Reading Archive: 2012
December
5 Stars to The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
Description
A human diplomat kills his alien counterpart. Earth is on the verge of war with a vastly superior alien race. A lone man races against time and a host of enemies to find the one object that can save our planet and our people from alien enslavement... A sheep. That's right, a sheep. And if you think that's the most surprising thing about this book, wait until you read Chapter One. Welcome to The Android's Dream. For Harry Creek, it's quickly becoming a nightmare. All he wants is to do his uncomplicated mid-level diplomatic job with Earth's State Department. But his past training and skills get him tapped to save the planet--and to protect pet store owner Robin Baker, whose own past holds the key to the whereabouts of that lost sheep. Doing both will take him from lava-strewn battlefields to alien halls of power. All in a day's work. Maybe it's time for a raise. Throw in two-timing freelance mercenaries, political lobbyists with megalomaniac tendencies, aliens on a religious quest, and an artificial intelligence with unusual backstory, and you've got more than just your usual science fiction adventure story. You've got The Android's Dream.
Review
"Would you like to reset the default mode to not tell you when you are breaking the law?" A brilliant way to end 2012. I was reading whilst other members of the household watched a very sad end to a long-running soap opera and my chuckles and giggles did not go down very well at all. I couldn't help myself though, things were just very funny for a reason hard to define and even harder to pin down in writing - but it was done here. "Today, people have tried to kill me, the police are looking for me, and I've just discovered every Easter of my childhood, I ate one of my relatives with mint jelly. I'm just fine." The opening chapter is brilliantly done, you get a laugh a minute from when they sit down at the negotiating table and the rest of the book has some pretty amazingly funny moments too.The end of the fourth chapter was perhaps the best in terms of dramatic tension and chapter 7 I think was the funniest of the book, serious overtones notwithstanding. The ending was a little spoiled by the revelation of the inner ceremonial workings, which made it clear how things were going to turn out before the big climax. Still, that's my only issue in what otherwise is a very appealing, very enjoyable, Humanity wins work of science fiction. Loved it.
4 Stars to Restless by William Boyd
Description
“I am Eva Delectorskaya,” Sally Gilmartin announces, and so on a warm summer afternoon in 1976 her daughter, Ruth, learns that everything she ever knew about her mother was a carefully constructed lie. Sally Gilmartin is a respectable English widow living in picturesque Cotswold village; Eva Delectorskaya was a rigorously trained World War II spy, a woman who carried fake passports and retreated to secret safe houses, a woman taught to lie and deceive, and above all, to never trust anyone. Three decades later the secrets of Sally’s past still haunt her. Someone is trying to kill her and at last she has decided to trust Ruth with her story. Ruth, meanwhile, is struggling to make sense of her own life as a young single mother with an unfinished graduate degree and escalating dependence on alcohol. She is drawn deeper and deeper into the astonishing events of her mother’s past—the mysterious death of Eva’s beloved brother, her work in New York City manipulating the press in order to shift public sentiment toward American involvement in the war, and her dangerous romantic entanglement. Now Sally wants to find the man who recruited her for the secret service, and she needs Ruth’s help. Restless is a brilliant espionage book and a vivid portrait of the life of a female spy. Full of tension and drama, and based on a remarkable chapter of Anglo-American history, this is fiction at its finest.
Review
A cracking novel, and the second of Boyd's works I've enjoyed adapted for television (it was the first half of Restless, as a 90 minute drama, that made me buy this). It's a gripping thriller in its own right, but with everything filtered through the lens of a modern woman, things really seem to hit home, somehow. I adored the Le Carré reference on page 315, truly put the finishing touch on what was an excellent work of espionage, and I can't think of many British spy novels that parallel this in intensity, melancholy or effectiveness.
2 Stars to The Number of the Beast by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
When two male and two female supremely sensual, unspeakably cerebral humans find themselves under attack from aliens who want their awesome quantum breakthrough, they take to the skies -- and zoom into the cosmos on a rocket roller coaster ride of adventure and danger, ecstasy and peril.
Review
I do sometimes feel as if I miss the point of a Heinlein. This started out with a great deal of promise, parody accepted and welcomed, but then sort of fell into his great debauched mishmash of the Tirtiun crew, who really only make sense in small doses or in similarly-sized groupings.
4 Stars to The Bourne Supremacy (Jason Bourne, #2) by Robert Ludlum
Description
A killer with no face, no identity and a name the world wanted to forget: Jason Bourne Reenter the shadowy world of Jason Bourne, an expert assassin still plagued by the splintered nightmares of his former life. This time the stakes are higher than ever. For someone else has taken on the Bourne identity—a ruthless killer who must be stopped or the world will pay a devastating price. To succeed, the real Jason Bourne must maneuver through the dangerous labyrinth of international espionage—an exotic world filled with CIA plots, turncoat agents, and ever-shifting alliances—all the while hoping to find the truth behind his haunted memories and the answers to his own fragmented past. This time there are two Bournes—and one must die.
Review
This is a rather hefty tome, but I have a soft spot in my heart for all of the books in the trilogy because I got into them so young. I have a very clear memory of rereading this over a school lunch break and thinking that if I'd had the time and the quiet, the audio book was so much better. William Dufris reading it clocks in at just over 23 hours and he does a superb job. Other readers are available as download or CD, Dufris only on cassette, but I wouldn't change him. I won't analyze the text in any way, I got into it far too young to fully comprehend it but love the whole set.
3 Stars to A Treasury of Great Science Fiction, Volume Two by Anthony Boucher
Description
Two-volume Anthology. Volume two includes: Brain Wave: Poul Anderson (novel) Bullard Reflects: Malcolm Jameson The Lost Years: Oscar Lewis Dead Center: Judith Merril Lost Art: George O. Smith The Other Side of the Sky: Arthur C. Clarke The Man Who Sold the Moon: Robert A. Heinlein Magic City: Nelson S. Bond The Morning of the Day They Did It: E. B. White Letters from Laura: Mildred Clingerman The Stars My Destination: Alfred Bester (novel)
Review
Welcome back, the appeal of the science fiction short story. I can't forget the hours and hours I had on Dick and Heinlein and Asimov as a teen, and many of these stories put me right back there as if I'd never left. Brain Wave, by Poul Anderson, is a story I've read several times, and it never gets old. I really like the way Anderson progresses his intelligence, and the animal point of view is also explored which was pretty neat. Bullard Reflects impressed me so much that it gave me the urge to stop reading and go and find out more about the author. The punch line really tickled me, which was of course the idea, and I'll certainly be reading more Jameson in 2013. I'd never heard of George O. Smith, but The Lost Art was quite gripping to read and he's another author I've penciled in for future exploration. The Other Side of the Sky was a feel-good piece, an excellent choice from Clark's repertoire. The Man who Sold the Moon isn't my favourite Heinlein by a long shot, but certainly popular and executed with his typical aplomb. I also found a lot to like in Henry Kuttner's Piggy Bank, although it did seem a little predictable and of course very dated. Alfred Bester's The Stars my Destination is perhaps the best long work of the collection for me, for I've read Brain Wave so often that it's lost a little of its appeal. This one I came to new and really liked it; in fact, I'd say it provoked the most thought of all. Jameson comes second, though he'll always be escapist, magazine-style adventure, and then there are a few others that I've already mentioned I shall have to remember to dig up in the new year. If I had to pick one I didn't like at all, it'd be E. B. White's The Morning of the Day they Did It, which I found nonsensical to the point of absurdity. But then again, that old saw of PKD's, the eyes have it, is similarly silly but I can't find myself to dismiss it out-of-hand, so perhaps I'm being a little cruel. Overall, a nice collection for someone who grew up on the stuff I did, and a wide array of authors, styles, themes and motifs to work with.
4 Stars to The Jewels of Aptor/Second Ending by Samuel R. Delany
Description
"Five miles beneath the surface, Ross was awakened from the deep sleep of suspended animation to find himself in an empty world. There was no noise,no people & no motion save for the steady activity of the hospital robots. What had happened to existence? Could he find another? He didn't know the answers but he did know that soon he had to find some other living creatures. Even if he had to create them synthetically, assisted by the robots who would obey his every desire. With the deep sleep at his command, he could experiment with life itself as no other scientist had ever done & he had all eternity to do it in."--from the cover blurb
Review
I really enjoyed this little story. Hopefully it says something about mankind.
3 Stars to Spider-Man by Peter David
Description
The explosive tale of Marvel Comics’ crime-fighting superhero SPIDER-MAN It begins with an orphan named Peter Parker, raised by his beloved Aunt May and Uncle Ben in Queens, New York. A quiet student, he works diligently at his studies and pines for the beautiful Mary Jane Watson. But this ordinary teenage boy is about to have his life turned upside down, when he is bitten by a genetically altered spider. Suddenly, he finds himself possessed of spectacular powers. He is now and forever Spider-Man! Follow Spider-Man’s action-packed journey, from his struggle to harness the extraordinary gifts that will prove to be both blessing and curse, to his fight to save innocent lives while the media tears him to pieces. It all leads up to his ultimate battle high above New York streets, against the death-dealing madman known as the Green Goblin. While the city watches helplessly and countless lives hang in the balance, Spider-Man confronts his archnemesis, and the Goblin puts Spider-Man’s vow to fight crime to the ultimate test . . .
Review
" If he had discovered that Peter Parker was actually Britney Spears in a cunning disguise, he couldn't have reacted with greater incredulity." I really enjoyed the film, of course, and this is written very nicely - without too much of David's signature humour but with enough kept in, in appropriate amounts, to sweeten the story. Of course, everything follows the film as you'd expect, so nothing overly unpredictable, but neatly handled all the same.
4 Stars to The Demon Headmaster (Demon Headmaster, #1) by Gillian Cross
Description
Dinah moves in with the Hunter family and starts going to the same school as her foster-brothers Lloyd and harvey. It's not easy, as they seem to hate her, and school is really strange. Pupils suddenly talk like robots and do weird things - even Dinah finds herself acting oddly. She's sure the headmaster has some kind of power over them, and is determined to find out more. But the Demon Headmaster is equally determined to stop her. BLGillian Cross has won the Carnegie Medal, the Whitbread Children's Novel Award, and the Smarties Prize, and is a highly-acclaimed author. Sales of her books exceed one million copies.
Review
I'd always wanted to read this again, but would never pay for it given that it was a very expensive eBook and it renders down to only 57 minutes long when I actually come to listen to it. I first heard a cassette version, abridged, and played it time and time again as a kid. As with my potter replays, I kept hearing the voice in my head, which was quite nostalgic. The story is also quite fun, of course, as a child the idea rather appealed to me and I still think it's a clever idea, though naturally a little obvious now I'm older. Still, I've never actually read the rest of the books, so here's hoping the library keeps on form...
3 Stars to Terawatt by Des Michaels
Description
In the aftermath of a devastating EMP event, an unprepared suburban Texas school teacher battles his way across a thousand miles of post-apocalyptic terrain to rescue his wife and son stranded in Tennessee. Marc Sortel is a recently unemployed school teacher living in a suburb of Dallas, Texas. His wife and son have flown to Tennessee for an extended summer vacation with family while Marc stays home trying to short sell his double mortgaged house. Like most modern American males, he's utterly dependent upon the widely available conveniences of a technological culture. What he never realized is that a silicon based society fueled by the free flow of electricity can be transformed into a medieval landscape in a flash. Life expectancy in the pre-modern world was only 30 years of age. Marc is about to find out why. TERAWATT is a full length sci-fi action/adventure novel of approx 120k words. WARNING: Strong violence, language and adult situations.
Review
Nothing groundbreaking here, but kept my interest all the same. The errors that are seemingly inevitable with self publishing were noticeable but at least not too intrusive, and I'd read more of the author.
4 Stars to The Speed of Dark by Elizabeth Moon
Description
In the near future, disease will be a condition of the past. Most genetic defects will be removed at birth; the remaining during infancy. Unfortunately, there will be a generation left behind. For members of that missed generation, small advances will be made. Through various programs, they will be taught to get along in the world despite their differences. They will be made active and contributing members of society. But they will never be normal. Lou Arrendale is a member of that lost generation, born at the wrong time to reap the awards of medical science. Part of a small group of high-functioning autistic adults, he has a steady job with a pharmaceutical company, a car, friends, and a passion for fencing. Aside from his annual visits to his counselor, he lives a low-key, independent life. He has learned to shake hands and make eye contact. He has taught himself to use “please” and “thank you” and other conventions of conversation because he knows it makes others comfortable. He does his best to be as normal as possible and not to draw attention to himself. But then his quiet life comes under attack. It starts with an experimental treatment that will reverse the effects of autism in adults. With this treatment Lou would think and act and be just like everyone else. But if he was suddenly free of autism, would he still be himself? Would he still love the same classical music–with its complications and resolutions? Would he still see the same colors and patterns in the world–shades and hues that others cannot see? Most importantly, would he still love Marjory, a woman who may never be able to reciprocate his feelings? Would it be easier for her to return the love of a “normal”? There are intense pressures coming from the world around him–including an angry supervisor who wants to cut costs by sacrificing the supports necessary to employ autistic workers. Perhaps even more disturbing are the barrage of questions within himself. For Lou must decide if he should submit to a surgery that might completely change the way he views the world . . . and the very essence of who he is. Thoughtful, provocative, poignant, unforgettable, The Speed of Dark is a gripping exploration into the mind of an autistic person as he struggles with profound questions of humanity and matters of the heart. From the Hardcover edition.
Review
This was a book certainly worth its cost: Moon's a prolific author and this is, I'm sure, a great way to get into her style of writing. The idea behind the treatment available for the main character isn't approached with any rapidity or sense of urgency, things are more tactful and intraspective. There's also a fantastic "in-the-head" view, which is great, but of course its a portrayal of disability, and being disabled oneself, I know how demanding the disabled community can be in the exactitude of its depiction. I'm not Autistic, so enjoyed it for the story which was quite fascinating and the character viewpoint which was very intriguing, subtle, powerful and deep.
3 Stars to Déjà Vu: A Technothriller (Saskia Brandt, #1) by Ian Hocking
Description
Out of print. See: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2... It is 2023. Scientist David Proctor is running for his life. On his trail is Saskia Brandt, a detective with the European FIB. She has questions. Questions about a bomb that exploded back in 2003. But someone is hunting her too. The clues are in the shattered memories of her previous life. Déjà Vu takes the reader on a startling journey through a possible future, though digital minds, and through the consequences of the choices we make. It is the debut novel by Ian Hocking.
Review
This was a rather intense novel, gripping but also a little confusing. I think I need to sit down with it and give it my full attention, as reading it over the dishes left me just a little out-of-sorts. It was still a very good read for all that, the characters were all very detailed indeed, the story itself complex and powerful and the whole ethos behind the work very captivating and engaging. I did wonder if it was just a shade too full-on with its imagery - everything seemed to have an overtone or a hidden meaning - but I found it kept my interest and I enjoyed it nonetheless. Will assuredly be giving the next one a try.
3 Stars to The Accord by Keith Brooke
Description
In a virtual utopia where the soul lives on after death and one's perceptions are bound only by imagination, a tale of love, murder, and revenge… The Accord, a virtual utopia where the soul lives on after death and your perceptions are bound only by your imagination.This is the setting for a tale of love, murder and revenge that crosses the boundaries between the real world and this virtual reality. When Noah and Priscilla escape into the Accord to flee her murderous husband, he plots to destroy the whole Accord and them with it. How can they hope to escape their stalker when he can become anything or anyone he desires and where does the pursuit of revenge stop for immortals in an eternal world?
Review
I got into this one quite well, especially digging the technology. There's one scene where these guys are sat having a conversation, knowing they're being watched, and all the time they're "talking" inanities, data's pinging back and forth between them on a mental level. Reminded me of the sort of mental focus needed to play chess in the dark a la Robert Heinlein. The whole idea of the Accord was a bit odd and failed to sweep me in, but I enjoyed the romance, the potentialities, and especially the technology.
4 Stars to Resurrection Inc by Kevin J. Anderson
Description
IT IS THE FUTURE – AND THE DEAD WALK THE STREETS. Resurrection, Inc. found a profitable way to do it. All it took was a microprocessor brain, a synthetic heart and blood, and a viola! Anyone with the price could buy a Servant with no mind of its own and trained to obey any command. But for every Servant created, Resurrection, Inc.’s profits became everyone’s else’s loss. Some take to rioting in the streets, their rampages ruthlessly ended by heavily armed Enforcers, eager for the kill. Others join the ever growing cult of Neo-Satanism, seeking heaven in the depths of hell. Only one man tries to save the world. He is the last hope for the living. His name is Danal, he’s dead – but he remembers. Everything.
Review
Short enough to grip you in one sitting, this title didn't let me put itself down. The premise - a futuristic society where a private organisation animates corpses to become servants. Throw in a fanatical, fake religion, a tale of torn love, an obsession with death and flawed resurrection processes that allow the dead to regain their lost memories and you have a superbly-spun story indeed.
3 Stars to A Very British Coup by Chris Mullin
Description
Against the odds, former steel worker Harry Perkins has led the Labour Party to a stunning victory. His manifesto includes the removal of American bases, public control of finance and the dismantling of the newspaper monopolies. The Establishment is appalled. Something must be done. As MI5 conspires with the City and the press barons to bring Perkins down, he finds himself caught up in a no-holds-barred battle for survival.
Review
"after-thought he added, “Above all, I don’t want any of those psychopaths from Hereford involved.”" This really is pretty good stuff, a far cry from the action scene yet with devastating political consequences for the players. High on politics indeed and very British to boot, I nonetheless got into it and really found it quite thought-provoking.
5 Stars to Timesplash (Timesplash, #1) by Graham Storrs
Description
It started out as something underground, edgy and cool. Then Sniper took it all too far and timesplashing became the ultimate terrorist weapon. Scarred by their experiences in the time traveling party scene, Jay and Sandra are thrown together in what becomes the biggest manhunt in the search for Sniper, Sandra's ex-boyfriend and a would-be mass murderer. Set in the near future, Timesplash is a fast-paced action thriller. Filled with great characters, a sprinkling of romance, and a new and intriguing take on time travel, Timesplash is ultimately a very human tale about finding bravery through fear, and never giving up. Highly recommended for science fiction and thriller enthusiasts alike. Timesplash is the first book in the Timesplash series. True Timesplash 2 will be released in July 2013.
Review
I was hooked before I even got the book, the description alone appealed enormously. And I was about as undisappointed as it's possible to be, because this thrill ride of a book kept me going like the sugar rush from a kilo of chocolate on an empty stomach. First, these debut novels, especially those published small time on Kindle are often full of errors (spelling, grammar, continuity, the works). This is far from; Storrs is practically impeccable (Jay was called Jake once in chapter 24) but that's pretty much the only thing to set my proofing nose atwitch. What stood out, then? The international quality of the work comes to mind, not just in the official team at the TCU but in the Splashers as a group. There's a great deal of localization: Brussels, Berlin, London - but there's also an extraordinarily wide net of characters represented. Where the locale-specifics were employed, they were employed well, right down to the Geordie's manner of speech, that of the London cabbie, and Bauchet's diction, when he gets riled: an author who can manage to give you a sense that the tech he's talking about impacts the whole world so well, yet focuses so accurately and carefully on specifics at the same time scores major points with me. The structure of the work also appealed; each part felt right in terms of length and scope: they built on each other, adding to what had gone before whilst helping to show the passage of time and progress of the characters lives and the underlying technology. We weren't spoon-fed detail, but there was enough given so that you could easily follow - a balancing act often flubbed but executed here with magnificent aplomb. There were little bits throughout that really caught my eye, too. The intense and terrifying end of chapter 3. Bauchet's authoritarian outburst in chapter 8. Jay's great discovery in chapter 9. Then there's Sniper's epic outpouring in chapter 15 which really starts to show his grip on reality is well and truly crumbling. And then, as we move into the final act, which I suppose is really encapsulated in chapters 22 through 26, the action really kicks into high gear. The race is on, the splash is coming, the mole shows his fangs and it's all or nothing for our heroes in a great swelling bulging warped London of the past. And, as if the tension and drama and action and excellently written prose isn't enough, as if the comic banter between the leads wasn't quite injecting the right note to keep a serious situation easily readable, as if the picturesque descriptions, imagery and dialog of the era, so apart from the "now" of the work wasn't captivating enough: there's the target. the pièce de résistance, in fact, because the viewpoint of the whole thing switches to the target's perspective, just for those 19, 20 paragraphs or so - that really works, you know? Hell of a weird shift, sounds bonkers, but it fits and more than that it really fits, slots into place, gives the scene a surreal yet painfully vivid reality. A sharpness, yet an innocence, it makes the entire denouement work in a brilliantly satisfying way that left me dry-mouthed with the sheer pace and bravura of it all. Were I to tender one literary criticism, it's that the last chapter should've been an epilogue. I can't quantify why I think that, it was just my feeling at the time. This book only cost me £3.29. The eBook was DRM Free from the Kindle store, print is also available from Amazon and an audiobook is similarly priced, both at Audible and an indi publisher without any DRM and in the format of your choosing. I enjoyed every chapter, every page, every sentence. You've got no excuse not to pick it up; no "I can't read it on my device" or "it's not available in audio" or "I can't Braille it". The only thing it'll cost you to read is a few bucks, the price of a relatively good sandwich and a cup of coffee. My advice? Make a pot, sit back with the book however you read it, paper, audio, synthetic, Braille. Get into it, let yourself go and allow the world to unfold in your head. You won't be sorry. If this book isn't in my top 5 reads of 2012, my top 3 even, then I've died and someone else is compiling the list.
