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Where it Rains in Color
Lileala has just been named the Rare Indigo – beauty among beauties – and is about to embrace her stardom, until something threatens to change her whole lifestyle and turn the planet of Swazembi upside down.
Colonized by the descendants of Earth’s West African Dogon Tribe, the planet of Swazembi is a blazing, color-rich utopia and famous vacation center of the galaxy. No one is used to serious trouble in this idyllic, peace-loving world, least of all the Rare Indigo.
But Lileala’s perfect, pampered lifestyle is about to be shattered. The unthinkable happens and her glorious midnight skin becomes infected with a mysterious disease. Where her skin should glisten like diamonds mixed with coal, instead it scabs and scars. On top of that, she starts to hear voices in her head, and everything around her becomes confusing and frightening.
Lileala’s destiny, however, goes far beyond her beauty. While searching for a cure, she stumbles upon something much more valuable. A new power awakens inside her, and she realizes her whole life, and the galaxy with it, is about to change…
Colonized by the descendants of Earth’s West African Dogon Tribe, the planet of Swazembi is a blazing, color-rich utopia and famous vacation center of the galaxy. No one is used to serious trouble in this idyllic, peace-loving world, least of all the Rare Indigo.
But Lileala’s perfect, pampered lifestyle is about to be shattered. The unthinkable happens and her glorious midnight skin becomes infected with a mysterious disease. Where her skin should glisten like diamonds mixed with coal, instead it scabs and scars. On top of that, she starts to hear voices in her head, and everything around her becomes confusing and frightening.
Lileala’s destiny, however, goes far beyond her beauty. While searching for a cure, she stumbles upon something much more valuable. A new power awakens inside her, and she realizes her whole life, and the galaxy with it, is about to change…
410 pages, Paperback
First published December 6, 2022
71 people are currently reading
3091 people want to read
About the author
Denise Crittendon
3 books23 followersDenise Crittendon is an awardwinning journalist, author and teen motivational speaker. She's the former editor of the NAACP's Crisis Magazine and has served as staff writer for numerous publications including The Detroit News and The Kansas City Star where she often filled in as editor of the teen page. The veteran journalist is author of "Girl In The Mirror, A Teen's Guide To Self Awareness," a book that has been lauded by Essence Magazine, Rawsistaz.com, The Detroit Free Press and national radio personality and CNN pundit Joe Madison, aka, The Black Eagle. Her passionate writings and dedication to youth has earned her countless awards, including The Spirt of Detroit Awards, One of the Most Influential Black Women In Metropolitan Detroit and the Life Direction's Mary J. Ball Children's Advocacy Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 116 reviews
November 30, 2022
3.5 stars
This is a piece of epic, diverse sci fantasy set in a secondary world. I loved the attempt at a complex, lush worldbuilding since I love worlds in the vein of NK Jemisin's work. In execution, the world felt a little intangible and perhaps needing more flushing out. Yet I still wanted to spend more time in this colourful world. I like the characters, but felt they needed more time to be fleshed. I hoped this debut will be turned into at least a trilogy because my quibbles will be resolved with more character and world development. Even if it remains a standalone, I would still recommend this one to any reader looking for diverse fantasy.
Disclaimer I received a copy from this publisher.
This is a piece of epic, diverse sci fantasy set in a secondary world. I loved the attempt at a complex, lush worldbuilding since I love worlds in the vein of NK Jemisin's work. In execution, the world felt a little intangible and perhaps needing more flushing out. Yet I still wanted to spend more time in this colourful world. I like the characters, but felt they needed more time to be fleshed. I hoped this debut will be turned into at least a trilogy because my quibbles will be resolved with more character and world development. Even if it remains a standalone, I would still recommend this one to any reader looking for diverse fantasy.
Disclaimer I received a copy from this publisher.
December 8, 2022
Where It Rains In Color by Denise Crittendon is an interesting sci-fi proposal that mixes Afrofuturism with a dystopian sci-fi setting, with some touches of the Dogon mythology, adding an extra touch of flavour to this novel. The novel is mainly set on Swazembi, a planet where people can make their skin shimmer and hold power, being a tourist attraction for outsiders; life in Swazembi is close to a utopic one.
We are going to be following Lileana, our main character, who has been chosen as the Rare Indigo among the rest of the Aspirants, a symbol of beauty and grace without a real voice. The previous Rare Indigo, Ahohanay, abdicated from her role many decades ago, bringing extra expectations to Lileana.
Like many utopias in fiction, it doesn't last for long. Foreigners bring disease to the planet, affecting Lileana, and covering her previous beautiful skin with keloids, and making her lose the ability to make it shimmer as intended, bringing her pain as a result of this illness. As the position of Rare Indigo is mostly one associated with beauty, how this illness is disfiguring her skin is received as a big shock.
Shortly after, she starts to hear voices, voices that may be related to the ancestry of Swazembi people, and their relationship with Dogon tribe. Also, we get to know that apparently there is a cure for the illness, provided by the Klab, requiring Lileana to be brought to an asteroid to be treated; and for somebody whose status depends on the beauty of her skin, there aren't many alternatives but to accept this situation. At the same time, and with these voices in her head, Lileana starts a path of self-discovering and a path to discover the truth of their past.
Worldbuilding in this novel is really sweet, with a main planet as Swazembi, which makes you want to know more about it. There are several scenes depicting the rituals and practices of Swazembi natives, and how the melanin of their skins is used to generate colourful spectacles, and Crittendon has the talent to make you live these scenes. The utopian world where beauty is part of status also serves as a way to think about the beauty standards, and how much suffering they can bring when enforced.
Lileana makes me have contradictory thoughts. While it is true that I didn't really like her during the first part of the book, as it feels that she's just a capricious and spoiled person, the path of discovering and empowering she starts after acquiring this disfiguring illness is one that I certainly loved and that I would have loved to know more about it. The growth of this character is real.
Where It Rains In Color is a great debut novel, one that I hope gets continued with more books, as the universe painted is amazing. While I think the pace in the first part is slow for my taste, I absolutely loved the book once the utopia is broken; and the story becomes really engaging. This novel is great for people who want a colourful worldbuilding, a sci-fi universe inspired by African traditions, and for those who want to think more about themes like beauty, status, and power.
We are going to be following Lileana, our main character, who has been chosen as the Rare Indigo among the rest of the Aspirants, a symbol of beauty and grace without a real voice. The previous Rare Indigo, Ahohanay, abdicated from her role many decades ago, bringing extra expectations to Lileana.
