The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by…

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles (edition 2024)

by Malka Older (Author)

Series: The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti (2)

Members	Reviews	Popularity	Average rating	Mentions
92	4	298,263	(3.73)	8
Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti reunite to solve a brand-new mystery in the follow-up to the fan-favorite cozy space opera detective mystery The Mimicking of Known Successes that Hugo Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders called "an utter triumph." Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person's case, for which she'll once again need Pleiti's insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University{u2014}yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case could be found in the outer reaches of the Jovian system{u2014}Mossa's home{u2014}and the history of Jupiter's original settlements. But Pleiti's faith in her life's work as scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity's future, as well as her own. The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti The Mimicking of Known Successes The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles The Centenal Cycle Infomocracy Null States State Tectonics At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.… (more)

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Member:	sbisson
Title:	The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles
Authors:	Malka Older (Author)
Info:	Tordotcom (2024), 200 pages
Collections:	Your library, Our Books
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The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles by Malka Older

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Showing 4 of 4

While I find this novella to be almost as good as the first book in what appears to be an open-ended series, the emphasis is on the almost, as Inspector Mossa has another missing person case to investigate, and Scholar Pleiti is along for the ride. Again, for me, the world that Older is building is the real character here, and I do have to wonder when noticeable diminishing returns are going to set in; hopefully Older is able to keep things fresh for awhile. (

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Shrike58 | May 4, 2024 |

I received a copy of this book for free from Tor in exchange for my honest review.

This is a direct sequel to The Mimicking of Known Successes, though only a little of the plot relates to that of the first. The character relationships develop further though, while the two women work through solving a new mystery together. I would have liked to get a bit more info about the events related to book one, but now I'm guessing that maybe those events will be a larger plot that spans multiple books in the series.

The tone of this book did feel a little more pretentious to me - I noticed more unfamiliar words (which I assume were more in line with Victorian/Regency era vocab, but of course I didn't write them all down to look into later, so who really knows) that were pulling me out of the story as I came across them. That aside, I appreciated the deeper look into the relationships and world-building and I look forward to seeing where this series goes. I'd recommend this if you're looking for something a little low-key and almost cozy, for a sci-fi mystery. (

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MillieHennessy | Mar 6, 2024 |

i loved this one, second in a series of novellas i hope will go on forever. Mossa is a detective, her close friend Pleiti a Scholar, and they have murder mysteries to solve. the setting is a university campus far future in which our Earth has been abandoned as unliveable, with a sidetrip to an Io colony from Jupiter. there are many trips on trains (ok, ok, but i love space railcars, so that detail would convince me to try it). our detectives are in peril not just because of the investigation, but also because they are both negotiating a new relationship and pondering how to organize all their various insights filtered through the theories of academic life at the same time. and they have kind of lovably inquiring minds; in fact i was enchanted both by the characters, and by the combination of all these aspects. one of the best sf detective stories ever, and two of my already-favourite partners, and you can come to it from the perspective of either genre, it works both ways. you can read this one standalone, but after you do you'll want to go read the first installment of this series. (

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macha | Mar 4, 2024 |

Very consistent follow up to the first book -- a new and interesting mystery draws Mossa and Pleiti back together for more intensive time, and the University continues to be a backdrop for further investigations. I'm enjoying getting to know them a little bit better. I also like the linguistic additions -- slang that has survived, things that are new, call outs to current fiction in ways that imagine future incarnations. Continues to be a slow burn with awkward and endearing characters.

Advanced Reader's Copy provided by Edelweiss. (

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jennybeast | Oct 31, 2023 |

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Canonical title

The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles

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2024-02

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Epigraph

There are other ways to live.

Dedication

or my mother, Dora Vázquez Older, whose careful and appreciative first readings encourage me through every book, chapter by chapter.

First words

People went missing on Giant.

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(Click to show. Warning: May contain spoilers.)

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▾Book descriptions

Investigator Mossa and Scholar Pleiti reunite to solve a brand-new mystery in the follow-up to the fan-favorite cozy space opera detective mystery The Mimicking of Known Successes that Hugo Award-winning author Charlie Jane Anders called "an utter triumph." Mossa has returned to Valdegeld on a missing person's case, for which she'll once again need Pleiti's insight. Seventeen students and staff members have disappeared from Valdegeld University{u2014}yet no one has noticed. The answers to this case could be found in the outer reaches of the Jovian system{u2014}Mossa's home{u2014}and the history of Jupiter's original settlements. But Pleiti's faith in her life's work as scholar of the past has grown precarious, and this new case threatens to further destabilize her dreams for humanity's future, as well as her own. The Investigations of Mossa and Pleiti The Mimicking of Known Successes The Imposition of Unnecessary Obstacles The Centenal Cycle Infomocracy Null States State Tectonics At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

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