2 Stars to Safe House by Chris Ewan
Description
When Rob Hale wakes up in a hospital after a motorcycle crash, his first thought is for the gorgeous blonde, Lena, who was on the back of his bike. The doctors and police, however, insist that he was alone at the scene. The shock of the accident must have made him imagine Lena, especially since his description of her resembles his late sister, Laura. Convinced that Lena is as real as he is, Rob teams up with Rebecca Lewis, a London-based PI who has a mysterious connection to Laura—and learns that even a close-knit community like the Isle of Man can hide dangerous secrets that will not stay safe forever.
Review
I don't know what I was expecting from this but £0.20 for my debut of a well-reviewed author seemed worthwhile. I wasn't disappointed, but nor was I very impressed. It seemed to be an average run-of-the-mill thriller, with clues so random only the main character would understand them but so obvious that a reader needn't bother thinking about them too much. The only real thing this one had going for it was its location, but even that was used - overused, in fact - to help the plot along. I wouldn't be picking another of these up unless I'd heard something really good about it...
3 Stars to Halting State (Halting State, #1) by Charles Stross
Description
In the year 2018, Sergeant Sue Smith of the Edinburgh constabulary is called in on a special case. A daring bank robbery has taken place at Hayek Associates -- a dot-com start-up company that's just floated onto the London stock exchange. But this crime may be a bit beyond Smith's expertise. The prime suspects are a band of marauding orcs with a dragon in tow for fire support. The bank is located within the virtual land of Avalon Four, and the robbery was supposed to be impossible. When word gets out, Hayek Associates and all its virtual "economies" are going to crash hard. For Smith, the investigation seems pointless. But the deeper she digs, the bigger the case gets. There are powerful players -- both real and pixilated -- who are watching her every move. Because there is far more at stake than just some game-head's fantasy financial security . . .
Review
The description of this book sounded really good, and though I do consider it worth the money, it also has the feel of trying to be too many types of story at once. I really got into the technology, of course; no prizes for guessing which character I most enjoyed reading about. There's a followup novel, so I'll probably dig it out sometime, but I wasn't as blown away as the description might've lead me to think I would be.
November
4 Stars to Sabre by James Follett
Description
Flight time from London to Sydney: ninety minutes. Sabre 005, a synergetic, air-breathing rocket engine, will revolutionise air travel as the world knows it. Paul Santos, a French engineer, developed the aircraft. A jet in the atmosphere and a rocket in space, Sabre 005 is set for its first ever-commercial test flight- and its first fare paying passengers are already scheduled for one year's time. Joe Yavanoski, a compulsorily- retired union boss, knows that the threat Sabre 005 poses. Its success will spell the death of his country's former great aircraft industry and the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs. Including that of top engineer Jean Lesseps. Together, Yavanoski and Lesseps hatch a plan to shatter the publics' confidence for ever- the perfect, undetectable bomb that will wipe out Sabre 005 its passengers and its crew, once and for all. All they have to do is get it on board.
Review
A very enjoyable thriller indeed. You sort of see where things are going early on, the suspension of disbelief angle is quite necessary if you are to believe that the characters simply fall into place in their allotted roles. Still, it's easy to get swept up in the drama of what is a gripping thrill ride of a novel. Jez is a very memorable character, the technology is liberal and contemporary in scope but with an eye to the future, although no work of the future can completely escape the anachronisms of its time and that does show here in the dial-up based computer networking infrastructure. Follett was bang on with memory cards though; 15 years ago remember, so that was nice to se. In short, even though the aviation industry only interests me in a peripheral sort of a way and the idea of a bomb on board an aircraft has been done to death, this was a refreshing take on the story. Throw in a smattering of industrial espionage, deep-sea oil rigs, aerospace political machinations and a young enthusiast with balls and brains and you get a neat, exciting, action-packed yet thought-provoking read.
2 Stars to The Blade Itself (The First Law, #1) by Joe Abercrombie
Description
Logen Ninefingers, infamous barbarian, has finally run out of luck. Caught in one feud too many, he’s on the verge of becoming a dead barbarian – leaving nothing behind him but bad songs, dead friends, and a lot of happy enemies. Nobleman Captain Jezal dan Luthar, dashing officer, and paragon of selfishness, has nothing more dangerous in mind than fleecing his friends at cards and dreaming of glory in the fencing circle. But war is brewing, and on the battlefields of the frozen North they fight by altogether bloodier rules. Inquisitor Glokta, cripple turned torturer, would like nothing better than to see Jezal come home in a box. But then Glokta hates everyone: cutting treason out of the Union one confession at a time leaves little room for friendship. His latest trail of corpses may lead him right to the rotten heart of government, if he can stay alive long enough to follow it. Enter the wizard, Bayaz. A bald old man with a terrible temper and a pathetic assistant, he could be the First of the Magi, he could be a spectacular fraud, but whatever he is, he's about to make the lives of Logen, Jezal, and Glokta a whole lot more difficult. Murderous conspiracies rise to the surface, old scores are ready to be settled, and the line between hero and villain is sharp enough to draw blood.
Review
Reading this I almost, at times, felt like I was getting somewhere. The constant shift of view was quite refreshing, and some of the characters very memorable. Yet for all that, the style where we don't actually learn anything other than through dialog or little bits and pieces at a time, almost being drip-fed, does tire easily. The action was quite good, but everything seemed a little over the top and the farcical humour was far too outlandish and silly for my liking. I didn't really gel with anybody, nor have any feelings about the world, so the only reason I'll have for picking up the next is idle curiosity.
4 Stars to Wired (Wired, #1) by Douglas E. Richards
Description
Kira Miller is a brilliant genetic engineer who discovers how to temporarily achieve savant-like capabilities in all areas of thought and creativity. But what if this transcendent level of intelligence brings with it a ruthless megalomania? David Desh left the special forces after his team was brutally butchered in Iran. Now he has been reactivated for one last mission: find Kira Miller, the enigmatic genius behind a bioterror plot that threatens millions. But when Desh learns that the bioterror plot is just the tip of the iceberg, he is thrust into a byzantine maze of deception and intrigue, and he becomes a key player in a deadly game he can't begin to understand. A game that is certain to have a dramatic impact on the future course of human history. . .
Review
This was quite a compelling thriller. The opening, which is what really gripped me, reads like a chase scene from a high-budget action movie and of course I had to read on then. The religious overtones aren't overly bothersome; indeed you'll hardly notice them. Nevertheless Richards clearly does throw a religious motif, so the verbal aggression has that muted, God-fearing feel that the believer US novelist tends to adopt. There were a few stereotypes, such as the computer geek thrown into things over his head by association and all-powerful government officials wielding unitary authority, but the plot was good, the premise solid and the foibles forgivable. I'd read more.
5 Stars to Hellborn by James Follett
Description
“To turn one’s back on the evidence and allow a twin to walk this earth as a carrier of Satan’s seed is the true blasphemy, Crighton. We are now convinced that there has always been a carrier of a Satanic messiah’s seed on this planet. As one carrier dies, so another takes his place. A hellborn torch carrier as proclaimed in the Satan Scrolls -– a torch passed from generation to generation. We must extinguish that torch, Crighton.” Crighton stared at Legrange. “I can well understand your doubts,” the old priest continued. “Why twins?” He shook his head. “We don’t know. Unless you consider the strange rapport that often exists between twins that science cannot explain. Two powerful minds watching over each other. Two minds in touch with each other. Two minds alert to danger. Such a torch would be difficult to extinguish. Perhaps impossible. But we must try.”
Review
Wow. This book really got to me on many levels, and it's going to be hard to capture them all. First, there are the shifts, which really pulled at me. I wasn't really sure about it, right up until chapter six. The first four chapters were interesting, the fifth really made me sit up and pay attention as the viewpoint and time changes so completely and things really started to get interesting from six on. Then, bam, chapter thirteen flips us half a world away to another view. There is where I really started to devour the story in earnest, that was the tipping point where it solidified itself as a book not to put down for me. I did eventually try to stop reading and sleep after chapter 19 and was haunted by laughing voices, demonic faces and so forth. "It's not really a horror", a friend said to me. And yet not since My seven-year-old self scared himself silly abed with Dracula has a book so invaded my mind, although reading a Daniel H. Wilson novel in a week without sleep came pretty close. The rest of the book was utterly thrilling, compelling to the end and with a wonderful harrowing car journey so diametrically opposed to an American chase that I felt cocooned in Britishness just reading it. Of course, the philosophy and religious persecution isn't my cup of tea, but here, it was wonderfully executed and a shatteringly enjoyable read.
3 Stars to The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson
Description
Also available in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection. A heretic thief is the empire’s only hope in this fascinating tale that inhabits the same world as the popular novel, Elantris. Shai is a Forger, a foreigner who can flawlessly copy and re-create any item by rewriting its history with skillful magic. Condemned to death after trying to steal the emperor’s scepter, she is given one opportunity to save herself. Though her skill as a Forger is considered an abomination by her captors, Shai will attempt to create a new soul for the emperor, who is almost dead. Probing deeply into his life, she discovers Emperor Ashravan’s truest nature—and the opportunity to exploit it. Her only possible ally is one who is truly loyal to the emperor, but councilor Gaotona must overcome his prejudices to understand that Shai’s forgery is as much artistry as it is deception. Brimming with magic and political intrigue, this deftly woven fantasy delves into the essence of a living spirit.
Review
The writing, as usual, seems effortless, and the world is grand and described in sharply defined yet action-eating detail. The combat scene near the end was very intense, the whole subject matter very thought-provoking and the entire ideology of the work innovative. I preferred Legion, but this was certainly enjoyable.
2 Stars to A Murder of Quality (George Smiley, #2) by John le Carré
Description
John le Carré's classic novels deftly navigate readers through the intricate shadow worlds of international espionage with unsurpassed skill and knowledge, and have earned him -- and his hero, British secret Service Agent George Smiley -- unprecedented worldwide acclaim. George Smiley was simply doing a favor for Miss Ailsa Brimley, and old friend and editor of a small newspaper. Miss Brimley had received a letter from a worried reader: "I'm not mad. And I know my husbad is trying to kill me." But the letter had arrived too late: its scribe, the wife of an assistant master at the distinguished Carne School, was already dead. So George Smiley went to Carne to listen, ask questions, and think. And to uncover, layer by layer, the complex network of skeletons and hatreds that comprised that little English institution.
Review
I flipped through this in just over an hour and a half, primarily because although it's worth reading, it doesn't really conform to a typical genre work inasmuch as it's basically a murder mystery. There are hints of Smiley's personality, and I like the way schoolboys play parts in later novels (Tinker Tailor, for instance). But even with all the invective propellant aimed toward Smiley because of Ann, it still wasn't really a spy novel and so only holds interest for me through its historical value.
4 Stars to The Reaver Road (Omar, #1) by Dave Duncan
Description
Omar is the finest storyteller the world has ever known, captivating audiences everywhere, from the campfires of soldier camps to the plush residences of nobility. In times of turmoil, people can still appreciate a good tale that offers respite from their troubles. But as hordes of barbarian soldiers surround the unvanquished city of Zanadon after ravaging the surrounding countryside, few things are certain any longer. Omar has been guided to the city by prophetic dreams, yet finds himself in an increasingly dangerous situation as the people grow more desperate and the gift of a glib tongue turns into a curse.
Review
Narratively speaking, this one is quite unusual for a Duncan - and his choice of performer, if he must write first person, from the outset seemed to leave a lot to be desired. Yet I warmed to Omar through the course of the story and always, even if I didn't quite click with him, enjoyed his wit and verbal dexterity. A Duncan hallmark makes a book well worth the read of course; in this case it was a great divine convergence and a masterful climax to the story, with ample room for a sequel hinted at the end. Loved it, not overawed, but the next one will be on the to read shortly list for sure.
3 Stars to Sharps by K.J. Parker
Description
For the first time in nearly forty years, an uneasy truce has been called between two neighbouring kingdoms. The war has been long and brutal, fought over the usual things: resources, land, money... Now, there is a chance for peace. Diplomatic talks have begun and with them, the games. Two teams of fencers represent their nations at this pivotal moment. When the future of the world lies balanced on the point of a rapier, one misstep could mean ruin for all. Human nature being what it is, does peace really have a chance?
Review
I quite liked this novel, although I did find things were a little disjointed and hard to connect. Every character seemed to be a bit cut off from everyone else and although it made the story more interesting, it didn't really give a great sense of unity to the plot. Still, fencing isn't my cup of tea, so looking at more from this author is most definitely on the cards.
4 Stars to Day of Honor: The Television Episode by Michael Jan Friedman
Description
B'Elanna Torres has no intention of celebrating the Day of Honor. A day of glory for others of Klingon heritage, the day for Torres has always been a dark one, for reasons that stretch back to childhood memories she has tried to forget. This Day of Honor is no better. Trouble with the warp engines has crippled the "U.S.S. Voyager" just as it confronts a deadly threat. Torres and Tom Paris must put their lives on the line to restore the engines. With time running out, Torres has one last chance to accept the great loss she once suffered and reveal the true feelings she has buried for years.
Review
"Tuvok and Neelix were such opposites. She wondered if any other captain had ever had to put up with a bickering pair like that." Apart from the astoundingly misplaced Spock and McCoy reference I enjoyed this book most of all. Perhaps because it's rare to see a Voyager episode novelised well, but I really got into it. There were a few lines padding television dialog which sounded incongruous, but the opener of a five-year-old Torres was very well done, and the assimilation of the Caatati was a fascinating glimpse into another culture with very little space to do it in, which is always admirable. A most worthy end to the series though, overall, not very much Klingon pov in the entire set and the whole ethos is a little Kirk-centric for my taste.
October
2 Stars to A Rebel in Time by Harry Harrison
Description
Can history be changed? Can the South still win the War Between the States? Colonel McCulloch thinks so, even though the war ended more than a hundred years ago. With gold, an automatic weapon, and some very special blueprints, he plans to go back in time and reverse the outcome of the Civil War.
Review
All the hallmarks of an enjoyable story but none of the pace or tension one would expect. The introduction of the time machine was far too delayed and the final import of its operating possibilities mentioned briefly but utterly ignored for far too long. The lead is almost too good, except for his clear fanaticism for the US. Still, it's a part of history...
3 Stars to Confessions of a GP by Benjamin Daniels
Description
Dave Weinstein is angry. He is frustrated, confused, baffled, and quite frequently, very funny. He is also a general practitioner. These are his confessions. A woman troubled by pornographic dreams about Tom Jones. An 80 year-old man who can't remember why he's come to see the doctor. A woman with a common cold demanding (but not receiving) antibiotics. A man with a sore knee. A young woman who has been trying to conceive for a while but now finds herself pregnant and isn't sure she wants to go through with it. A 7-year-old boy with "tummy aches" that don't really exist. These are his patients. A witty insight into the life of a family doctor, this funny and moving account will change the way you look at your doctor next time you pop in with the sniffles.
Review
Nonfiction really isn't my cup of tea. Still, I enjoyed this, found bits of it very amusing and others thought-provoking and interesting.
1 Stars to The Fall of Ossard (Ossard #1) by Colin Taber
Description
Ossard is falling... Growing up in a city of Merchant Princes, Juvela discovers she can see what others can't. The very currents of the celestial are open to her, and that includes the truths they hide: An escalating series of unsolved kidnappings have been haunting the city-state, leaving its shadows pooled deep with innocent blood. Has Juvela been cursed with the Witches' Kiss - or perhaps something worse? Yet, more is to come, for not only has she witnessed an abduction, but she will have to endure a role in the victim's ritual death. For Juvela is about to become forsaken, and that's before she learns the real truth of not just the crimes plaguing Ossard's bloody streets, but the wider world: A world at war, and governed by gods whose highest pleasure is to sup on the taste of death.
Review
I really didn't enjoy this novel. The lead character either seems to be so shallow and hung-up on her family to the exclusion of all else, or else trying to open herself up to becoming something so incomprehensible that it doesn't matter how it reads to someone outside. similarly, she either knows absolutely nothing and is utterly baffled by what happens to her or else is so aware of what's going on that she doesn't need to explain for the readers benefit. As if that wasn't enough, you quickly learn what Ossard is: given the title of the book, what happens to it is pretty obvious, and therefore seemingly of little import. I will probably avoid further works by this author.
3 Stars to Critical Incident by Troy Blackford
Description
A wave of peculiar vandalism sweeps the downtown area, seemingly carried out by oddly coordinated cells of homeless people. As the city's police force begins looking into this seemingly harmless rise in crime, darker and more dangerous issues quickly come to the fore. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W26zdj...
Review
Exciting, but weird to get into to begin with. A few too many disparate threads to begin with, but things do come together well. Will pick up the second sometime.
2 Stars to The Survivor by James Herbert
Description
It had been one of the worst crashes in airline history, killing over 300 people, and leaving only one survivor. Now the dead were buried and the town of Eton tried to forget. . . . Until the young girl was found, screaming hysterically about malevolently grinning dolls and creatures of darkness. Until the fisherman's body was brought ashore, his face set in a grimace of utter terror. Until the priest was discovered cringing beneath the altar. Then the town was forced to face the shocking, dreadful truth about what was buried in the old graveyard. . . .
Review
I don't know what I was expecting but I didn't come away feeling very much. I think the overly mystical nature of things dampened it for me somewhat, though several scenes were fairly chilling for me, particularly the eighth and twentieth chapters. I also liked Keller's eyes opening to religion and, were I to ever find any sort of faith as unlikely as that may seem, I'd want it to happen in that way.(it's near the opening of Chapter seventeen out of interest).
4 Stars to Erebos (Erebos, #1) by Ursula Poznanski
Description
In einer Londoner Schule wird ein Computerspiel herumgereicht – Erebos. Wer es startet, kommt nicht mehr davon los. Dabei sind die Regeln äußerst streng: Jeder hat nur eine Chance. Er darf mit niemandem darüber reden und muss immer allein spielen. Und wer gegen die Regeln verstößt oder seine Aufgaben nicht erfüllt, fliegt raus und kann Erebos auch nicht mehr starten. Erebos lässt Fiktion und Wirklichkeit auf irritierende Weise verschwimmen: Die Aufgaben, die das Spiel stellt, müssen in der realen Welt ausgeführt werden. Auch Nick ist süchtig nach Erebos – bis es ihm befiehlt, einen Menschen umzubringen …
Review
A warning: do not continue reading if you are offended by strong language. This isn't a review, really. It's more a personal analysis... I've been banging on at some length in previous reviews about atmosphere.I really got into the character's head when reading The Ghost at the end of August. I enjoyed the ambience of Forever at the end of July, the list goes on: William Knight's Generation is one example, Charles Cumming's A Spy by Nature more so. The thing about atmosphere is that it engages you on very different levels. In Dave Duncan's Great Game series, its a thrill of history, in Henry Porter's Dying Light, that great sense of being "In" some sort of elite inner circle (intellectual rather than military in that case). This book, well. It reverberated. It reacted. It positively resonated with echoes of my own days as a sixthformer. All the tosser talk, the "you bastard", the casual Use of Skype and MSN, the disgruntlement at getting a landline rather than mobile number for a schoolmate and of course, the quietly-applied yet extremely evident beginnings of a romance... all that impacted me very hard indeed. I ended a chapter - I forget precisely which, now - and thought "he's going off for a wank now, surely?" It was as if someone my own age, who'd lived as I'd lived, seen the world through the eyes of one of my own era had harkened back to those days and captured it in print and captured it almost but not quite perfectly. Because of course it's a translated work, and I was hardly in the middle of the norm. Therefore intrusions like "principal" stuck out like soar thumbs, and of course the profusion of the subway was out of my experience. Still, it was an amazingly powerful and intense experience and for that, I shall always remember this book and the impact it had. The plot is very good too, though not unique and hardly outstanding by today's standards. It was very gripping, and the scenes "In-game" were very neatly done, woven into the narrative so well that you sort of lose contact with reality along with Nick. I found myself pausing and having to shake myself back to the world whenever he exited, or whenever his "real" world intruded on the virtual. I do have a few problems with the work that prevents the 5 star rating, of course: primarily, it's the complete waste: a brilliant technology, a brilliant man even, so bitter and twisted that things slip out of both his control and the world in general. Then there's that whole slipping away process anyway: a man so intelligent, ruined by something he aught to have easily managed. I suppose it's a commentary on grief or the dangers of mania and obsession, but it somehow lets the work down a little. The other thing that rang false was Nick's kicking-out of the game. Not because he got kicked out, but I somehow would have expected a more protracted divorce. I guess I had built things up too much in my head; taken his involvement - perhaps immersion is a better word - in Erebos to an extreme. All that aside, I really got into the book. The ambiance utterly hooked me, more compellingly than any fantastic or futuristic world has done in quite the same way because it was so vividly me, though a me of then, if that makes sense. The people - well: they were so real, because they could have been any one of a hundred real people I knew. The plot; naturally implausible, but luring nonetheless, intense, not too emotionally deep as you'd expect from a teenage male lead but again, with a level beyond the obvious which keeps you going. Would I recommend this book? Yes, to different groups for different reasons. I don't know how transferable that sense of... I haven't the word, which is rare. That sense of being there, of being at one with the time and setting of the work. I don't know how that translates, or indeed how much of it is the author and how much the translator: how much of my sixthform milieu holds any meaning in the US, in non-English speaking parts of germany? How much in Australia, which is where the translator lives? So it's hard to detail quite how that works for other people. Then there's recommending it for the RPG crowd, or those who just enjoy modern reads, or are otherwise into SF or have other geekish prominences. TO them, is it just a good read? I mean yes, to me, it was, for those reasons - but the great sense of ... again, I lack the appropriate descriptor. The "now" of the world in which the characters live; the real one, not the game - the tau of the work, to use a stochastic term - that was what really got and held me and what lives on in my mind having finished it. There's no doubt it was a great story as well, a very worthwhile read indeed.
