Carl Butler has retired to an undeveloped farming planet at the edge of civilization and wants to live out his days in peace. It's been a couple yearsCarl Butler has retired to an undeveloped farming planet at the edge of civilization and wants to live out his days in peace. It's been a couple years since the last book and he thinks that part of his life is over. The arrival of his former commander, the retired General Serata puts an end to such notions. The third wealthiest man in the galaxy has personally requested Butler through the President to go to a frontier jungle planet that his corporation is developing to find his missing daughter. This has happened before and Butler is somewhat more self-aware now, so he knows he's being manipulated, but agrees anyway, with conditions. He also knows that once he starts he literally won't be able to stop because he pathologically has to always follow through regardless of the consequences. Everyone knows that and that's exactly what they're counting on, though they continually seem to underestimate exactly what that means in practice.
Fortunately most of what bothered me about the previous book has been changed. The previous plotline and themes have been dropped. There's a far greater focus on the supporting cast who are used as supporting characters ought to be. All of the characters are better in general. Butler has regained his agency. There's much discussion that specifically talks through the relevant mysteries. The military science fiction aspect that was in the first book is even more played down, to where it doesn't matter much. Each book is increasingly more focused on investigation and discussion rather than action. It's all steps in the right direction for me even though I don't know what I even want from the series at this point. If I hadn't read Generation Ship first I don't know that I'd be reading this. So goes the importance of what you first read from an author.
I don't know how many who've read this thought it was going be a trilogy. I never did because it seems like it's an open-ended series where he'll write as many books in it that can he get published. I could be wrong about that, though a fourth book will be published later this year. The main reason why I believe it's a open-ended series is because there's literally no overarching story so far and each one doesn't have much continuity between them. I think it'd be entirely fine reading only this one or any other. It'd probably be fine to read them out of order, I don't know why you would intentionally do so, but I don't think it'd matter that much. I wonder how much of structure for this series is intended versus what happened for whatever reason. In this book's acknowledgements Mammay says that the second book never really came to together until the end and that he had to rewrite 60% of this book due to its issues. That seems to have worked because I'd say I like this the most thus far of the series, though I'm wary of giving it 4 stars because of the preceding books.
Dinios Kol is an engraver, an altered person who has perfect recall, working as an assistant to Anagosa Dolabra, a high ranking investigator. They're Dinios Kol is an engraver, an altered person who has perfect recall, working as an assistant to Anagosa Dolabra, a high ranking investigator. They're part of what functions as law enforcement in the empire. Ana prefers to only solve cases rather than having to be personally involved in any sort of fieldwork. So, she sends Kol out to record and retrieve all of the evidence and then present it to her. Few mysteries present any challenge to her. The story starts with Kol's first murder case, which is only an introductory part of a greater mystery. They soon find themselves entangled with the most powerful houses, a grand conspiracy, and the possible fate of the empire depending on the successful resolution of the case.
The Tainted Cup is a first person fantasy mystery with a single POV. Saying this is a Holmes & Watson mystery is an easy reference, though I don't believe it's that accurate. In the acknowledgements, Bennet says the inspiration for Ana was Nero Wolfe and then later Hannibal Lecter. I can't comment on the former, though there are similarities with the latter. To that mix I'd add Mycroft Holmes rather than Sherlock. By relation I'd say that Kol is more Will Graham than John Watson. Since smell is so important to him, he also reminds me a bit of the private investigator from the eponymous Ukrainian TV series, The Sniffer. There's also some similarity with The Justice of Kings, the first book of Richard Swan's Empire of the Wolf series.
The Empire of Khanum is the namesake of the Khanum people, who have long since died out, but their name and technology continues on with those humans who came after. This is a civilization that has mastered biotech and cannons. Their level of technology is unclear and uneven. There's a considerable amount that in other contexts would be considered science fiction. I found it rather interesting to see how much they could do with bioplastics and other repurposing of organic life. There's also a lot that seems to be from the Middle Ages at latest. As this book takes place entirely in the outskirts of the empire, the inner areas may be more advanced. The greatest threat to the empire is that with each wet season everything they are and have is put to the test as the leviathans, beings the size of mountains, come from the eastern sea to travel inland, destroying everything in their path.
I loved everything about this and it's a strong contender to be my favorite book published in 2024 and will surely be among the best I've read this year. It starts very strong and only gets better as it goes on. All the characters are great, the mystery is a lot of fun and fair, the worldbuilding is excellent, it's well-written, and it reminds me of much else that I've greatly enjoyed. On a personal level I don't have any complaints at all. This is definitely a series I'll be looking forward to for each book....more
A man awakens, remembering nothing biographical, though otherwise retaining what he knows. He finds himself on a boat on a river shrouded in dense pinA man awakens, remembering nothing biographical, though otherwise retaining what he knows. He finds himself on a boat on a river shrouded in dense pinkish mist. There are others with him and they all share surgical scars and have the same memory loss. They seem to be on a mission as they realize they have a certain set of complementary skills that would be useful for survival and for carrying out a special operation. A voice from elsewhere speaks to them. It says they must obey or they will die. Whatever their purpose may be, they must follow their directions, because at the least the boat can be remotely deactivated, leaving them stranded. Precautions have been taken to minimize how much they can tamper with anything. Their greatest danger is each other, at least until they discover the current circumstances of the world.
As per the title, there's red mist, they're on a river, and there's seven of them. It's literal and suits it well. The amnesia is functional and serves a greater purpose than being for plot convenience. In terms of the plot, that they can't remember their lives is integral to everything. However, even if they did have their memories it wouldn't really be that different for several of them. This does limit them as a cast of characters because they're reduced to what their specialty is and a few other core personality traits.
