This absolutely needs to be a series or a movie or something visual, because I absolutely loved it so much.

The worlds building (yes, multiple) was so vivid and descriptive without being too much. I loved getting to know the MC's and side characters.
As the main world Starga was so much fun to discover, it is whimsical, yet intricate and at times dark.

I think that's also where the Studio Ghibli influences shine through. You have this magical, whimsical place, but ultimately dysfunctional with heavier subjects. Which is something I absolutely love and it's a construct not easily written yet nailed in this book. I would definitely recommend it to Ghibli lovers for that very same reason, but also maybe to those that love Dungeon Crawler Carl as it does have a vibe I find similar.

Both the characters and side characters had a lot of depth and it was easy to connect. I think a lot of that again had to do with the balance between whimsy and dysfunction.

This book gave me all sorts of different emotions, sometimes all at once. The ending has a beautiful leadup that I emotionally didn't like, but ended up loving anyway. Especially with the knowledge of another book coming. It is something I will definitely impatiently be on the lookout for.

It is almost two books in a row now, but I can only say again that this would be six stars if it was possible.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Bindery Books / Skies Press for letting me read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

︎4.75 stars˙⋆✮⋆˚࿔

Thank you to Bindery Books for providing me with an ARC via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

In so many good ways, The Archeology of Falling Worlds also reminds me a bit of Gachiakuta, Arcane, and Honkai Star Rail, perfection all in one. Plainly said, <i>I am the target audience for this book.</i> I finished it the next day I got approved for it, and if that's not telling how interesting and engaging this book was, then I have no words left.

Downright from the start, we are seamlessly introduced to our main characters; Frey, a "corpo princess", Alasar "He was born for it" Kazei, and Silver, the "worm". Yes, void worm. The three of them made up a fun group dynamic to follow, but Alasar's character stood out to me the most. Without revealing too much, his whole ARC and personal struggles were one of my favourite parts of the book.

Chee effortlessly introduced social commentary through clever worldbuilding. Starga is yellow, violet, vibrant, full of many different alien species and are still divided by class. Many praises to Chee because the descriptions of Starga were so good that it took shape and came alive into my imaginations. You know how in Ready Player One, the player wears some kind of VR and enters the cyberpunk game? That's how I feel when reading this. Completely transported and immersed in the setting. I am fascinated with the desbrisfall; and how it became a part of culture/way of life in Starga, and the difference of debrisfall acceptance towards different societies there.

The book was marketed as Cyberpunk 77 meets Ghibli, and even though readers are not familiar with either of the two media, we'll still get a clear image of how Starga should be. Seriously, some of the creations like the makeup, the mushroom apartment, the playground were so creative. Everything was so whimsical (unless it's Upper Starga, and we're hit with so close to reality). It was worth mentioning that I'm not a big sci-fi reader, but Chee's world crafting did not alienate me as a newbie in this genre, which I appreciate very much. I could imagine this being adapted like Arcane or Spiderman: Into the Spider Verse level animation.

I enjoyed watching the conflict and camaraderie throughout it. There was never a dull moment in this book, and the storytelling was entertaining. The pacing doesn't feel slow, but wasn't rushed either. We get a perfect amount of time to be introduced with any storyline in the book. The ending broke me a little. I don't know if this is a planned series or standalone, but even if it's a standalone, then I think it's still a perfect ending. Overall, I would recommend this to Ghibli fans! The whimsical worldbuilding but deep messages layered inside resonated deeply inside me, and I'm sure that so many readers will love it too!

P/S: Small thing, but as a Malaysian, I love the word usage of "kopi" instead of coffee.

The Archeology of Fallen Worlds by Megan Chee is as colorful and dizzying as the cover promises, a feat of fresh imagination. As in a thriller, the characters routine very quickly gets disrupted and we jump into non-stop action from there on, with two main characters getting tangled into a search for truth and its dire implication for their world.
I loved the cosmopolitan city of Starga, and how unique and new all the different alien species felt. The tropes and archetypes are used to their fullest, such as multiverse shenanigans, evil corporations, the orphan girl raised on the streets, the golden heir boy.
A thoroughly enjoyable read!

This was absolutely fantastic. I found the world mesmerizing and I quite literally could not put it down. When I received the notification I’d been approved for the e-ARC on NetGalley, I stopped mid other book to immediately start reading it. If you’re looking for sci-fi that poses and seeks to answer questions like “why are we here?” and “what do we owe to the people in our community?” this is the book for you. I’m reeling. Wow.