4 Stars to The Proteus Operation by James P. Hogan
Description
When malcontents from a utopian twenty-first century use their time gate to transform Hitler into an invincible conqueror, a band of freedom-fighting Americans launches the Proteus project and builds a second time gate. Reprint.
Review
"Might I suggest that you begin at the beginning, wherever that may be in this bewildering chronological imbroglio, and proceed from there in whatever comes nearest to logical order?" This was an incredibly intense novel, though not as thrilling as it might've been because of the practical inevitability of the ending. Nonetheless, the storming of the German stronghold was really good stuff and the whole concept well worth reading.
3 Stars to Possession (Star Trek: The Next Generation #40) by J.M. Dillard
Description
Eighty years ago, bodiless entities brought a plague of violence and bloodshed to the planet Vulcan. The nightmare ended only when the entities were trapped inside special containers. Now, on the eve of a galaxy-scale scientific exposition, the containers have been opened, freeing the malevolent entities to possess the minds and bodies of all they encounter, including the crew of the "Starship Enterprise"(TM) . Friends turn into foes, and no one can be trusted as Captain Picard faces a deadly and insidious threat. Unless the entities can be stopped once more, they will spread their madness throughout the entire federation.
Review
An enjoyable enough story, light - not in terms of content, but scope. It really had the feel of a TNG episode, though things would have necessarily been shortened onscreen, the essential concept of the novel would have made a very good episode indeed. Characterisation goes far enough to fill the story though not too deep as you'd expect. Overall, a neat little entry into the saga.
4 Stars to Factoring Humanity by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
In the near future, a signal is detected coming from the Alpha Centauri system. Mysterious, unintelligible data streams in for ten years. Heather Davis, a professor in the University of Toronto psychology department, has devoted her career to deciphering the message. Her estranged husband, Kyle, is working on the development of artificial intelligence systems and new computer technology utilizing quantum effects to produce a near-infinite number of calculations simultaneously. When Heather achieves a breakthrough, the message reveals a startling new technology that rips the barriers of space and time, holding the promise of a new stage of human evolution. In concert with Kyle's discoveries of the nature of consciousness, the key to limitless exploration---or the end of the human race---appears close at hand. Sawyer has created a gripping thriller, a pulse-pounding tour of the farthest reaches of technology. Factoring Humanity is a 1999 Hugo Award Nominee for Best Novel.
Review
One of the things I really like about Sawyer, I thought as I read this, is his easygoing explanation of science: he makes the most complex-sounding stuff flow smoothly and sensibly. That, sat amidst his extraordinary love for his era country, gives his writing a fluidity and relaxed atmosphere. Also, though it seems hypocritical to enjoy some transcendentalism but not others, I liked the way it happened here very much. It seemed a logical progression and, although I do have issues with the happy happy nature of almost all future portrayals, I really enjoyed the read.
5 Stars to Wildcatter by Dave Duncan
Description
“As long as there is money to be made, there will be Wildcatters” — Dave Duncan Throughout human history wildcatters, the first great explorers and prospectors to lay claim to newly discovered lands, have marched to the beat of a different drummer — motivated by a deep yearning to be the first to walk on uncharted land and benefit from treasures yet to be discovered. In the future, wildcatters in space will travel to exoplanets, located in The Big Nothing, to search for new chemicals which, when transformed into pharmaceuticals, might bring untold wealth and fame to the individuals and corporations that stake their claim for exclusive exploitation rights. Such is the quest of the crew of the independent starship Golden Hind, whose mission is to travel a year and a half to “Cacafuego”, beat the larger corporations to the exoplanets’ resources, and strike it rich for themselves. But will a yellow warning flag, already planted above the planet, stop them? Or will the Golden Hind’s prospector foray to the planet’s surface, possibly never to return alive? Wildcatter is a raucous tale of mystery, greed and passion, told by master story teller Dave Duncan, once himself a real wildcatter!
Review
"An obstacle course in 1.6 gees with an unknown carnivorous species at the end of it was every boy’s dream." This is a fabulous little gem of a science fiction story. Duncan's characters are often a little hard to enter, emotionally; a certain coldness pervades sometimes and this is true here. But if you read without needing too much empathy this is really superb: modern, plausible, rollicking stuff. "You, on the other hand, are Mr. Know-it-all, the universal understudy for the entire crew. Consider yourself acting captain until further notice." There's that great lowest-of-the-low rising high here, too, which often makes good reading. The technology is muted, but present, and the moral and ethical concerns also present but filtered through the characters so they aren't shoved down your throat. The twist is sudden, per Duncan, but this one flat-footed me a little. I had an inkling, but it all happened so explosively that I hadn't time to digest my own thoughts before we were rushing to a conclusion. I also especially liked the biological Deus ex machina, mainly because if you know your biology it's perfectly logical, which I always admire in fantasy. One of his best standalones, in fact my favourite I think, and the second best of the year from him so far (nothing will beet The Death of Nnanji. Yet, at least...
4 Stars to The Multiplex Man by James P. Hogan
Description
Review
"Let's put it this way. Either I walk off the other end of this bridge tonight. Or you never get to walk off it at all." I really enjoyed this book. The shifting viewpoints kept things interesting, and Hogan's deft switching of political views is very cleverly done indeed. Even the tone and style of writing changes noticeably by persona, the quote about the bridge would not have been uttered by the timid and conservative schoolteacher at the opening of the novel. Sadly, not a five star read because the ending sort of let it down, if it was a little necessary to sort things out, that doesn't excuse it being a little flat. That, and the whole contrivance when the old professor reappears was hard to swallow. Still, a worthy idea fairly well executed by an SF great, no mistake.
3 Stars to News From Gardenia by Robert Llewellyn
Description
When Gavin Meckler's light aircraft encounters a mysterious cloud and crashes to earth, he discovers that the eerily quiet landscape in which he has landed is 200 years older than the one from which he took off. In this gentle, peaceful, sustainable new world, it is possible to travel from one side of the globe to the other in a matter of minutes without burning fuel, and everyone is a gardener because that's how they can be sure to eat. Inspired by William Morris's utopian novel News from Nowhere , Robert Llewellyn shows us a future where we don't burn anything to make anything else and which isn't hovering on the brink of disaster; where aliens haven't invaded, meteors haven’t hit, and zombies haven’t taken over. In short, a world where humanity eventually gets it right. All the technology described in the novel has seen the light of day in reality. Llewellyn's future isn't perfect and may not be very likely, but it is entirely possible.
Review
"I was in a room with what looked like normal human beings, but things were steadily and relentlessly going out of whack." The opening of this book was quite intriguing; I'd heard an audio reading of the first chapter a few months ago and so was glad to give it a go. The writing is lightly amusing, Llewellyn has a style that is both comfortable, informative and funny. "It sounded like the whole system I’d known, in fact the whole country, had broken down into some sort of anarchist semi-medieval subsistence-farming backwater." This, of course, is a fairly accurate review of where the main character finds himself, and the technological and social innovations that he learns about are really quite interesting to read about. I don't know if I'd enjoy living in such an environment, and the characters lack depth here, but I enjoyed it all the same. Knock half a star off for the ending, too, which I felt was the weakest part of the book.
September
4 Stars to Legion (Legion, #1) by Brandon Sanderson
Description
"Stephen Leeds, AKA 'Legion,' is a man whose unique mental condition allows him to generate a multitude of personae: hallucinatory entities with a wide variety of personal characteristics and a vast array of highly specialized skills. As the story begins, Leeds and his 'aspects' are drawn into the search for the missing Balubal Razon, inventor of a camera whose astonishing properties could alter our understanding of human history and change the very structure of society"--From publisher's description
Review
Wow. There's a huge following for this one on Goodreads (the number of people that want to read it is staggering). I would have given it a five were it a little longer and had it explored more of the persona interaction. As things stand, it's a brilliant story based on an amazing concept, and of course Sanderson's left himself room to continue with things or to go back and show more of the history as necessary if he likes. I really enjoyed it. Chalk another one up for a Michael-powered recommendation!
3 Stars to The Sound and the Echoes by Dew Pellucid
Description
Imagine that everyone around you has a mirror image living somewhere else. Your world is like a sound, which produced that other world of echoes. And in this land men are governed by a terrible law--every Echo has to die, if his Sound dies. One Sound especially must die. The Prince's Sound. The Fate Sealers and Fortune Tellers will make sure of that! Because after this Sound dies, the Echo Prince will have to die too. Now, twelve-year-old Will Cleary is about to discover that he is the Sound the Echoes are hunting. And so begins his perilous adventure into a see-through, sparkling world, filled with spying crystal balls, an eerie fortress of castaway children, a hunt for clues in an ancient book of riddles, and a last-chance escape through a frozen gem-studded lake into a secret land that holds the key to placing the Prince on the throne and returning freedom to the Echoes.
Review
"In a period of four years, The Sound and the Echoes was rejected by over 180 literary agents", according to the book's acknowledgements. It seems a little unfair that everyone should reject it out of hand because there's a lot going for this one. Namely, I think that's the complete and sheer freneticism of the story. The pace is whirling in its dervishness, the sort of story where if you only give it a little of your attention you can immediately become disconnected. it pays to pay attention, because the wealth of detail is quite, quite incredible. The echo realm is a hauntingly mesmerizing memorable vista, and the description of the palace of Agám Kaffú right at the outset caught my breath and impelled further reading. On the other hand, I can see why it's not reading to every taste. The humour is quite particular, even the style takes some getting used to. Characters are memorable, but quite... zany? I think that's the best word to use. The whole ethos of the work is unconventional and idiosyncratic, and this shows especially in characterisation and ambiance, particularly in the echo realm. One such example comes to mind; Will and Peter are researching languages and are besieged by roving Christmas lights and crystal balls. There's a great deal of silliness, which one really needs to enjoy for its own sake, as not much of it is important to the story. There's a good life lesson there, of course - hold the gravitas: sometimes, it's just nice to be a little silly. I was privileged to be gifted a copy of this work: Dew Pellucid offers a reader much, awakening an indefinable, irreverent child-like depiction of an imaginative, strange, beautiful world.
5 Stars to Moab Is My Washpot (Memoir, #1) by Stephen Fry
Description
A number one bestseller in Britain, Stephen Fry's astonishingly frank, funny, wise memoir is the book that his fans everywhere have been waiting for. Since his PBS television debut in the Blackadder series, the American profile of this multitalented writer, actor and comedian has grown steadily, especially in the wake of his title role in the film Wilde , which earned him a Golden Globe nomination, and his supporting role in A Civil Action . Fry has already given readers a taste of his tumultuous adolescence in his autobiographical first novel, The Liar , and now he reveals the equally tumultuous life that inspired it. Sent to boarding school at the age of seven, he survived beatings, misery, love affairs, carnal violation, expulsion, attempted suicide, criminal conviction and imprisonment to emerge, at the age of eighteen, ready to start over in a world in which he had always felt a stranger. One of very few Cambridge University graduates to have been imprisoned prior to his freshman year, Fry is a brilliantly idiosyncratic character who continues to attract controversy, empathy and real devotion.
Review
As I grew up, Stephen Fry was the witty panelist on radio programmes, a voice of documentaries and later, of course, the voice of the Harry Potter books. his play - with words, with accents, with intonation and inflection was something I found remarkably adult, as an impressionable teen. It seems to logically follow that the same distinction should be applied to his pursuit of trivia: "The aural replication of milk delivery is clearly a common (if evolutionarily bewildering) gift amongst the domesticated mynahs of the West Country and a phenomenon into which more research cries out to be done." Having read a rather dry and encyclopedic page on Fry, I knew about his public shame - or at least knew of it sufficiently to not be surprised by it in this book. But related here is far more than that: problems of a more mundane nature, for instance. "So. Your friend, he is saying Hit it, bitch... and next music is starting and you must be singing? Yes?" the hypnotist session fascinated me, as I suspect it would anyone who's never had cause to use such methods themselves. And there's a lot of sexual content, of course - not in substance but in theme, as it were; we get these marvelous peeks into the things that flow behind his outlook. "It involved some of the things I loved best: early mornings, the sound of my own voice, efficient service and a hint of eroticism." I'm not a big reader of non-fiction, as a rule. Generally, what people have to say about themselves is of little interest to me; not, at least, when it's published en-mass. Of course there are some people, I suppose they're almost childhood heroes,of a sort (a category into which Fry fits perfectly), where the rule fails. But this work was not just of Fry, it was of some of the beliefs of Fry. "A culture that demands people apologise for something that is not their fault: that is as good a definition of a tyranny as I can think of. " Bravo, and all that. I will refrain from popping any more morsels in. there were many more I could have, and passages throughout that made me pause - not to denote an interesting quotation but just to think. Intellectually, I understood that Fry's seminal years hadn't been a walk in the park, but as is the wont of a young life, I hadn't stopped to even consider the particulars. Normal is as one sees it: one blind from birth does not question a lack of eyesight - one used to seeing a celebrity in a position of top-of-the-worldlyness does not ask how he came to be there. Not initially, at least. I'd wanted to read this book for a while, now seemed opportune. I can't say it's changed my views on the man, either. I still follow him on Twitter, read his blog posts with the interest anyone might show, and keep an ear out for him on the radio (or should I say wireless). Mixed in with all the humourous asides and anecdotes of a youth of a different generation, the thing I found most remarkable about this volume was the bravery. Not of coming clean, because the facts were already out there for anyone to see. But nobody is as harsh a critic as oneself, and Stephen Fry, in this work, is as forthright, as open and as utterly frank as anyone can ask of a man. For that, I applaud him. For the honesty, the attempt at explanation, the chance to glimpse into something that ninety-nine of a hundred men would rather forget and bury, I salute him. it is, I firmly believe, an unparalleled act of bravery, of manliness - even of heroism. To throw out ones persona into the world in such a vibrant, heartfelt way - the good, the bad and the ugly included - that is now what Stephen Fry means to me.
2 Stars to The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker
Description
“It’s never the disasters you see coming that finally come to pass—it’s the ones you don’t expect at all,” says Julia, in this spellbinding novel of catastrophe and survival by a superb new writer. Luminous, suspenseful, unforgettable, The Age of Miracles tells the haunting and beautiful story of Julia and her family as they struggle to live in a time of extraordinary change. On an ordinary Saturday in a California suburb, Julia awakens to discover that something has happened to the rotation of the earth. The days and nights are growing longer and longer; gravity is affected; the birds, the tides, human behavior, and cosmic rhythms are thrown into disarray. In a world that seems filled with danger and loss, Julia also must face surprising developments in herself, and in her personal world: divisions widening between her parents; strange behavior by her friends; the pain and vulnerability of first love; a growing sense of isolation; and a surprising, rebellious new strength. With crystalline prose and the indelible magic of a born storyteller, Karen Thompson Walker paints a breathtaking portrait of people finding ways to go on in an ever-evolving world.
Review
I liked this book but it's hard to say that I enjoyed it. The idea was certainly very appealing (I picked it up on nothing more than a synopsis), and the potential possibilities of "the slowing" almost captivated me. Sadly, the narrator was all-too-real and believable and, as with life, I suppose, there was no real end to the story. This rendered the whole thing to seem a little vague and pointless and, unless there's more to come, I feel a little flat.
5 Stars to Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter, #3) by J.K. Rowling
Description
Harry Potter, along with his best friends, Ron and Hermione, is about to start his third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Harry can't wait to get back to school after the summer holidays. (Who wouldn't if they lived with the horrible Dursleys?) But when Harry gets to Hogwarts, the atmosphere is tense. There's an escaped mass murderer on the loose, and the sinister prison guards of Azkaban have been called in to guard the school...
Review
My absolute, undoubted, incontestable favourite of the entire series, There's very little I can say against this book. I don't remember as much detail of my first reading as I'd wish... I have a vague, indistinct memory of hearing the Aunt Marge blow-up and subsequent escape in the evening, reading about Harry finishing his homework in a sunny afternoon: how much of the latter image is taken from the book itself is hard to judge, looking back. A memory I know to be accurate is very vivid indeed; one of the book's cassettes got spectacularly stuck in the tape player of my grandmother's car and I subsequently finished the book whilst missing one of the sides. It was chapter 18, or a part thereof, or a part around that area of the book: an exciting one, anyway; and eventually the battered tape was removed with tweezers and I finished it on the downstairs hifi system to the irritation of both grandparents. I also find it hard, having re-read it, to say precisely what compels me to this book so much. I particularly like the way the mood shifts throughout the book; it's very noticeable toward the end where we have the intense effort of the Patronous, the spectacular jubilation of the Quidditch final, the amazingly depicted conflagration of Snape's Grudge, then the absolutely heartstoping scene at the shack. As if that's not enough, of course, Hermione's secret comes out too, and adds even more to the story. A few things made me stop and smile: I don't remember Shunpike being referred to as "Stanley", and I liked how the issue of whether or not the guy at the book shop was a manager or an assistant (I remember the net being abuzz with it for ages). Overall though, despite things not being Voldemort-centric, this book just works so well. Foreshadowing is Rowling's specialty and this book is just packed to the rafters with it, and the dynamic of the main trio is powerful indeed. I treasure this volume most dearly.
August
5 Stars to The Ghost by Robert Harris
Description
The stunning new novel from the No. 1 bestselling author of Fatherland; Enigma; Archangel; Pompeii and Imperium. “The moment I heard how McAra died I should have walked away. I can see that now. I should have said, ‘Rick, I’m sorry, this isn’t for me, I don’t like the sound of it,’ finished my drink and left. But he was such a good storyteller, Rick — I often thought he should have been the writer and I the agent — that once he’d started talking there was never any question I wouldn’t listen, and by the time he had finished, I was done for.” After five books set firmly in the past, Robert Harris returns with a contemporary novel that brings the reader face to face with some of the biggest issues of our time — the result is a gripping and genuinely thrilling read.
Review
"If only Hitler had known he didn't need a whole air force to paralyse London, I thought: just a revved-up teenager with a bottle of bleach and a bag of weedkiller." I can't quite say what about this book gripped me so, but I took it to bed after a movie (so we're talking fairly late anyway) and still read it in a single sitting. "Everybody voted for him. He wasn't a politician; he was a craze." The former PM is a very charismatic character indeed, which makes the revelations throughout the book sting all the more. I wasn't surprised by them, I'm saddened to have to report; they were fairly readily apparent quite early on. But knowing how a book will end, and seeing how that ending impacts the players, are two very different things indeed. "She made an explosive noise which somehow managed to combine hilarity, fury, contempt and disbelief." The spymanship was, naturally, quite amateur in execution,. The voice of the narrator really, really worked; I got into his head: "found his voice", as it were. I utterly enjoyed the story, was compelled to read on even knowing how things were going to turn out and can say without a doubt that I haven't been gripped this well in months.
3 Stars to Thrift by Phil Church
Description
A failing secondary school. A selection of confused teenagers. A play doomed for disaster. A distinctly below average teacher. Being a successful teacher is difficult, especially when you are not overly keen on doing any actual work. Still, the narrator of Thrift is undeterred as he lies and cheats his way through the Christmas term, hoping that he can save his career, and perhaps even earn himself a thoroughly undeserved promotion.
Review
"Such unexpected generosity meant that within half an hour most of the twenty or so teachers who had made it to the event were veering from ‘tipsy’ to ‘quite drunk’." It's a profession everyone has some experience with, teaching. I chuckled my way through this in an hour or two and thought it quite an interesting take! "I had never played golf before. This was obvious to the other players as my first practice shot sliced off the end of the club and struck Malcolm in the shoulder." I'd find it difficult to look some former teachers of mine in the eye these days, but of course they are all very Human and I think that's shown here "well funny".
