Failure to Communicate

Published June 2, 2017 by Going To Mars.

ISBN:: 978-91-985297-0-8

(2 reviews)

As one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, Xandri Corelel has faced a lot of hardship, and she's earned her place as the head of Xeno-Liaisons aboard the first contact ship Carpathia. But her skill at negotiating with alien species is about to be put to the ultimate test.

The Anmerilli, a notoriously reticent and xenophobic people, have invented a powerful weapon that will irrevocably change the face of space combat. Now the Starsystems Alliance has called in Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia to mediate. The Alliance won't risk the weapon falling into enemy hands, and if Xandri can't bring the Anmerilli into the fold, the consequences will be dire.

Amidst sabotage, assassination attempts, and rampant cronyism, Xandri struggles to convince the doubtful and ornery Anmerilli. Worse, she's beginning to suspect that not everyone on her side is really working to make the alliance a success. …

As one of the only remaining autistics in the universe, Xandri Corelel has faced a lot of hardship, and she's earned her place as the head of Xeno-Liaisons aboard the first contact ship Carpathia. But her skill at negotiating with alien species is about to be put to the ultimate test.

The Anmerilli, a notoriously reticent and xenophobic people, have invented a powerful weapon that will irrevocably change the face of space combat. Now the Starsystems Alliance has called in Xandri and the crew of the Carpathia to mediate. The Alliance won't risk the weapon falling into enemy hands, and if Xandri can't bring the Anmerilli into the fold, the consequences will be dire.

Amidst sabotage, assassination attempts, and rampant cronyism, Xandri struggles to convince the doubtful and ornery Anmerilli. Worse, she's beginning to suspect that not everyone on her side is really working to make the alliance a success. As tensions rise and tempers threaten to boil over, Xandri must focus all her energy into understanding the one species that has always been beyond her: her own.

1 edition

pacavegano@bookwyrm.social reviewed Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sonderby (Xandri Corelel)

Good-hearted science fiction

4 stars

Overall, this was a really enjoyable book. The main character, Xandri, is a very likeable character who happens to be autistic. She reminds me a bit of October Daye. The characters and their relationships are a big part of the appeal of this book for me. I also appreciate the overarching themes of not othering people--whether those people are neurodivergent humans or non-human beings. The book is a bit more militaristic than I'm really comfortable with, but that's the only significant complaint I would have.

G. Deyke reviewed Failure to Communicate by Kaia Sonderby (Xandri Corelel)

[Adapted from initial review on Goodreads.]

3 stars

There's a lot to love about this book: the characters, the worldbuilding, the diversity, the quality of representation, the found-family vibe.

The one thing I feel it fails at is immersion - which is interesting, as it stands in stark contrast to several other autistic-voiced books I've recently read. It's worth noting that with all of those, the deep immersion and emotional intensity made them, at times, difficult to read. Failure to Communicate, by contrast, feels a lot lighter. It's a fun read. Depending on what you're wanting at the moment, that could be good or bad: light and fun definitely has its place, especially when deep and hard-hitting is too much to handle.

My edition also had a distinctly noticeable number of typos. It certainly wasn't unreadable, but I did find it distracting: it could definitely have used another round of proofing.

Selling points: #OwnVoices autistic narrator; nuanced characterisation; …

There's a lot to love about this book: the characters, the worldbuilding, the diversity, the quality of representation, the found-family vibe.

The one thing I feel it fails at is immersion - which is interesting, as it stands in stark contrast to several other autistic-voiced books I've recently read. It's worth noting that with all of those, the deep immersion and emotional intensity made them, at times, difficult to read. Failure to Communicate, by contrast, feels a lot lighter. It's a fun read. Depending on what you're wanting at the moment, that could be good or bad: light and fun definitely has its place, especially when deep and hard-hitting is too much to handle.

My edition also had a distinctly noticeable number of typos. It certainly wasn't unreadable, but I did find it distracting: it could definitely have used another round of proofing.

Selling points: #OwnVoices autistic narrator; nuanced characterisation; diversity in both the human and non-human subsets of characters; bi and polyamorous representation; respectful handling of mental illness even in a villain; found family; anti-fascist vibes.

Warnings: some typos; sequel-thirsty ending; sometimes Xandri makes bad decisions and you have to watch the consequences of her mistakes.

Lists

"Autism doesn't 'Go Away' when you 'Grow Up'": Adult Autism Literature