I haven't read anything else by Anthony Ryan, so I'm unable to compare this SF/horror/mystery/thriller to his fantasy novels. What I do know is this seems like it was written to be a movie. Everything extraneous is removed and all there is, is the characters and their mission. I don't see that as necessarily a bad thing, though it's definitely notable. I would watch it if it were made into one because it seems like it could easily transition into a primarily action movie.
The last 15% started leaning into political allegory, or at least that's what I read it as. The only hint before that was that it was mentioned that the 45th president was someone whose name shouldn't be said in polite company. That was fine, though I don't think it was handled all that well. There wasn't an epilogue, which from a reader perspective would've been nice in terms of pay-off. Having one though would've gone against the allegory that had been established and the narrow focus of the narrative. Maybe it's just because it's not that long of a novel that there didn't seem to be any need to do so.
This was a nice read, though it's not really notable in any way. There was a good bit that this story had going in its favor for me. I like amnesiac group stories, which has lead me to read books that I might otherwise wouldn't, for better and worse. I also appreciate it when authors try writing in different genres than what they're known. If I had enjoyed it just a bit more I would've rounded it up.
Although there's an intimidating number of books in this series, this can be read by itself, as can most any book in this setting.
Lionel Scott is an uAlthough there's an intimidating number of books in this series, this can be read by itself, as can most any book in this setting.
Lionel Scott is an utterly deranged Malthusian who believes that the only way to save Gaia, Earth, is to rid it of the parasites killing it, humans. To that end he has developed a hybrid virus to eliminate almost all of humanity. Now he and his crew of misanthropes will sacrifice everything they are to cull the population to a sustainable level. Their plan is to infect several major airports in the US so that there's a worldwide pandemic before there can be any time for countermeasures, let alone containment. They know that what they do is righteous and for the greater good. The many must die so that the few may live, preferably including their selves if possible. When suspicions arise about Scott's disappearance The Department of Homeland Security tasks one of their agents, Letty Davenport to investigate. She assembles a team that includes her father, U.S. Marshal Lucas Davenport, and several other major characters from recent books. Somehow, the fate of the world may now be their responsibility. A cat and mouse game with the highest possible stakes has now begun.
I was surprised by how much the stakes increased with this book. The series really has come far from its beginnings. From investigations of murderers with a victim or two to the possibility of human extinction is quite the change in scope and scale. It's not as surprising once you know that despite the name, this is more of a Letty than Lucas book, but even by the standard set by Letty's first book, this is quite the change. The main problem I have with that is that the Letty books are more serious and science oriented, which Sandford does admirably well with given that he's 80 years old, but there are times where the science is stuck in the 1970s and it made me groan. I really dislike the Malthusian argument, whether it's made by Thanos, Scott, or anyone else. Aside from the outdated science and questionable motivations of the antagonists I don't have any significant complaints. The chronology, it's all but stated that it's 2023, is a mess as usual, but that doesn't really matter.
Most of my usual complaints about the series aren't present here. The characters are fun and pleasing to read about, the narrative is tense and engaging, and it was immersive enough to where I was able to believe that it could have any possible ending. That allowed for an emotional rollercoaster and I appreciated that. I'm impressed by how Sandford writes books that are often quite different each time while also remaining much the same. That hasn't always worked, though this time it has. I have to wonder what comes next and whether this is a sign that the series conclusion is nigh. Maybe it even ended in this book. If you haven't read it or the FAQ on his website, you don't know. That being said I'm eager for whatever comes next, even after having read 50 books in this setting, which I find to be rather remarkable....more
The United States has collapsed due to a Worst Case Scenario, in this case the FURY bacteria, which makes its victims immune to pain and wanting to kiThe United States has collapsed due to a Worst Case Scenario, in this case the FURY bacteria, which makes its victims immune to pain and wanting to kill everyone else. It's also highly contagious. In preparation for these circumstances, a top secret program was initiated to select those who would rebuild the country. 237 candidates underwent Primary Selection, but only 48 were chosen, one for each of the lower 48 states, to each be isolated in a Hole so that 30 days later they'd emerge and reestablish the country. Captain Lee Harden, an ex-Ranger, is one of those 48. He doesn't want to be believe that the Worst Case Scenario has happened. After he comes to terms with that he'll have to set out into the world to accomplish his goals: Survive. Rescue. Rebuild. Anyone who gets in the way of those goals must be killed without mercy or hesitation.
This book was originally self-published in 2012 and that really shows, even after all the editing it must've went through before being republished. It's rough, but there were glimmers of the fun that I had from reading his fantasy novel, A Harvest of Ash and Blood, which was the first book I read from Molles. I decided to read this, his first published novel and see how that'd go. A lot can change in 10+ years of writing and that's abundantly evident here. The action is moderately thrilling, but overall it's a rather lacking experience. Lee searches, he finds, he rescues the weak and kills the predators. He tells them that's here to help. There's nothing particularly exciting about that in terms of plot.
As is all too common for my preference, this version of Earth hasn't slightest concept of zombies or the undead, so they haven't the slightest clue what's going on for a while. The premise and much else is entirely ridiculous, though it's not that difficult to just go along with it. Lee isn't a super soldier or otherwise all-powerful, so a lot can and does go wrong. I can't really comment on how accurate it would be, though perhaps much of his failings can be attributed to shock. There's not really all that much to say about him, or any other of the characters. It really is all survival action with horror elements, though I'm sure the later novels because considerably more complex and the characters much more developed.
There are currently 14 novels and 2 novellas in the series, which seems like it could go far towards Lee's stated goals, though perhaps life just doesn't go that way. I don't want to go through an unknown number of books to get to something that may be interesting and worthwhile. This book is on the borderline between being bad and mediocre. Sometime later I'll look at his most recent releases to see whether it's only the one book that I like from him. A Harvest of Blood and Ash is getting a sequel so there's that for me at least. It's interesting to see how much he's improved and I'm glad that he had the opportunity to be able do to so.
