I bought this around 2014, but apparently never got around to reading it (which is somewhat unusual for science fiction novels — I usually read those without much delay).
I suspect I bought this because it was recommended by Ursula K. Le Guin — there’s a blurb from her on the cover, at least.
Uhm uhm uhm… There’s something about the style this is written is that I find annoying. Over the first 20 pages, we’re introduced to at least a dozen and a half named characters, apparently from a lot of different species, but none are described or seem distinct, and it’s just… It’s such a slippery way of writing — there’s so many pronouns flying, and it’s never quite clear who that “he” is referring to. I found myself rereading sentences several times, and it doesn’t help — I think the phenomenon is called “pronouns with ambiguous attachment”, and I hate it so much.
And when I got to page 17 I found a dog ear, which probably means that I tried reading this once before, but then put it back in the bookcase. I’m not doing that again — I ditched this book after about 25 pages this time around.
OK, it’s not just me.
That’s harsh! Not written by an AI!
Oh, OK. I guess I’ll never know.
Flesh And Gold (1998) by Phyllis Gotlieb (buy used, 3.39 on Goodreads)