's a cool idea, but I would have liked to see this as either a tight novelette or a more balanced novel with time for nuanced character interactions.
The framework isn't bad: four junior members of the navigator clans that navigate that dangerous reaches of unreal space during transit are summoned to track an escaped Tangler, a creature from this space that has somehow escaped into normal space and could easily kill people if it's not caught quickly. Each person has their own style of wielding Shadow powers based on the general traditions of their clan and the specific practices of their mentors. If you're into martial arts media, I think there's a lot to enjoy about this element. For more details about the setting, check out this long-form interview with the author.
Unfortunately, the character work lands as thin to me: there's not much space for that in a novella that's already introducing so many worldbuilding details along with the stakes of the mission. The early buzz I saw mentioned that this is a found-family story, but to me it's more of an awkward romance between two people (Việt Nhi of Rooster clan and Hạc Cúc of Snake clan), with two other weak supporting characters who happen to also be there and have about one and a half character traits each. Việt Nhi and Hạc Cúc do get a couple great scenes (I particularly liked one where ), but I would have liked more space to explore their dynamic without trying to cram the standard "initial dislike, then attraction and getting together, then a clunky breakup-style argument before everything works out" formula from full-length romance books into this space.
There's too much leaning on the clan as a source of personality traits in a way that feels like children's or YA media, in the vein of Hogwarts houses or Divergent factions. That kind of thing can work with teenagers who are trying desperately to fit in, but the "everyone knows how Snake Clan people are" notes from people in their twenties or thirties felt lazy to me. There were flickers of living up to clan personas as a performative thing that people might struggle to do if their own personalities don't fit that mold, but it's brushed over in a hurry.
Overall: not a terrible read, but neither in a genre corner that interests me much not executed with enough depth and polish to make me interested anyway. I can get pulled into almost anything if the writer is sufficiently skilled and enthusiastic, but this just felt like too much worldbuilding infrastructure that is, at its core, a little too simple and predictable to land for me.
//
First impressions: there are some interesting moments, but this wasn't really for me. Partly it's a genre thing: I'm not very familiar with xianxia or cultivation stories, which are apparently major influences here. I think fans of those stories would appreciate this more. My other point of hesitation is that the writing feels very blunt and repetitive, hammering home the same character traits with long internal monologues more than interactions. That may be part of the writing style for this genre (there are quite a lot mission-statement moments for these characters), but for me it gave the book the sort of spell-it-out lack of nuance that I would associate with books for younger audiences. It's quick read for the start of the Hugo readalong, at least. RTC.
The framework isn't bad: four junior members of the navigator clans that navigate that dangerous reaches of unreal space during transit are summoned to track an escaped Tangler, a creature from this space that has somehow escaped into normal space and could easily kill people if it's not caught quickly. Each person has their own style of wielding Shadow powers based on the general traditions of their clan and the specific practices of their mentors. If you're into martial arts media, I think there's a lot to enjoy about this element. For more details about the setting, check out this long-form interview with the author.
Unfortunately, the character work lands as thin to me: there's not much space for that in a novella that's already introducing so many worldbuilding details along with the stakes of the mission. The early buzz I saw mentioned that this is a found-family story, but to me it's more of an awkward romance between two people (Việt Nhi of Rooster clan and Hạc Cúc of Snake clan), with two other weak supporting characters who happen to also be there and have about one and a half character traits each. Việt Nhi and Hạc Cúc do get a couple great scenes (I particularly liked one where ), but I would have liked more space to explore their dynamic without trying to cram the standard "initial dislike, then attraction and getting together, then a clunky breakup-style argument before everything works out" formula from full-length romance books into this space.
There's too much leaning on the clan as a source of personality traits in a way that feels like children's or YA media, in the vein of Hogwarts houses or Divergent factions. That kind of thing can work with teenagers who are trying desperately to fit in, but the "everyone knows how Snake Clan people are" notes from people in their twenties or thirties felt lazy to me. There were flickers of living up to clan personas as a performative thing that people might struggle to do if their own personalities don't fit that mold, but it's brushed over in a hurry.
Overall: not a terrible read, but neither in a genre corner that interests me much not executed with enough depth and polish to make me interested anyway. I can get pulled into almost anything if the writer is sufficiently skilled and enthusiastic, but this just felt like too much worldbuilding infrastructure that is, at its core, a little too simple and predictable to land for me.
