The 5th Gender

Romantic sci-fi murder mystery with an anthropological bent? Ohh, trust me – it’s brilliant!

This was beautiful, heart-rending by short turns, and utterly hilarious and enchanting the rest of the time. Honestly, enchanting all of the time.

 

The world building was stunning. Objectively, I recognized that there was perhaps too much exposition dumping occurring and, yes, a trifle bit of awkwardness - and yet, I couldn't have been more delighted. It was riveting. In such a small space, the author crafted a truly fascinating and unique world with vibrant characters. The story skips so many of the stereotypical beats, seemingly refusing to be bogged down by them, and despite being so fun, it still managed to convey and evoke so many nuanced emotions.

 

A unique and captivating read, one that I would recommend especially to those who like romance and have an interest in linguistics, cross-cultural studies, or Lt. Commander Data.