Judgment Prey is the 33rd Davenport novel and the 15th Flowers novel, though since the series were combined it's more often Davenport in the leading rJudgment Prey is the 33rd Davenport novel and the 15th Flowers novel, though since the series were combined it's more often Davenport in the leading role. This could be the last with Flowers in an active role, as Sandford typically follows through on their statements of intent, but not always. I had written about the previous book this would be the last one with Flowers, but those were only my thoughts rather than the character's. What I've written says very little about the plot, because I don't believe that's what distinguishes them. These aren't twisty books, or even mystery usually. They're far more about the execution and the character interactions. The interpersonal, and at times intrapersonal, dynamics of the characters are a joy to read. As for the plot, I did like how it sprawled out and showed the consequences of their investigations. For some that may be a distraction from the primary investigation, but for me it provides an additional layer of enjoyment.
There are two dominant perspectives, Luca Davenport and Margaret Cooper, the latter being a surviving member of the family the killer murdered. There are other briefer perspectives though, including from the killer, as there tends to be. Usually the criminal's perspective is one of my favorite parts of this series, though in case the opening criminal is underdeveloped. His purpose seemed to be give the reader foreknowledge so that there wouldn't be as much mystery or moral ambiguity regarding the actions certain characters take. The criminal of the secondary plotline was more developed, but I took issue with his characterization as well. Instead, the focus this time was on Cooper. Sandford has written female duos before and to great effect. I don't think this pair is as good, though it's still good. I enjoyed the rapid perspective changes that occurred at one point and thought it was done rather well.
Compared to the recent entries in the series, this one relatively takes a step back and goes for a smaller scale and resets a few things. The investigation has Davenport and Flowers take an active role and and they're critical to its progress and resolution. Somehow they're acting on their own separate from anyone else, so there's little to impede them. Davenport has considerably calmed down and relaxed compared to how he sometimes is, but he also ignores statements made at the opening of the book about himself. Truly the power of working a case salves all mental and physical issues, as Davenport himself mentions. Unfortunately for others though, Davenport continues to be dangerous to those involved, mostly indirectly this time, which is again mentioned as well. As almost always though, the worst enemy of the criminals is themselves. That almost seems like something that's inherent to the antagonists of this series.
It took me a little while to warm up to this one, but after I got into it, I found myself enjoying it quite a bit. There isn't anything that particularly stands out, it just seems to have worked really well for me. It could be that how it's written was simply what was right for me at this time. I do have some concerns about how the book ended. It was abrupt, though not unexpected, and I have to wonder if it's the lead-in for a future book or something that's briefly mentioned later in passing. I reserve judgment on it until something is done with it or not. Lastly, I remain amazed at the staying power of this series. May it continue for as it's able to maintain an acceptable level of quality.
I received this DRC from G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley....more
Magadala Cled, called Ugly by everyone she knows, is a twenty-six year old naturally born person who lives on planet Indigo. Seemingly literally everyMagadala Cled, called Ugly by everyone she knows, is a twenty-six year old naturally born person who lives on planet Indigo. Seemingly literally everyone else was born through genetic engineering that selected for only the best examples of every trait. As to expected of a natural birth, she's considered deformed, hideous, and stunted. When others look upon her they're visibly unable to contain their revulsion. She doesn't let anyone know that this bothers her, but inside she intensely seethes and loathes everyone. Even if she could afford it, she knows that cosmetic surgery couldn't help her in any way. A life-changing opportunity comes her way when an ultrawealthy and extremely attractive young man offers her a new body. All she has to do is whatever he wants and she'll never have worry about anything again. Magadala is very suspicious and doesn't give in easily, but offer is so tempting, regardless of its cost.
Your enjoyment of Electric Forest probably will mostly depend on your perspective on and tolerance for the specific events of the story. I don't know how much you'd get from this if you approach it in an adversarial manner or believe it to be in bad taste. Magadala has understandably severe body image issues, low self-esteem, and a festering resentment for everything. She becomes part of a psychosexually domineering relationship, though she isn't submissive. Her situation is treated as a sort of voluntary horror that she endures because she believes the benefits to be worthwhile. I found its exploration of bodily autonomy, identity, and a host of other psychological issues to be enjoyably written. While there's a bit of flirting and sex, the primary focus of the plot is a mystery thriller. Magadala's new body was designed for a specific purpose, which she's not informed of, though it clearly involves social manipulation. The more involved she becomes, the more she realizes how little control she has over her life now.
There are several mentions of other literary works in the text that are used to describe what is being read. There's Frankenstein, Dracula, Pygmalion, Shakespeare, and others. It made me think of a few more as well. At first I thought it was a bit much, but given how it ends, their inclusion makes sense. I enjoyed this from the start until the end, and up until the epilogue this was a solid four stars. I found the epilogue to be hilarious because it reminded me of one of my all-time favorite movies. It was quite the unexpected experience and I found myself somewhat in disbelief that I wanted to give it five stars. I then looked at the reviews and many others had almost the exact opposite reaction to the ending, which is reasonable. I found it to be less reasonable though to include unmarked spoilers for the ending in a number of them, including the most liked. This book has greatly improved my opinion of Lee and eventually I'll have to read more from her....more
In 2080, the final human generation is dying out. The world is no longer habitable. A tipping point of no return was reached around 2050. Research intIn 2080, the final human generation is dying out. The world is no longer habitable. A tipping point of no return was reached around 2050. Research into time travel had long been underway. The scientists, under the auspices of the last remaining authority, The World Health Organization, have recruited five individuals to travel back in time from their base in Antartica. The protagonist, a 71 year old Russian woman, is the first to time travel by sending her consciousness back in time to pilot a woman in around 2030, 50 years ago. The question remains of whether altering the past to save the present will doom the future.