//
First impressions: there are some interesting moments, but this wasn't really for me. Partly it's a genre thing: I'm not very familiar with xianxia or cultivation stories, which are apparently major influences here. I think fans of those stories would appreciate this more. My other point of hesitation is that the writing feels very blunt and repetitive, hammering home the same character traits with long internal monologues more than interactions. That may be part of the writing style for this genre (there are quite a lot mission-statement moments for these characters), but for me it gave the book the sort of spell-it-out lack of nuance that I would associate with books for younger audiences. It's quick read for the start of the Hugo readalong, at least. RTC.
July 5, 2024
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC!
If I could force every sentient being to read one book, it might be this one. The glimpses into Nhi's thought processes, fears and hopes resonated with me on a visceral level (and led me to believe she might be autistic, though this might have been projection and wishful thinking on my part as an autistic queer woman myself). The worldbuilding was explained well enough so that I could jump into the story pretty easily but not so dense that I needed to keep a lexicon or actually understand physics.
If I could force every sentient being to read one book, it might be this one. The glimpses into Nhi's thought processes, fears and hopes resonated with me on a visceral level (and led me to believe she might be autistic, though this might have been projection and wishful thinking on my part as an autistic queer woman myself). The worldbuilding was explained well enough so that I could jump into the story pretty easily but not so dense that I needed to keep a lexicon or actually understand physics.
June 19, 2025
I read this as part of the Hugo finalist packet. de Bodard's latest is a solid work of scifi, where spaceship navigators can open gates but also must contend with deadly creatures. When four juniors from rival clans are tasked to work together, tempers--and passions--run high, and the politics around their work may be the deadliest threat of all. Interpersonal drama is interspersed with intense action, so this novella reads fast!
July 23, 2024
Everything about this novella sounded spectacular when I requested it.
The reality of it was much different.
The reason I love novellas is because they manage to pack a wallop of a story in a small packet of pages and still do it with style. Ideally, you should never feel like you’re reading a “short book”. It should feel like the book is the exact length it needs to be to fit the story. This means it should accomplish everything a full book should accomplish in its limited page count.
Navigational Entanglements didn’t feel like that to me. It took too long for the inciting incident to occur. There was too much filler. I didn’t feel like the book was trying to engage me or compel me. Mostly, I was bored.
A novella thrives on economy, and there was just too much waste in the pages. If this book had been more intriguing, faster-paced, or intelligent, then I might’ve been more interested. As it stands, it was hard to finish.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. A two star or below rating means this review will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Sci-Fi/LGBTQ Romance/Novella/Sapphic Romance/Sci Fi/Space Opera
The reality of it was much different.
The reason I love novellas is because they manage to pack a wallop of a story in a small packet of pages and still do it with style. Ideally, you should never feel like you’re reading a “short book”. It should feel like the book is the exact length it needs to be to fit the story. This means it should accomplish everything a full book should accomplish in its limited page count.
Navigational Entanglements didn’t feel like that to me. It took too long for the inciting incident to occur. There was too much filler. I didn’t feel like the book was trying to engage me or compel me. Mostly, I was bored.
A novella thrives on economy, and there was just too much waste in the pages. If this book had been more intriguing, faster-paced, or intelligent, then I might’ve been more interested. As it stands, it was hard to finish.
I was provided a copy of this title by Netgalley and the author. All thoughts, opinions, views, and ideas expressed herein are mine and mine alone. A two star or below rating means this review will not be appearing on my social media. Thank you.
File Under: LGBTQ Sci-Fi/LGBTQ Romance/Novella/Sapphic Romance/Sci Fi/Space Opera
June 4, 2025
This is a soft SF novella with bits of sapphic romance, murder mystery, quest, bildungsroman and conspiracy. I read it as a part of the monthly reading for June 2025 at SFF Hot from Printers: New Releases group. The novella was published in 2024 and is a nominee for the Hugo Best Novella.
The author, Aliette de Bodard, has a devoted fan base in Hugo-nominating fandom. In 2011-2025, her works were nominated 12 times for different Hugos, but won none so far. I liked some of her works, but she isn’t my favorite author.
The story starts with four navigators of different clans gathered together and ordered to go on a quest to fight a dragon. In this case, the dragon is ‘tangler’, an ethereal creature:
Tanglers were large and tendriled creatures whose natural habitat was the Hollows—the space navigators took ships to, the space that enabled fast space travel. In their natural state, tanglers floated in the Hollows, grabbing other Hollows creatures and slowly digesting them. Unfortunately, this also included people travelling on ships, as tanglers fed on cognition: anyone human touched by their tendrils would gradually lose control over their own body, until death finally came as a mercy. And whenever a navigation gate was opened, there was a risk tanglers would go back to normal space, where they would prey on people.