Like many utopias in fiction, it doesn't last for long. Foreigners bring disease to the planet, affecting Lileana, and covering her previous beautiful skin with keloids, and making her lose the ability to make it shimmer as intended, bringing her pain as a result of this illness. As the position of Rare Indigo is mostly one associated with beauty, how this illness is disfiguring her skin is received as a big shock.
Shortly after, she starts to hear voices, voices that may be related to the ancestry of Swazembi people, and their relationship with Dogon tribe. Also, we get to know that apparently there is a cure for the illness, provided by the Klab, requiring Lileana to be brought to an asteroid to be treated; and for somebody whose status depends on the beauty of her skin, there aren't many alternatives but to accept this situation. At the same time, and with these voices in her head, Lileana starts a path of self-discovering and a path to discover the truth of their past.
Worldbuilding in this novel is really sweet, with a main planet as Swazembi, which makes you want to know more about it. There are several scenes depicting the rituals and practices of Swazembi natives, and how the melanin of their skins is used to generate colourful spectacles, and Crittendon has the talent to make you live these scenes. The utopian world where beauty is part of status also serves as a way to think about the beauty standards, and how much suffering they can bring when enforced.
Lileana makes me have contradictory thoughts. While it is true that I didn't really like her during the first part of the book, as it feels that she's just a capricious and spoiled person, the path of discovering and empowering she starts after acquiring this disfiguring illness is one that I certainly loved and that I would have loved to know more about it. The growth of this character is real.
Where It Rains In Color is a great debut novel, one that I hope gets continued with more books, as the universe painted is amazing. While I think the pace in the first part is slow for my taste, I absolutely loved the book once the utopia is broken; and the story becomes really engaging. This novel is great for people who want a colourful worldbuilding, a sci-fi universe inspired by African traditions, and for those who want to think more about themes like beauty, status, and power.
December 28, 2022
Where It Rains in Color is the debut of Denise Crittendon, whose career has spanned academia, journalism, and motivational speaking, releasing her first novel at the age of 69. Just in case any of you were thinking you might be running out of time to realize your artistic dreams. This is a bold and highly original hybrid of science fiction and fantasy rooted in one very good idea: that beauty is political. A society’s beauty standards are shaped by those in power, and doors will open or close for you depending on how well you meet them. But these standards are confining and limiting, perhaps also dangerous, even for those who do.
It’s the far, far future, and we’re on the world of Swazembi, a planet colonized by the distant descendants of Africa’s Dogon people. It’s a planet where color itself is a tangible element, with blazing crimson deserts and lakes of vapor, whose inhabitants can live for up to 500 years. A lavish vacation utopia for tourists from all over the twenty-two worlds of the Coalition, where citizens travel to and fro on gusts of wind.
Lileala has just beaten seventeen other candidates for the role of Rare Indigo, a woman of exceptional beauty with the power to make the melanin in her skin shimmer with light, creating a powerful hypnotic effect. As the Rare Indigo, she will serve as a dignitary and celebrity representative of her people. But despite the stature and importance of her role, Lileala — at fifty years old, still very young and immature for a Swazembi native — is impulsive, rebellious, frequently breaking the rules and straining at the leash of her duties.
To be the Rare Indigo, you see, is no easy task. Lileala is not allowed to travel off-world, for instance. And the previous Rare Indigo, Ahonotay, abdicated her position to flee to a remote village, where she’s been living under a vow of silence for reasons no one understands for over forty years. As Lileala chafes under her restrictions while the day of her formal ceremony approaches, she begins to hear voices. And just before the ceremony, she breaks out in a horrific and inexplicable skin condition, that stops her ability to shimmer and leaves enormous lesions called keloids all over her face. (Continued...)
It’s the far, far future, and we’re on the world of Swazembi, a planet colonized by the distant descendants of Africa’s Dogon people. It’s a planet where color itself is a tangible element, with blazing crimson deserts and lakes of vapor, whose inhabitants can live for up to 500 years. A lavish vacation utopia for tourists from all over the twenty-two worlds of the Coalition, where citizens travel to and fro on gusts of wind.
Lileala has just beaten seventeen other candidates for the role of Rare Indigo, a woman of exceptional beauty with the power to make the melanin in her skin shimmer with light, creating a powerful hypnotic effect. As the Rare Indigo, she will serve as a dignitary and celebrity representative of her people. But despite the stature and importance of her role, Lileala — at fifty years old, still very young and immature for a Swazembi native — is impulsive, rebellious, frequently breaking the rules and straining at the leash of her duties.
To be the Rare Indigo, you see, is no easy task. Lileala is not allowed to travel off-world, for instance. And the previous Rare Indigo, Ahonotay, abdicated her position to flee to a remote village, where she’s been living under a vow of silence for reasons no one understands for over forty years. As Lileala chafes under her restrictions while the day of her formal ceremony approaches, she begins to hear voices. And just before the ceremony, she breaks out in a horrific and inexplicable skin condition, that stops her ability to shimmer and leaves enormous lesions called keloids all over her face. (Continued...)
September 15, 2023
2.5⭐️
I have huge mixed feelings on this. The world building was interesting and I loved the details given. It seems lush and beautiful, but at the same time, I have no idea how to picture half the technology like transportation or even scenery which made me feel less engaged. There are various races which is cool but again, not really sure how ro mentally picture them all.
There is also a blend of hyper futurism (after the world ends) and historical (historical fiction for us) and nothing really in the middle, at least nothing that's fleshed out. That was a big issue for me. It felt like the author felt she had to put these historical and modern events into the book to make the book relatable and relevant, but one single sentence of black lives matter didn't feel meaningful or anchored in the book at all. I would have liked more of the history of the planet's original colonizers and more about their journey creating this beautiful planet and technology.
It also felt like the whole plot in the 2nd and 3rd parts about the serum and missing planet were rushed and not fully developed - almost like it was thrown in there. And everything was resolved so quickly, but like, what happened to the planet and kids? What about the unders after this whole debacle? It's almost like there were too many points the author was trying to get through in the last bit of this book.
Overall, it was fine. Not my favorite by any means, but I feel the author has great potential in the Scifi world.
I have huge mixed feelings on this. The world building was interesting and I loved the details given. It seems lush and beautiful, but at the same time, I have no idea how to picture half the technology like transportation or even scenery which made me feel less engaged. There are various races which is cool but again, not really sure how ro mentally picture them all.
There is also a blend of hyper futurism (after the world ends) and historical (historical fiction for us) and nothing really in the middle, at least nothing that's fleshed out. That was a big issue for me. It felt like the author felt she had to put these historical and modern events into the book to make the book relatable and relevant, but one single sentence of black lives matter didn't feel meaningful or anchored in the book at all. I would have liked more of the history of the planet's original colonizers and more about their journey creating this beautiful planet and technology.