⭐ 4.75/5
This was such a weird book in the best possible way. The whole cyberpunk + fantasy + Ghibli feeling worked so well, especially with all the different creatures and alien races living together in Starga. I really liked how the world could feel colorful and whimsical one moment and then suddenly get really dark and brutal. The characters were also a big part of why I enjoyed it so much because I actually got attached to them instead of just caring about the worldbuilding. There are also so many small details that made the world feel alive. The ending genuinely got me a little and I think this is definitely one of those books that will stay in my head for a while.

Wow! What a book. I went into this one barely skimming the description, and I was absolutely blown away. On more than one occasion I stayed up longer than I should have because I just couldn’t put it down. The ending was solid but I wouldn’t be mad about a sequel, if only so I can spend more time in these worlds, with these characters. Starga was so vibrantly written it felt like its own character, and the world was so fleshed out. I read this in only a few days but by the end I felt like I’d been on the entire journey with these characters. I have nothing constructive or negative to say about this book, I absolutely loved it.

Everyone needs to read Megan Chee’s The Archaeology of Falling Worlds, an SF (science fantasy; speculative fiction) work brimming with moral dilemmas, characters with organic developments, and immersive, imaginative worldbuilding. Archaeology speaks to the ecological crises of our time, as well as our relationship with technology—in the vein of critical posthumanism, I might add, our entanglements with the more-than-human Others and the environment. Chee said Cyberpunk 2077 with Studio Ghibli vibes and delivered exactly that. I can even see this novel adapted as a comic or anime. Even before I got to the end, I already want a physical copy of Archaeology (and its sequel!) to annotate on. I might even add that if you like Shadowverse (think “Invasion of the Worldreaver” arc) and Kazuo Ishiguro’s Klara and the Sun, it is highly likely that you will enjoy Archaeology.

Chee is a master at pacing; she artfully slows down and ramps up the narrative to amplify and relieve tension (and hence suspense and other affects). Central to the changing tensions are Frey, a winged human whose care and curiosity for artefacts paint a target on her back, Alasar, a clone grappling with identity, familial legacy, and trust in the people in power, and Silver, a shape-shifter who seeks to fulfil a wild promise and duty. All three of them have great chemistry and different dynamics with each other. The other characters are just as compelling; Izir, specifically, reminds me of Ross Lockhart from Don DeLillo’s Zero K, someone you might dislike, or even loathe, but also understand to some extent. The various worlds are also inventive and contrast/complement each other well to offer new dimensions of living and caring.

As someone who enjoys SF, I am thrilled that many Singaporean authors, including Chee, are writing SF. Reading Archaeology in the backdrop of recent events, though, makes it a heavier read than expected. The discourse around our islands and marine life, the whole debate on our forests and (endangered) wildlife, conversations around the place of AI all weigh on my mind. Throughout the novel, I am also continually reminded of Donna Haraway’s statement: “we are compost, not posthuman”. All this is to say that readers from all around the world may thoroughly enjoy Megan Chee’s The Archaeology of Falling Worlds, may close the book feeling and thinking deeply about various interconnected affairs, and may want to read Chee’s other works and keep their eyes peeled on any future works from her.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bindery Books for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a unique and enjoyable read. I truly felt like I had been transported to this beautiful and chaotic world. Everything from the interesting bars they visited to the delightful secret adventure place Frey & Alasar visited was described so beautifully. I have seen this compared to Studio Ghibli and Arcane and I think those comparisons are very accurate!

My favorite character was the interesting little space worm but Alasar definitely was a close second.

I enjoyed this book immensely and can't wait to purchase a copy for my bookshelf! I need to read this again so I can feel like I'm once again in Starga.

An extremely original and imaginative debut! Frey, Alasar, and of course, Silver stole my heart. They bounced off one another so well, and their dynamic—especially between Frey and Alasar worked so well.

About half way through the book the scope of the story expands quite a bit which might be hard to chew for some. I thought Chee did a fabulous job with setting up Starga at the start of the book which could also perhaps contributed to this tonal whiplash. She painted such an immersive and detailed setting, and it’s clear she really cared about creating a very believable world for our characters to live in. I’m very excited to see what she writes next!