The team consists of younger, less experienced navigators, who are pariahs in their own clans. Việt Nhi is an introvert, autistic woman from the Rooster clan, known for its flamboyancy. Phạm Thị Hạc Cúc is a Snake assassin, working too hard to please her Elder. Lành is an Ox and the only survivor of an earlier tanglers' attack, who has some connection with them. Finally, Bảo Duy, of the Rat clan, is the researcher of tanglers.
The four navigators aren’t really a team; too often they jump at each other's throats, it seems they were gathered to fail. Moreover, one of their elders is murdered by a slow-acting poison, unique for navigators… Meanwhile, there is a spark of affection between Nhi and Hạc Cúc, but they both are afraid to fumble it.
Novellas are a quite specific genre – they give more area for exposition and character development, but still have to be concise and to the point. Alas, I cannot say that this novella has succeeded, for me at least. I don’t care about any of the characters; some plot moves were expected by me in advance, and the backstory and setting remained underdeveloped.
The author, Aliette de Bodard, has a devoted fan base in Hugo-nominating fandom. In 2011-2025, her works were nominated 12 times for different Hugos, but won none so far. I liked some of her works, but she isn’t my favorite author.
The story starts with four navigators of different clans gathered together and ordered to go on a quest to fight a dragon. In this case, the dragon is ‘tangler’, an ethereal creature:
Tanglers were large and tendriled creatures whose natural habitat was the Hollows—the space navigators took ships to, the space that enabled fast space travel. In their natural state, tanglers floated in the Hollows, grabbing other Hollows creatures and slowly digesting them. Unfortunately, this also included people travelling on ships, as tanglers fed on cognition: anyone human touched by their tendrils would gradually lose control over their own body, until death finally came as a mercy. And whenever a navigation gate was opened, there was a risk tanglers would go back to normal space, where they would prey on people.
The team consists of younger, less experienced navigators, who are pariahs in their own clans. Việt Nhi is an introvert, autistic woman from the Rooster clan, known for its flamboyancy. Phạm Thị Hạc Cúc is a Snake assassin, working too hard to please her Elder. Lành is an Ox and the only survivor of an earlier tanglers' attack, who has some connection with them. Finally, Bảo Duy, of the Rat clan, is the researcher of tanglers.
The four navigators aren’t really a team; too often they jump at each other's throats, it seems they were gathered to fail. Moreover, one of their elders is murdered by a slow-acting poison, unique for navigators… Meanwhile, there is a spark of affection between Nhi and Hạc Cúc, but they both are afraid to fumble it.
Novellas are a quite specific genre – they give more area for exposition and character development, but still have to be concise and to the point. Alas, I cannot say that this novella has succeeded, for me at least. I don’t care about any of the characters; some plot moves were expected by me in advance, and the backstory and setting remained underdeveloped.
May 25, 2025
I am not good enough
A monster is loose, lost. The navigator who should have kept it confined screwed up somehow. Navigators are assembling a team of delegates from their respective clans to deal with it. The delegates are to join the imperial envoy, Ly Châu (Dog clan). The delegates are Việt Nhi (Rooster clan), Hạc Cúc (Snake clan), Lành (Ox clan), Bảo Duy (Rat clan). I don't feel I can say any more about the plot without spoiling.
But this, I think, is what the story is about -- this feeling:
Nhi, Hạc Cúc, Lành, and Bảo Duy are all juniors of their clans. The first thing that will strike you when you meet them is that each of them is, in her own way, broken and isolated. Bảo Duy says, "We’re all weird."
Aliette de Bodard is a challenging writer. Her plots are tangled and twisty and require the reader to follow the follow the devious plots of multiple actors with conflicting motivations. Navigational Entanglements is, if anything, rather simpler than typical for de Bodard, although that only becomes clear towards the end.
I picked up Navigational Entanglements because I am a de Bodard admirer, but also because it is a finalist for the 2025 Best Novella Hugo. It is definitely a contender for my vote. Often I read a Hugo finalist and say, "Why is this up for an award?" Not this time. Navigational Entanglements deserves an award. Indeed, of the four novella finalists I have read, it's at the top, even against some very strong novellas.
It's good. Read it!
Blog review.
