A good standard thriller, with some twists and turns. And it's set on the moon. Is there really a war brewing between the Chinese and the Americans ONA good standard thriller, with some twists and turns. And it's set on the moon. Is there really a war brewing between the Chinese and the Americans ON THE MOON? Who can you trust? NO ONE.
I personally kinda hate the "you can't trust people" theme in a story, but it was pretty much the driver of what was going on here. And the cover, with a space helmet with what looks like a bullet hole in it? Yes, that kinda sucked me in.
I thought the descriptions of life on the moon and the dangers inherent in that life were pretty well described in a hard-sf sort of way. Most of the characters were fairly generic. The pace was pretty good.
A perfectly cromulent thriller. 3 and a half stars....more
6/9/24: reread. I'd actually forgotten I'd read this until I got a little ways in.
No regrets reading it again. Read it in one day.
Still wish real life6/9/24: reread. I'd actually forgotten I'd read this until I got a little ways in.
No regrets reading it again. Read it in one day.
Still wish real life was more like this. Bumping it up a star, just because. ---------------------------------
This is my second Catherine Ryan Hyde book. The two I've read have been easy, engaging, feel-good books.
This one is a sort of a little fable about friendship, love, and the little decisions that can change everything. I say fable, because I wish to heaven that real life was more like this.
But it's pleasant to read about. I read most of this in one day. It's gentle and hopeful. 3.5 stars.
NGL, I bought the book in large part because of the awesome cover. And I was not disappointed.
But before you go in, know this: there is a LOT of fightNGL, I bought the book in large part because of the awesome cover. And I was not disappointed.
But before you go in, know this: there is a LOT of fighting. Lots of shield walls. Lots of spear and sword stabbing and hacking. Axes hooking shields and pulling the shield-bearer off balance.
There are dead gods. There are Tainted (the book's term) descendants of those dead gods, who are frequently treated as thralls (slaves) of "normal" humans because of their special abilities, inherited from those gods. It's all set in an alternate sort of Nordic/Viking universe.
And there is the most Badass Bitch female warrior you could possibly want.
There's more going on than all this, of course. Missing children, parents who'd do anything to get them back.
It took me a while to read because I personally needed an occasional break from all the battles. YMMV.
Friends, this is the way you wrap up a long series.
I hate that it's over, but if it had to end, this was a good way to do it.
Bravo.
(It took me a whilFriends, this is the way you wrap up a long series.
I hate that it's over, but if it had to end, this was a good way to do it.
Bravo.
(It took me a while to read, because I was anxious about what would happen. It's been a hard couple of years, and some things are just Hard To Take now. But James S.A. Corey did it right. Thanks, guys.)...more
NGL, didn't really know what to make of this book.
The folks who have always been something other/more than human finally come out, and... things happNGL, didn't really know what to make of this book.
The folks who have always been something other/more than human finally come out, and... things happen? And maybe there are gods too?
It's not really a linear story, so be aware of that. I need to read a good breakdown of what's going on, I think. I liked the writing, but I didn't quite understand what all was going on. I'm sure that's on me....more
I've been recommending this book as a place to start with Adrian Tchaikovsky. But someone asked me questions about it that I couldn't answer, so i figI've been recommending this book as a place to start with Adrian Tchaikovsky. But someone asked me questions about it that I couldn't answer, so i figured I'd better read it again.
It's still good. I still like the tension between what the locals see as magic, and what the Elder knows is silence. What I didn't remember was how hard the whole thing was on the Elder. Bless him, he really struggled, for Reasons. Good reason, IMHO.
I still liked it though. ________________ I think I'm almost at the point of buying anything Adrian Tchaikovsky writes as it comes out. He has a REALLY interesting way of looking at things and writing about them. I've been reading SF/F for decades. It's difficult any more to find something fresh and new. Tchaikovsky delivers this pretty reliably.
This story contrasts science/technology -- in the person of a junior anthropologist who's been left behind, probably forever, by his colleagues -- and fantasy, in the person of Lynesse Fourth Daughter, who lives in a very sword/sorcery sort of semi-medieval world. There are reports of problems in the woodland communities. Lynesse's mother, the ruler of her kingdom, thinks the problems are exaggerated, and really doesn't care that much about the woodland kingdoms anyway.
But Lynesse is worried. She's the headstrong and unruly Fourth Daughter, and thus expendable anyway. She decides to seek the help of the Sorcerer in the Tower (actually the aforementioned junior anthropologist). Little do they know that Cosmic Horror awaits them.
The contrasting viewpoints of the anthropologist (scientific/technological) and the daughter (Magic!!) are interesting. Clarke's Third Law comes into play. It's fun, and ultimately fairly hopeful.
I picked this book because it was described as a ghost story. Sometimes I want to read ghost stories.
It's a pretty compelling read for about the firstI picked this book because it was described as a ghost story. Sometimes I want to read ghost stories.
It's a pretty compelling read for about the first half or two-thirds of the book. Then I began to see where it was going, and I became less happy about it.
The prose is all very modern, even though the book is set in the 1600s on a sheep farm. I did like some of the descriptions of shepherding and working with sheep. There's also a bit of gothic atmosphere here: a crumbling hall, family secrets, general poverty and gloom in the area.
Strange things happen. Secrets have been kept. The secrets are the kind that will ruin a family and a home. Things progress to an inevitable conclusion. Not every story has a happy ending.