I appreciated the detailed explanation of how any of this could be even theoretically possible. There are many different ways presented in media of how time travel functions and I find their comparisons interesting. The narrative has a few twists and surprises, mostly resulting from the alternation of being told from the present and past. Time travel shenanigans are present, though they're easily understood. For some the the largest problem may be in how anticlimactic it may seem to be. I found that to be rather amusing and certainly the best usage I've seen of Reynolds suddenly skipping stuff and not writing any of it. Unlike much else of Reynolds's work there's only a minimal amount of body horror, the weird, and identity problems. This novella could possibly be considered significantly divergent from his usual work.
What I'm most surprised by in this standalone near future SF thriller novella is that Reynolds wrote something that doesn't need to be reduced in length. That hasn't been the case for anything other than the shortest fiction I've read from him. It also reads better to me than most else I've read from him. As a probably unrelated note this was published the year before Tenet, the movie, screened in theaters. There's not that much similarity between them aside from both being time travel thrillers where much doesn't go as planned. I enjoyed this more than Tenet, which was far more concerned with coolness than science. That's nice and all, but it didn't work out that well to me, unlike Permafrost. There are also some similarities with the videogame series, Zero Escape.
Somehow this novella is now what I've personally enjoyed most of what Reynolds has written at of least novella length. He has a few works of short fiction I've enjoyed more. Inversion would've been better if it weren't so repetitive and hadn't gone so wrong. So, this being the best isn't a high bar for an author that I initially rejected, then tried again at the urging of someone, and have since then found to be decent overall. Apparently I prefer his near future work to his far future space opera, though I don't believe that would be the same for the vast majority of those who read him. I hope he does more that's similar to this. I'll be reading more from him regardless.
At the end of the 22nd century in China Lake, California, there's an AI called Rose House, which is a literal house in the desert, a desert rose. I doAt the end of the 22nd century in China Lake, California, there's an AI called Rose House, which is a literal house in the desert, a desert rose. I don't mean that there's an AI installed in the house, I mean the house itself, and maybe more than that, is the AI. That's what it says right away and several times afterwards. There's a few attempts to play up the creepiness of the house basically being alive, but not nearly enough in terms of intensity or frequency. That sums up everything overall as well, there's not enough substance. This lack isn't merely because of its length, but rather seems to be a conscious choice, or at least I hope that it is.
The story could be construed as a murder mystery, but I think that would be misleading. There's a murder, but only minimal mystery. The real mystery is what Martine is going for. Instead, this is a story about unrequited desire, anxiety of influence, and a few less important things. It's possible that everything that happens is an allegory, but I'd only be guessing about what. There's a lot of rose symbolism, though I don't know much of it is intentional or coincidental references.
As for characters there's Selen(ite), which is a mineral also called desert rose. She's the only one the house will allow inside. Detective Maritza investigates the mystery, though that's describing it charitably. She's mostly just there to have the story told at her. There are other viewpoint characters, which function as plot devices, though not very effective ones. If the other characters have symbolic meanings they weren't readily apparent to me. At times it felt more like a performance that was being put on because its conductor wanted to amuse itself. Everyone else was merely a prop to be used for its play. That's a fine meta idea, but doesn't make for that entertaining of a story, for me at least.
I don't really any see reason for it to be set when it is, aside from trying to make the premise a bit more plausible. The only other indications of it not being contemporary are that people are casually mentioned to be regularly killed for their water rations and that there have been various police reforms. Nothing is seen of the former and the latter is mostly for plot convenience.
The ending is unsatisfying, not for its lack of resolution, because I think that's one of its primary themes, but because it's basically an antihumor joke that I'm unable to appreciate. There are multiple times where a characters tells you that the story is mocking noir tropes, though it didn't really have that many of them.
Overall, this is inoffensive and well-enough written. I feel that it needs to either be considerably shorter or longer, probably shorter. At least them it could be entirely about its gimmick and nothing else. Despite all that I've written above, I didn't dislike it. That's just how feelings work. Maybe it's me imagining what this could've been....more
The core of this novel is decent, but I felt it was entirely weighed down by everything else about it. Most of that could've been avoided by updating The core of this novel is decent, but I felt it was entirely weighed down by everything else about it. Most of that could've been avoided by updating the language to be suitable for a novel set in around 2023. The protagonist is 34 and his older brother is 37, yet they almost exclusively make references from the 1960s. As someone of this age, I was confused by this because they wouldn't be the relevant references at all. I was familiar with them, but they were still rather off-putting. Lansdale should've either set the novel to be in an earlier time, made the characters older, or had someone help him by providing the proper references for the character's ages.
Although this is primarily a mystery novel with some thriller elements, humor plays a large role as well. Unfortunately, the humor fell flat with me. Sometimes I didn't realize it was meant to be humorous until a bit after I read it. The euphemistic sex humor between the protagonist and his love interest was especially baffling considering all the other jokes, bestiality being a reoccurring one. I don't know what tone the humor was going for either as it ranged widely. There was a lot that didn't quite make sense to me, but maybe I was looking at it from the wrong perspective, including the humor.
So, as to what the novel is actually about, the protagonist has a vision about his ex-wife and he takes it seriously. This leads him to suspect that the titular Donut Legion, a cult, may be involved. The protagonist is a writer, though he decides to play sleuth with his brother and some others that he comes across. Fortunately for him, aside from his adversaries everyone is plot convenient and readily infodumps. It's possibly that the novel is satirical or a parody at times, but if it is, it mostly went over my head.