A monster is loose, lost. The navigator who should have kept it confined screwed up somehow. Navigators are assembling a team of delegates from their respective clans to deal with it. The delegates are to join the imperial envoy, Ly Châu (Dog clan). The delegates are Việt Nhi (Rooster clan), Hạc Cúc (Snake clan), Lành (Ox clan), Bảo Duy (Rat clan). I don't feel I can say any more about the plot without spoiling.
But this, I think, is what the story is about -- this feeling:
I am not good enough.If you're a human more than twelve years old, you have felt this, or some part of this constellation of doubt. It is one of the worst parts of being human. Although it is something we all share, feeling completely alone is part of the experience.
I failed.
People were depending on me, and I let them down.
There is no way to fix this.
It will happen again.
I will let them down again.
Nhi, Hạc Cúc, Lành, and Bảo Duy are all juniors of their clans. The first thing that will strike you when you meet them is that each of them is, in her own way, broken and isolated. Bảo Duy says, "We’re all weird."
Aliette de Bodard is a challenging writer. Her plots are tangled and twisty and require the reader to follow the follow the devious plots of multiple actors with conflicting motivations. Navigational Entanglements is, if anything, rather simpler than typical for de Bodard, although that only becomes clear towards the end.
I picked up Navigational Entanglements because I am a de Bodard admirer, but also because it is a finalist for the 2025 Best Novella Hugo. It is definitely a contender for my vote. Often I read a Hugo finalist and say, "Why is this up for an award?" Not this time. Navigational Entanglements deserves an award. Indeed, of the four novella finalists I have read, it's at the top, even against some very strong novellas.
It's good. Read it!
Blog review.
May 23, 2025
I read this for the Hugo novella shortlist and was very disappointed. This is my first work by de Bodard and it has an interesting premise; xianxia in space with a cultivation feel and heavy Vietnamese inspiration. In it we follow Nhi and a team of junior navigators, people who navigate spaceships with magical powers to push back the void, as they investigate the crashing of a spaceship and the escape of a void creature from the void (a tangler).
Right off the bat, I would not have finished this if not for completeness for Hugos voting. It is just such an unbalanced book which is strange coming from a veteran author. There is so much exposition, repetition of exposition and facts, and handholding that really bogs the work down. Despite being a longer novella, we get only surface level world building and character development as a result. Each of the major clans are simple caricatures of their animal namesakes. We get no info about the magic, just names and the occasional description. It makes it very hard to care about any of it. The four main cast can be quickly binned into one defining trait. While its cool to have an autistic MC and more representation is always good, that is all Nhi is as a character. We are told she loves secrets and control, but we never see that, we only see her as autistic. But my least favourite bit is the romance. It is so insta-love, out of nowhere. They hated each other then they’re kissing and in love. The scene in Nhi’s bedroom was sweet though. Lastly, the exposition gave absolutely no breathing room for the story which just sort of ends and is very neatly wrapped up.
I did not like this, I hope it’s the worst novella I read for this year’s Hugos, and it goes without saying it falls below no award for me. I can’t really see myself going back to this authors other works. 1.5 stars.
Right off the bat, I would not have finished this if not for completeness for Hugos voting. It is just such an unbalanced book which is strange coming from a veteran author. There is so much exposition, repetition of exposition and facts, and handholding that really bogs the work down. Despite being a longer novella, we get only surface level world building and character development as a result. Each of the major clans are simple caricatures of their animal namesakes. We get no info about the magic, just names and the occasional description. It makes it very hard to care about any of it. The four main cast can be quickly binned into one defining trait. While its cool to have an autistic MC and more representation is always good, that is all Nhi is as a character. We are told she loves secrets and control, but we never see that, we only see her as autistic. But my least favourite bit is the romance. It is so insta-love, out of nowhere. They hated each other then they’re kissing and in love. The scene in Nhi’s bedroom was sweet though. Lastly, the exposition gave absolutely no breathing room for the story which just sort of ends and is very neatly wrapped up.
I did not like this, I hope it’s the worst novella I read for this year’s Hugos, and it goes without saying it falls below no award for me. I can’t really see myself going back to this authors other works. 1.5 stars.
May 17, 2025
I got this book knowing essentially nothing about it – literally just the title on the list of best novella nominations for this year’s Hugo’s (having read it, I have finished them all and can now actually give an informed opinion!). I’ve read one or two novellas of de Bodard’s before and they’ve generally been good but never in a way that made me fall in love with them. Which is about where this one ends up as well – nothing that took me by surprise or really moved me, but well-ploted, well-executed and fun with an enjoyable evocative setting. And, reading this directly after Someone You Can Build A Nest In, a core romance that’s actually engaging and has a bit of dramatic conflict to it.