4 Stars to Charles Middleworth by Guy Portman
Description
What happens when Adrian, an actuary, has his banal and predictable existence turned upside down by sinister forces that he can neither understand nor control? How will he react to a revelation that leaves his life in turmoil? Will he surrender or strive for redemption in an altered world, where rationality, scientific logic and algorithms no longer provide the answers?
Review
"It is the very same sensation that people have felt since the time of the Neanderthals when experiencing the comfort that is dawn." This is a book most difficult to quantify. On the one hand, it seems a discordantly confusing exploration of a life bestirred by ineffable forces. And yet it's very engaging. I particularly enjoyed the words, the way language sort of flows and twists throughout in a way very pleasing to the senses. “My daughter Beatrice listens to them,” says Percy, his voice now taking a sombre tone. “She only wears black now and she's umm; well she's threatening to become a vampire.” I rather enjoy the bewildering Britishness of the whole work; not a tightly-constructed spy narrative nor a morally ambiguous thriller but something altogether less tangible yet exceedingly satisfying. “Between you and I,” continues Benedict, “occasionally and I mean very occasionally I, umm, dream about computers.” There are geeky pokings aplenty, a fascinating look into the actuarial science, a melange of characters to enjoy and a rather disturbing variety of alcohol (Kronenbourg, Cristal champagne, Cabernet Sauvignon and numerous wines, vintage edition single malt whisky and cheap super-strength cider, just to name a few). The fight in the pub was really good, the Planet Pizza imagery surreal, the Autoglass line a classic and are bus prices really that high in London?
3 Stars to West of Eden (West of Eden, #1) by Harry Harrison
Description
Sixty-five million years ago, a disastrous cataclysm eliminated three quarters of all life on Earth. Overnight, the age of dinosaurs ended. The age of mammals had begun. But what if history had happened differently? What if the reptiles had survived to evolve intelligent life? In West of Eden, bestselling author Harry Harrison has created a rich, dramatic saga of a world where the descendents of the dinosaurs struggled with a clan of humans in a battle for survival. Here is the story of Kerrick, a young hunter who grows to manhood among the dinosaurs, escaping at last to rejoin his own kind. His knowledge of their strange customs makes him the humans' leader...and the dinosaurs' greatest enemy. Rivalling Frank Herbert's Dune in the majesty of its scope and conception, West of Eden is a monumental epic of love and savagery, bravery and hope.
Review
I enjoyed this, but it didn't really captivate me. There are more in the series, but I wasn't overly hooked. Still, I came away having enjoyed it so who knows?
4 Stars to When the Saints (The Brothers Magnus, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
When we left the Brothers Magnus, they had assembled in Cardice to help Anton Magnus defend the castle from attack by a neighboring state with a significant military advantage and several officers who at any moment could request help from saints-or, depending on your perspective, from the devil. But Cardice has a secret weapon in the form of young Wulfgang Magnus, who can ask a few favors of his own from these devil-saints. The only problem is that Wulf is in love with Madlenka, the countess from Cardice who was forcibly married to Anton to explain why he's suddenly leading the country. Even Wulf is unsure if family and political loyalty should override love. He's also beginning to realize that the magical battle he's stepped into has some serious rules that he doesn't know, and has no way to learn. And when several wild cards in every battle can tap into nearly limitless sources of magic, who knows how far and wide the battle might range? This stunning continuation of the story begun in Speak to the Devil amps up the romance and intrigue, while letting readers spend more time with master fantasist Dave Duncan's unique, complex, and ornery-but-delightful characters. When the Saints is a Kirkus Reviews Best of 2011 Science Fiction & Fantasy title.
Review
Another most worthy end to a series, if a little predictable. I even felt a little bad for the brother who dies, because I sort of didn't like him but didn't really want him to die! The falconry terms were quite neat, and I especially liked the phrase "He must behave like a swordsman, not a sorcerer", which rang a lot given Duncan's history.
4 Stars to Mother of Lies (Dodec, #2) by Dave Duncan
Description
The past fifteen years have not been kind to Celebre, the greatest city on the Florengian face of a dodecahedral world. Its walls have been breached and its Doge humiliated by the evil Bloodlord Stralg; all four of its heirs kidnapped and taken over the Edge to Vigaelia; its Dogaressa forcibly impregnated by Stralg and--when her husband's health begins to fail--left to rule over a city teeming with Stralg's troops. And if you think Stralg is bad, wait until you meet his sister Saltaja, a fanatic who sees no human cost as too great to keep the Hrag dynasty in power and her goddess--evil Xaran, the Mother of Lies--appeased. But there are a few great hopes for the future of the city: the Mutineer, Marno Cavotti, who will not stand to see his hometown destroyed and is massing a powerful liberation movement mere inches beyond Stralg's grasp. And the four heirs of Celebre--each with god-given expertise in their respective fields of artistry, combat, wisdom, or death--are wending their way back over the Edge to their birthplace. Of course, even as Marno and the Celebre children are working towards the common goal of defeating the Hrags, they're all painfully aware that once that hurdle is crossed only one of them can wind up on the throne. Continuing the storyline set out in Children of Chaos , Mother of Lies is a fierce, kinetic romp that will keep readers guessing until the last blow is dealt.
Review
"Two people could not shed their clothing and normal dignity, embrace each other in the most intimate ways possible, rollick like small children while performing the most adult of actions and exulting in the most potent of pleasures -" Yup, he's as open and liberal about sex as about anything else. As I flew through this wonderful end to the series, I couldn't help but feel ... overwhelmingly satisfied. Everything came together, not in a clanging, surprising way, but in the way you're accustomed to with a Duncan, which is just what you want. As ever, the characters and writing pretty much force you into reading and, although there were no real surprises, it was a pretty, happy, neatly packaged ending with all the hallmarks of family affairs Duncan-style throughout.
4 Stars to Speak to the Devil (The Brothers Magnus, #1) by Dave Duncan
Description
A new adventure of brotherhood and magic from beloved fantasist Dave Duncan In the Kingdom of Jorgary, the days of feudal chivalry are fading as national armies are formed. But Ottokar Magnus is still baron, and his host of brothers include Anton, an ambitious young soldier, and Wulfgang, an amiable teenager. Unable to seek his fortune as a knight errant, Anton has enlisted with the royal Jorgarian hussars and taken Wulf along as his servant. There is magic in Jorgary, but it is regarded as Satanism, rituals performed by Speakers who are in contact with the Devil. The Speakers, though, believe that the Voices they hear belong to saints. Anton is not a Speaker...but Wulf is. Anxious to impress the court, Anton exhibits spectacular horsemanship at a royal hunt, with a little boost from Wulf. Two nights later he is dragged before Cardinal Zdenek, the king’s chief minister. Zdenek offers him an earldom and anything else he could dream of if he will ride at once to a strategic fortress at Cardice and take command there. The count and his son have died, victims of both treason and witchcraft. The cardinal thinks that neighboring enemies are preparing to invade, using “modern” arms to capture the fort. Mortal resources alone will not suffice, but Zdenek knows that Anton’s improbable jump at the hunt was aided by supernatural power. Anton wants nothing to do with this mission, but Wulf’s Voices tell him that they should accept the charge. The result is a harrowing ride through limbo with astonishing results.
Review
It's difficult to say which of the opening novels of these series I prefer. This one was shorter, or felt quicker, and had less in the way of viewpoint variety than Children of Chaos. The building of the speakers' levels reminded me a little of the Pandemia words, though necessarily truncated and sped up. I liked how events were gone over several times with different characters, from chapter 30 it really built well. I did see the climax coming, if not in victim then certainly perpetrator, but Wulf's discomfiture after the death was very emotionally good and promises more fascinating things to come.
4 Stars to Children of Chaos (Dodec, #1) by Dave Duncan
Description
On a dodecahedral world in thrall to the tyrannical, war-obsessed Hrag dynasty, no one could stop the Bloodlord from sending troops to Florengia, invading its major cities, and offering them a choice between strict colonial rule or immediate and total destruction. When the doge of Celebre was faced with this ultimatum, he gave his children up as hostages so that the rest of Celebre might live. Thus the four young Florengians were taken back over the Edge and scattered across the Vigaelian face. Fifteen years later, when Celebre suddenly takes on crucial political significance, one of the siblings must return home to serve as Celebre's puppet ruler and the others must be eliminated so that there are no rival claimants to the throne. It's going to be tough enough finding each other, let alone deciding whether enough kinship remains after fifteen years apart that the siblings care enough to help each other out of their respective predicaments. If they're feeling particularly altruistic, the Celebres might even take on the bonus trying to save Dodec from the culture of death and war imposed on it by its evil warlords. One thing's for the Celebre children are going to have a lot of adjusting to do . . Children of Chaos is the start of a stirring, politically-charged quest duology by acclaimed fantasy author Dave Duncan.
Review
An excellently crafted opener in Duncan's remarkable style. Benad, Orlard and Frena are all vividly painted and styled so distinctly and differently that any concerns that you might confuse them are instantly dispelled. The witnesses are very cleverly done; I like the semantics and sheer gall they employ, although Mist's apostasy seems radical given the milieu. Still, a minor niggle in a very well paced and intriguing series of intrigue and I'm eagerly looking forward to the next. I have decided to prolong the wait by starting my next Duncan Duology before following up with the Dodec conclusion!
2 Stars to Cities in Flight (Cities in Flight, #1-4) by James Blish
Description
Originally published in four volumes nearly fifty years ago, Cities in Flight brings together the famed "Okie novels" of science fiction master James Blish. Named after the migrant workers of America's Dust Bowl, these novels convey Blish's "history of the future," a brilliant and bleak look at a world where cities roam the Galaxy looking for work and a sustainable way of life. In the first novel, They Shall Have Stars, man has thoroughly explored the Solar System, yet the dream of going even further seems to have died in all but one man. His battle to realize his dream results in two momentous discoveries anti-gravity and the secret of immortality. In A Life for the Stars, it is centuries later and anti-gravity generations have enabled whole cities to lift off the surface of the earth to become galactic wanderers. In Earthman, Come Home, the nomadic cities revert to barbarism and marauding rogue cities begin to pose a threat to all civilized worlds. In the final novel, The Triumph of Time, history repeats itself as the cities once again journey back in to space making a terrifying discovery which could destroy the entire Universe. A serious and haunting vision of our world and its limits, Cities in Flight marks the return to print of one of science fiction's most inimitable writers. A Selection of the Science Fiction Book Club
Review
I think I should've read these as separate books. For some reason I sort of lost the thread, and, though I got a lot of Heinleinism out of Blish's style of writing, wasn't overly impressed. I got the same sort of "I expected more" that I had when finishing Asimov's Foundation.
4 Stars to The Cursed by Dave Duncan
Description
War had killed Gwin's husband, and a plague of star sickness carried off her babies. Desolate, she nursed her stricken neighbors. But the few who would survive the sickness were doomed anyway. Every survivor would be cursed, and each would become outcast, for the curses were more deadly than the plague itself. Some survivors would gain powers of healing--and equally the power to inflict disease at the merest touch. Some would see the future--and it would drive them mad. And some curses were even worse . . . Under the law, no one could shelter the Cursed, but Gwin took in a young girl. Who could predict that her simple act of outlaw kindness would change her life--and her world--forever? THE CURSED is an epic tale of mortals swept up in the maelstrom of destiny, of unforgiving fate, and of new beginnings. Journey with Dave Duncan into the world of THE CURSED.
Review
"To credit herself with having God as personal advisor seemed dangerously arrogant." Duncan's worlds are just amazing, and this book was no exception. Polion's lament was beautiful, Bulion's longing for home was incredible. In short, the whole things just sucks you in and really grips. It ended rather abruptly, of course; there was a lot of build up to a rather shortened climax. In that regard the scope could've been toned down a little given the overall length of the book, but you can forgive that when you really get into the characters as I did.
July
3 Stars to A Spy by Nature (Alec Milius, #1) by Charles Cumming
Description
Alec Milius, a recent graduate of the London School of Economics, is young, smart, and a bit of a slacker, stuck in a shady job and suffering from a lack of direction. So, when an old family friend offers to put him up for a job in British Intelligence, Alec begins the rigorous selection process for SIS or MI6. Though he doesn't officially make the cut, he is funneled into a prime position at a British oil company with interests in the Caspian Sea. He is directed to befriend Fortner Grice and Katharine Simms, two charismatic employees of Andromeda, a rival American oil firm. Lured into the murky world of industrial espionage, Milius finds himself trapped in a life of secrets and lies, manipulated by MI6 and the CIA, and confronted by the reality of a ruthless business environment in which priceless information can come at the cost of human life. Compellingly told, utterly authentic, and heart-racingly tense, A Spy By Nature will grip you until the very last page.
Review
I finished this and was all set to give it a three star, average but nothing brilliant rating. Milius is an arse. And yet there were two things that stuck in my mind worth writing about. The first, and probably less flattering of them, is "You can't live life without turning it into a lie". Kate's harangue, objectively viewed (rather than filtered through Alec's indignity) seems a damn accurate assessment to me, which embarrassingly echoes incidents in my own history of which I am not proud. That aside, I struggled to gain any sympathy for Alec, which meant I was a little bored in spots. The second thing and by far the most fascinating of the book was the environment. The atmosphere of the mid-to-late-nineties was captured and rendered brilliantly. Little details; television programmes, the prevalence of cassette players in cars, little things that ad up to a world which has really gone far away and yet isn't old enough to be called history. I found myself savoring these nuggets, these gems of my youth, rather than taking much of an interest in the plot. In this sense I suppose I enjoyed the book as a work of art. Nice to look at, but not the sort of thing you go to for a good yarn.
2 Stars to Treaty's Law (Star Trek: Day of Honor, #4) by Kristine Kathryn Rusch
Description
The Day of Honor is celebrated throughout the Klingon Empire. But every tradition had to being somewhere... Signi Beta is an M-class planet ideal for farming. The Federation wants Signi Beta, but the Klingon Empire has the stronger claim. Captain Kirk hates to lose the planet, especially to his old adversary, Commander Kor. Their mutual antagonism turns into an uneasy alliance, however, when yet another alien fleet attacks both the Klingons and the "U.S.S. Enterprise." Now Kirk and Kor must rely on each other's honor -- or none of them may survive to wage their war again.
Review
Again, I liked the story here. Nothing too deep, the interpersonal relations were very flat and untouched. On the other hand, it's an interesting way to look at the Klingons, focusing on the farming, and I quite liked that aspect.
1 Stars to Mythica: Genesis by Scott S. Colley
Description
Imagine a pristine world where mankind's vast civilizations have been erased, a perilous place where nature's deceptive beauty hides creatures born of myth and nightmare, where the supernatural is normal, and where life and death for many are measured by the length of a blade. Mythica: Genesis is an epic tale of heroism and sacrifice, where three brothers must face impossible odds in an increasingly dangerous world in their desperate struggle to preserve the balance of power and save their way of life. Relentlessly hunted by the dark minions of Hell, they endure, through treachery and strife, and ultimately come to understand the value of life and that faith and perseverance can conquer any challenge.
Review
I owe Michael a huge apology, because I bought him this claptrap for his birthday. It wasn't cheap either; one of the most expensive EBooks I've bought in the last year. Not that I begrudge paying for presents, of course, but I could have spent my money on something other than this utter drivel. What's so bad, you ask? Well, mainly I think the problem is that there's nothing original here; it's a fantasy quest with absolutely nothing new. That is, of course, not the least of it. The characters are flat. One-dimensional is too strong an adjective. The plot is transparent. The thing that sets the quest off is nothing more than a dream, the background is ridiculous, the heroes are introduced without any sort of backstory or interests and the evildoers announce everything they're doing pages and pages before it happens, lest we forget. I couldn't help thinking that, as the morons continue their quest, they're all suffering from some form of bipolar disorder, as everyone's either whistling with ebullience or throwing a teenage temper tantrum. Nobody really takes charge, because when the nominal leader can't decide something or is absent someone else just decides what's happening without any sort of reasoning why. Everyone seems to be good at everything: swords, walking on "cats paws" (a very overused expression in the book), being very determined, having very righteous bursts of anger which allows them to fight beyond death. What else? Oh, yes. A main character who is just a normal Human happens to have a sword thrust right through him, loses consciousness briefly, then leaps up and starts fighting again (just, of course, as things are looking desperate for his friends). There are no less than seven cases of characters who are potentially to lose their sanity due to a "horror" of some kind, and as if that wasn't pathetically repetitive enough, the entire foundation of the book's world, basically that after a manmade apocalypse almost wipes out Humanity elves and other mythical beings just magically appear and the surviving Humans learn to use magic, is utterly, totaly, without a doubt the most contrived and leaky setting for a fantasy work I've ever come across. The writing was stilted and I'd expect better of a child. I came away having learned nothing, been surprised by nothing, enjoyed nothing, feeling nothing but a deep sense of boredom and freedom that I'd finished. Sorry, Colley, but you are just not to my taste.
4 Stars to Kill Decision by Daniel Suarez
Description
Unmanned weaponized drones already exist—they’re widely used by America in our war efforts in the Middle East. In Kill Decision, bestselling author Daniel Suarez takes that fact and the real science behind it one step further, with frightening results. Linda McKinney is a myrmecologist, a scientist who studies the social structure of ants. Her academic career has left her entirely unprepared for the day her sophisticated research is conscripted by unknown forces to help run an unmanned—and thanks to her research, automated—drone army. Odin is the secretive Special Ops soldier with a unique insight into the faceless enemy who has begun to attack the American homeland with drones programmed to seek, identify, and execute targets without human intervention. Together, McKinney and Odin must slow this advance long enough for the world to recognize its destructive power, because for thousands of years the “kill decision” during battle has remained in the hands of humans—and off-loading that responsibility to machines will bring unintended, possibly irreversible, consequences. But as forces even McKinney and Odin don’t understand begin to gather, and death rains down from above, it may already be too late to save humankind from destruction at the hands of our own technology.
Review
"A covert military operation with a wiki." This is ultra-modern, sleek, and extremely intriguing. The technology is outstanding, the automated sniper stations rather impressed me, and the whole theory of behavioral swarming models influencing technological combat was really quite interesting. 21 was my favourite chapter, where the team have their first big run-in with a swarm, and although the ending was very predictable, the action was nevertheless very well done.
2 Stars to Her Klingon Soul (Star Trek Voyager: Day of Honor, Book 3) by Michael Jan Friedman
Description
Even light-years from the Klingon Empire, the Day of Honor remains an occasion of great importance. And sometimes honor is found in the most unexpected places... B'Elanna Torres has never cared for the Day of Honor. Ashamed of her Klingon heritage, she regards the holiday as an unwanted reminder of all she has struggled to repress. Besides, something awful always seems to happen to her then. Her bad luck seems to be running true to form when she and Harry Kim are captured by alien slavers. Imprisoned by the enigmatic Risatti, force to mine for deadly radioactive ore, Torres will need all of her strength and cunning to survive -- and her honor as well.
Review
"“How long?” asked the lieutenant. “A minute,” said the Nograkh. “Maybe less, maybe more.”" With that profound example of temporal awareness, and a complete stranger having intricate knowledge of Voyager's shield configurations, I think I'm justified in the assessment that this book leaves a little to be desired. Stil, it's an interesting take on Klingon values, more so because being lightyears away from home Klingon's are few and far between for our crew and another species makes up a rather good analogy. Sadly, the ending was far too pat and wishy-washy for my liking. Plenty of opportunity to kill at least two new characters and neither of them dies.
4 Stars to Forever by Pete Hamill
Description
This widely acclaimed bestseller is the magical, epic tale of an extraordinary man who arrives in New York in 1740 and remains . . . forever. Through the eyes of Cormac O'Connor -- granted immortality as long as he never leaves the island of Manhattan -- we watch New York grow from a tiny settlement on the tip of an untamed wilderness to the thriving metropolis of today. And through Cormac's remarkable adventures in both love and war, we come to know the city's buried secrets -- the way it has been shaped by greed, race, and waves of immigration, by the unleashing of enormous human energies, and, above all, by hope.
Review
"Have I seen my last snowfall? My last spring? And have I walked for the final time through a summer afternoon?" This certainly isn't my usual sort of book, but I really got into it. The opening chapters were beautiful in their descriptive detail, which really pulled me in so that I actually cared for Cormac and his future. The tribalism of the Babalawo and that whole ethos is alien to me, but it wasn't really overdone, which helped me keep my focus on the story. I particularly liked how the view changes, through the centuries; so much so that by 2001 everything was recognisable to me. Hamill really captured that well, and knowing the authenticity that impregnated the characters of this era gives me even more respect for his depiction of the eighteenth century which is truly, truly beautiful. The way Cormac chose to end things was apparent, but I didn't read this for tight plotting: the atmosphere, the very ambiance of the work tells its own story and that's what I really enjoyed. Sometimes, overfocusing on the needs of a good thriller or intriguing mystery blinds you to the feel of the words and the pictures the language paints. In this novel, they stand out like rainbows.