The humor isn't the only tone that I was confused about. It goes from a guy who's just trying to find out about his ex-wife wife and not expecting any real drama to some gruesome scenes. It's a bit like watching a Scooby-Doo episode and then halfway through they find mangled bodies or an episode of The Andy Griffith Show where they come across a mass grave filled with decapitated corpses. Both of these shows are referenced in the text and may be part of the satire, or if may be just that I'm trying to make some sense of what I read and there's nothing to it. Maybe that gap is even the point, I don't know.
I've read ten works of short fiction by Lansdale before, which ranged from terrible to good, more so the former, though this is the first novel of his that I've finished. As this was a group read, I was told by the others who've read previous novels by him that this wasn't representative of his work, and was decent at best. I'm willing to give the benefit of the doubt that that's true and give his earlier novels another chance someday and I'll continue to read his short fiction that I come across....more
A Harvest of Ash and Blood is a white-knuckle ride that gets your heart pounding and your pulse racing as it rampages through the hell that is the batA Harvest of Ash and Blood is a white-knuckle ride that gets your heart pounding and your pulse racing as it rampages through the hell that is the battlefield. D. J. Molles has written around twenty novels prior to this, almost all of which seem to be some flavor of military thriller. Maybe it's because I haven't read much like this, but I'm thoroughly impressed by the book's continuous intense action from start to end except for a few breaks for the characters to rest for a bit. The fantasy elements are well-integrated, though those looking for a typical epic fantasy adventure may find themselves with a rather different narrative. This is almost entirely a series of brutal military engagements that reminded me of a mix between twentieth century and medieval wars.
Depending how caught up the reader is by the action there may be little time to think about what is happening, why it is, or what it means. Although many details are stated directly, the implications are left for the reader to determine and the real-world similarities may not be immediately obvious. The narrative walks a fine line between being morally repugnant and awesome, though depending on your sensibilities it may only be the former. I chose to see it as more the latter, if only because the characters reacted what they had done and had great interactions between them. This is as much about the characters as it is about what they do.
The fantasy elements serve both practical and metaphorical functions. The former is how technology is powered by magic, which is a properly deceptive term on multiple levels. A select few individuals have specific magical abilities. Magic is mostly used by the enemy forces, though the allied forces have a few that can. As for the latter I found that there's surprisingly a lot to consider when making real world connections that go deeper than the surface level statements. There's a lot of social commentary, though it's often presented in ways that could be easy to overlook. For those who want it, it's there, and for those who only want the action, it's not difficult to let it all pass by.
This is listed as a standalone on the author's site and it works as a self-contained story, as long as you can be satisfied with many of the worldbuilding specifics being left unexplained. The opening map depicts a tidally locked planet and it's implied as such in the text, though that may not be evident if you didn't already know what that was. There's more than enough left for it to become a series, though that's probably dependent on how well this one does. If there are more, I'll definitely be reading them. If nothing else, this may get the author a few new readers for his primary series who otherwise wouldn't have known about them or gave them a try. I'll certainly try reading what else he's written.
Rating: 4.5/5
I received this DRC from Blackstone Publishing through NetGalley....more
A Debt to the Stars is a self-published novel that is competently written. However, I believe it could've greatly benefitted from someone reining in tA Debt to the Stars is a self-published novel that is competently written. However, I believe it could've greatly benefitted from someone reining in the author's excesses and reminding them to focus on their strengths. As for its genre, it's a science fiction comedy thriller. There's aliens, fantastical technology, mysterious happenings, a foulmouthed comedic relief companion, villainous caricatures, blockchain explanations, financial dealings, lip service romance, and much that may be allegorical and/or ideological. Several have compared it to The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, which is a decent comparison. That's not all it is though, and its lack of focus may have been to its detriment. Aside from the occasional infodumps about cryptocurrency, blockchain, financial dealings and similar, which were mildly reminiscent of the sort in Snow Crash, though not nearly done as well, this is mostly an action adventure thriller. As for the characters, well, they exist. The comedic companion carries a heavy load in that regard. The protagonist is mostly to drive the narrative forward.
The book also has some social science fiction aspects, mostly resulting from which the aliens provided to humanity. Augmentation and the obelisks alleviate the need for much, as humans no longer become senescent, gain regenerative capabilities, and have all their basic needs provided for. From a human perspective, it's a very robust welfare state, or even Luxury Communism. This is depicted as having been disastrous for humanity, which perhaps it could be, but I find the specifics presented here to be implausible. It reminded me in some ways of Brave New World or Childhood's End. Unfortunately, this is mostly reduced to that those born before Augmentation become obsessives and those afterwards are fearless, ignorant, and unproductive unless raised properly from birth. The antagonists are the capitalists, both of the human and alien variety. The human antagonist organization is very much a caricature, or satire, of market fundamentalist beliefs. Their goal is world domination to restore the capitalist regime and bring scarcity back to the world. The alien capitalists are more predatory, financially speaking.
This is the first book in an intended series. It's not my sort of comedy, the social aspects were disagreeable and implausible within their context, the economics were often nonsensical, and the ending was unacceptable in its plot convenience. Those who can ignore the details will probably enjoy this more than me. I can easily imagine a version of this book that I would've enjoyed much more. I hope the author heeds what seems to be the consensus opinion about what works and doesn't. The second may be far more pleasing to a wider audience by doing so.
I received this book from the author through NetGalley.
Consider Phlebas was much more of an action-thriller than I expected it to be. There are ideas presented and there's a lot implied in the background, Consider Phlebas was much more of an action-thriller than I expected it to be. There are ideas presented and there's a lot implied in the background, but for the most part it's a series of misadventures and disasters. There's one chapter that's entirely horror focused, which seemed rather out of place to me. This is the most I've ever felt a novel to be a fix-up that as far I can tell never was. I found it strange how many of the early chapters could be considered self-contained stories that have little to nothing to do with any other part of the story.