In a broadly sketched science-fantasy worlds where clans of Navigators use the carefully cultivated powers of their Shadows to lead spaceships safely through unreality, those same clans chafe against Imperial authority and its infringement on their privileges and autonomy. After a series of security fuckups leads to one of the dangerous, thought-eating Tanglers slipping out of unreality and into populated space, the four clans each nominate a representative to serve under an imperial agent tracking it down and destroying it. Confusingly, every one of them seems to be treating it less as an urgent issue requiring their best, and more as a great excuse to fob off a troublesome black sheep for a while.
Viet Nhi and Hac Cuc are two of those – of the Rooster and Snake Clans, respectively - and both painfully, acutely aware of their own shortcomings and those of their peers. Despite the instant connection between the two of them, the whole group more or less instantly starts bickering and avoiding each other – at least until their (insufferable) Dog Clan imperial overseer dies of poison just as they find signs of the Tangler. Lacking any other choice, the four of them must rise to the occasion – and discover just why their elders chose them to begin with.
So this was a fairly plot- and action-heavy book, but the plot was not exactly intricate – it would actually translate quite well to a punchy feature film, I think? The big twist is pretty easy to guess, but not so easy that it feels like the characters are idiots for not having seen it before, or that the narrative is treating you like one. The action scenes are well-done, if hardly poetic or likely to stick with me, and the resolution manages to work and give everyone a more-or-less happy ending without feeling forced or saccharine. The view of politics and every established institution is grubby and cynical enough to feel real to me, too.
Nhi and Cuc’s romance is the book’s b-plot, and a major part of both of their arcs. A major part but not the entirety of either, which I appreciated. The narration shifting between each of their POVs was well-used to get across some enjoyable tension and misunderstanding, though both of their internal monologues was a bit heavy on just explicitly laying out exactly what their driving issues and insecurities were. Still, both very fun characters with enough spikes and rough patches to come across as whole humans and be interesting to watch. The other two of the juniors who were theoretically our main cast clearly got much less attention and come across as a bit painfully one-note, but not offensively so.
The setting is only ever broadly-sketched, and hardly the most original thing in the world, but is still quite fun. Strong visuals and sense of aesthetics, and it’s fun to see imperial vaguely-space-vietnam instead of any of the usual standards for once. For all that our protagonists are the archetypal righteously angry YA protagonists who refuse to sully their hands in it, all the intrigue over trading privileges and the boundaries of imperial authority was interesting enough that I wish there was more of it.
All in all, fun couple hours worth of reading for an airport waiting room and flight. But as with de Bodard’s other stuff, I can’t say any of it really struck me or feels like it’s going to stick with me. Still, decent popcorn read.
In a broadly sketched science-fantasy worlds where clans of Navigators use the carefully cultivated powers of their Shadows to lead spaceships safely through unreality, those same clans chafe against Imperial authority and its infringement on their privileges and autonomy. After a series of security fuckups leads to one of the dangerous, thought-eating Tanglers slipping out of unreality and into populated space, the four clans each nominate a representative to serve under an imperial agent tracking it down and destroying it. Confusingly, every one of them seems to be treating it less as an urgent issue requiring their best, and more as a great excuse to fob off a troublesome black sheep for a while.
Viet Nhi and Hac Cuc are two of those – of the Rooster and Snake Clans, respectively - and both painfully, acutely aware of their own shortcomings and those of their peers. Despite the instant connection between the two of them, the whole group more or less instantly starts bickering and avoiding each other – at least until their (insufferable) Dog Clan imperial overseer dies of poison just as they find signs of the Tangler. Lacking any other choice, the four of them must rise to the occasion – and discover just why their elders chose them to begin with.
So this was a fairly plot- and action-heavy book, but the plot was not exactly intricate – it would actually translate quite well to a punchy feature film, I think? The big twist is pretty easy to guess, but not so easy that it feels like the characters are idiots for not having seen it before, or that the narrative is treating you like one. The action scenes are well-done, if hardly poetic or likely to stick with me, and the resolution manages to work and give everyone a more-or-less happy ending without feeling forced or saccharine. The view of politics and every established institution is grubby and cynical enough to feel real to me, too.
