It’s a pretty good setting and there is some good plot building. The base building is well done and intriguing/ enjoyable. Has some relationship building but that’s hard to do when only two characters are intelligent enough to have a real conversation.
It’s not the best I’ve read, it’s not the worst. But it does a disservice to the female audience.
SPOILERS:
The ratio of “named” male/female NPCs/characters is like 14/3.
One is a grumpy old hag.
One is the hot dumb love interest.
One is a player that we don’t see more than 6 pages from.
The female love interest doesn’t seem to have any reason to be there except for resource gathering and for wanting to be the MC’s mate. She’s an unintelligent NPC that looks hot, wants to sleep with him, and needs saving.
When the smarter male NPCs get bored they go find a female and knock them up.
Partially understandable from a civ builder, but you don’t hear anything about females doing the same. Plus, the idea of a smart male going to find a dumb female is hard to continually look over.
It’s hard to get around when there is a lack of smart female characters.
During a process of “evolving” base NPCs to “named” (and now intelligent), the MC programs a female to love one of his followers as a reward to the follower.
It’s just…. Come on.