The narrative excels at scale, though mostly in the shock and awe sense presented through numbers and implications imagined by the reader. There's a vast array of species and civilizations from all technological levels and seemingly endless variation. The galaxy is highly populated relative to most science fiction and doesn't have any singular dominant group. There aren't any homo sapiens, though the term human is used, and Earth doesn't have the slightest reference.
The book also does very well in showing how meaningless and insignificant everything you thought that matters is. Some may like it for that alone. The post-story content especially attempts to drive this home and I think it succeeded. It's what I liked most from the book, though I would've preferred it to be the narrative instead. I realize that may seem contradictory, but apparently I don't mind it when presented on a sweeping and impersonal historical scale versus specific personal examples.
More than anything else this book showed me what I didn't like and why I didn't like it. I want chapters to have meaningful relations to each other. I don't want to read about a tragically underqualified crew going on catastrophic adventures played straight. I don't want a cast of undeveloped and disposable characters. Maybe everything written is more realistic in terms of its outcome, but that's not the sort of realism that I want.
There seems to be a common warning not to start Banks with this book, and I understand why now, though not by comparison to his other works. I echo this warning, because surely what else he's written must be better, and since they seem to have very little to do with each other, there doesn't seem to be any compelling reason to not start elsewhere. I couldn't help myself though, and this is also where another who was reading it wanted to start.
I don't like the style of how this was written. I don't know how much that affected my enjoyment or what I thought about the book in general. If you don't have the same problem, you may it enjoy considerably more than what I've written here. This wasn't a success in terms of coming back to try a series. I don't know if I'll give Banks another try or not, even though supposedly the next in the series is far superior and a worthwhile book in general. If I do, it won't be anytime soon....more
Tony Valdez once again finds himself embroiled in a case that will test his friendships and loyalties to death and beyond. A billionaire cryptocurrencTony Valdez once again finds himself embroiled in a case that will test his friendships and loyalties to death and beyond. A billionaire cryptocurrency exchange owner has died and now everyone is scrambling to best position themselves before a complete collapse of several cryptocurrencies. Those involved will do whatever it takes to remain profitable. The wealthier they are, the more badly they behave. In a world where people don't die when they're killed, murder comes easy, and torture is routine. If you're looking for a relatively short and simple noir-like story with a neat gimmick rhat takes place in Chicagoland of Current Year, then you could do worse than this.
This book brings in contemporary events and their effects, such as the pandemic, and pop culture. I don't know if it's me, but when I see brands used like how they are here I can't help but wonder if they were intended to be casual mentions or native advertising. If it's the latter, it doesn't detract from my experience other than being distracting in that it makes me pause to consider advertising in books in general. I don't mind pop culture if it's contextually appropriate, which it is here.
I continue to think that the premise of the series, that 99.9% of the time people respawn when they're killed could be used in so many more ways than it is. I keep hoping that the next installment will do something more with it, and I keep being disappointed. As it is, this is a mediocre series with a gimmick that doesn't fulfill its potential in almost any way. It's annoying because Scalzi has better explored speculative ideas in his other near future works. For those who aren't hung up on this idea like I am, it's probably a better read.
I've tried both listening to and reading a few audiobook originals now. My current belief is that they are more suited to be listened to rather than read because of how they were written. It's somewhat like how podcast scripts are meant to be listened to rather than read, as reading them would almost surely be a lesser experience. It can be done, but it doesn't seem to be what was intended. The audiobook is already out, so you're interested in this, I recommend getting that rather than waiting for a physical copy, but maybe you want both for whatever reason. That's something people do apparently.
Rating: 2.5/5
I received this advance reading/review copy (ARC) from Subterranean Press through NetGalley. I appreciate being allowed to read it and have provided my thoughts on the book as anyone ought to do for having received early access for free....more
Dark Angel is the second outing of Letty Davenport, to whom the title refers, and an impressive continuation for the series. I feel that it's more conDark Angel is the second outing of Letty Davenport, to whom the title refers, and an impressive continuation for the series. I feel that it's more consistently enjoyable from beginning to end as compared to The Investigator which I felt had high points and low points. I still don't know whether I prefer a book to be solidly enjoyable or have euphoric highs and relative lows, but either way they're very much both wonderful experiences.
Several new characters are introduced and make for welcome additions, though many of them seem to be variations on previous characters that Sanford has written. I appreciate that though because there have been quite a few characters who I don't think were in enough of his books, so these kindred spirits do well in continuing their roles. The new additions include multiple powerful women who were interesting to read about. There are a few brief viewpoints aside from Letty's, which I'm quite pleased were included, as I think having other perspectives can often enhance a narrative. A few of the characters have sexual encounters, mostly in passing to where I don't know if they would be called scenes, as maybe one is described in any significant detail. Sexuality is present in his other books and I'm glad to see that having the protagonist and other major characters be women hasn't lead to its exclusion.
This book is about cybercrime and overall I'm happy with the technical aspects presented and the relative sophistication of its depiction. There's a particular focus on hacking and cryptocurrency. Even recent developments such as El Salvador's acceptance of Bitcoin as legal tender and the role that plays in money laundering of ransomware attacks is discussed. I don't know whether the primary tech guy is meant to be comedic relief, but that's what I see him as, which is maybe to balance out his tech talk for readers uninterested in such matters. There's action as well, including gun fights, and more than a few people are killed, so it's not at all only about nefarious plans involving technology. As with her father Lucas Davenport, Letty is more concerned with results than strictly following the law, though not quite to the same degree of deviation.