It also felt like the whole plot in the 2nd and 3rd parts about the serum and missing planet were rushed and not fully developed - almost like it was thrown in there. And everything was resolved so quickly, but like, what happened to the planet and kids? What about the unders after this whole debacle? It's almost like there were too many points the author was trying to get through in the last bit of this book.
Overall, it was fine. Not my favorite by any means, but I feel the author has great potential in the Scifi world.
October 2, 2023
This book was shot in the dark for me. I saw the cover and decided to give it a try. It DID NOT disappoint!!!! This novel told a tale of beauty and self-worth, a story of love for one's self and for the ancestors, a tale of history repeating itself and the courage to fight against it in the face of blind riducule and forcefulness to comply to the bleak, vain, and close-minded standards of society.
December 27, 2023
“Where It Rains in Color” is a science fiction novel set in the planet of Swazembi, following the life of Lileala, the Rare Indigo, who is the most beautiful woman in the galaxy with shimmering dark skin.
There are many things I did like about the book. I love the representation. To imagine a world where dark skin is seen as not only the norm, but coveted, is a beautiful thought. I enjoyed many of the characters—Cherry was a huge favorite of mine, and I really enjoyed the Kclab focused chapters. Trieca was a really flushed out character, and I enjoyed seeing how her character impacted the story.
With that being said, this book was extremely difficult for me to get into. The first reason was the sheer amount of characters, many of whom have very little importance to the story. Maybe it’s set up for a sequel, but as a standalone novel it was distracting. Zizi’s character was one that annoyed me. Not how she was characterized, but rather for her relevance, or lack thereof. We had so much build-up with her character, only for her to be used as a cheap plot device. We’re friends—now we’re fighting—we’re friends again, kinda?—come to the archives with me—now I’m hit by a kid with a melted music chip— now I’ve saved us with the chip! Like the buildup was not worth the payoff.
Quite honestly, the buildup being disproportional to the payoff and pacing were the two main problems I had with the book. The world building was lovely, but had so little to do with the meat and potatoes of the book, and as such, it was difficult to get into. Whole conversations with brand new characters were used as exposition. The dinner scene with Pathem and Oluntungi in the beginning being used to explain Cherry and Dr. Fodjour’s position in society, plus the Earth origin theories was largely unnecessary, and were both explored heavily after that point. There were also things “foreshadowed” where the payoff was one chapter away, and this felt pretty unsatisfying as a reader.
I think there was a lot of classism that was starting to be explored, but it never got fleshed out. And again, maybe this was done as a hint to a sequel, but it almost felt as if was going to be a larger part of the story, but scenes got cut. The beginning part of the book went on for a while, but the end felt kind of rushed.
Overall, I did like the book; I love the exploration of the Dogon tribe, which despite being one of the most sci-fi, real world occurrences, is tragically under explored. As a Black sci-fi fan, I LOVED seeing my culture represented in this way. The integration of Black history and modern Black culture with a Black future, was done PHENOMENALLY. The acts of giving libations, and the importance of honoring one’s ancestors and remembering the past was so refreshing to see in a genre that usually ignores these things.
This book really reminds us that if we do not connect with our pasts, we risk losing the valuable insight of those who came before us, and I think that’s beautiful.
There are many things I did like about the book. I love the representation. To imagine a world where dark skin is seen as not only the norm, but coveted, is a beautiful thought. I enjoyed many of the characters—Cherry was a huge favorite of mine, and I really enjoyed the Kclab focused chapters. Trieca was a really flushed out character, and I enjoyed seeing how her character impacted the story.
With that being said, this book was extremely difficult for me to get into. The first reason was the sheer amount of characters, many of whom have very little importance to the story. Maybe it’s set up for a sequel, but as a standalone novel it was distracting. Zizi’s character was one that annoyed me. Not how she was characterized, but rather for her relevance, or lack thereof. We had so much build-up with her character, only for her to be used as a cheap plot device. We’re friends—now we’re fighting—we’re friends again, kinda?—come to the archives with me—now I’m hit by a kid with a melted music chip— now I’ve saved us with the chip! Like the buildup was not worth the payoff.
Quite honestly, the buildup being disproportional to the payoff and pacing were the two main problems I had with the book. The world building was lovely, but had so little to do with the meat and potatoes of the book, and as such, it was difficult to get into. Whole conversations with brand new characters were used as exposition. The dinner scene with Pathem and Oluntungi in the beginning being used to explain Cherry and Dr. Fodjour’s position in society, plus the Earth origin theories was largely unnecessary, and were both explored heavily after that point. There were also things “foreshadowed” where the payoff was one chapter away, and this felt pretty unsatisfying as a reader.
I think there was a lot of classism that was starting to be explored, but it never got fleshed out. And again, maybe this was done as a hint to a sequel, but it almost felt as if was going to be a larger part of the story, but scenes got cut. The beginning part of the book went on for a while, but the end felt kind of rushed.
Overall, I did like the book; I love the exploration of the Dogon tribe, which despite being one of the most sci-fi, real world occurrences, is tragically under explored. As a Black sci-fi fan, I LOVED seeing my culture represented in this way. The integration of Black history and modern Black culture with a Black future, was done PHENOMENALLY. The acts of giving libations, and the importance of honoring one’s ancestors and remembering the past was so refreshing to see in a genre that usually ignores these things.
This book really reminds us that if we do not connect with our pasts, we risk losing the valuable insight of those who came before us, and I think that’s beautiful.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2023
In a futuristic society, which values beauty and colour, Lileala is about to take her place as the Rare Indigo in Swazembi - a position of prestige, that she has dreamt of her whole life.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story follow Lileala, the favoured aspirant, as she finishes her training and is recognised as the Rare Indigo. Swazembi has been without a Rare Indigo since the last one became silent and left without warning nearly fifty years ago; so when Lileala takes on the role, there is a lot of pressure to do well.
I really struggled with this book. I didn't get far, but I did come back to it repeatedly, hoping to make more progress, because the premise sounded really cool.
My main issue is that I did not know what was going on. At any point. Ever.
The author has created a new world, with completely new rules. There were some bits that were described, but most of it is left vague. There are transport waves? Different castes?
I have no idea what a Rare Indigo is, and why they're important.
Our narrator is fifty years old and has been training to be a Rare Indigo for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, and yet she seems as clueless as I do.