Nhi and Cuc’s romance is the book’s b-plot, and a major part of both of their arcs. A major part but not the entirety of either, which I appreciated. The narration shifting between each of their POVs was well-used to get across some enjoyable tension and misunderstanding, though both of their internal monologues was a bit heavy on just explicitly laying out exactly what their driving issues and insecurities were. Still, both very fun characters with enough spikes and rough patches to come across as whole humans and be interesting to watch. The other two of the juniors who were theoretically our main cast clearly got much less attention and come across as a bit painfully one-note, but not offensively so.
The setting is only ever broadly-sketched, and hardly the most original thing in the world, but is still quite fun. Strong visuals and sense of aesthetics, and it’s fun to see imperial vaguely-space-vietnam instead of any of the usual standards for once. For all that our protagonists are the archetypal righteously angry YA protagonists who refuse to sully their hands in it, all the intrigue over trading privileges and the boundaries of imperial authority was interesting enough that I wish there was more of it.
All in all, fun couple hours worth of reading for an airport waiting room and flight. But as with de Bodard’s other stuff, I can’t say any of it really struck me or feels like it’s going to stick with me. Still, decent popcorn read.
August 15, 2024
Really enjoyable sci-fi novella from one of my favorite sci-fi novella authors, this time set outside of the Xuya Universe. It's an intriguing new place, with navigator sects being the only ones who are able to manage faster-than-light travel. As with all de Bodard books, there's political intrigue and danger. This time things center around the four young people who've been sent to manage a disaster that's clearly too much for them to handle - or is it? Read to find out.
April 19, 2025
This is a book that frustrated me early, dropping the reader right into magic battles before developing much attachment to the characters—something I almost never enjoy but that must hit for other readers since the books keep being written—but that grew on me in the second half, as the characters had to wrestle with unexpected interpersonal tension and making difficult choices they’d truly never expected to have to make. Still a bit more magicky than I usually prefer, but there was enough thematic and interpersonal oomph to turn the back half into a pretty good read.
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
First impression: 15/20. Full review to come at www.tarvolon.com
October 23, 2024
This was spectacular! Everything that makes a memorable book and no forgettable bits to drag on about. Novellas are tough, can’t be too short/shallow, but can’t be too info-dumping/sprawling/cliffhangery either. This hits all the best of any story - characters, plot, worldbuilding, action, emotions, quality writing - and doesn’t fuck up the (thankfully for me, limited) romance-y aspect either.
Overall, a stupendous achievement, and a narrative I would enjoy following in future tales. Though if this is the only installment it is perfectly awesome, most assuredly.
Overall, a stupendous achievement, and a narrative I would enjoy following in future tales. Though if this is the only installment it is perfectly awesome, most assuredly.
July 26, 2024
Probably more like a 3.75*, but I like to round up when possible.
Navigational Entanglements was creative, unique, and at times, a bit confusing. Look, I won't pretend that I fully understood the world; I did not. It seems incredibly ambitious and well thought out, just perhaps not enough pages for the reader to fully grasp it? Which is unfortunate, but also... you do get the gist. So while I was a bit bummed that I wasn't going to understand the complexities, it also didn't really dampen the reading experience too much. Because really, I enjoyed the characters, and they seemed to be more the point, if you will.
We're told most of the story through a third person perspective of Việt Nhi. Nhi is pretty salty that she has to go on this mission that, she feels, does not exactly pull to her strengths. She's got to not only interact with and rely on other people, but people who are not from her clan. But go she must, and the story really jumps into gear when we see the lengths that Nhi and the others will have to go to. Lots of morally ambiguous choices to be made, danger, and figuring out who, if anyone, she can trust all become part of Nhi's adventure. Basically, it is worth it for Nhi's story, even though I think that more pages may have helped this one, it was still a satisfying story.
Bottom Line: Ambitious world building with some great characters made this novella a win, though I think it could have been an even bigger hit as a full length novel.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
Navigational Entanglements was creative, unique, and at times, a bit confusing. Look, I won't pretend that I fully understood the world; I did not. It seems incredibly ambitious and well thought out, just perhaps not enough pages for the reader to fully grasp it? Which is unfortunate, but also... you do get the gist. So while I was a bit bummed that I wasn't going to understand the complexities, it also didn't really dampen the reading experience too much. Because really, I enjoyed the characters, and they seemed to be more the point, if you will.
We're told most of the story through a third person perspective of Việt Nhi. Nhi is pretty salty that she has to go on this mission that, she feels, does not exactly pull to her strengths. She's got to not only interact with and rely on other people, but people who are not from her clan. But go she must, and the story really jumps into gear when we see the lengths that Nhi and the others will have to go to. Lots of morally ambiguous choices to be made, danger, and figuring out who, if anyone, she can trust all become part of Nhi's adventure. Basically, it is worth it for Nhi's story, even though I think that more pages may have helped this one, it was still a satisfying story.