3 Stars to Armageddon Sky (Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, Day of Honor #2) by L.A. Graf
Description
All Klingons revere the Day of Honor, their most sacred holiday, but the true nature of honor can be a matter worth fighting over... Dispatched on a secret mission to investigate the raids, Commander Worf of Deep Space Nine and the crew of the Defiant find themselves trapped on a an alien world threatened by global cataclysm-- trapped along with Klingons who were exiled to this world for their loyalty to Worf's dishonored family. Worf must find a way to save the Klingons whose honor bade them to keep their pledges to the House of Mogh despite the orders of the Emperor, and to prevent a bloody massacre that will forever stain the honor of the Klingon Empire
Review
This was quite enjoyable, lacking some of the stiffness of the first TNG novel. Odd, to see so much Klingon in a DS9 environment, although in fairness Kira comes through with her usual Bajoran aplomb.
2 Stars to Ancient Blood (Star Trek: Day of Honor, #1) by Diane Carey
Description
To true Klingon warriors, no occasion is more sacred than the Day of Honor, when they pay homage to all that makes them Klingon. But honor demands its price.... Worf finds his honor tested when he goes undercover to infiltrate a planetary criminal network. How can he root out the corruption on Sindikash without resorting to deceit and treachery himself? Worf's dilemma is shared by his son Alexander, who searches for the true meaning of honor in his own human heritage. Along with his son, Worf must confront deadly danger -- and the inner struggles of his Klingon soul.
Review
I enjoyed this as a story and thought the holographic parallel was very well told. Ruining things slightly were Picard's use of the word "hogtied" and phrase "let's go get it done", neither of which seem to sit well in that mouth for my liking. Perhaps I've forgotten some of my Picardism; it's been a while since I saw any on television.
3 Stars to Battlefield Earth: A Saga of the Year 3000 by L. Ron Hubbard
Description
A Classic Space Opera of Alien Invasion, Dystopian Resistance, and Non-Stop Action & Adventure 1977. NASA launches the space probe Voyager 1. One of its missions: answer the question—is there intelligent life beyond our planet? Fast-forward a thousand years. Question answered … by the Psychlos, a ruthless race of aliens have traced the probe back to our planet. In a single sweeping alien invasion, the Psychlos have scorched the Earth, all but wiped out the human race and stripped the planet of its natural resources. Now, in the year 3000, humankind faces total extinction. But in this post-apocalyptic world, as a new millennium arises, so too has the courageous Jonnie Goodboy Tyler. In classic men’s adventure fashion, Jonnie manages to raise an army out of the remnants of humanity, knowing that against the seemingly invincible aliens, the uprising will require a daring strike on an epic scale. Is it the end of our world … or the dawn of a new one? Will the human race be an instrument of the planet’s destruction … or the seed of its rebirth? For over 40 years, Battlefield Earth has stood as a classic of science fiction—the landmark New York Times bestselling saga of rebellion and redemption. This is feel-good science fiction at its boldest—a thrilling blend of action and adventure, love and war, power and vision. A perennial international bestseller, Battlefield Earth has been voted among the top three of the best one hundred English language novels of the twentieth century by the Random House Modern Library Readers Poll, and has won worldwide critical acclaim, including the US Golden Scroll and Saturn Awards, Italy’s prestigious Tetradramma d’Oro Award (for the story’s inherent message of peace), and France’s Gutenberg Award for the novel’s exceptional contribution to the genre. This 21st Century Edition features: The author’s never-before-published handwritten notes. An exclusive author interview. Original lyrics for the novel written by L. Ron Hubbard. Cover art by legendary Frank Frazetta. Experience the epic adventure that changed the shape of science fiction forever.
Review
This was a really interesting read, though at eleven hours and fifty-seven minutes of reading time it did drag a little in spots. I can't help but compare it to Subjugation, the Galloway selfpublisher, which seemed a more modern take on the whole thing. I found it quite clever how, just when one crisis ends, another appeared. For its time, it was doubtless a very impressive work; it's certainly long enough and it did at least keep my interest. My favourite chapter, incidentally, is the first one of part 12.
4 Stars to The Last Guardian (Artemis Fowl, #8) by Eoin Colfer
Description
It's Armageddon Time for Artemis Fowl Opal Koboi, power-crazed pixie, is plotting to exterminate mankind and become fairy queen. If she succeeds, the spirits of long-dead fairy warriors will rise from the earth, inhabit the nearest available bodies and wreak mass destruction. But what happens if those nearest bodies include crows, or deer, or badgers - or two curious little boys by the names of Myles and Beckett Fowl? Yes, it's true. Criminal mastermind Artemis Fowl's four-year-old brothers could be involved in destroying the human race. Can Artemis and Captain Holly Short of the Lower Elements Police stop Opal and prevent the end of the world?
Review
"The boy who kidnapped Holly Short all those years ago would never have entertained the notion of..." And of course, I'm not going to say what that is, as it'd spoil everything! What can I say about this book? It was enjoyable, bringing back memories of my first Artemis experience and showing me just why I fell in love with the humour, the world, the plans and schemes and everything about the series. "their only light was from a mobile phone taped to Butler's forehead." It's always been something of a Colfer special, tricky situations with very little technology on the side of the heroes when they actually need it to work. I liked it in this one, and also particularly enjoyed the neatly foreshadowed dwarf troll angle. "They were down to two bullets in a gun that Holly could barely lift and Artemis couldn't hit a barn door with, in spite of the fact there was one close by." Per usual, much is made of poor Artemis inability to perform the simplest of graceful movements, although unlike in the Arctic Incident, they're glossed over rather than impacted in detail. Adding to the downsides, I think the theme of having a book's major threat suddenly just appear for that novel is a little overdone. It's all placed within the context of history, of course: perhaps attention on Rowling is rubbing off; she can mention something in one book which turns out key to another. Here, things are more tight, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, but is different. I also couldn't help notice that Artemis audience hasn't changed, either. Some series take their teens to adulthood with them, which changes the tone of the works. "Artemis did not feel like getting to the bottom of Mulch's mystery, as the bottom of Mulch's mysteries was generally in the vicinity of Mulch's mysterious bottom." The fun was all there this time and we can forgive the slight ennui of having familiar faces appear inexplicably because that's just part of Artemis. The story was engaging, if a tad predictable (I mean really: Opal? No kidding!) but character development really shines through. The series had to end somewhere, and I think Colfer's done it in a most suitable and worthy way. I don't mean to compare with Rowling, honestly - but Deathly Hallows was a movie script in paperback. This, this was so much more. It was an Artemis, it had the people and the places, the technology and the message (environmental, technological, emotional, they've all got them). It had Chapter 14, which was one of my all-time favourites of the series! And that's it for Artemis, and another series, present for over a decade of my life, draws to an end. It's been great, and although I wasn't on a super high after reading it, the final sentence gave the whole series that perfect final touch. A very fond farewell from me.
4 Stars to The Monster War (The King's Daggers, #1-3) by Dave Duncan
Description
Originally issued as a trilogy, "The King's Daggers" (including volumes Sir Stalwart, The Crooked House and Silvercloak), The Monster War works equally well as a single novel. The story fills a gap in the first Blades novel, The Gilded Chain, when King Ambrose sought to shut down the evil sorcery of the "Elementaries" and the sorcerers fought back by trying to kill him. The same great characters are all here: Ambrose himself, Grand Master, and Blades Durendal, Bandit, and Snake. Appearing for the first time are Sir Stalwart, the only Blade who does not bear a binding scar, and Emerald of the White Sisters, the only girl ever enrolled in Ironhall. The action wanders across Chivial from the White Sisters' headquarters at Oakendown, to Grandon, and into the heart of Ironhall, for the evil penetrates even there. If you missed this one the first time (and most Blades fans did) then here is your chance to join the action as the King's Blades ride again!
Review
“Bless my celebrated eyebrows! What have we here? Last week you were a carrot boy. Yesterday you collected animal excretion. And today you're a swordsman. What are you really?” I love the books in this series. They're quick and light, for the most part, the daggers especially so of course. I'd already read two thirds of this title, as it compiles Sir Stalwart, The Crooked House and Silvercloak, the latter of which remained to be consumed. I bought this volume for two reasons, first, to fix my rather poor OCR versions of the first two, and second to put a bit more cash in Duncan's pocket. I enjoyed the Crooked House more this time around; perhaps I simply read more into the political nuances. However without a doubt, Silvercloak has to be a great end to the volume and it hallmarked Duncan by shivering my spine as it raced to its conclusion. If any of the Blades books appeal, this volume will not be one to avoid.
2 Stars to The 11th Floor by Charles Culver
Description
Luke, plagued by blackouts since a child, awakens in a room with a headless corpse. He escapes down a fire ladder and is led into a building owned by another one of the characters, Jonathan. Jonathan, a millionaire who owns the building, opens his bedroom curtains that morning to find it's raining dead birds. When he arrives at work, he finds that his building completely deserted. A father and daughter, on their way to a job interview, find an empty city and a disturbing vision of their dead bodies. They discover that the address given for the interview is the building owned by Jonathan. Eddie, a homeless man, follows the other characters. Driven by his curiosity, he enters the building and becomes trapped in an elevator. Each character experiences unique and disturbing challenges that they must overcome as they are lured up to the 11th floor of the Koenig building. What awaits them in the building and up on the 11th floor? Will they be able to find the answers and help they have been seeking?
Review
I enjoyed this as a light, quick read (any quicker and I might as well have not bothered). The ending was a little bit of a letdown, but the author's introduction sort of clued you in there anyway. Not 2 stars because of bad writing, I think I just lean toward longer works.
2 Stars to Lake Caerwych (Copper & Cobalt #1) by J. Conrad
Description
Bridget doesn't want to die again... Bridget thought a summer holiday in rural Wales was the answer to everything. Not only would it be the experience of a lifetime, but she may finally come to understand the creepy déjà vu she and Celena were feeling. And although Wales proves to be the most beautiful place they've ever seen, what the girls discover there leaves them with more questions than ever. Lured to the 'other side' of a Bronze Age ring of stones by an unearthly magic, Bridget opens her eyes to find herself in Celtic Britain. Intrigued, Celena joins her, but within moments they are running for their lives, swept into a terrifying tragedy they can't escape. Bridget's life soon turns into a nightmare version of a 'choose your own adventure' story - except the magic won't let her close the book. What secret is the otherworld trying to tell her, and why is it so important? But all isn't lost. An enigmatic boy named Paul has lived near Lake Caerwych all his life, and he's been to the other side of the ring cairn too. He thinks he might know a way to solve the mystery. The only catch is that Bridget might have to die... again. Lake Caerwych is a story of friendship, time travel, and haunting adventure in ancient Wales.
Review
Being Welsh, I was quite looking forward to this book. IT was a pretty neat idea and I can see how it would appeal to a much younger, early teen audience, doubtless mostly female. My biggest irritant wasn't even in the flow of the narrative, but in the authors note at the beginning where she says that she's not using units of measurement relevant to the period or setting, to avoid confusion. I can sort of see this though wouldn't have liked it as a teen, but what really gets my goat is that she says "most measurements are given using the Standard System". 'Standard'. In other words, 'Normal' or 'Average'. Unfortunately, the US is pretty much alone when it comes to measurement and the presumption of normalcy therein does nothing but reaffirm my view of American arrogance.
5 Stars to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter, #2) by J.K. Rowling
Description
Ever since Harry Potter had come home for the summer, the Dursleys had been so mean and hideous that all Harry wanted was to get back to the Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry. But just as he’s packing his bags, Harry receives a warning from a strange impish creature who says that if Harry returns to Hogwarts, disaster will strike. And strike it does. For in Harry’s second year at Hogwarts, fresh torments and horrors arise, including an outrageously stuck-up new professor and a spirit who haunts the girls’ bathroom. But then the real trouble begins – someone is turning Hogwarts students to stone. Could it be Draco Malfoy, a more poisonous rival than ever? Could it possibly be Hagrid, whose mysterious past is finally told? Or could it be the one everyone at Hogwarts most suspects… Harry Potter himself!
Review
So, where were we in my recollections? I'd finished Philosopherh's Stone in a single sitting on the radio, if you'll recall. Fast forward to what must have been early January 2001, as I can't imagine our little local library had it readily to shelf for the few days they were open between Christmas and New Year. Memory, like fame, is a fickle friend. Though I remember a lot of my first reading of Philosopher's Stone very well, this one is more clouded. I have a very clear picture of walking upstairs to my bedroom (at my grandparents) with the box of cassettes in my hand. I remember the thrill of Dobby and the pudding, the escape in the car and, most vivid of all, Molly's tirade about the stolen car. I imagine later scenes in the same room; in the book shop, Lucius Malfoy's "clearly", which sticks with me to this day. I also have hazy recollections of finishing it, or at least reading some of the darker parts, at the family home. I think it was for this reason that, after the first reading, I didn't think much of the Chamber of Secrets. I wasn't happy at home at this point in my life and, I think that coupled with the fact that I had other obligations meaning I couldn't devour the book in a sitting and was forced to listen in an environment of hostility and abandonment really put something of a negative spin on the text. Subsequent readings of the work picked me up, for there was nothing in the book to warrant me not liking it. I'm sure I checked it out from the library more than once and I know for a fact that when I bought all titles in the series on CD (there were 6 at that point), I read it yet again. And now here we are, over a decade later, and I have read it once more, this time, taking a little under three hours of reading time with an EBook edition from Pottermore.com. And do you know, I really liked it? Not just because of the nostalgia, but I got to see that it's a very good work in its own right. Stephen Fry's elocution is of course sublime; his Lockhart is one of the most memorable characterisations of the series thus far. I also appreciated the foreshadowing, it's something Rowling's very good at and weaves its way through the work in ways subtle and obvious. The humour is also there, a lot more noticeable to me now that I'm not so deep in the story. And, one of the things that stuck out at me this time around was the contrast between Ron and Hermione. Under the castle in the Philosopher's Stone, we have the whole "Hermione's lip trembled and she suddenly dashed at Harry and threw her arms around him" touching emotional scene as the friends part. This time around, when it's Ron... "There was a very pregnant pause. 'And, Harry -'" Something about that calls to me,it seems to capture so well the boy boy girl thing of their ages. So, another monumental installment. I utterly loved it this time around. Next up is my favourite of the series!
June
5 Stars to Wizard's Bane (Wiz, #1) by Rick Cook
Description
MP3 CD Format How does a shanghaied computer geek conquer all the forces of Darkness and win the love of the most beautiful witch in the world?By transforming himself from a demon programmer into a programmer of demons!It all began when the wizards of the White League were under attack by their opponents of the Black League and one of their most powerful members cast a spell to bring forth a mighty wizard to aid their cause. What the spell delivered was master hacker Walter "Wiz" Zumwalt. The wizard who cast the spell was dead and nobody—not the elves, not the dwarves, not even the dragons—could figure out what the shanghaied computer nerd was good for.But spells are a lot like computer programs, and, in spite of the Wiz's unprepossessing appearance, he was going to defeat the all-powerful Black League, win the love of a beautiful red-haired witch, and prove that when it comes to spells and sorcery, nobody but nobody can beat a Silicon Valley computer geek!
Review
This is one of the most amazing books I consumed in my teenage years, and having reread it (for at least the fifth time) to write these few thoughts I still find it wonderfully captivating. It's available online for free so you've got no excuse not to go check it out! So, the story: in a world of myth and magic, the Dark League "waxes strong to make chaos of what little order there is in the World" whereas our heroes of the North try to keep things safe. "the question a responsible magician must face is whether the goal is worth the consequences. All the consequences. Those who follow the Council of the North try to use magic in harmony with the World. Those of the League are not so bound." One of The Mighty of the North realises that the struggle is not going well, and decides to seek aid from "Beyond the World". He performs a Great Summoning and... William ("Wiz") Zumwalt is working late, debugging some code when he steps out for a breath of fresh air. and... BOOM. The worlds collide, just like that. Wiz is whisked away into a land where there are no computers, no coke cans and where he can't even write English, let alone write software. Did the Mighty make a mistake? Or, as one of the Demon's of the Dark League says,is he "A plague, a pox, the bane of all wizards"? The thing that first interested me about this was the computer angle. At that point in my development I was aware of Unix in terms of textbooks and hand-coding HTML. Luckily, I'd picked up enough from newsgroups and my general interest in programming to follow most of the jargon, and my fiancee (who knows less about computer programming than I do about thoroughbred horses) enjoyed it greatly even without the info. It's not an overlong book, but the worldbuilding is still top-notch. Little things - like learning the words of the spell - "Patrius repeated them to her several times, speaking every other word on each repetition so magic would not be made prematurely. As a trained witch Moira easily put the words in the right order and fixed them in her mind". It's that sort of attention to detail that really makes this world ring true. The stereotypes are there - elves, for instance, practically immortal and with a cheshire cat-like ennui for Humans - "Know, infant, that this place has stood for aeons and on. It was builded by magic on a foundation of magic and it would take more magic than a mortal could learn in a puny lifetime to touch it or any of mine". Even with the tropes, there are twists in future books that show their worth, and even in this one actually - the difference between adult and immature dragons, for instance. So the world is nicely done. Characterisation is also very good; Wiz and Moira could hardly be more different, the evildoers of the league are suitably vile and scheming, the dragon riders are done in a very exciting, aerial combat kind of a way and when the Mighty work their magic it's very mighty indeed. It's something of a perfect fantasy book - not high, not epic, so not perfect for everyone of course, but it's light, dashed with humour, and a truly easy yet gargantuanly satisfying read. The digression in chapter seven to tell Shiara's Story is slipped in very neatly, Kenneth's song in Chapter eleven adds a touch of poignancy before battle and the twelfth chapter is a true masterpiece, bringing this most riveting of stories to a brilliant denouement. It's interesting to look at the tags other readers have given it. Over four thousand people marked it as "to read again". A hundred and ninety people called it a "trashy novel", and a hundred and fifty-two reckon it's a "scifi classic". Everyone seems to have a view... to summarise mine? Unmissable.
5 Stars to Swift by James Follett
Description
Swift is the satellite communication system that handles interbank transactions. It is hack-proof. Or is it? A group of determined computer experts set out to penetrate the satellite communication system that controls the transfers of billions of dollars each day.
Review
Follett can write thrillers. As with The Doomsday Ultimatum this kept me going and more so than that one totally kept me guessing. Yes, I admit it, "And then they overlook something so incredibly obvious that any high school kid would've spotted it right away." And I didn't spot it. I stopped reading for a while, sat in silence, pondering what "it" could be. I had all the facts, and yet I failed to click, which of course just made the ending that much sweeter. In the foreword to my edition, Follett writes that the book is "a little dated". I see what he means, but it's firmly set in its era and all the stronger for it. I like the technology; buffer stores and line printers, phone line access to databases and microdisks. It all fits so well, that it's hard to credit some science fiction novels relied on "tapes" for everything, even decades into the future. Well, as I've already mentioned, I didn't see the end of this one coming. The characters are all very unique, if a little cliquey and stereotypical in their accustomed wealthy lifestyles, and the action is brisk and rewarding. One of Follett's best for me.
3 Stars to Soft Apocalypse by Will McIntosh
Description
What happens when resources become scarce and society starts to crumble? As the competition for resources pulls America's previously stable society apart, the "New Normal" is a Soft Apocalypse. This is how our world ends; with a whimper instead of a bang. New social structures and tribal connections spring up across America, as the previous social structures begin to dissolve. Locus Award finalist and John W. Campbell Memorial Award finalist Soft Apocalypse follows the journey across the Southeast of a tribe of formerly middle class Americans as they struggle to find a place for themselves and their children in a new, dangerous world that still carries the ghostly echoes of their previous lives.
Review
I heard that this was one of 2011's great sci-fi releases so thought it was at least worth a look. I quite enjoyed the story, a rather bleak future to be truthful yet hope is still hanging in there. The Appendix... Well. A scene in a book hasn't turned my stomach quite like that for a long, long time. Great writing, coming alive in the mind like nobody's business.
4 Stars to The Donated (Generation) by William Knight
Description
A crime-thriller with an injection of horror. The facts behind the fiction. In 2001 scientists isolated the gene for regenerating damaged organs from the DNA of a South American flatworm. Within five years it had been spliced into the chromosomes of a rhesus monkey, transported through the cell walls by a retro-virus denuded of its own genetic material. Attempting to regrow impaired or elderly tissues, a scientist will one day modify the DNA of human beings by injecting the gene-carrying virus. It is just a matter of time. Before consenting to treatment, you may want to ask a simple question: could there be a situation in which you would want to die but were unable to do so? Journalist Hendrix 'Aitch' Harrison links bodies stolen from a renowned forensic-research lab to an influential drug company. Aided by Sarah Wallace, a determined and beguiling entomologist, he delves into a grisly world of clinical trials and a viral treatment beyond imagining. But Aitch must battle more than his fear of technology to expose the macabre fate of the drugged victims donated to scientific research.
