Another solid book. I really like the hero– unusual for me, given his “slowness”. It is interesting to see the League enact their dictate, and Edward’s struggle is easy to empathize with. Nanotech makes another big appearance, as does genetic engineering.
The alien races continue to impress me; the Troyen castes and history mesh well with the personality of the characters we see. It’s one of the best books in this series. (I gobbled it down in a couple of “can’t put it down” nights.)
An excellent League of People’s book set on Earth. Our viewpoint character is as normal as you can get, surrounded by all kinds of interesting companions. Despite that, his strength of character buoys him throughout.
Characterization is strong. Page flipping is less compulsive than Expendable, but it’s a very enjoyable book, with great characters. The setting (and its explanations) are very interesting… nanites are awfully cool in this execution. It’s a very strong book, set off from the main line of Festina Ramos books. [She doesn’t show up at all.]
An interesting book in the League of People’s universe, with Festina present but secondary. The main character is messed up in interesting and sympathetic ways. There are well done mystery elements and the society is fascinating. The main character, her family, and the Vigil are all well drawn and easy to inhabit.
This was a reread and a relatively quick one. It was very enjoyable; I’d forgotten some of the core mysteries (Maya, the peacocks), so it was new to me again. I’ll keep rereading it when I want something effortlessly satisfying.
Good historical fiction about Ghengis Khan’s youth. Identifiable but very different due to culture, it was a fascinating glimpse and viewpoint of a major historical figure.
This was a reread. A bleak, introspective novel, with strong characterization. It’s a ravaged world, highly stylized (people and world both), with some interesting flashback/narration tricks to enhance a straightforward story.
Not much happens– superficially, it’s all about how they survive in a world where scavenging is the only option. Theft and starvation are the main foes; people are to be avoided, but there’s no recurring conflict with anyone throughout the book. It’s definitely not a quest style book– they wander places, but there aren’t any goals; they find loot, but only to stave off starvation a little longer.
In the end, it’s an interesting read, but this second time was plenty for me.
The first League of People/Expendables novels, starring Festina Ramos. The book is written in very quick moving chunks. Festina is instantly interesting– captivating really– with her competence and neuroses. She is quite competent, but has specialties and quirks that really set her off as a character.
Inside the standard chapter format are 1/2 page to page and a half sections set off with witty captions, telegraphing what the next section is about, but often with a twist or a humorous pun. It works exceptionally well, breaking the action into tiny chunks… and quickly propelling you from bite to bite. It’s hard to put down at any point, particularly since the next bite is so small…
The universe is fascinating, with a benevolent supremely powerful league over everything. Humanity mostly bumbles along smoothly, but everyone looks over their shoulders, knowing that the league is always watching. The resulting adaptations to the universe (stunners and defensive technology, no wars in space) makes it a unique universe to explore in.
Speaking of explore, the Explorer’s Corp is interestingly founded and formed– misfits that make sense. The range of responses to their conditions is interesting, as are the cross section of explorers. This first novel was strong enough that I instantly snap up each new novel in the universe as soon as I spot it.
A series of three linked novellas. I like the two heroes, both in their own stories (the first two) and even more together (in Ill Met in Lankhmar). Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser interact well, and the world– particularly Lankhmar– is rich. Their incredible expertise and youth are a little hard to buy [I mean, we didn’t see Fafhrd train with a sword at all in his background story; the same goes for the Grey Mouser.)
The final story is tragic and well done and certainly drops the two into the fire. I’ll keep an eye out for some of their other novels to continue enjoying their partnership.
An interesting review and defense of romance novels. The book moves easily between topics, occasionally seeming disjointed and some elements (like the coloring pages and choose your own adventure) felt like padding.
Overall, it was a nice glance at books that I’ve experienced only tangentially. The writing didn’t convert me– I’m not eager to abandon SF&F for romance on the basis of this one book– but their realistic appraisal of the genre means that I won’t groan if a good looking book is labeled romance either. Like everything else, there are well done books and dross– and “even in romance”, well done books sound well done.
The financial and sales numbers were surprising– I wonder how they stack up to YA. It sounds like romance blows everything else out of the water.
The fourth (and for now, final) book in Torin’s series. It’s an interesting book that puts a very interesting twist on the recent history of the universe, and provides some impetus towards change. It might be okay as a stand alone book, but it’s an excellent conclusion to the series.
The third book in the series; Torin is back for more. There’s some nice character evolution at the start, with Torin having scored a promotion and continuing a relationship with Ryder. The overall plot is good and interesting– what’s going on Crucible? There are lots of red herrings and alternate valid lines of thought to keep your brain engaged throughout. If you liked the first two books [and I did], the third’s a nice continuation.