In previous Sandford books I've had issues with the internal consistency of its vague chronology, which may be my most common complaint overall for books. Fortunately, that isn't a problem here at all. I think this may be the only Sanford book that's precise about when events occur and the duration of time between them. At some times it's known literally to the day of when various events take place. It's not that I want that in books, but if it's going to done, it ought to be done well. There's a good reason for that, because I believe this is also the first Sandford book where the characters are involved in currently ongoing major geopolitical events. I found myself being pleasantly surprised, and certainly intrigued, by where the story eventually goes. Letty skipped the small time crimes and went straight into events of international importance. She and her crew are highly competent and I don't see anything wrong with that.
What I appreciate the most about this series in comparison to the Prey and Flowers series, which are both enjoyable in their own ways, is how much agency the characters have and how integral they are to the events of the story. Nothing that happens would've happened without Letty being involved. I feel this series has a more grounded sense of realism by comparison, which may not be what some want and feel it's somewhat more boring that way, but I also like this sort of narrative as well. The relatively few Sandford books that I didn't really like were often because it seemed the character would bumble around for a while and then the case would resolve itself, to where it doesn't seem to matter if the character is involved. That isn't the case here as the characters are highly competent with clear objectives and goals. They know what, when, and how they want to approach their problems.
I'm very much enjoying this new series and I look forward to the next book, probably more than the Prey series at this point for me personally, as I think Sandford is putting more effort and passion into these since they're a rather different pace and kind of story. Which is not to say I'm not looking forward to his other works, because I am. This series is refreshing and I hope Sandford continues it for as long as is reasonably possible. I have confidence that whatever Letty's next adventure is, it'll be entirely worthwhile.
I received this advance reading/review copy (ARC) from PENGUIN GROUP Putnam, G.P. Putnam's Sons through NetGalley. I appreciate being allowed to read it and have provided my thoughts on the book as anyone ought to do for having received early access for free....more
I enjoyed Lafferty's previous non-franchise novel, Six Wakes, so I read this one as well because it seemed to continue in that style. It does, but proI enjoyed Lafferty's previous non-franchise novel, Six Wakes, so I read this one as well because it seemed to continue in that style. It does, but probably not to the satisfaction of most who would read it for that. I'd describe this book as a space fantasy mystery considerably influenced by modern pop culture, especially comic book movie adaptations. I didn't enjoy this as much as Six Wakes, but I think the author is more in her element with this book, and perhaps even more so with her Star Wars and Minecraft novels, but I'm not interested in those. This is the kind of work where the more you think about it, the sillier it becomes and the more you have to suspend your disbelief due to its lack of plausibility.
In 2044, Mallory Viridian, an author in her 30s who writes cozy murder mysteries, is aboard the living space station Eternity, because she's afraid that she causes murders to occur. She's also quite proficient at solving them. Unfortunately for her, more humans have been accepted, which can only mean that more murders will soon occur.
The station has seven sentient species present that all have distinct morphology, but their presentation isn't all that dissimilar. Almost none of them act alien, which isn't something that I mind in a fluffy work like this, but may bother other readers expecting radically different alien psychologies. The in-universe explanation for this is that the translation bug gives names and provides what would be most readily comprehensible for the host.
Although this book is ostensibly a murder mystery, I felt that the murders were of secondary consideration and what really mattered were the characters life stories. As with Six Wakes, each major character has their backstory developed through going through their past with takes up a considerable amount of the overall length. This puts it in an odd situation where it's somewhere between being about a sole character and also being an ensemble. I'm familiar, though conflicted, about this narrative technique because it can cause problems with the momentum of the core story and may make it seem disorganized. There are several different perspectives presented which occur at different times, so at least some attention has to be paid to realize where, when, and about who a chapter concerns. This didn't add much complexity to what is an overall relatively simple once everything is known. Most of the mystery is once again because the characters don't share information until near the end and because the author chose to obscure information until it could be a big reveal.
Despite these concerns, it's more likely than not that I'll read the next book in the series if only to see what the author does with it. In a lot of ways this reads like an origin story, so maybe it'll really start with the second book....more
What you may need to know most before reading this is that it's a technothriller. It's a somewhat like as if the Bourne novels/movies had more popularWhat you may need to know most before reading this is that it's a technothriller. It's a somewhat like as if the Bourne novels/movies had more popular science. The science, when it isn't laughably silly, is mostly like the author did some light Wikipedia reading and then decided to copypaste some lists. In the acknowledgements Crouch lists several subject matter experts, but I didn't feel like almost any of it was integrated well. It's unfair to judge this by science fiction standards because the author says that he isn't a sci-fi author and neither is this book, so fair enough. Even so, I'd have liked more than name dropping for the relevant science and less emphasis on coolness over all else.
The plot, characters, setting, and really everything in general are simple overall. For being a thriller, there was a lot less action than I expected there to be. Most of it set-up for later on, especially the end. As per the title, the protagonist and others are upgraded. It turns out that just because people become more powerful they may not all agree with each other. They may even be in active conflict rather than full cooperation. The characters have little development other than that since they're so smart now they don't need feelings much at all, or others really, and also that they can kill others much more easily now. The climate change disaster setting goes hand-in-hand with his sermonizing, which even if you agree with it, the message wasn't presented well, especially with the epilogue. The final message of the book is what dropped it a half a point. If it had more of that nonsense I would've rounded it down instead.
I was most bothered by how much this was written as if it were a TV series or movie. It does much of the stuff that I can overlook in a visual medium as I have different expectations. I tried not to take any of it seriously at all and just enjoy it for what it was, but I wasn't able to do so. So, if that isn't a problem for you, you'll likely enjoy this significantly more than I did. Oepin suggested this as a group read and I just went along with it. I wouldn't have read it otherwise, because I don't like Crouch's style at all. I already knew going into this that I wouldn't like it at all, but I did so anyway. I probably ought to do that less.