Review
"“My husband. He’s not well.” If he was causing the smell, her words were a fucking understatement." It's been a while since a book's woken me in a cold sweat but although it didn't feel over scary at the time this one certainly packs a punch. The detail of the case studies is visceral and horrifying, and interwoven with the thrilling storyline this is a brilliant fiction debut. There was also something eminently and distinctly British about the novel; not in an Etonian Britishness but a far more accessible layer to the work that rung feelings of my childhood from the pages and made me feel at once comfortable and at home. One does wonder if a larger publisher had been involved, you would have seen a character reaching into the "glove department" of his car, but that's a very small quibble for what is, truly, a taught and engaging thriller with horror to stick with you long after you've closed the book. Coming in 2012, according to the notes at the end of my edition, is what is sure to be Knight's next fictional tour de force. I'll be a buyer for sure.
2 Stars to A Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice and Fire, #1) by George R.R. Martin
Description
Long ago, in a time forgotten, a preternatural event threw the seasons out of balance. In a land where summers can last decades and winters a lifetime, trouble is brewing. The cold is returning, and in the frozen wastes to the north of Winterfell, sinister forces are massing beyond the kingdom’s protective Wall. To the south, the king’s powers are failing—his most trusted adviser dead under mysterious circumstances and his enemies emerging from the shadows of the throne. At the center of the conflict lie the Starks of Winterfell, a family as harsh and unyielding as the frozen land they were born to. Now Lord Eddard Stark is reluctantly summoned to serve as the king’s new Hand, an appointment that threatens to sunder not only his family but the kingdom itself. Sweeping from a harsh land of cold to a summertime kingdom of epicurean plenty, A Game of Thrones tells a tale of lords and ladies, soldiers and sorcerers, assassins and bastards, who come together in a time of grim omens. Here an enigmatic band of warriors bear swords of no human metal; a tribe of fierce wildlings carry men off into madness; a cruel young dragon prince barters his sister to win back his throne; a child is lost in the twilight between life and death; and a determined woman undertakes a treacherous journey to protect all she holds dear. Amid plots and counter-plots, tragedy and betrayal, victory and terror, allies and enemies, the fate of the Starks hangs perilously in the balance, as each side endeavors to win that deadliest of conflicts: the game of thrones.
Review
I had read the prologue of this book twice and the opening paragraphs of the first chapter once, and yet not persevered beyond that. Something about it failed to appeal, but I thought I would persist with it, as many others have found these books to be brilliant. Sadly, I am not one of these. I can appreciate the work gone into such a large and epic tome; the worldbuilding and genealogy are grandiose. Yet for all that, I found an overwhelming lack of anything to be surprised about in the eight and a half hours or so it took me to read the book. The combat scenes were quite exciting, but obvious, just to illustrate by example. Picture an entrenched, large force of soldiers, expecting combat and set upon by a smaller, tired, less disciplined force. Forward to a small, stealthy unit, laying an ambush for an obviously oblivious opponent. It takes no great mind to work out which are to be victorious in both these encounters, in fact it was so obvious that I had no concern about losing the thread of who was going to win or lose because there was, in my mind, no doubt. Some of the description is well written, there are plenty of interesting characters, some of whom I quite liked reading about. Nonetheless, works of comparable style and tone have bestirred me, rather than left me feeling a little apathetic, and so I'm afraid that I'll be holding off on the second book until a lack of other worthwhile material.
2 Stars to Whiteout by Ken Follett
Description
A missing canister of a deadly virus. A lab technician bleeding from the eyes. Toni Gallo, the security director of a Scottish medical research firm, knows she has problems, but she has no idea of the nightmare to come. As a Christmas Eve blizzard whips out of the north, several people, Toni among them, converge on a remote family house. All have something to gain or lose from the drug developed to fight the virus. As the storm worsens, the emotional sparks—jealousies, distrust, sexual attraction, rivalries—crackle; desperate secrets are revealed; hidden traitors and unexpected heroes emerge. Filled with startling twists at every turn, Whiteout rockets Follett into a class by himself.
Review
I didn't think I was going to enjoy this book, because the female lead annoyed me somewhat. I think her history was overblown and far too much like baggage, incongruous with a major fight she has where her femininity comes into play in something of a demeaning way. But, reading the action unfold in the latter half of the book, I really got the impression that it'd make an excellent movie - lots of quick cuts, brief shots of people in various locations. OF course a lot of action takes place in an old house with outbuildings, and in literary terms I think the length of what had been already written built up nicely, which a movie would have to emulate so the audience knew why the players were where they were. Finally, just to add to my Folett irritants... Americanisms (windshield etc). They're expected from an American author even when he writes in situ because it's his culture. But I'm sure Follett is Welsh!
4 Stars to Redshirts by John Scalzi
Description
Ensign Andrew Dahl has just been assigned to the Universal Union Capital Ship Intrepid, flagship of the Universal Union since the year 2456. It’s a prestige posting, and Andrew is thrilled all the more to be assigned to the ship’s Xenobiology laboratory. Life couldn’t be better…until Andrew begins to pick up on the fact that: (1) every Away Mission involves some kind of lethal confrontation with alien forces (2) the ship’s captain, its chief science officer, and the handsome Lieutenant Kerensky always survive these confrontations (3) at least one low-ranked crew member is, sadly, always killed. Not surprisingly, a great deal of energy below decks is expended on avoiding, at all costs, being assigned to an Away Mission. Then Andrew stumbles on information that completely transforms his and his colleagues’ understanding of what the starship Intrepid really is…and offers them a crazy, high-risk chance to save their own lives.
Review
Humourous and just generally entertaining, this is a pastiche of Galaxy Quest (the movie) and Lower Decks (The TNG Episode), with a sprinkling of existentialism and writing critique thrown in too. An all round fun light read with just a little oomph.
4 Stars to Demon Knight (The Years of Longdirk, #3) by Ken Hood
Description
When the Scottish outlaw Tobias Longdirk used gramarye, or magic, to defeat the Fiend, he did more than save Europe from abject slavery. He made himself the most feared and most envied man in all Italy. Now, with the hordes poised once more to sweep down over the Alps, Toby and his friend Hamish must unite the quarreling city-states when no ally can be trusted and traitors lurk in every shadow. At stake is far more than just a continent's destiny. At stake is a woman's love!
Review
I was a little disheartened to see this turning into a whodoneit. The pageantry and ongoings of the Italians has never been a field of interest to me so that, too, made things a little dreary to start with. Nevertheless the exalted revelation came at me with all the surprise I could've wanted, and my not quite liking Toby's new attitude was not just me being picky after all. I utterly enjoyed the end, if 'twere a little rushed, and can safely say this is another Duncan series safely cherished.
3 Stars to Demon Rider (The Years of Longdirk, #2) by Ken Hood
Description
All of Europe is ruled by the Khan, whose Golden Horde swept its conquering way across Europe in 1244. The Scottish outlaw Toby Strangerson, known as Longdirk, is ruled by an even harsher master. He is possessed by a "hob," a demon spirit murderous as a child although inherently neither good not evil. Toby wants his freedom--and the spirit of the tyrant-demon Nevil, ensorceled in amethyst, can be traded for the exorcism of the hob. In order to make the exchange, though, Toby and his friend and ally Hamish must face the hexer Oreste on his own ground, in the dank and fetid dungeons of Barcelona, where souls are racked and tortured and destroyed on the relentless wheel of the Inquisition. This book was originally published under the name Ken Hood.
Review
"thunder struck him like a flying anvil. There were real things flying, too, nasty hot wet things." This installment was, no bones about it, brutal. From the opening scenes of incarceration, to the beheadings, torture and fights, every swordstroke or thunderbolt was depicted in stark, harsh detail. It's a harder, grimmer coming of age than some of Duncan's others; with similarities of course but with also an element of more open, real violence. It continued Toby's story well though, and right now I am going to go and start the third with a cup of tea (and a whisky chaser for the Scots angle).
4 Stars to Demon Sword (The Years of Longdirk, #1) by Ken Hood
Description
All of Europe is under the control of the Khan, whose conquering armies swept across the West in 1244. Scotland, in addition, lies under the heel of England. Young Toby Strangerson, a half-English bastard, reared by a witchwife, wants only to shed his hated "Sassenach" blood and free his beloved highlands. Toby wields a sword as the outlaw Longdirk. The sword can cut down men like so many stalks of corn. But stranger winds are swirling and howling across the lochs, eldritch winds that are ridden by "hobs" and "wisps" and demons. The enemy Sassenach king is also a sorcerer. His demon soul needs a body and his Black Arts can free Europe from the Khan's Golden Horde. This book was originally published under the name Ken Hood.
Review
Oh, yes, this is exactly what you want and hope for from a Duncan. It has two of my favourite Duncanisms in spades: first, the trials or adventures of a youth, and second, the devious machinations of a monarch or other important personage. These are so typical of many of "his" works that I have read that they are a joy to behold and are harbingers of good, good things to come. I did struggle a little at the start, because neither the era nor the locale is native to my experience, but I soon enough got caught up, carried in and swept away by the story.The climactic fight was superbly spun, in fact chapters five through eight of part eight all made for very tense reading. I feel confident to say we're established and ready for further adventures, although exactly what the overall picture is as yet remains unclear to me. I feel as if I've missed something, thinking back, but I can't quite put my finger on what. Ahead with book 2!
3 Stars to I Am Number Four (Lorien Legacies, #1) by Pittacus Lore
Description
Nine of us came here. We look like you. We talk like you. We live among you. But we are not you. We can do things you dream of doing. We have powers you dream of having. We are stronger and faster than anything you have ever seen. We are the superheroes you worship in movies and comic books--but we are real. Our plan was to grow, and train, and become strong, and become one, and fight them. But they found us and started hunting us first. Now all of us are running. Spending our lives in shadows, in places where no one would look, blending in. We have lived among you without you knowing. But they know. They caught Number One in Malaysia. Number Two in England. And Number Three in Kenya. They killed them all. I am Number Four. I am next.
Review
This story really got better toward the end. Throughout, I got the impression that it was perhaps on the younger of the young adult scale and the danger scenes seemed a little overblown. Still, the ending came up well, a definite series to keep an eye on.
4 Stars to The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill
Description
Wolf Hadda's life has been a fairytale. From humble origins as a Cumbrian woodcutter's son, he has risen to become a successful entrepreneur, happily married to the girl of his dreams. A knock on the door one morning ends it all. Universally reviled, thrown into prison, abandoned by friends & family, Wolf retreats into silence.
Review
“Twelve strangers!Twelve citizens picked off the street! In this world we're unfortunate enough to live in, and especially in this septic isle we live on, where squalid politicians conspire with a squalid press to feed a half-educated and wholly complacent public on a diet of meretricious trivia, I'm sure it would be possible to concoct enough evidence to persuade twelve strangers that Nelson Mandela was a cannibal.” I've wanted to read this book for quite some time, and thanks to the diamond jubilee, Hill being a British author and Kobo having a sale, I managed to get hold of it at a considerable discount. I'm not a huge whodoneit fan, and the mystery of this one didn't allure me. I will confess I had cottoned onto the who, although I didn't count on the aforementioned's genetic disposition, to put it in spoiler-avoiding terms. "There were plenty of guys out there who'd like to give her one, but not many who'd want her to stay on in the morning to give her another." The characters were rather vivid, almost too sharp in places, with certain things (Medler's copper's nose, for one), being especially well done but others (Hollins nosiness as an example) were a little too jarring. "They'd exchanged biographical details over a couple of drinks, and then they'd gone back to her flat where the exchange became more biological." Hill's quite a playful wordsmith, and the ebb and flow of the narration kept me coming back even if the mystery was less of an incentive. I'm going to check out another one of his sometime and no mistake and, it was certainly worth £2! As a side, I bought the EPub but the audio, read by Jonathan Keeble, seems very well done indeed. Not that the EPub has anything at all wrong with it, that's one up for everyone other than Amazon.
May
4 Stars to The Silent Vulcan (Pentworth, #3) by James Follett
Description
It is over six months since Pentworth was surrounded by a mysterious force field. Society is slipping into anarchy -- and what will happen when the extraterrestrials deep in Pentworth lake decide to show their hand?
Review
From Jane Austin to Hitler to submersibles, Follett seems to have an unparalleled range of things on which to draw. This book finishes off the whole story very well, though the ending seemed a little rushed to me and the final chapters had a rather sad pacing to them which was a shame as the rest of the series was so superb. Still, very glad to have read them, more Follett on the list for me for sure.
5 Stars to Wicca (Pentworth, #2) by James Follett
Description
Life in Pentworth hasn't been the same since it was surrounded by a force field and effectively cut off from the outside world. But life takes an even more sinister turn when the twisted Bodian cult manages to reinstate a seventeenth-century law against witchcraft -- including burning at the stake. At the same time, the divide between town and country is widening, and a civil war is looming on the horizon . . .
Review
My maxim of a series' second book being the best can of course not be panned out until I've finished the thing, but this installment was certainly excellent. On par with the first and one of its only detractions being Follett's rather overused reliance on repeating material from the first book (something also prevalent in the Eagles books), the action was fascinating, the characters as colourful as ever and the story line progressed to a very interesting place. The trial for witchcraft was extremely atmospheric and the whole concept of the story is absolutely engrossing
5 Stars to Temple of the Winds (Pentworth, #1) by James Follett
Description
In Pentworth supplies of electricity, gas and water are mysteriously diminishing. Then, suddenly, a force field surrounds the town, through which no-one can pass, and the population is completely cut off from the outside world by an unknown force.
Review
It's rare for the first novel of a series to so grip me as this one did. IT's the characters that did it; vivid, bold, with their own agendas, attitudes and a great deal of individual sexual preference... The story is of course gripping, and Follett clearly writes for the adult market. A refreshing thriller to read, given the amount of YA I've done in this category recently.
4 Stars to Return of the Eagles (Severn House Large Print) by James Follett
Description
It's the last chance for the PoWs to escape . . . It is 1945 and the end of war spells new problems for Otto Kruger and his fellow PoW officers at Grizedale Hall in the Lake District. Some, such as the V2 rocket scientist Eric Hoffmann have terrible secrets to conceal from the British or face the gallows. Mark Schiller, a partially blinded submarine pilot, has no desire to return home just yet, having learned about a pioneering eye surgeon in London.
Review
I didn't know what to expect from this one, given that the war was over. Follett managed to keep everything afloat, though, and tied things up very nicely indeed. The Flemming aspect was very well done in this final installment, and the eye stuff of course had great personal relevance to Follett. I think book 2 was the most amusing, the first book perhaps excelled at a viewpoint from the Germans and this third and final one works well as an all-round sum-up and very neat ending.
5 Stars to A Forest of Eagles (Severn House Large Print) by James Follett
Description
A follow-up to the best-selling A Cage of Eagles ? stories from No. 1 PoW Camp (Officers) Grizedale Hall in the Lake District It is now 1942 and the quickening pace of the war brings new problems for the senior German officer, U-boat ""ace"" Otto Kruger. The PoW officers under his command are becoming increasingly impatient with his autocratic regime, which forbids all escape bids unless they've been properly planned. The stories range from the grim, such as ""Unlucky"" Moehe ? a U-boat officer desperate to get home with priceless information on the operational trials of Germany's new acoustic torpedo, to the tragic when Kruger refuses to allow his fellow officers to be shackled, to the bizarre when the PoWs secretly fatten up a stolen pig. The battle of wits between Kruger and his captors draws together such diverse characters as Ian Fleming and Beatrix Potter in a story that has the British in the unfamiliar roles of guards and captors. It is a battle that the Germans fight with fortitude, determination, and humour.
Review
This is brilliant. The first novel was good and, looking back, I see how much it set the scene for this one. Now, we are intimately familiar with our people and this book really ups the bar. Each "part" holds a strand of action as the war progresses, and they're all very good reading indeed. In there's A U-boat will be waiting, Karl Moehe is perhaps underrecognised as the most fastidious escaped prisoner ever to hit England's shores: his survival technique was great reading and exploits most amusing, only topped by the interrogation technique of Geoffrey Cape. The Shackled Men chronicles the PoW's passive resistance to an illegal handcuffing (or shackling, rather, given that the British seem to get the two confused). It's quite an interesting counterpoint here because clearly the British soldiers on the scene don't want to cuff their prisoners and the web of phone calls, requisition forms and general nonsense that goes on is highly entertaining indeed. I won't go into both the remaining parts in detail, though they were fun too, especially the latter. The ending of the book was very nicely done, Follett's very good at emotional rides and the sweep from satisfaction of a brilliantly executed plan to deepest disparagement is swift and decisive. “A proud man with an unbreakable spirit,” said Fleming. “He’s never given up fighting his own war. Nothing could make him give up. Yet I did it tonight...” I was perhaps a little hasty judging the first volume only 4, but it did have to set things up. Though there were little issues here (repetition of information from the first book being one), it didn't detract very much because the whole thing was just incredibly, brilliantly fun.
4 Stars to Cage Of Eagles by James Follett
Description
The locals call it Hush Hush Hall. The British Army calls it No. 1 POW Camp (Officers) Grizedale Hall. British Intelligence call it their Cage of Eagles. It is the biggest concentration of German prisoner-of-war talent in wartime England. Gathered together are airmen, navigators, radio operators, and U-boatmen. Over 100 skilled and determined men with one thought uppermost in their mind -- escape. A Cage of Eagles is a strange story that casts the British in the unfamiliar roles of guard and hunter.
Review
"Berg had to content himself with blowing up the odd radio valve here and there although he did succeed in shooting off his big toe during rifle drill." Berg is probably my favourite character of the whole book. I've never read anything of this sort before but this utterly captivated me. "“I made the study of explosives my hobby when I was at school and college.” “Is that how you lost your fingers?” Kruger inquired. “Yes, commander. Would you like to hear about some of the various explosions I have been responsible for?”" On the one hand, I sort of found the whole thing a little silly: captured prisoners given enough freedom, supplies and opportunity to attempt escapes, where the British were almost caricatures of what decent (and by decent I mean effective rather than moral) jailers should be. "“You have heard that the Swiss keep their country very clean?” Chalky nodded. “They have to because they have a heightened sense of smell from eating so much chocolate,” said Willi, holding the bar out to Chalky. “Try it if you don't believe me.”" Apart from that, which is a comment on the era and methodology of the time rather than this particular title, this book was brilliant. The end sort of appeared looming out of nowhere: so that simply means picking up the next one!
2 Stars to City of Bones (The Mortal Instruments, #1) by Cassandra Clare
Description
When fifteen-year-old Clary Fray heads out to the Pandemonium Club in New York City, she hardly expects to witness a murder—much less a murder committed by three teenagers covered with strange tattoos and brandishing bizarre weapons. Then the body disappears into thin air. It’s hard to call the police when the murderers are invisible to everyone else and when there is nothing—not even a smear of blood—to show that a boy has died. Or was he a boy? This is Clary’s first meeting with the Shadowhunters, warriors dedicated to ridding the earth of demons. It’s also her first encounter with Jace, a Shadowhunter who looks a little like an angel and acts a lot like a jerk. Within twenty-four hours Clary is pulled into Jace’s world with a vengeance, when her mother disappears and Clary herself is attacked by a demon. But why would demons be interested in ordinary mundanes like Clary and her mother? And how did Clary suddenly get the Sight? The Shadowhunters would like to know...
Review
I'd heard a lot of positive things about this series in general, and yet reading it was so, so weird. Baron Hotschaft Von Hugenstein, the falcon, Clare's obsessive descriptors of eyebrows and how people smell - all these things are intimately familiar to me without having read a shred of her published work before. This is, of course, because of the copious amount of Harry Potter fanfiction I consumed as a teen, where her Draco trilogy figured prominently. I wasn't new to the author and sadly because of that the work was, to me, drab and a little too predictable for comfort, even factoring in the intended audience. Jace is so Draco that it's painful: not Rowling's Draco, of course - but the Draco Clare molded and made such a memorable and bright character all her own, and it was very hard to see around that when I knew that the jokes and the sarcasm had been honed, polished and already made me laugh half a decade ago in a different work. Still, yes, I liked the book. The story, as a young adult adventure, was exciting enough to keep me reading, if not overly new. The end was a huge letdown insofar as finishing up the actual plot of the novel was concerned, though add a few points for character development. If I hadn't read any Clare at all before I might think about picking up book 2 right now. As it is, I think another few hundred reads are in order before I return to the Shadowhunters and I hope the Dracoism decreases later in the series.