Bottom Line: Ambitious world building with some great characters made this novella a win, though I think it could have been an even bigger hit as a full length novel.
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
June 14, 2025
This book made me too tired to really write a review. Basically, I FINALLY at about 60% figured out and differentiated the 4 main characters, but I never figured out the dog vs snake vs all the other groups or why they were called those names. I gave up trying to figure that out. That's when I also gave up trying to figure out who the supplemental characters were. At about that some point, there was the name of some character I was apparently supposed to know, and I had NO idea, and I just decided I was not going back and looking. Again.
Plus, I could never figure out why anyone was doing anything, nor their motivations. Character flaws seemed to be the dominant part of everyone's personality. Narcsissitic much? Also POV seemed to change without notice.
The whole thing seemed thinly spread on an incoherent background world that I was not interested in. And just when I thought, "OK, they've done the next thing, now it will end," but it never did. When it was at about 70% and the main 4 characters I decided I had had enough. I just did not care what happened next. And I NEVER stop reading so close to the end. That is how much I hated it.
I just could not care about any of these tiresome characters. It seemed that they were in a contest named "How many misunderstandings can you have in a single day." And liking (or at least caring about) the characters is essential for me to like a book.
I hope I forget this experience soon.
Unfortunately, I have a couple other of her books. Now I am thinking I will never read them.
Plus, I could never figure out why anyone was doing anything, nor their motivations. Character flaws seemed to be the dominant part of everyone's personality. Narcsissitic much? Also POV seemed to change without notice.
The whole thing seemed thinly spread on an incoherent background world that I was not interested in. And just when I thought, "OK, they've done the next thing, now it will end," but it never did. When it was at about 70% and the main 4 characters I decided I had had enough. I just did not care what happened next. And I NEVER stop reading so close to the end. That is how much I hated it.
I just could not care about any of these tiresome characters. It seemed that they were in a contest named "How many misunderstandings can you have in a single day." And liking (or at least caring about) the characters is essential for me to like a book.
I hope I forget this experience soon.
Unfortunately, I have a couple other of her books. Now I am thinking I will never read them.
September 29, 2024
A high three stars! Enjoyed the worldbuilding but I wanted more, for this to be the first of a novella series. It all moved a bit too quickly and didn't allow us that much time for the motley crews' relationships to build or the romance at that.
But I do want to try some of the author's other books.
But I do want to try some of the author's other books.
April 8, 2025
Although some aspects of the world-building in the book were difficult to imagine as I was reading, the main characters drew me in with each having their own flaws that felt realistic to everyday life that was nicely melded to flow with the sci-fi world at the same time. I’m more than ready to read another book from the same world setting if it means getting to explore the Hallow’s up close.
May 29, 2025
4.5 action, aliens, romance, lesbians, empathy, neurodiversity, Vietnamese! No one does it like Aliette de Bodard
May 8, 2025
Enjoyed the setting and plot of this novella (Vietnaese-influenced space opera, junior officers have to go catch a wormhole monster but politics ensue) but I felt as if the romantic relationship between two of the junior officers felt underdeveloped, so perhaps it would have worked better as a full novel.
March 19, 2024
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC of this title for review!. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
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.
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.
June 13, 2024
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.
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.
May 19, 2025
With Navigational Entanglements, Aliette de Bodard offers no concessions to ease. It’s a work of quiet intricacy: measured, luminous, and utterly uninterested in holding the reader’s hand.
At her best, de Bodard is among the finest contemporaries in this silly genre of ours.
At her best, de Bodard is among the finest contemporaries in this silly genre of ours.
March 12, 2024
Received from NetGalley, thanks!
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 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.
July 30, 2024
A Joyfully Jay review.
5 stars
This story draws heavily from Vietnamese elements, which adds a wonderful and unique flavor to Nhi’s world. It also has four characters who have unique views on the world and have, I believe, neurodivergant traits.
The author has an effortless style, and the book was so easy to read. I could have kept going for a few hundred more pages, easily. (And if there are sequels to this book, I’ll be more than happy to grab them.) The world building gives just enough to support the story without bogging things down with exposition, and the tanglers are effectively written to be quite horrifying. The characters are so very well drawn and so very human, and I really enjoyed how each one was given their moment both to fall … and then to rise again.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
5 stars
This story draws heavily from Vietnamese elements, which adds a wonderful and unique flavor to Nhi’s world. It also has four characters who have unique views on the world and have, I believe, neurodivergant traits.
