Three Year Mission is a romance novella set against a sci-fi backdrop. On a long-term spaceflight mission, Lt. Cleo Grace - the only crew member not in hibernation - has to deal with a prisoner whose hibernation coffin malfunctions, causing him to wake up. In this reduced setting, a sort of liminal space, the narrative focuses on the two characters and their dialogue. The writing is humorous and sympathetic and I enjoyed the trans representation (and the cat!).
However, the mystery around the convict's identity (and crimes) and particularly that Cleo takes so long to figure it out require a lot of suspension of disbelief, simply because the convict uses the name Rick and Cleo does not connect it to the name "Richard" of the terrorist she read about. Also, sometimes I felt a disconnect between the passage of time as denoted at the head of each chapter, and the description of the characters' thoughts and behaviors. Put differently, the titular timeframe could have come across a bit better if there had been more hints of the everyday interactions that build the foundation of their relationship.
Apart from this, the writing is clever and serves the story really well. The wider world and its dystopian aspects (oppression, slavery, transphobia) are only touched upon in the conversations until the mission reaches its end. Then, the story treads a precarious path to reach an ending that leaves room for hope and light among the darker elements of the real world.
If you're looking for rose-red, all around feel-good space fantasy romance, this novella won't quench that appetite, but if you're up for something that is thoughtful, LGBTQ*-friendly, humorous and entertaining, but not oblivious to hardships and social injustice, I highly recommend Three Year Mission.
I’d totally be throwing quotes around here, but truth is – I just read it and loved it! You have such a beautiful way of staging this minimal setting and turning a small, confined space into something that feels as wide as a landscape. I really loved the focus on Cleo and Rick and how everything unfolded so slowly and unobserved (well… except for those cameras on board, haha). The gentle way their connection developed, the conflicts, all the deep conversations – it was so well-paced and real.
I honestly still can’t believe you wrote this on your phone, commuting to and from work?! That’s just… MINDBLOWING. The story touches on so many topics I rarely see explored in fiction, and your writing always hits close to the bone. So much love for your story – it’s absolutely brilliant! 🧡
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Three Year Mission is a romance novella set against a sci-fi backdrop. On a long-term spaceflight mission, Lt. Cleo Grace - the only crew member not in hibernation - has to deal with a prisoner whose hibernation coffin malfunctions, causing him to wake up. In this reduced setting, a sort of liminal space, the narrative focuses on the two characters and their dialogue. The writing is humorous and sympathetic and I enjoyed the trans representation (and the cat!).
However, the mystery around the convict's identity (and crimes) and particularly that Cleo takes so long to figure it out require a lot of suspension of disbelief, simply because the convict uses the name Rick and Cleo does not connect it to the name "Richard" of the terrorist she read about. Also, sometimes I felt a disconnect between the passage of time as denoted at the head of each chapter, and the description of the characters' thoughts and behaviors. Put differently, the titular timeframe could have come across a bit better if there had been more hints of the everyday interactions that build the foundation of their relationship.
Apart from this, the writing is clever and serves the story really well. The wider world and its dystopian aspects (oppression, slavery, transphobia) are only touched upon in the conversations until the mission reaches its end. Then, the story treads a precarious path to reach an ending that leaves room for hope and light among the darker elements of the real world.
If you're looking for rose-red, all around feel-good space fantasy romance, this novella won't quench that appetite, but if you're up for something that is thoughtful, LGBTQ*-friendly, humorous and entertaining, but not oblivious to hardships and social injustice, I highly recommend Three Year Mission.
I’d totally be throwing quotes around here, but truth is – I just read it and loved it! You have such a beautiful way of staging this minimal setting and turning a small, confined space into something that feels as wide as a landscape. I really loved the focus on Cleo and Rick and how everything unfolded so slowly and unobserved (well… except for those cameras on board, haha). The gentle way their connection developed, the conflicts, all the deep conversations – it was so well-paced and real.
I honestly still can’t believe you wrote this on your phone, commuting to and from work?! That’s just… MINDBLOWING. The story touches on so many topics I rarely see explored in fiction, and your writing always hits close to the bone. So much love for your story – it’s absolutely brilliant! 🧡