4 Stars to Pock's World by Dave Duncan
Description
Pock’s World, long settled by humankind, is accused of being infected by humanoid aliens. It has been quarantined and may have to be sterilized. Five people are chosen to go there and examine the evidence: saintly but ruthless Father Andre; Ratty Turnsole, a muckraking reporter ripe for romance; ambitious politician Athena Fimble; manipulative bureaucrat Millie Backet; and shady billionaire Linn Lazuline. Some of them carry grudges - all have their own agendas. Pock’s World surprises them all. Nothing is what they expect. Quickly entangled in love, politics, religion, and deceit, they discover that the clock is already ticking and the fate of humanity itself is at stake.
Review
Another great offering from Duncan. More science fiction than fantasy, it works well as a standalone, has breathing, engageable characters; generally it's a worthwhile read all round.
3 Stars to Mostly Harmless (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #5) by Douglas Adams
Description
It’s easy to get disheartened when your planet has been blown up, the woman you love has vanished in a misunderstanding about space/time, the spaceship you are on crashes on a remote and Bob-fearing planet, and all you have to fall back on is a few simple sandwich-making skills. However, instead of being disheartened, Arthur Dent makes the terrible mistake of starting to enjoy life a bit and, immediately, all hell breaks loose. Hell takes a number of forms: there’s the usual Ford Prefect form of hell, fresh hell in the form of an all-new version of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, and a totally unexpected hell in the form of a teenage girl who startles Arthur Dent by being his daughter when he didn’t even know he had one. Can Arthur save the Earth from total multidimensional obliteration? Can he save the Guide from a hostile alien takeover? Can he save his daughter, Random, from herself? Of course not. He never works out what is going on, exactly. Will you?
Review
And so the series draws to a close in a rather gloomy fashion. One sort of gets the impression that Adams ran out of steam and just wrote it for the sake of writing. Still, I liked it for completion's sake, and my favourite plot strand, Ford and Colin at the Hitchhiker offices, positively glowed with that humour so characteristic of the great man.
3 Stars to Old Man's War (Old Man's War, #1) by John Scalzi
Description
John Perry did two things on his 75th birthday. First he visited his wife's grave. Then he joined the army. The good news is that humanity finally made it into interstellar space. The bad news is that planets fit to live on are scarce-- and alien races willing to fight us for them are common. So: we fight. To defend Earth, and to stake our own claim to planetary real estate. Far from Earth, the war has been going on for decades: brutal, bloody, unyielding. Earth itself is a backwater. The bulk of humanity's resources are in the hands of the Colonial Defense Force. Everybody knows that when you reach retirement age, you can join the CDF. They don't want young people; they want people who carry the knowledge and skills of decades of living. You'll be taken off Earth and never allowed to return. You'll serve two years at the front. And if you survive, you'll be given a generous homestead stake of your own, on one of our hard-won colony planets. John Perry is taking that deal. He has only the vaguest idea what to expect. Because the actual fight, light-years from home, is far, far harder than he can imagine--and what he will become is far stranger.
Review
As an opener to Scalzi's writing I must confess to being pleasantly surprised. Not that I'd heard bad things, but this book has been contrasted with Robert A. Heinlein's Starship Troopers, the political exposition of which I feel whenever I read it lacks relevance today. This book had similarities, indeed, but was quite refreshingly written. "It’s easier to miss her at a cemetery, where she’s never been anything but dead, than to miss her in all the places where she was alive." The concept is an interesting one and done well, although it's not a read for the faint of heart (or the sex shy). Also, the chances of reading two books almost back-to-back with a Lieutenant Colonel Newman seem staggeringly high: too much improbability, perhaps?
5 Stars to So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish (Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #4) by Douglas Adams
Description
Including everything you wanted to know about the first three books but never thought to ask. "HE LOST ALL FAITH IN THE STRAIGHTFORWARD OPERATION OF CAUSE AND EFFECT THE DAY HE GOT UP INTENDING TO CATCH UP WITH SOME READING AND ENDED UP ON A PREHISTORIC EARTH WITH A MAN FROM BETELGEUSE AND A SPACESHIP-LOAD OF ALIEN TELEPHONE SANITISERS...". Left at the end of LIFE, THE UNIVERSE AND EVERYTHING with the address for God's Final Message To His Creation, Arthur Dent let this crucial information slip his mind. He tries everything to jog his memory - meditation, mind-reading, hitting himself about the head with blunt objects. But none of it works. Of course, as everyone knows, the answer lies in making life flash before your eyes... Source: douglasadams.com
Review
This is my absolute favourite of the series, though several strands from the final installment penned by Adams remain clear in my mind. Here, the action is muted and the space travel pretty thin on the ground, and yet Arthur in love, the Earth, the speaking clock and God's final message to creation all fit together so perfectly that despite the detractors I hold this one very close to my heart. Chapter 2 is delightful. 10, enspired. 11 through 15, superlative. 16 foreshadowing, 17 predictable, 24 and 26 magical, 34 downright funny and 40 a brilliant ending. Ruined a little, yes, I concede, by the epilogue. The authorial intrusions are a little too invasive and sharp, I grant you, yet Adams being crunched into producing by deadline is bound to have a few consequences. The humour is different, too, but for some reason I can't quite articulate this book simply crowns the series for me.
3 Stars to Mission Compromised (Peter Newman, #1) by Oliver North
Description
U.S. Marine Major Peter Newman, a highly decorated war hero, was content doing his job--leading troops into harm's way. He was good at it. But the White House had other plans for him. When Newman is hand picked for a dangerous clandestine operation as the head of the White Houses Special Projects Office, his orders are clear--hunt down and eliminate terrorists before they attack the United States with weapons of mass destruction. From the corridors of power in Washington to the heart of the Middle East,Newman finds himself on an assignment so sensitive that it is known only to a handful of officials as he becomes entangled in a nightmarish web of intrigue, revenge and betrayal. When the mission is compromised, Major Newman embarks on a personal odyssey that threatens his life, morality, marriage and his loyalty to corps and country.
Review
I think the best way to describe this read as a lesson in judgment. I came away from the body of the work on something of a high horse, as North managed to wet my irritation circuit for his apparent sexism toward Robinette, his seemingly pointless insertion of himself as a minor character in the story and the underpinning reliance on religion as a saving grace, without which characters are inevitably lost and or miserable. And yet the epilogue proved that the second of those irritations was not only explicable but quite clever. I spoke to an actual female, rather than relying on my own testosterone, and found that perhaps North's attitude wasn't as backward as I thought: strike point one... As for religion? It is done in a mild way, I'll give him that. Newman doesn't toss aside a weapon and start hallelujahs in the middle of the Iraqi desert or anything like that. Rachel's religious apotheosis is actually very interesting to read about, although there's that tinge of hypocrisy there, seeing her before and after. I think my favourite religious item of the work was Habib and the chair, which was a real neat way of describing faith which hit home. Not that I'm being converted or anything, but you have to admire things done wel, even if they aren't your style. The story was very good, fairly intense (although lacking something: brutality, stronger violence, whatever you want to call it) which underpins more typical staples of the genre. In the main the plot seemed plausible, most particularly the type of US mission and subsequent coverup. As I said, I judged too quickly with this one and now, having reflected, certainly feel it's worthy of more reflection and thought.
4 Stars to Life, the Universe and Everything (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #3) by Douglas Adams
Description
Now celebrating the 42nd anniversary of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, soon to be a Hulu original series! “Wild satire . . . The feckless protagonist, Arthur Dent, is reminiscent of Vonnegut heroes.”— Chicago Tribune The unhappy inhabitants of planet Krikkit are sick of looking at the night sky above their heads—so they plan to destroy it. The universe, that is. Now only five individuals stand between the killer robots of Krikkit and their goal of total annihilation. They are Arthur Dent, a mild-mannered space and time traveler who tries to learn how to fly by throwing himself at the ground and missing; Ford Prefect, his best friend, who decides to go insane to see if he likes it; Slartibartfast, the indomitable vice president of the Campaign for Real Time, who travels in a ship powered by irrational behavior; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the two-headed, three-armed ex-president of the galaxy; and Trillian, the sexy space cadet who is torn between a persistent Thunder God and a very depressed Beeblebrox. How will it all end? Will it end? Only this stalwart crew knows as they try to avert “universal” Armageddon and save life as we know it—and don’t know it! “Adams is one of those rare an author who, one senses, has as much fun writing as one has reading.”— Arizona Daily Star
Review
Another fun and quick read, with the reappearance of Slartybartfast we are all assured that nothing is going to make sense ever again and can proceed from there. Incidentally, I vividly remember reading this (not for the first time) with a headache the night before I was due to go on holiday. During this reread, the phrase “The past,” they say, “is now truly like a foreign country. They do things exactly the same there” stuck out at me especially, which seems to be a very worldly (and of course worryingly accurate) interpretation of things. I also had this sort of feeling in one of the earlier books when Adams' mentions population growth or climate change or something, the sort of issue that had not hit mainstream media during his publication of the series; the very type of occurrence to pass me by those years ago. I'm not sure I quite approve of Xafod helping save the universe, it really goes against character. Still, the "it", whatever it is that makes this a part of Hitchhikers, is certainly there.
3 Stars to The Lies of Locke Lamora (Gentleman Bastard, #1) by Scott Lynch
Description
In this stunning debut, author Scott Lynch delivers the wonderfully thrilling tale of an audacious criminal and his band of confidence tricksters. Set in a fantastic city pulsing with the lives of decadent nobles and daring thieves, here is a story of adventure, loyalty, and survival that is one part "Robin Hood", one part Ocean's Eleven, and entirely enthralling... An orphan's life is harsh — and often short — in the island city of Camorr, built on the ruins of a mysterious alien race. But born with a quick wit and a gift for thieving, Locke Lamora has dodged both death and slavery, only to fall into the hands of an eyeless priest known as Chains — a man who is neither blind nor a priest. A con artist of extraordinary talent, Chains passes his skills on to his carefully selected "family" of orphans — a group known as the Gentlemen Bastards. Under his tutelage, Locke grows to lead the Bastards, delightedly pulling off one outrageous confidence game after another. Soon he is infamous as the Thorn of Camorr, and no wealthy noble is safe from his sting. Passing themselves off as petty thieves, the brilliant Locke and his tightly knit band of light-fingered brothers have fooled even the criminal underworld's most feared ruler, Capa Barsavi. But there is someone in the shadows more powerful — and more ambitious — than Locke has yet imagined. Known as the Gray King, he is slowly killing Capa Barsavi's most trusted men — and using Locke as a pawn in his plot to take control of Camorr's underworld. With a bloody coup under way threatening to destroy everyone and everything that holds meaning in his mercenary life, Locke vows to beat the Gray King at his own brutal game — or die trying...
Review
"If I accept your argument then the self-evident truth of any legitimate thing could be taken as grounds for its falseness.” That single quote sums up the devious nature of this book's characters rather well indeed. I was quite taken in by the primary plot action in the third chapter, for instance, where I should really have been on my guard for such trickery! Locke is quite interesting a lead character and his retinue are colourful and well-written, and the worldbuilding is paced well and enjoyable. "It's impossible to be intimidating when one angry woman has your cock between her teeth and another is holding a stiletto to your kidneys." I very much liked the narrative structure of the book too, although when the action of the story was in full flow I found the harkening back to interludes of things gone before a little tiresome as I wanted more action. Still, they told the history very well and doubtless added to the suspense. As for the story? I like confidence games. Properly planned and well executed they are things of beauty, morality aside. The fights were intense and brutal, the danger well worth worrying about and the good and the bad, the peasantry and the Mafia, the nobility and the artistes were all rendered well and a true pleasure to read about. Particular scenes of particular enjoyment for me were the final part of the seventh chapter, Jean's run-in with the Berangias Sisters and the episode at the counting house. “Well, I for one have no expressions of sympathy to spare, since he kicked my balls hard enough to make them permanent residents of my lungs.” But it's not a five star read. It's not even a four. I "Liked it", but the one off-putting thing was the sheer and persistent nature of the profanity. The book is set, says the jacket, in a city which originally belonged to an "alien race". My question is did the Humans taking over all originate from some sort of arc of potty-mouthed school children? It's fuck this, shit that, and cocksucking something else and I can say that it was the most irritatingly distracting thing about a book I have had the misbegotten pleasure to encounter since an audio book I once heard read by a volunteer with loose, rattling teeth.
3 Stars to The Restaurant at the End of the Universe (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, #2) by Douglas Adams
Description
alternate edition for ISBN 0345418921/9780345418920 Facing annihilation at the hands of the warlike Vogons is a curious time to have a cosmically displaced Arthur Dent and his curious comrades in arms as they hurtle through space powered by pure improbability - and desperately in search of a place to eat. Among Arthur's motley shipmates are Ford Prefect, a long-time friend and contributor to the The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy; Zaphod Beeblebrox, the three-armed, two-headed ex-president of the galaxy; Tricia McMilan, a fellow Earth refuge who's gone native (her name is Trillian now); and Marvin, who suffers nothing and no one gladly. Source: douglasadams.com
Review
I embarked on reading the Restaurant having remembered it as being the week point of the series for me. I was pleasantly surprised to find that my memory had let me down, and that I quite enjoyed the whole thing. As with the first book the radio drama superimposed itself over my reading, and I found myself doing a Louis Armstrong rendition whilst sweeping up. The Total Perspective Vortex was fun to read about, though the actual Restaurant itself palled a little which is why I remember it being a bit of a flat read. I quite liked the humour this time around though, so I'll be reading the remainder of the series again in due course.
3 Stars to Control Point (Shadow Ops, #1) by Myke Cole
Description
Army Officer. Fugitive. Sorcerer. Across the country and in every nation, people are waking up with magical talents. Untrained and panicked, they summon storms, raise the dead, and set everything they touch ablaze. Army officer Oscar Britton sees the worst of it. A lieutenant attached to the military's Supernatural Operations Corps, his mission is to bring order to a world gone mad. Then he abruptly manifests a rare and prohibited magical power, transforming him overnight from government agent to public enemy number one. The SOC knows how to handle this kind of situation: hunt him down--and take him out. Driven into an underground shadow world, Britton is about to learn that magic has changed all the rules he's ever known, and that his life isn't the only thing he's fighting for.
Review
This is one of those books where the hype lead me to expect something amazing and I came away a little disappointed. It's a clever idea, mixing the military and magic in such a unique way, but all the way through Britton just irritated me. He seemed to vacillate between good and bad, right and wrong, service and rebellion at every possible point and in a protagonist I find that sort of indecisiveness a touch too incredulous. The combat was very well written indeed; Chris Evans is right when he says “Myke Cole takes you downrange where the bullets fly and the magic burns with precision-guided ferocity that’ll put you on the edge of your seat before blowing you right out of it.” For all the good writing and very nicely done action though, character let this down for me. Maybe the next novel in the series, now our characters are a bit more established, will pick up some.
4 Stars to Shadow by Dave Duncan
Description
Sald Harl would like nothing more than to soar on the wings of his noble eagle, but his youthful rides in the sky are cut short by an appointment to guard the prince. Sald watches his dreams of flight fade with his name and independence as he takes over his bodyguard duties. During a perilous journey to the edges of the kingdom a dark secret comes to life. Now the great Prince Shadow is accused of treason, and Sald must orchestrate a desperate plan of escape or he will lose the one thing he has been orderedto defend. His only option of freedom is a dangerous flight that no one has ever survived. Once again Sald hopes to feel the freedom of soaring though the air unshackled from servitude.
Review
I've always enjoyed Duncan's series more than his standalones but I really got into this one. The ending was foreshadowed very well indeed, there was that "whoops" moment near the end where you could see how things were going to pan out in the next few seconds and the characters were seemingly oblivious. The birds were an interesting twist and the military structure typically well done, and overall the story was quick enough to keep my interest.
April
3 Stars to Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick
Description
By 2021, the World War has killed millions, driving entire species into extinction and sending mankind off-planet. Those who remain covet any living creature, and for people who can't afford one, companies build incredibly realistic simulacra: horses, birds, cats, sheep. They've even built humans. Immigrants to Mars receive androids so sophisticated they are indistinguishable from true men or women. Fearful of the havoc these artificial humans could wreak, the government bans them from Earth. Driven into hiding, unauthorized androids live among human beings, undetected. Rick Deckard, an officially sanctioned bounty hunter, is commissioned to find rogue androids and "retire" them. But when cornered, androids fight back - with lethal force. The Inspiration for the Film BLADE RUNNER. Originally published in 1968, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? remains a masterpiece ahead of its time, a prescient rendering of a dark future.
Review
I always manage to convince myself that this time, the ending of a PKD novel will actually make sense. I love a lot of his short stories, and even manage to get my head around the occasional novel. Dick was concerned that were he to write a tie-in to the Blade Runner movie on which this novel was based it would have to appeal to kids. I can sort of see the worry, his action scenes, though written with his typical detachment, could be produced into something very serviceable for the screen. There's a lot of philosophy in this book, a lot of probing of consciousness, a good deal of existentialism and I think reading it quickly just as light entertainment might've robbed me of a few of the nuances. One to come back to one day.
4 Stars to Wizards of Science by Carl Frederick
Description
In the novel (hard SF despite its title), Paul, an American college physics major studying in England, and his friend Vicki, an English British history major, become caught up in a physics experiment gone spectacularly wrong. The island of England gets swapped into an alternate time line and is replaced with the England of the eleventh century. Action takes place in both an eleventh century England in a twenty first century world, and also in a twenty-first century England in an eleventh century world. Only Paul and Vicki, with the help of Wulf, a scientist from the twenty-second century, can set things right. The novel's title alludes to Wulf and his descendents, trapped in Anglo-Saxon Britain. Their advanced science and technology seems to be magic and they are thought to be wizards. Although not not specifically written as such, the novel might be considered YA as four of the five major characters are under twenty years old, two of them well under. A modified extract of an early part of the novel appeared as a novella in Analog Magazine under the title ' Greenwich Nasty Time'.
Review
“He seems to be in charge,” said Vicki. “At least of those other wizard characters in a pentagram around the castle.” “That's 'pentagon',” said Paul. “A pentagram is some kind of magic symbol.” This was shorter than my typical science fiction fair,and so I perhaps didn't engage with it as fully as I could. The story is a very good one though, the idea of "a twenty-first century kingdom in an eleventh century world" utterly captivated me, so I just had to read it! Of course the physics is a little beyond me, especially the calculations and talk of gravitational wave bursts and mass irregularities which mean little to a lay person. Still, I liked the fact that there was some science in there and one day, when I don a full beard and professorial hat I shall doubtless come back to this volume and try and decipher some of it. As to the story and plot, I found the pace very good and speedy for a work of its length: some short books are over before they begin and others ramble to excess; Carl did this one just right, if you ask me. The characters are a little predictable and I felt that sometimes a character was pushed a little to add to the story (Leofwin and Alex's secret is a good example). Nonetheless, I enjoyed it quite a bit and I'm certainly glad I killed a rainy afternoon with it. “You know,” Alex whispered. “Latin sounds really impressive when people shout in it. I think I'm starting to believe Julius Caesar now.” It's also a great experience to communicate with the author directly (we exchanged a few Emails) and the letter to the reader at the back of the book was warm and heartfelt. I like his style and admire his accomplishments, so will be buying other works as they hit me. Chalk one up for DRM Free content and awareness to produce in accessible formats for the blind, too: an author assuredly deserving of your support.
5 Stars to The Death of Nnanji (The Seventh Sword, #4) by Dave Duncan
Description
Those who read and enjoyed the original three-volume series, THE SEVENTH SWORD, will remember that the original trilogy presents a series of surprising endings, especially in the third volume. In order to avoid spoilers, the author has chosen to skirt some issues central to those volumes in the description for this new, original and additional volume which follows the original series publications by well over a decade. New readers may wish to start with THE RELUCTANT SWORDSMAN, THE SEVENTH SWORD 1; THE COMING OF WISDOM, THE SEVENTH SWORD 2 and THE DESTINY OF THE SWORD, THE SEVENTH SWORD 3, before starting on this brand-new adventure set in the world of THE SEVENTH SWORD.
The Reluctant General For fifteen years the truce has held. Swordsmen of the Tryst of Casr have kept the peace and extended the rule of law over half the World, but now sorcerers have started killing swordsmen again, and swordsmen traitors are aiding them. Shonsu—who was Wallie Smith before he became a swordsman of the seventh rank and liege lord of the Tryst—must once more gird on the seventh sword of Chioxin, and this time he rides out to fight the war that he hoped would never come. As he leads his army forth, its two most junior members are Vixini, son of Shonsu, and Addis, son of Nnanji, who has an oath of vengeance to fulfill. Their failure or success will determine the fate of the World for the next thousand years.