The criminals this time around are a group of five people made wealthy by Bitcoin who want to to kill undesirables to encourage a social movement wherThe criminals this time around are a group of five people made wealthy by Bitcoin who want to to kill undesirables to encourage a social movement where everyone would be killing people to make the world a better place. That's a fine idea for a story, but it didn't build upon that premise. There's a rudimentary attempt at presenting them as morally and ethically complex. The purpose of doing so is to provide them veneer of righteousness for their murders. The group acts haphazardly and are far more dangerous to themselves than any legal authority pursuing them. If this makes you think of Batman at all, then you'd be right, because they specifically state that they may be similar.
Aside from the five doing the murders they also have a manager/PR person that does press releases about their activities and other media stunts. Since there are six of them, this doesn't allow for much time to be spent developing them individually, which is unfortunate. The books that I tend to to enjoy the most in this series are the ones with a well-developed antagonist.
Lucas Davenport and Virgil Flowers are once again working together. I wouldn't be surprised at all if this was the last book that has Flowers, or the next one at most. Davenport may also have to consider retirement in a few books at this rate. I'm fine with that. Letty Davenport makes an appearance and it's noted that this takes place after her debut novel, The Investigator, which may be the best work that I've read from Sandford. I'd be fine if he only wrote novels featuring her from now on.
The politics in the book are more focused on specific issues than on groups, though antifa and various individuals are mentioned. A few characters are clear amalgamations of other popular personalities. One of the issues is about how criminality has changed in some cases to be about just as much about producing content for whatever purpose as it is about the crime itself. There's also the perennial American favorite of increased danger of guns due to bump stocks, ghost guns, and high capacity magazines. As with various studies, domestic violence is presented as a strong predictor of later violence against others. Cryptocurrency isn't an issue aside from being a plot device.
Overall, it's fine but it does leave me wanting for more. The main problem for me with this book is the lack of follow through and commitment. If Sanford wants to write books that are more socially conscious with characters that have a lot of depth and nuanced motives, I'm all for it. I'm also all for him just doing really fun thrillers with witty and charismatic characters that's action-packed. I find it frustrating though only to do a little bit of both. This is 32nd book in the series and around the nearly the 50th book I've finished by Sandford, so I ought to be used to be it by now, but most of the time it wasn't like that.
Ocean Prey has a different structure than any of the previous books. Davenport and Flowers don't have equal time, as Flowers isn't roped into the caseOcean Prey has a different structure than any of the previous books. Davenport and Flowers don't have equal time, as Flowers isn't roped into the case until not quite halfway through, but after that Flowers is the viewpoint for a significant duration of the remaining pages. Since I've read both series it felt rather natural to me. Another structural difference was that this had flashforwards, of which the opening was one.
Because Davenport and Flowers both had their own viewpoints there was minimal room to have any others, which is always a negative for me. The relative lack of criminal viewpoint and the general set up of the plot made for a less enjoyable read for me. The criminals were a mafia outfit doing nautical drug smuggling which didn't particularly interest me relative to the other similar narcotrafficker media I've seen. In general, everything felt spread too thin for my preference.
This entry was also the Virgil Flowers Rehabilitation Tour. He was able to make use of his talents again in a nice way. The ending especially heaped the praise upon him, which he deserved. I expect that to be the case for the next book as well.
Davenport continues to revert to his old ways of being mad, bad, and dangerous to know. I'm interested to see how that goes in the next book, which ought to be more enjoyable for me than this one was. That doesn't officially release until October 2022 though. The streak of four stars had to eventually end, and so it did with this book. I had originally scheduled reading this series so that I wouldn't to wait long for the next book to be published, but sometimes I become impatient in my reading. Up next is the first of a new series, The Investigator, which stars Letty Davenport.
This is easily and far away the entry most involved with political movements. The narrative proceeds through investigating and/or arresting members ofThis is easily and far away the entry most involved with political movements. The narrative proceeds through investigating and/or arresting members of an assortment of far-right ideologies, though there's also an arguably minarchist one as well that muddies the waters a bit.
It starts off with an teenage instagram influencer who will do whatever it takes for her to get as much attention as possible and as many sponsors as she can. Eventually she comes across an onion site (it isn't called that, but clearly is by its description) that appears to be a far-right extremist site that has pictures of the children of congressmen. The authorities are alerted, followed by the media due to leaks. Everyone decides that the website is promoting shooting the children while at school. The vast majority of the narrative is then an investigation to discover who created the website.
There's a character named Richard Greene that's an amalgamation of various right-wing grifters. I assume the name is a combination of Richard Spencer and Marjorie Taylor Greene, though his personality and appearance are also reminiscent of others. The only politicians that are directly their real-world counterparts are the presidents, who are namedropped now and again throughout the series.
A black pilled incel group argues that "rape is not necessarily a crime, but in some cases, is a natural right", though the group leader dismisses that as just being theory. It doesn't go so far as advocating for the redistribution of women among incels, but it does say "We're entitled to women who want us". I found it to be interesting because while the portrayals aren't actively hostile towards any of the groups and lets their actions speak for themselves. That's often more than enough as is.
The murderer for this one is a character study that I thought was well done. It goes in-depth about how he feels about everything and what the effects are on him due to what he does. I don't know that I'd call it sympathetic, but it's certainly tragic. With the reveal at the end, I found it to be darkly hilarious in its absurdity.
As for Davenport, he's reverting to his old ways more and more. I wonder where that will lead, if anywhere.
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