She knows nothing about being a Rare Indigo, except that her skin is dark and she can play luminescence along it.
I also felt that Lileala didn't know anything about anything else, either.
It doesn't sound like she's been isolated from everyone else - but every time she meets her friend, trainer, or future partner, they all seem to know everything. They know about the culture of the world, the sport, the food, the rules, the rulers, the religion, other aspirants, what would happen after getting the title.
It just makes it even more glaringly obvious that Lileala knows NOTHING!
Instead of actual story or world-building, the first part of the book is basically Lileala moping about how hard and restrictive her life is, without any evidence of that. She feels like a spoilt teenager, whinging about her perfect life.
Overall, I liked the concept, but I did not enjoy this book.
I received a free copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story follow Lileala, the favoured aspirant, as she finishes her training and is recognised as the Rare Indigo. Swazembi has been without a Rare Indigo since the last one became silent and left without warning nearly fifty years ago; so when Lileala takes on the role, there is a lot of pressure to do well.
I really struggled with this book. I didn't get far, but I did come back to it repeatedly, hoping to make more progress, because the premise sounded really cool.
My main issue is that I did not know what was going on. At any point. Ever.
The author has created a new world, with completely new rules. There were some bits that were described, but most of it is left vague. There are transport waves? Different castes?
I have no idea what a Rare Indigo is, and why they're important.
Our narrator is fifty years old and has been training to be a Rare Indigo for TWENTY-FIVE YEARS, and yet she seems as clueless as I do.
She knows nothing about being a Rare Indigo, except that her skin is dark and she can play luminescence along it.
I also felt that Lileala didn't know anything about anything else, either.
It doesn't sound like she's been isolated from everyone else - but every time she meets her friend, trainer, or future partner, they all seem to know everything. They know about the culture of the world, the sport, the food, the rules, the rulers, the religion, other aspirants, what would happen after getting the title.
It just makes it even more glaringly obvious that Lileala knows NOTHING!
Instead of actual story or world-building, the first part of the book is basically Lileala moping about how hard and restrictive her life is, without any evidence of that. She feels like a spoilt teenager, whinging about her perfect life.
Overall, I liked the concept, but I did not enjoy this book.
December 6, 2022
Where It Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon is an Afro futuristic, dystopian sci-fi, with a blend of Dogon mythology. Set on the planet of Swazembi, where the people’s skins shimmer and holds power, we follow Lileala who, because of her darkest skin and unique gifts, has been declared as a Rare Indigo and will soon embrace her role. Life on Swazembi is a utopian one, it is a place of beauty and magic, but all begins to change when a disease infects Lileala and she loses her abilities and begins to hear a mysterious voice within her mind.
This book has some truly fantastic worldbuilding, there were many scenes which dazzled me. Swazembi sings with culture and opulence. However, unfortunately I didn’t quite warm to Lileala’s character, she felt rather immature throughout and though her shallowness is warranted as she has been pampered her entire life, I found reading her point of view difficult as her attitude began to grate on me. I knew the book would focus on beauty given the premise, and I loved how the more darker skin you had the more prestige you gained, but there tended to be too much contemplation on how one looks whereas I personally would have preferred more of a focus on the Dogon tribal mythology and more on life on Swazembi because those aspects were so captivating.
Reading is subjective so many of you will not feel the same as me and I still would recommend picking this book up because experiencing Swazembi is a wonderful experience!
Thank you @angryrobotbooks and @caramalines for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book has some truly fantastic worldbuilding, there were many scenes which dazzled me. Swazembi sings with culture and opulence. However, unfortunately I didn’t quite warm to Lileala’s character, she felt rather immature throughout and though her shallowness is warranted as she has been pampered her entire life, I found reading her point of view difficult as her attitude began to grate on me. I knew the book would focus on beauty given the premise, and I loved how the more darker skin you had the more prestige you gained, but there tended to be too much contemplation on how one looks whereas I personally would have preferred more of a focus on the Dogon tribal mythology and more on life on Swazembi because those aspects were so captivating.
Reading is subjective so many of you will not feel the same as me and I still would recommend picking this book up because experiencing Swazembi is a wonderful experience!
Thank you @angryrobotbooks and @caramalines for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
March 26, 2023
Lileala lives on the planet of Swazembi, a world where the surface is filled with colors that draw people from across the galaxy. Because of her beauty, especially dark skin, and ability to make that skin glisten like diamonds, she has been in training for much of her life and finally about to be designated the Rare Indigo, a position of honor and major tourist attraction. But when she starts hearing voices and, shortly after, a strange plague mars her appearance, it risks everything she's worked for and she must reevaluate her life while seeking a cure.
I wanted to like this book... I thought, in addition to being some cool worldbuilding of an Africanfuturist world, explore issues of celebrity and colorism and other issues... and to be fair, some of it did, but not in ways that interested me, and overall it just did not work for me. For a large part for issues of personal taste in science fiction... which, well, this has only a tenuous claim to... that's partly a problem on my end, to be fair.
When I bought the book I didn't notice that, although it was described on the publisher's site as science fiction, on Goodreads at least it was also described as fantasy and science fiction fantasy. That's generally not a genre mashup I enjoy. I can tolerate it in small doses... one or two elements of outright magic in a world that mostly is scientific. This is not that book. It's almost the reverse, in fact, a book built on magic that pays a bit of lipservice to some of the scenes taking place on different planets, some of the tools being technological. Which might be fine if I felt like that was clear from the outset, this was a universe built on magical rules, but instead it was like I was trying to get into a science fiction book and even though a few things might look supernatural if I had faith it would be revealed there were solid science fictional reasons after all... and then instead constantly being asked to swallow more and more elements. And I'm the type of person who rolls his eyes and thinks less of a space opera when I realize Psi-Powers are going to be an element. Even with Star Wars I tend to lose interest the more the Force is involved. Here, there was that early on--including light-skinned people who use mental power to make their skin artificially tan--and communication with long dead ancestors because time is an illusion, origins connecting things back to UFO lore (which alone might have been interesting), seeds that grow instantly, magic spells that make planets disappear (and nobody seeming to want to investigate other than being worried that yes, an inhabited planet seemed to have disappeared), an asteroid that seems to have such an Earth-livable environment that humans can live there in the wilderness, magical healing salves extracted from aliens (that turn out to do a variety of other stuff as well). A few of these elements I could tolerate... even the concept that melanin was magical and people with more of it had more access to paranormal powers, okay, cool, let's focus the novel there and explore that... except it didn't really feel EXPLORED, it was just thrown in.