Review
"Come and stand at my right hand, son. Push that stupid swordsman out of the way." It was a wonderful and strange experience for me, reading a new work in an already established, and hither too done with, world. Being late to the Duncan party I usually get to have the whole series at once, and plow through them with reckless abandon. It's been exactly 1,191 days since I first picked up a Dave Duncan book; it was January 2009 and those first five days, when I consumed the then Seventh Sword Trilogy, will forever remain etched in my memory. I moved on to other works, and I think I prefer some of the others, but I did come back to the world of the Goddess and have read them at least twice since then. So what of this forth installment, you ask? Well, it's as near a perfect novel as you could wish. A strong story, the characters we all know and love already, and some of Duncan's greatest hallmarks thrown in when the man is, undeniably, at the very top of his game. Batty, fruit-cake-style monarchs, for instance; we've seen them cantankerous, indecisive, delightfully vindictive and everything in between and Arganari here does not disappoint. It's also a very clever use of what was a minor but poignant character from the earlier trilogy, bringing in the Arganari family with such flair. But what else can you expect of this genius of an author? Then, there's the sublimely written characters. Duncan's always had a thing for bringing his characters through Adolescence, if not physically then emotionally. He takes the coming of age of a character, intertwines it with a problem of the world and lets his imagination and wit roam free and it shows in many of his works. Here, Addis and Vixini are in the limelight and I can't remember when I've enjoyed reading about characters quite so much. Then, of course, there's Liege Lord Shonsu, Swordsman of the Seventh rank, who's world this was until the kids started to grow up. I must admit I wondered how Duncan would handle it, with an aging lead who must of necessity slow down physically in a world where the physical is everything. And yet I needn't have worried, for Shonsu never felt written in to fill a gap or just because his presence was expected. I won't espouse anymore: if you haven't read the series and think you might enjoy it, this is a most worthy addition thereto. I've tried not to spoil anything whilst giving my impressions, so will simply conclude by saying that it's been a long time since I bought a book with every intention of staying awake until I'd read it on the eve of purchase. Even longer since that book has actually lived up to and surpassed every expectation. What more can a reader ask?
4 Stars to Triggers by Robert J. Sawyer
Description
On the eve of a secret military operation, an assassin’s bullet strikes President Seth Jerrison. He is rushed to the hospital, where surgeons struggle to save his life—and where Professor Ranjip Singh is experimenting with a device that can erase traumatic memories. Then a terrorist bomb detonates. In the operating room, the president suffers cardiac arrest. He has a near-death experience—but the memories that flash through Jerrison’s mind are not his own. The electromagnetic pulse generated by the bomb amplified and scrambled Professor Singh’s equipment, allowing a random group of people to access one another’s minds. One of those people can retrieve the President Jerrison’s memories—including classified information regarding the upcoming military mission, which, if revealed, could cost countless lives. But the task of determining who has switched memories with whom is a daunting one—particularly when some of the people involved have reason to lie…
Review
I utterly enjoyed this novel, and it was very nearly a 5 star read. But as with something like Flashforward the overwhelmingly transhumanic ending ruined it a little for me. Other than that, the characters were fascinating, and there aren't many who could've so deftly handled the memory mismanagement. I think the most fascinating mental swap for me was Tarasov reading Dora and the trauma from her childhood, which rang particularly strong for me having a very young daughter of my own. Nikki's surgery was also extraordinary to observe, and this is only a small portion of the genius Sawyer's nailed in this book. Some have noted the way in which this book is almost written to be turned into a movie. I sort of saw that; although there were several cliffhanger moments which made me think series more than film. Nonetheless, it's not harshly written or shallow. If the ending was a bit more my taste, assuredly a 5 star title.
4 Stars to Cows to Corpses by Alison Archer
Description
Alison Archer and her husband Rob are living the dream... In Cows to Corpses Alison describes how a life changing decision to buy - and run- her local village pub in deepest Herefordshire takes them from euphoric highs to desperate lows. Whether it's dealing with a dead body on the door step or trying to manage an unmanageable chef, Cows to Corpses tells it like it is. From the simple day to day problems of pouring the perfect pint (it's science you know) to learning to cope with fatigue so overwhelming it's like running a marathon having just climbed Everest, Cows to Corpses is a cocktail of amusing extracts from Alison's diaries. Quite where she found the time to write them is another story! Four parts wit, two parts frustration and a good pinch of despair, Cows to Corpses shares Alison's journey from the day the decision was made to buy the pub to the end of her first year as landlady. If you've ever dreamed of running a country pub then tuck in. It may not put you off - but it will certainly make you think twice.
Review
I don't often read nonfiction but, having seen this title advertised in the local newspaper and then reading more at its website thought I'd buy it. Even if I didn't enjoy the read, I'd helped someone in our comunity. The book turned out to be very good, actually. There were passages when I thought things were getting a little humdrum and predictable, but there were also several laugh out loud moments that made the less interesting bits not matter in the least. I'll eagerly buy the next one when it comes out, for although the writing isn't up to the usual published standard, the warmth and local feeling really shines through.
4 Stars to Ill Met in the Arena by Dave Duncan
Description
The nobles of Aureity have been breeding their children for psychic powers for generations. Women’s powers are mental, including psychic control and mind-reading, making them ideal rulers. Men have superhuman strength and can teleport to any place they have previously visited. Consequently, young noblemen make their fortune by competing in psychic gladiatorial contests to display their powers in the hope of being hired—and married—by women of high rank. When Quirt, an older man with obvious skill but little known record, first enters the arena, the combat circuit is abuzz wondering who he might be. But his mystery is almost eclipsed by the young cub who has been entering competitions anonymously and winning them all. Barely in his teens, full of raw power but short on training or patience, Humate is so horrified when he’s bested by Quirt that he insists on finding out where he came from. Unfortunately for Humate, the answer reaches far beyond his back to the terrible wrongs done to Quirt’s mother and his new wife by one of Humate’s relatives, and back to Quirt’s sentencing, a doom which takes away his identity until he can bring the culprit to justice. Humate is in deep denial about this familial scandal generations deep, but Quirt must try to covince him to help, compelled by his doom and by the stirrings of a new love that cannot possibly be realized in his nameless condition. No one ever said revenge was going to be easy.
Review
I bought this book recently and can honestly say it's the best read of the year so far. The complete pervasion of mental powers is a field that doesn't often work for me, and I've often taken a while to get into a Duncan series (which is why I prefer many of his multi-volume works rather than standalone ones). Still, this was a cracking read, slow to start as you'd come to expect but when it gets going it really sucks you in. The political intrigue is as complex and fulfilling as you could hope for in such a short work. The protagonist is perhaps a little too honourable, I've come to expect my heros to be a little more Human, though it's a typical Duncan trait (a la Rap, Durendal, Smith etc). The societal implications of a female-run world are touched upon very interestingly indeed and, generally, it's a fantasy work you will certainly want to try if any of Duncan's others have appealed.
March
5 Stars to Sixth Column by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
When the United States is occupied by an invading army, six individuals journey to a secret mountain hideout to work on a plan to help restore freedom to America and the world. Reprint.
Review
This is one of my favourite Heinleins. The stereotyping of the invaders is a little dated and I can't quite help but feel there's a seam of satire running beneath what is, to all outward appearances, an action story. Still, if you're new to him and want a taste of his paramilitary and scientific exposition without too much fluff and are looking for a cracking yarn to boot, this may be worthstarting with.
3 Stars to Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
Description
A human raised on Mars, Valentine Michael Smith has just arrived on planet Earth. Among his people for the first time, he struggles to understand the social mores and prejudices of human nature that are so alien to him, while his own “psi” powers—including telepathy, clairvoyance, telekenesis, and teleportation—make him a type of messiah figure among humans. "Stranger in a Strange Land" grew from a cult favorite to a bestseller to a classic in a few short years. The story of the man from Mars who taught humankind grokking and water-sharing—and love—it is Robert A. Heinlein’s masterpiece.
Review
I enjoyed this for the Martian angle and Heineline's pellucid blend of liberalism and philosophy. I know the science fiction community is rather odd as a rule, but quite why this novel is so holy, I sort of fail to Grok. I've read better Heinleins. This was very enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but sometimes I do think all the hype over a work can place it on a pedestal it may struggle to overcome
February
3 Stars to Article 5 (Article 5, #1) by Kristen Simmons
Description
New York, Los Angeles, and Washington, D.C., have been abandoned. The Bill of Rights has been revoked, and replaced with the Moral Statutes. There are no more police—instead, there are soldiers. There are no more fines for bad behavior—instead, there are arrests, trials, and maybe worse. People who get arrested usually don't come back. Seventeen-year-old Ember Miller is old enough to remember that things weren't always this way. Living with her rebellious single mother, it's hard for her to forget that people weren't always arrested for reading the wrong books or staying out after dark. It's hard to forget that life in the United States used to be different. Ember has perfected the art of keeping a low profile. She knows how to get the things she needs, like food stamps and hand-me-down clothes, and how to pass the random home inspections by the military. Her life is as close to peaceful as circumstances allow. That is, until her mother is arrested for noncompliance with Article 5 of the Moral Statutes. And one of the arresting officers is none other than Chase Jennings—the only boy Ember has ever loved.
Review
"Losing your family ... it puts fear in a different perspective." This was quite interesting in the use of a dark, gritty future where the presumed readership is YA females, which isn't a side of SF one often sees. Obviously people now think the Twilight Saga for that age bracket, but this sort of work has a very different feel to that. The ending was fairly open, too, so it's the sort of world you could really get your teeth into. Conclusion? Nothing amazing, but my age and gender preclude too much for me to be entirely reasonable.
4 Stars to Against the Light by Dave Duncan
Description
The Hierarchy, high priests of the religious order the Light, has installed King Ethan as the monarchical figurehead, ruling both the magical kingdom of Albi and its predominant religion. Scattered throughout the land, worshipers in the old ways of the Earth Mother are persecuted as heretics. And when young missionary student Rollo Woodbridge returns home to Albi, he is immediately arrested for heresy and treason, setting off a chain of events that plunges the land into utter chaos.
Review
I often open a Duncan work wondering just how deeply I'm going to get entrenched in another beautifully-crafted world. This one was as rich as many, though somehow it didn't feel as long a read as something comparable (Such as a few of the Pandemia works). Still, for all that it had a lot of depth to it, and the characters and their circumstances are painted with the usual skill we come to expect from such a Fantasy Master. The one thing that stuck in my mind about Against the Light was the way the world just opens up with little apology or explanation. We aren't told the why of things, we're just shown the how, and it's a trend that proceeds throughout the novel. IT's certainly a great way to open a series and I shall remain as glued to Duncan's Blog as ever, awaiting the next.
4 Stars to A Very Special Relationship (RADO, #2) by Mark Veronon Harland
Description
The random selection of MPs by a new computer nick-named ‘RADO’ has thrilled the nation. It is going to be repeated for a second Parliament. Against a backdrop of economic recession and dodgy bankers the Queen invites the President of the United States for a State Visit. With his second term in office coming to an end he is easily persuaded to use RADO back home and dissolve the Senate. In the UK the nation’s mind concentrates on fund-raising for the forthcoming London Olympics. In a ‘credit crunch’ can the country afford to emulate the success of Beijing? Are there more deserving cases than a three week jamboree for a few hundred athletes?
Review
I liked the first book of this series so much that I put up with it in audio form. I find audio books, as a rule, far too slow and lengthy, when I can read EBooks considerably quicker. This second installment was very enjoyable; the Britishisms and modernity (Maureen, the Olympics etc) really hit home to give the work a sense of charm. The humour is also still there, which is good, some authors tend to dry up after a first work. The one thing I didn't like so much about this book was how scheming and rather amoral everyone was. I rather liked Bob's first Chancellorship, whereas he seemed to have tried to rejoin the ranks of the bastard bankers here. Ditto for Michael, who though underhanded from the outset of the series was at least seeming to be in the public's interest. Still, I suppose these points would have made things far too wishy-washy for the tone the work conveys. I was a little glumly expecting a full US-based title, with a transatlantic RADO and perhaps only a nod to book 1, so the book pleased me in that respect. One more to go, and Mr Harland's on my watch list. No scalphunter I, honest... ;)
January
3 Stars to Empire State (Empire State, #1) by Adam Christopher
Description
The stunning superhero-noir fantasy thriller set in the other New York. It was the last great science hero fight, but the energy blast ripped a hole in reality, and birthed the Empire State – a young, twisted parallel prohibition-era New York. When the rift starts to close, both worlds are threatened, and both must fight for the right to exist. Adam Christopher’s stunning debut novel heralds the arrival of an amazing new talent.
Review
"Time to save the world. Rad stopped and considered. Two worlds." It's difficult to wax enthusiastic about a book I new I wouldn't really enjoy.The reviews were all very promising and the blurb fascinating, but even there, there was a warning bell. Steampunk is an sf&F subgenre that I have yet to enjoy in any way, shape or form. Now, now - yes, I've had very little exposure to it, I know. But having not liked it anywhere else, I see no reason to push it onto myself unnecessarily. So, that's the first demerit. Second, and more specific to this novel, is the setting - the Speakeasy, 1930's prohibition period of the US's history is one I am not particularly enamored of, mainly because I had to study it in depth for two years when I would have preferred continuing with the First World War. Those tortuous years gave me a fine appreciation for the stock market but a rather irritating outlook on that era, and so when I began to realise where this book was sett and what powered it's primary technologies (steammen, airships and so forth) I was tempted to trash it. But I didn't. I in fact read it to the end and, rather surprisingly, liked it! Even more worryingly, the comic superhero thing? I hate that, too. "The Skyguard and the Science Pirate" and everything that you associate with it... it reminds me of mindless, silly, juvenile drivel, the sort of thing I probably lapped up as a preteen and doubtless secretly enjoyed for a year or two afterward. I'm not saying it's the type of material that can't be well written, but it's part of a pulp era that doesn't appeal to me in the least. So for all that, I really enjoyed it. The writing was engaging, the characters distinctive. I felt a little at sea on occasion, Rad seemed one of the least competent detectives imaginable and his view throughout was a bit narrow, but the denouement was exciting, the writing good and the science at least vaguely interesting. I'll certainly be looking at Adam Christopher's further works, reading the reviews, maybe even sample chapters. I am, for all that this book should have gotten on my nerves, rather impressed.
4 Stars to Renegade's Magic (Soldier Son, #3) by Robin Hobb
Description
The third book in The Soldier Son Trilogy, from the author of the bestselling Farseer, Liveship Traders and Tawny Man trilogies.The people of Gettys town believe their cemetery soldier, Nevare Burve, guilty of unspeakable crimes. They also recall beating him to death.But Nevare didn't die that day. A power far more intractable than an angry mob seized control of his life and swept him away. The magic of the Speck people has claimed Nevare, and is shaping him into a weapon to halt the Gernian expansion into Speck lands.As his efforts to find a peaceful solution fail, Nevare realizes he can no longer suppress his ruthless Speck self, Soldier's Boy. He is determined to stop the Gernian expansion at all costs, and unlike Nevare, has no sympathy for his spirit-twin's world.
Review
"They wore the same expressions that weary soldiers always wore, no matter whose side they fought on, no matter if they had tasted victory or been drenched in defeat. They were cold, they were tired, they were hungry and they had seen things that no man should have looked on, done things that no man should have to do." Though my least favourite of the set, this is still an amazingly un-put-downable work. I didn't enjoy reading from the speck's point of view as much as the Gernian but hobb has neatly melded the worlds together with masterful ease which of course only highlights the differences between them that more brightly. my respect for Hobb's level of detail knows no bounds as we come full circle, ending, as we began, at Franner's Bend. Even a fairly happy ending, as endings go, which I wasn't really expecting. but superb, truly.
3 Stars to Dark Inferno by James White
Description
Sphere, 1974, British paperback edition. Astronauts traveling to Jupiter's moons are stranded in space after a disaster. By the author of the "Sector General" novels. Published in the U. S. as "Lifeboat."
Review
Having never kept me on the edge of my seat, I've still enjoyed lots of James White's work. This one was interesting from a character psychology viewpoint: though most of White's stuff I've read paints his characters in a very soap opera niche, these seemed a little flatter. But that worked to advantage when the lifeboat part of the story kicked in. so, yes, fairly enjoyable, though nothing earthshatteringly superb.
4 Stars to Captive Universe by Harry Harrison
Description
"For the first fifty pages you'll swear that Harrison has been rummaging in an old trunk. Here's that tired old theme...the lost community of Aztecs who have been cut off in a hidden valley by a landslide centuries ago. Presently they will discover the outside world--our world. The stalwart Aztec maverick may even fall in love with a beautiful white explorer...Of course, any reader of Analog Magazine should know Harry Harrison better than that. There are rumblings, even in the first chapters. The Aztecs are blond--that old Fair God bit again. Someone is feeding the vultures meat from an unspecified source. And surely we're not supposed to accept a snake-headed goddess? Trust Uncle Harry. On page 55, young Chimal follows the goddess through a secret door in the cliffs, with his whole tribe hunting him, & the story turns inside out."--P. Schuyler Miller
Review
right from the opening pages of this work, you get a sense of stifled expression, of set ways and things not to be broken. the "Clan Taboo" applying to relationships mentioned almost at the outset and the expectant nature of Quiauh's punishment for her transgression of over a decade ago is a gripping entree. Chimal is a different sort of character, though - Chimal Junior, I mean. The obvious inference is that the relationship - the forbidden, taboo, hither too unthinkable relationship has something to do with it. I suppose reading beyond the start of Chapter 3 might aid me in finding out precisely why... The sacrificial nature of these people can't help but disgust me. perhaps I'm forcing my own religious views onto a work of fiction, but the description of the 'wriggling puppy's' sacrifice - "It looked up at them, its tongue out and panting in the heat, while Citlallatonac, as first priest this was his duty, plunged his black obsidian knife into the little animal's chest. Then, with practiced skill, he tore out its still beating heart and held it high as sacrifice to Tlaloc, letting the blood spatter among the stalks of corn." makes me quite annoyed. I'm a sucker for furry, cute little animals. By the end of the "inside" portion of the novel, it seems obvious that there's a lot to answer - and with 2 thirds of the book to go I assume I'm going to get my wish. Chimal's got his exit, we've confirmed his biological father to be someone from a neighbouring village rather than a local, and we have a mysterious, dangerous God who cannot see him when he hides underwater and a sun that won't rise if the appropriate prayers haven't been said. Chimal is the watcher, of course, he's discovered all this: but to corrupt Juvenal's words to our own context, Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? nothing about women or police here, perhaps; but who's watching the villages? "She obviously had little curiosity about things unknown." We're well and truly "in", now; or outside, if you want to stick to it. Seems to be a motif, this lack of curiosity. People with advanced technology, vast stores,, vacuum-sealed equipment - all points at this stuff being kept until needed, with simple operating instructions for those who intend on doing the operating. Looks like they need it, too - they aren't the brightest bulbs in the candelabra. But the religious symbology is strong here, as strong in a way as it was in the village, which points to a conjoined origin for the two now very diverse groups. Whether that's origin-as-ancestors or origin-as-overseers... Time will tell. So, as I start "the stars" portion with the final third to go, I will desist in this little commentary so as not to spoil the ending. I shall return to finish and post this upon my completion of this intriguing work. And thus, but for the split of a paragraph, I return, the novel finished and the day an hour or so lost. As I wrote above, I daren't ruin the surprise of the ending, although I will say that it's a shame it ended the way it did - i.e. in such an open and "there may be more to say but I didn't bother" kind of a way. Still, the characters were interesting, the plot at least mildly gripping and the story, although not quite original, well-told.
5 Stars to The Wizardry Compiled (Wiz, #2) by Rick Cook
Description
Wiz Zumwalt is enjoying his new status as the premier programmer of demons, but the Black League is acting up again, and Wiz must recruit other programmers to help him
Review
"Now I understand why they invented television, he thought as he splashed cold water on his face and neck. No hangover." This is an excellent follow-on from the first book. The chapters are short and light, so it's perfect for a quick read, and the introduction of more people from our world adds spice and flavour to a formula which could've gotten old quickly. The technical programming side of things is as deliciously funny as ever, probably more so as things are already established. This isn't a book for epic character development, but there are messages here if you care to read them and the whole world is still beautifully painted.
3 Stars to West of January by Dave Duncan
Description
Set on a distant planet, far in the future, West of January tells the story of a world in which time moves very slowly. Because it takes a lifetime for each region of the planet to experience dawn, midday and dusk, the planet's population does not remember the catastrophes that occur as the sun moves across the sky - entire civilizations have been scorched into oblivion. The only people who remember the dangers of the past are the planet's "angels" - a people who have tried to preserve past technologies to save the planet. This action-filled story of a very strange planet showcases Duncan's remarkable ability to create unique worlds.
Review
"This action-filled story of a very strange planet showcases Duncan's remarkable ability to create unique worlds", says the book jacket. Dorsey's introduction to my 2002 edition is prolific in its effusion, and so I hove to with some expectation. I enjoyed the geography of the world, and the variety of peoples and their various motifs were mixed and varied very well. The Angels I found a little too... noble, I suppose, or at least they were supposed to be, once. The decay of the First People's technology seems a little at odds with what's left, but those are the only points that made me stop and wonder. The rest of the book, for all that it's one of Duncan's earliest, is quite a story. It is fascinating to see his style change over time, and I can say with a hundred percent accuracy that I'll be reading more of him this year.