The author has an effortless style, and the book was so easy to read. I could have kept going for a few hundred more pages, easily. (And if there are sequels to this book, I’ll be more than happy to grab them.) The world building gives just enough to support the story without bogging things down with exposition, and the tanglers are effectively written to be quite horrifying. The characters are so very well drawn and so very human, and I really enjoyed how each one was given their moment both to fall … and then to rise again.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
April 2, 2025
Short but sweet, I really like the creativity of this author but the end didn’t quite land. Felt like a long short story without enough wrap up. Great characters though!
July 22, 2024
TL;DR: Sadly, this maybe the most forgettable of Aliette De Bodard’s work for me.
Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher!
Plot: A group of young women are sent to hunt down a monster that has come from the dark reaches of space into inhabited space.
Characters: This is probably where the book fell for me. The characters just did not work for me.
Setting: I did enjoy the setting, I usually do with Aliette’s books, we had a few different ones but it was well drawn and interesting.
Science Fiction: It was pretty light on details even though this was very much a SF.
Thoughts:
I’ve read a lot of Aliette De Bodard’s work. They are one of my auto buy authors in the SF sphere, but this one sadly is going to be a skip for me. Navigational Entanglements seems to be setting up a new world and cast of characters that may be kicking off a series? I’m not sure if I’ll continue to be honest, but I might give at least one more in this world a try.
We follow a group of four women who are trying to track down a deep space creature that has appeared in inhabited space. There are a lot of questions early on such as why these four, and how the creature got released. All of these are answered and the story idea itself is great. However the characters were so abrasive that I had a hard time caring. We switch PoVs, so we see two different sides of the story. Our first is a young woman who clearly exhibits some traits from the Autistic spectrum (though never explicitly stated). She was intriguing and I did enjoy her at first! The second is a very gruff and frankly cruel young assassin who is very hard to like. The two eventually have a budding romance, but the story is very messy between the two.
I found a lot of things about this hard to enjoy. The PoV of our Snake character, the cruel young assassin nearly made me put the book down. There was a LOT of interpersonal drama between all four characters that just muddied everything up. And finally the ‘I love you’ after knowing each other for a few days, and the just lack of real development through the story for these two. There was some growth at the end, not enough to convince me it’s going to to stick, but some. That will have me give the series, if it is one, at least one more try. But I don’t know if I can recommend this one widely.
2.5 out of 5 Creepy Tentacles
Source: NetGalley, thank you to the publisher!
Plot: A group of young women are sent to hunt down a monster that has come from the dark reaches of space into inhabited space.
Characters: This is probably where the book fell for me. The characters just did not work for me.
Setting: I did enjoy the setting, I usually do with Aliette’s books, we had a few different ones but it was well drawn and interesting.
Science Fiction: It was pretty light on details even though this was very much a SF.
Thoughts:
I’ve read a lot of Aliette De Bodard’s work. They are one of my auto buy authors in the SF sphere, but this one sadly is going to be a skip for me. Navigational Entanglements seems to be setting up a new world and cast of characters that may be kicking off a series? I’m not sure if I’ll continue to be honest, but I might give at least one more in this world a try.
We follow a group of four women who are trying to track down a deep space creature that has appeared in inhabited space. There are a lot of questions early on such as why these four, and how the creature got released. All of these are answered and the story idea itself is great. However the characters were so abrasive that I had a hard time caring. We switch PoVs, so we see two different sides of the story. Our first is a young woman who clearly exhibits some traits from the Autistic spectrum (though never explicitly stated). She was intriguing and I did enjoy her at first! The second is a very gruff and frankly cruel young assassin who is very hard to like. The two eventually have a budding romance, but the story is very messy between the two.
I found a lot of things about this hard to enjoy. The PoV of our Snake character, the cruel young assassin nearly made me put the book down. There was a LOT of interpersonal drama between all four characters that just muddied everything up. And finally the ‘I love you’ after knowing each other for a few days, and the just lack of real development through the story for these two. There was some growth at the end, not enough to convince me it’s going to to stick, but some. That will have me give the series, if it is one, at least one more try. But I don’t know if I can recommend this one widely.
2.5 out of 5 Creepy Tentacles
October 21, 2024
I know de Bodard is perfectly capable of vivid worldbuilding. Why she felt the need to replace it with a glossary's worth of impenetrable Capitalized Shit in this one is beyond me. DNF.
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