The worst of it was so much of it felt unnecessary. Like the weird 'they made a whole planet disappear' thing, I don't really understand what relevance it had to the plot except to give certain characters a secret. Instead of setting one long bit on an Asteroid and somehow, without explanation, give it an atmosphere, ecology, and gravity enough that the humans aren't even inconvenienced... just add an actual planet and set it there. The fact that it's an asteroid, as far as I can tell, literally never comes into play, so all it does is bother people like me who want at least a sliver of realistic space science in their science fiction.
The plot was generally unsatisfying with the badguys starting out seeming maybe a bit sympathetic but then turning out to be super bad (individual members aside), engaging in a complicated scheme that I won't describe because of spoilers, and for some reason the name of the people, the Kclabs, looks like a clumsy anagram for "Blacks" which I assume was meant to be some kind of statement but I can't exactly figure out what the author's trying to get across here. Similarly with the more personal story at the end of it: the main character goes through this journey of being special and idolized to potentially losing it... and then instead of using it to make a point about how basing someone's value on their beauty is not the best policy for a society, and how being physically ugly doesn't meant you can't be the main character, except... she gets that beauty too while turning out to be even MORE special due to magic.
So yeah, definitely not to my tastes. There were elements I liked here and there, but with too many things that rubbed me the wrong way, and, overall, it just didn't go anywhere that I cared about. Two stars. Would have been better marketed as a fantasy.
I wanted to like this book... I thought, in addition to being some cool worldbuilding of an Africanfuturist world, explore issues of celebrity and colorism and other issues... and to be fair, some of it did, but not in ways that interested me, and overall it just did not work for me. For a large part for issues of personal taste in science fiction... which, well, this has only a tenuous claim to... that's partly a problem on my end, to be fair.
When I bought the book I didn't notice that, although it was described on the publisher's site as science fiction, on Goodreads at least it was also described as fantasy and science fiction fantasy. That's generally not a genre mashup I enjoy. I can tolerate it in small doses... one or two elements of outright magic in a world that mostly is scientific. This is not that book. It's almost the reverse, in fact, a book built on magic that pays a bit of lipservice to some of the scenes taking place on different planets, some of the tools being technological. Which might be fine if I felt like that was clear from the outset, this was a universe built on magical rules, but instead it was like I was trying to get into a science fiction book and even though a few things might look supernatural if I had faith it would be revealed there were solid science fictional reasons after all... and then instead constantly being asked to swallow more and more elements. And I'm the type of person who rolls his eyes and thinks less of a space opera when I realize Psi-Powers are going to be an element. Even with Star Wars I tend to lose interest the more the Force is involved. Here, there was that early on--including light-skinned people who use mental power to make their skin artificially tan--and communication with long dead ancestors because time is an illusion, origins connecting things back to UFO lore (which alone might have been interesting), seeds that grow instantly, magic spells that make planets disappear (and nobody seeming to want to investigate other than being worried that yes, an inhabited planet seemed to have disappeared), an asteroid that seems to have such an Earth-livable environment that humans can live there in the wilderness, magical healing salves extracted from aliens (that turn out to do a variety of other stuff as well). A few of these elements I could tolerate... even the concept that melanin was magical and people with more of it had more access to paranormal powers, okay, cool, let's focus the novel there and explore that... except it didn't really feel EXPLORED, it was just thrown in.
The worst of it was so much of it felt unnecessary. Like the weird 'they made a whole planet disappear' thing, I don't really understand what relevance it had to the plot except to give certain characters a secret. Instead of setting one long bit on an Asteroid and somehow, without explanation, give it an atmosphere, ecology, and gravity enough that the humans aren't even inconvenienced... just add an actual planet and set it there. The fact that it's an asteroid, as far as I can tell, literally never comes into play, so all it does is bother people like me who want at least a sliver of realistic space science in their science fiction.
The plot was generally unsatisfying with the badguys starting out seeming maybe a bit sympathetic but then turning out to be super bad (individual members aside), engaging in a complicated scheme that I won't describe because of spoilers, and for some reason the name of the people, the Kclabs, looks like a clumsy anagram for "Blacks" which I assume was meant to be some kind of statement but I can't exactly figure out what the author's trying to get across here. Similarly with the more personal story at the end of it: the main character goes through this journey of being special and idolized to potentially losing it... and then instead of using it to make a point about how basing someone's value on their beauty is not the best policy for a society, and how being physically ugly doesn't meant you can't be the main character, except... she gets that beauty too while turning out to be even MORE special due to magic.
So yeah, definitely not to my tastes. There were elements I liked here and there, but with too many things that rubbed me the wrong way, and, overall, it just didn't go anywhere that I cared about. Two stars. Would have been better marketed as a fantasy.
December 9, 2022
What a magical coming of age story that captivates the imagination and challenges earthly standards of beauty by celebrating the array of skintones that make Black women shine.
In this evocative afro futuristic tale Ms. Crittendon creates a world in which black beauty is revered rather than rejected. The ancestors are smiling.and you will be too.
In this evocative afro futuristic tale Ms. Crittendon creates a world in which black beauty is revered rather than rejected. The ancestors are smiling.and you will be too.
December 9, 2022
“She had the witchery of fire in her eyes and her skin twinkled as she traipsed about the village, her ebony arms bare, her face black as a moonless sky. Such skin, it was said, must have had stars rubbed into it. With one breath, Ahonotay could make it flicker. With another, she could enchant anyone who came near.”
My thanks to Angry Robot for the invitation to take part via NetGalley in the promotional blog tour for ‘Where it Rains in Color’ by Denise Crittendon.
This is an Afrofuturist-themed science fiction novel set in a future in which Earth has been destroyed and humans have populated various planets. Twenty-two of them make up the Coalition.
Swazembi is an idyllic, peace-loving planet of blazing colours and waterless seas filled with cascading neon vapors. Its people prize their dark skin though no one has either proven or disproven their link to Earth’s melanin bearers.
Swazembi is considered a utopia and is the vacation center of the galaxy. Lileala Walata Sundiata is a beautiful woman with the highly prized blue-black skin and the ability to shimmer. For years she has been an Indigo Aspirant and her perfection and radiance has just earned her the revered title of Rare Indigo, the highest and most sacred of honours in Swazembi society.
However, as she awaits the final ceremony that will confirm her status she becomes infected with a skin disease and loses her ability to shimmer. In addition, she begins to hear voices in her head and becomes increasingly paranoid. Among those voices is that of Ahonotay, the last Rare Indigo who fled on the day that she was chosen.
