“‘… have you ever stopped to think that perhaps these noble intentions I see in other are truly there, they just need to be drawn out? Would we all not be better versions of ourselves if others held us to higher standards?’”
Wow. Just wow. I enjoyed this story
way more than I expected!
A long, long time ago in a country
far, far away, I read the source book, Melville’s Moby-Dick. Can I just
say that I enjoyed this retelling for different reasons? While Moby-Dick
focusses on whaling in the 19th century and the impact it had on
society, the economy, and nature as a whole, Ahab explores the potential
future of the 26th century after a devastating war between humankind
and sentient machines (the whales, or MICs as their called).
Genre: Sci-fi, space opera, retelling
My rating: 4/5 stars
Mini description: whales in space, space whales!
Told
from both the perspective of Ahab and his first mate James Starbuck, Ahab
was a delightfully complex story. I particularly enjoyed the dual perspective
and the juxtaposition of Ahab’s stubbornness and determination next to
Starbuck’s idealism and loyalty. Though not as nearly as long as its source
book, I found the book to be the perfect length. And the font size was
legible!
I
particularly liked how Dawson incorporates sailing with space travel. While the
former is tried and true, the latter is relatively new, so there’s no saying
what exactly it will look like in the future.
Even
though the story takes place in the 26th century, it’s reminiscent
of the 1800’s, which is both interesting and frustrating. From a story-telling
standpoint, I though the details of the society were really cool, but from a
woman’s perspective, a society that doesn’t advocate women’s rights is super
frustrating, even if some of the characters stand up for them.
Another
element I liked about the book is how it’s not so straightforward with its
answers. The ending actually left me wondering if that was all, yet the more I
thought about it, the more I liked it.
So
I actually feel kinda bad for giving the book 4 stars instead of 5, and the
only reason for that is because some parts of the story felt unnecessary. At
one point, Ishmael shows up, which I found to be really cool how Dawson worked
him in, until he’s never mentioned again. Was the only purpose of the chapter
for the brief cameo? Plot-wise, his appearance doesn’t make much sense.
In
all, I gave Ahab 4/5 stars for excellent character development and story
telling albeit some unnecessary plot points. I would recommend the book to
those who have and have not read Moby-Dick and are interesting in space
opera. I look forward to reading more of Dawson’s work.
Interested
in the book? Have you read it
yet? You might also enjoy these classic retellings: The Bird and the Blade by Megan Bannen (Turandot, Italian opera), The Court of
Miracles by Kester Grant (Les Miserables, French classic), The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (The Snow Maiden, Russian fairytale).
Let’s
chat! Have you read Ahab yet, or has it made it to your TBR? Have you
read the original Moby-Dick? What are some of your favorite classic
retellings?
***
Similar
book reviews: The Court of Miracles, Strange Waters, and The Beast of Talesend
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