Props to the author for a strong female character who nevertheless is still constrained by the limits of her society. Though honestly, the accusations of her being a witch seem a little tacked on, and not a full part of the story....more
I think I picked this up on sale at Kobo. It promised an Arctic location, and a mystery. I'm a sucker for books set in cold places for some reason.
TheI think I picked this up on sale at Kobo. It promised an Arctic location, and a mystery. I'm a sucker for books set in cold places for some reason.
The initial setup is promising, sorta. There's a storm. Then there are multiple equipment failures. And ice that is much thicker than it should be, and heavy enough that it finally freezes the ship in place. (The ship is supposed to be re-supplying an oil rig up near Alaska.)
Noah, the protagonist, has had the misfortune to get on the bad side of the captain of the ship, who is also his father-in-law. (There's a long side-story about his wife and little girl, and why the captain hates Noah so.) The crew starts getting sick/debilitated, and no one knows why. They're frozen in the ice, they can't call for rescue, their fuel/food/water are limited.
But wait! There's something on the horizon! Maybe it's the oil rig they were trying to get to??? And the more able-bodied of the crew decide It's A Good Idea To Go See. Never mind that it's -40F with wind chill and that they a) don't have really good survival equipment and b) have no idea how far away their destination is and c) they don't know if there's anything there for them when they arrive. But it would be a fairly boring (and unhappy) book if all we could do is sit and wait for them to die of cold/starvation/sickness.
They find something they didn't expect. And they found an oil rig. And then everyone lost their minds and (view spoiler)[ the whole book erupts in bloody violence. (hide spoiler)]
I wasn't crazy about the ending, and there are questions left unanswered. But it was ok to skim along through, and to skim over the parts I didn't like so much.
**spoiler alert** Whoa, this was a tricksy book. I liked it, mostly.
It reads kinda like a fairy tale, but not a traditional one. It has a tiny bit of **spoiler alert** Whoa, this was a tricksy book. I liked it, mostly.
It reads kinda like a fairy tale, but not a traditional one. It has a tiny bit of a folk horror feel to it.
A woman leaves her husband and son and goes into the woods, ostensibly to pick berries. She becomes lost, is rescued, runs away, is rescued and healed, wants to go home, maybe makes it, but it doesn't really make her happy. Things happen. There's some kind of succession going on with these strange women in the woods. It's almost a Maiden/Mother/Crone kind of thing. It's kinda feminist.
It's interesting and I liked it, but didn't love it. But try it. You may like it better than I. It's certainly not boring. A little dream-like, maybe....more
A story set in Warsaw, read for our Mystery book club.
Adam Kaminski is in Poland as part of a sister-city delegation. While there, he coincidentally mA story set in Warsaw, read for our Mystery book club.
Adam Kaminski is in Poland as part of a sister-city delegation. While there, he coincidentally meets a relative who's just lost his daughter. Authorities are telling the relative that the daughter, Basia, had committed suicide, but the relative doesn't believe it.
Adam is a cop back in Philadelphia, so he can't keep from trying to help a relative out. The local Polish police force is about as excited about this as you might expect.
I mostly skimmed it because it didn't really engage me. ...more
I liked some of the concepts of this book: giant spaceships that make thousand year rounds among the settled planets, recording memories and trading gI liked some of the concepts of this book: giant spaceships that make thousand year rounds among the settled planets, recording memories and trading goods.
I was less enchanted by the problem that arises, and the solution to it. TBH, I got to the explanation for why the light chaser was getting messages from different people all saying the same thing, and I said to myself "SERIOUSLY???????" Then I closed the book and walked away for a while. I did come back to it and told myself not to eye-roll. And it was ok.
There's too much romance in many of these books for my liking. But I'm notoriously anti-romance. Here I felt like too much of the plot got overshadoweThere's too much romance in many of these books for my liking. But I'm notoriously anti-romance. Here I felt like too much of the plot got overshadowed by all the Gotta-get-these-guys-together-ism that went on. But if you like romance and happy endings and a small side dish of adventure, you'll probably like it. I didn't hate it, mostly. I just get tired of all the "OMG I just want to get my hands on this person and RAVISH them" that goes on.
But I'm an old crank about stuff like this.
And there's a good set-up for the next book at the end....more
Not really my cup of tea, I guess. I had hopes for it, but... nah.
Nothing really interesting happens except something slightly interesting at the veryNot really my cup of tea, I guess. I had hopes for it, but... nah.
Nothing really interesting happens except something slightly interesting at the very end. There's some romance that added basically nothing to the story, except Obligatory Romance Elements. I didn't really care for the characters. Mostly I was just annoyed by some of the ways the author described things. ("Brethren" isn't singular, for instance. And why, if you refer to yourself as "it" do you call your fellow units "sisters" rather than "siblings?" Bah.)
That's not all that bothered me, but I'm already sounding really bitchy about a book a lot of people seem to like. No problem. People get to like what they like. I just didn't see what all the fuss was about.
I listened to the audiobook. The narrator was ok, not great.
2.5 stars rounded up. A disappointment for me....more
There's a murder. There is (or may be) an undiscovered work of art involved.
It was fine. I wasn't very interRead for Mystery book club. It was fine.
There's a murder. There is (or may be) an undiscovered work of art involved.
It was fine. I wasn't very interested in it, but I confess I envy having little coffee shops with baguettes and pain au chocolat right at hand all over the place, along with picturesque scenery and a view of the ocean.
I didn't really like the protagonist, but I didn't hate him. And he got the job done through tenacity and THE POWER OF HIS BRAIN!!!!...more
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