While Lileala lives a privileged, isolated life, there are various political machinations taking place on Swazembi and its allied planets. The Kclabs are transparent humanoid creatures whose planet is shunned by the Coalition. They have the cure for the disease that is infecting Lileala and a number of others though they will only administer treatment under their strict terms. Oh and one of the planets of the Coalition is missing.
When first introduced Lileala is immature and spoiled. Yet over the course of the novel she undertakes a powerful emotional and spiritual journey that unlocks the far past of her Dogon ancestors and ultimately impacts upon the present and future of Swazembi and the Coalition as a whole. I found it very inspiring.
There are a number of layers to this work of science fiction, including the concept of beauty. Is Lileala’s destiny solely linked to her society’s elevation of certain physical qualities, while the Kclabs are reviled and rejected due to their perceived hideousness. Is Swazembi the utopia it appears or actually a dystopia?
I found this quite a gripping story and adored Denise Crittendon’s world building, especially her inclusion of the Dogon tribal traditions and their connection to Sirius-B. I was aware of this many years ago when I read Robert Temple’s 1976 ‘The Sirius Mystery’ and other works.
I certainly would welcome further stories/novels set in this galaxy if Denise Crittendon chooses to revisit. Indeed, after this strong debut I will be very interested in all of her future projects.
‘Where it Rains in Color’ cover art by Morgane Magloire is stunning.
Highly recommended.
My thanks to Angry Robot for the invitation to take part via NetGalley in the promotional blog tour for ‘Where it Rains in Color’ by Denise Crittendon.
This is an Afrofuturist-themed science fiction novel set in a future in which Earth has been destroyed and humans have populated various planets. Twenty-two of them make up the Coalition.
Swazembi is an idyllic, peace-loving planet of blazing colours and waterless seas filled with cascading neon vapors. Its people prize their dark skin though no one has either proven or disproven their link to Earth’s melanin bearers.
Swazembi is considered a utopia and is the vacation center of the galaxy. Lileala Walata Sundiata is a beautiful woman with the highly prized blue-black skin and the ability to shimmer. For years she has been an Indigo Aspirant and her perfection and radiance has just earned her the revered title of Rare Indigo, the highest and most sacred of honours in Swazembi society.
However, as she awaits the final ceremony that will confirm her status she becomes infected with a skin disease and loses her ability to shimmer. In addition, she begins to hear voices in her head and becomes increasingly paranoid. Among those voices is that of Ahonotay, the last Rare Indigo who fled on the day that she was chosen.
While Lileala lives a privileged, isolated life, there are various political machinations taking place on Swazembi and its allied planets. The Kclabs are transparent humanoid creatures whose planet is shunned by the Coalition. They have the cure for the disease that is infecting Lileala and a number of others though they will only administer treatment under their strict terms. Oh and one of the planets of the Coalition is missing.
When first introduced Lileala is immature and spoiled. Yet over the course of the novel she undertakes a powerful emotional and spiritual journey that unlocks the far past of her Dogon ancestors and ultimately impacts upon the present and future of Swazembi and the Coalition as a whole. I found it very inspiring.
There are a number of layers to this work of science fiction, including the concept of beauty. Is Lileala’s destiny solely linked to her society’s elevation of certain physical qualities, while the Kclabs are reviled and rejected due to their perceived hideousness. Is Swazembi the utopia it appears or actually a dystopia?
I found this quite a gripping story and adored Denise Crittendon’s world building, especially her inclusion of the Dogon tribal traditions and their connection to Sirius-B. I was aware of this many years ago when I read Robert Temple’s 1976 ‘The Sirius Mystery’ and other works.
I certainly would welcome further stories/novels set in this galaxy if Denise Crittendon chooses to revisit. Indeed, after this strong debut I will be very interested in all of her future projects.
‘Where it Rains in Color’ cover art by Morgane Magloire is stunning.
Highly recommended.
May 28, 2024
Had no idea what was going on ever. Neither did the main character. The reveals were so poorly delivered and the whole story felt clunky.
Extremely disappointed because the premise was soooo cool and soooo promising. The world was super neat but was ruined by bad writing.
Pretty much anytime something was revealed it was dropped as if it had already been stated and I had to go back and make sure I didn’t miss a chapter because it was so random. Bummer cuz the Afro-futurist technicolor space colony tourist centre of the galaxy with cloud streams instead of trains for public transport could have been so so awesome.
Can’t win ‘em all I guess.
Extremely disappointed because the premise was soooo cool and soooo promising. The world was super neat but was ruined by bad writing.
Pretty much anytime something was revealed it was dropped as if it had already been stated and I had to go back and make sure I didn’t miss a chapter because it was so random. Bummer cuz the Afro-futurist technicolor space colony tourist centre of the galaxy with cloud streams instead of trains for public transport could have been so so awesome.
Can’t win ‘em all I guess.
September 9, 2023
An intriguing premise but left a lot to be desired as far as execution goes. It took a lot for me to get into this book and I suppose I was looking for something a little bit more that I never really received. Definitely not a bad or terrible book by any means but I just didn't enjoy it.
September 23, 2023
Things I liked about the book:
- one's connection to their ancestors and history is important
- potentially cool world and magic
Things I did not like:
- so much telling instead of showing
- why does anyone even care about the indigos and the rare indigo? What is their purpose?
- almost no real evidence the character grew at all, or that any kind of lesson about the dangers of focusing on beauty over all else was learned (which is especially odd since the author writes non fiction help books for teens in this very topic)
I really really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't. I'm not discounting the option that I'm just too white to appreciate some possible nuance in skin color and the resulting visibility/prejudice it brings in the book, but it's hard to imagine it would make much of a difference. The entire thing felt sadly shallow, and what felt like the real plot; connecting to the ancestors, accepting your history, learning from all of that; was buried in this political struggle that felt like it could have been replaced by literally anything that brought the main character somewhere outside her very narrow upbringing. The character's growth and revelations at the end felt disconnected from the story. She tells us she's changed in these ways, but I didn't feel it at all, and what little happened to her to support it felt very tenuous.
- one's connection to their ancestors and history is important
- potentially cool world and magic
Things I did not like:
- so much telling instead of showing
- why does anyone even care about the indigos and the rare indigo? What is their purpose?
- almost no real evidence the character grew at all, or that any kind of lesson about the dangers of focusing on beauty over all else was learned (which is especially odd since the author writes non fiction help books for teens in this very topic)
I really really wanted to like this, but I just couldn't. I'm not discounting the option that I'm just too white to appreciate some possible nuance in skin color and the resulting visibility/prejudice it brings in the book, but it's hard to imagine it would make much of a difference. The entire thing felt sadly shallow, and what felt like the real plot; connecting to the ancestors, accepting your history, learning from all of that; was buried in this political struggle that felt like it could have been replaced by literally anything that brought the main character somewhere outside her very narrow upbringing. The character's growth and revelations at the end felt disconnected from the story. She tells us she's changed in these ways, but I didn't feel it at all, and what little happened to her to support it felt very tenuous.
January 6, 2023
Little late on finishing "Where it Rains in Color" by Denise Crittendon (life happened). Thank you Angry Robot for the copy.
Utopias are awesome, until something goes wrong. Then they don't really have the support structures to deal with actual problems. That's what happens to Lileala. She is the Rare Indigo, the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, but then she becomes exposed to a disease. Oh and hearing voices in her head.
Reasons to read:
-Definitely a unique setting, everyone is kinda over Earth
-Seeing people react to challenges in a society that hasn't had to deal with them
-Character growth
-Wild alien life and forms of communication
Cons:
-I'm a silly goose and could have done it myself, but there is a glossary of some of the terms. Context is given if you trust the process, but you can also just jump to that and make a couple of connections smoother.
Utopias are awesome, until something goes wrong. Then they don't really have the support structures to deal with actual problems. That's what happens to Lileala. She is the Rare Indigo, the most beautiful woman in the galaxy, but then she becomes exposed to a disease. Oh and hearing voices in her head.
Reasons to read:
-Definitely a unique setting, everyone is kinda over Earth
-Seeing people react to challenges in a society that hasn't had to deal with them
-Character growth
-Wild alien life and forms of communication
Cons:
-I'm a silly goose and could have done it myself, but there is a glossary of some of the terms. Context is given if you trust the process, but you can also just jump to that and make a couple of connections smoother.
March 9, 2023
I had an odd time with this book, captivated when reading it but struggling to pick it back up between reads.
Crittendon excels at worldbuilding, creating a fascinatingly rich and diverse setting and interesting characters. Existing in a far future, we follow the personal journey of the rebellious Lileana as she discovers more about her place as Rare Indigo, a person of colour seemingly picked as a figurehead for the community based on their flawless beauty. In her search to cure a disfiguring ailment, Lileana is led to learn the true history of her people and her place within it.
Taking place in and around the fascinatingly colourful and futuristic Swazembi world, WIRIC is as beautiful as it is confusing, often introducing a character, concept or technology as if the reader has been aware of it for years, only to eventually give context and explanation chapters later. This both helps and hinders the story, causing it to unfold in layers but also creates an unfortunate barrier to entry at times.
Overall this book is a triumph and despite having some flaws is a compelling and enjoyable standalone novel exploring both personal discovery and the importance of history.
Crittendon excels at worldbuilding, creating a fascinatingly rich and diverse setting and interesting characters. Existing in a far future, we follow the personal journey of the rebellious Lileana as she discovers more about her place as Rare Indigo, a person of colour seemingly picked as a figurehead for the community based on their flawless beauty. In her search to cure a disfiguring ailment, Lileana is led to learn the true history of her people and her place within it.
Taking place in and around the fascinatingly colourful and futuristic Swazembi world, WIRIC is as beautiful as it is confusing, often introducing a character, concept or technology as if the reader has been aware of it for years, only to eventually give context and explanation chapters later. This both helps and hinders the story, causing it to unfold in layers but also creates an unfortunate barrier to entry at times.
Overall this book is a triumph and despite having some flaws is a compelling and enjoyable standalone novel exploring both personal discovery and the importance of history.
December 4, 2022
Where it rains in Colour by Denise Crittendon is the perfect title for this book- I felt like I was hit with an explosion of colour as I was reading.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The world-building in the book is unlike anything I have read before- so vivid and rich, bursting with colour and originality Swazembi is a modern, high-tech future society but with a difference, it is a bright, vivid, happy utopia where colour plays an important role. The people in Swazembi have skin that can shimmer and shine and future leader Lileala has been chosen as the Rare Indigo because of her outstanding radiance. The technology in the book is truly unique and magical, people get swept up in gusts of wind to travel to destinations which I think should be a viable mode of transport in the future.
While I liked Lileala's arc from a girl spoilt and pampered for her beauty that’s places values outer looks to a person concerned for other people and an ambassador for peace, I really didn’t warm to her as a character. I struggled with the pacing of the story and just couldn’t follow the story at places which was disappointing as I wanted to like it so much. I wish I had been aware of the glossary at the end of the book which may have helped a little.
But even though this book wasn’t for me, I imagine many other readers will love the descriptive prose and the world-building.
I received a copy of this book for a free and unbiased opinion.
The world-building in the book is unlike anything I have read before- so vivid and rich, bursting with colour and originality Swazembi is a modern, high-tech future society but with a difference, it is a bright, vivid, happy utopia where colour plays an important role. The people in Swazembi have skin that can shimmer and shine and future leader Lileala has been chosen as the Rare Indigo because of her outstanding radiance. The technology in the book is truly unique and magical, people get swept up in gusts of wind to travel to destinations which I think should be a viable mode of transport in the future.
While I liked Lileala's arc from a girl spoilt and pampered for her beauty that’s places values outer looks to a person concerned for other people and an ambassador for peace, I really didn’t warm to her as a character. I struggled with the pacing of the story and just couldn’t follow the story at places which was disappointing as I wanted to like it so much. I wish I had been aware of the glossary at the end of the book which may have helped a little.
But even though this book wasn’t for me, I imagine many other readers will love the descriptive prose and the world-building.
December 20, 2022
A vibrant mix of Afrofuturism, dystopian and science fiction narrative, Where it Rains in Color is a novel that unravels the intricacy of beauty and the myths of the Dogon tribe.
The world building is set in Swazembi. The planet is a well known tourist destination to see the rare Indigo. Lileana is the current rare Indigo known mostly for her beauty and on a strict regiment the dampens her free spirited nature. Her world starts to fall apart when a painful skin disease makes her lose her shimmer. The journey for the cure and self realization has now begun.
The diseases disfigurement of Lileana really brings to light themes of beauty standards. Especially in a world where its a highly coveted position among the Aspirants. Her struggles lifted her character status for me when she grows from her spoiled persona. Growth is definitely a highly point of this book a the world around her morphs.
The plot is a slow build and I would have enjoyed a little more depth on the layout of Swazembi, the characters and myths but thats just me and my appreciation of Crittendon's writing. I'm hoping there are more novels coming on the heels of this debut.
Thank you Angryrobotbooks for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own. If you're into a melding of sci-fi and colorful utopian worlds, look no further!
The world building is set in Swazembi. The planet is a well known tourist destination to see the rare Indigo. Lileana is the current rare Indigo known mostly for her beauty and on a strict regiment the dampens her free spirited nature. Her world starts to fall apart when a painful skin disease makes her lose her shimmer. The journey for the cure and self realization has now begun.
The diseases disfigurement of Lileana really brings to light themes of beauty standards. Especially in a world where its a highly coveted position among the Aspirants. Her struggles lifted her character status for me when she grows from her spoiled persona. Growth is definitely a highly point of this book a the world around her morphs.
The plot is a slow build and I would have enjoyed a little more depth on the layout of Swazembi, the characters and myths but thats just me and my appreciation of Crittendon's writing. I'm hoping there are more novels coming on the heels of this debut.
Thank you Angryrobotbooks for the gifted copy in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All thoughts are my own. If you're into a melding of sci-fi and colorful utopian worlds, look no further!
August 19, 2023
What a strange and beautiful book. It's very hard to describe without sounding insane though. It's about the descendants from Africa in a far futuristic paradise world. It was cool to see a utopian society without some hidden, sinister plan in motion. At least by the utopian government anyway. There's plenty of adventure to be had here. The planet they live on literally rains color and the surface had waves of color. So even the terminology reflected that ("waves of joy"), it was good world building; great character development too!
December 16, 2022
An Afro-futurist story with many layers and ideas: a story of getting to know who we are and getting in touch with our inner power, beauty and illness, colours, and a future which is both dreamy and dystopia.
The author is a talented storyteller and I loved this story that grew on me and made appreciate the main characters and this world.
Excellent world building and plot development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
The author is a talented storyteller and I loved this story that grew on me and made appreciate the main characters and this world.
Excellent world building and plot development.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this arc, all opinions are mine
February 25, 2023
Very much Sci-fi, unknown technology, taking place in galaxies far far away, etc...
As much as I love the cover, I can't say the story enchanted me as much, the thing is, I have nothing bad to say about the book but I also did not really care about the plot or characters, the writing and the message worked well but not much else for me🖤
As much as I love the cover, I can't say the story enchanted me as much, the thing is, I have nothing bad to say about the book but I also did not really care about the plot or characters, the writing and the message worked well but not much else for me🖤
April 29, 2024
Originelles Magiesystem (oder doch Sci-Fi?).
Ein Stern Abzug, da ich hier und da mehr Erklärungen des Worldbuildings gebraucht hätte um alles zu verstehen und mir mehr Ausführungen in der Charakterentwicklung gewünscht hätte.
Ein Stern Abzug, da ich hier und da mehr Erklärungen des Worldbuildings gebraucht hätte um alles zu verstehen und mir mehr Ausführungen in der Charakterentwicklung gewünscht hätte.
Read
October 2, 2024DNFed at chapter 4. I feel like I was dropped on a world where very little was explained and outside of the MC having to follow a lot of rules - nothing much in the way of character building. I wanted to like this one but 🤷♂️ life's too short for books I don't like.
dropped-it-like-its-hot
April 28, 2025*Dropped at 43%*
Read
August 16, 2023This one is dnf for now. Maybe I'll pick it back up in the future 🥹
December 9, 2022
A Fantastical and Mystical Read!
Infused with a technicolor imagination, Denise Crittendon has created a stunning Afrofuturistic, sci-fi/fantasy debut that questions beauty. Is it youth? A color? Shimmering skin? Or something much deeper? Some books fade from memory soon after I’ve read them, but the imagery and characters of Where it Rains in Color have remained with me, floating through my thoughts like the vapors of her mythical Swazembi, almost like a world I’d actually visited. And as we follow the spiritual growth of Lileala, the Rare Indigo who loses her physical beauty, we cheer her on as she treads the difficult path to discovering the deeper meaning of one’s worth. Five stars!
Infused with a technicolor imagination, Denise Crittendon has created a stunning Afrofuturistic, sci-fi/fantasy debut that questions beauty. Is it youth? A color? Shimmering skin? Or something much deeper? Some books fade from memory soon after I’ve read them, but the imagery and characters of Where it Rains in Color have remained with me, floating through my thoughts like the vapors of her mythical Swazembi, almost like a world I’d actually visited. And as we follow the spiritual growth of Lileala, the Rare Indigo who loses her physical beauty, we cheer her on as she treads the difficult path to discovering the deeper meaning of one’s worth. Five stars!
April 25, 2024
1.5/5
I couldn't stand the MC and the plot surrounding beauty was boring as hell. The more it went on, the less sense it made, but they got to the asteroid, people from different worlds, speaking the same language and they can breath. And they travel from world to world in a few hours but still the technology feels archaic. No, I'm not buying it.
I couldn't stand the MC and the plot surrounding beauty was boring as hell. The more it went on, the less sense it made, but they got to the asteroid, people from different worlds, speaking the same language and they can breath. And they travel from world to world in a few hours but still the technology feels archaic. No, I'm not buying it.
December 9, 2022
You can think about this book. So cute so cool Zenon-X- Northern Lights blah blah blah. Or You can THINK.ABOUT.THIS.BOOK. There are reasons this phenomenal piece of work had 6 reviews on a predominantly * platform.
December 27, 2022
Just a beautiful page-turner of a book with a wonderful heroine and gorgeous writing. Imaginative fantasy that is something like surrealism brought to life in an upside-down new world. In the end beauty and justice prevail over some of humanity’s continued embrace of the worst, despite what this has already cost.
April 25, 2023
Where it Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon is high fantasy at its very best.
Beautiful, otherworld imagery wrapped in an evergreen story of struggle for finding the beauty in life, existence, self-awareness, roles we play in public and what we might be behind closed doors and social dialogues delivered with an unforgettable main character.
Delve into the cosmic beauty of gorgeous prose and fabulous world-building to find a message of inclusivity and hope, where the future is feminine.
The rare indigo is rare indeed. I hope for their arrival as well. Well done!
Fantasy lovers who long for a strong, gorgeous, but believable heroine will devour this one.
Beautiful, otherworld imagery wrapped in an evergreen story of struggle for finding the beauty in life, existence, self-awareness, roles we play in public and what we might be behind closed doors and social dialogues delivered with an unforgettable main character.
Delve into the cosmic beauty of gorgeous prose and fabulous world-building to find a message of inclusivity and hope, where the future is feminine.
The rare indigo is rare indeed. I hope for their arrival as well. Well done!
Fantasy lovers who long for a strong, gorgeous, but believable heroine will devour this one.
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