Another light story in the Veronica Mars universe. I listened to the audiobook. I was disappointed that Kristen Bell didn't narrate it, as she did theAnother light story in the Veronica Mars universe. I listened to the audiobook. I was disappointed that Kristen Bell didn't narrate it, as she did the last one. Some predictability, a few minor "surprises" here and there. I enjoyed it but didn't think it was as good as the first one. The show needs to come back....like it was in the first season....more
A nice conclusion to the Arrows series. Like Arrow's Flight, it might be more of a 3.5 star book, but I rounded up. I really liked the entire series, A nice conclusion to the Arrows series. Like Arrow's Flight, it might be more of a 3.5 star book, but I rounded up. I really liked the entire series, even if it was YA and clearly a "first" series. This is the kind of book that brought me into the genre to begin with. I wish I had read it when I was younger, especially for how it handles "adult" topics of death, homosexuality, etc. If this ever came out in audio, I'd read it in a heartbeat....more
I've read each of these individually and enjoyed them (in the various collections that they were a part of) but this was a nice experience to listen tI've read each of these individually and enjoyed them (in the various collections that they were a part of) but this was a nice experience to listen to in audio. The first story is far and away the best, I think. The second one kind of meanders, as does the third, though the third does seem to focus a bit more. It's interesting, when reading these stories, to hear about events referenced in the main series. It makes the world more complete. I just love this world....more
Probably closer to 3.5 stars but rounding up. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Arrows of the Queen. I recently learned that the trilogy was originallyProbably closer to 3.5 stars but rounding up. I enjoyed it, but not as much as Arrows of the Queen. I recently learned that the trilogy was originally written as one book and split into three; it makes the stopping points make more sense. I think this one moved a little more slowly than the first one, but it dealt with more interesting topics. Onto the third......more
Sword Art Online or .hack come right to mind, though this certainly takes itself less seriously. That's not really a bad thing, though. Light and enteSword Art Online or .hack come right to mind, though this certainly takes itself less seriously. That's not really a bad thing, though. Light and entertaining, just like the first two books in the series. Overall I had fun in the world and with the ideas of humanity as a giant database....more
Quite obviously a first book, it reminded me a bit of Pern. I really enjoyed it, though I recognize its faults and that it was kind of "simple." It reQuite obviously a first book, it reminded me a bit of Pern. I really enjoyed it, though I recognize its faults and that it was kind of "simple." It reminded me of why I love fantasy and what got me into the genre to begin with. I only wish I found it earlier. I'm going to read the next two books in the trilogy. Maybe I'll write something more in-depth later, but this is mostly it while I'm on the iPad. One thing I found interesting was that this book didn't have the traditional story arc that I'm used to. There was growth of the main character, there was love, there was loss...but it wasn't like there was a lead-up to an epic battle and then a happy ending for all. This one was quite different. I didn't even realize that the book was at the end until I couldn't go forward more on my Kindle....more
Meh, it wasn't really my thing. I think, though, had it been set in a city I actually like, that I might have enjoyed it more. A lot of people knockedMeh, it wasn't really my thing. I think, though, had it been set in a city I actually like, that I might have enjoyed it more. A lot of people knocked the crazy flowery descriptions of NYC, but I'm ambivalent at best about NYC. Had it been set Ina city I love, such as Boston or Baltimore or London, or one I like such as Chicago or Seattle, I may have been more into it. Descriptions of a city that I find disgusting and have no inclination to ever visit again....meh. But the idea was fun, if not very science-y....more
I finished this awhile ago and don't really have much to add that you probably haven't read anywhere else. I loved the book, was really entertained byI finished this awhile ago and don't really have much to add that you probably haven't read anywhere else. I loved the book, was really entertained by it from the start. I enjoy sailing and boats, so the airship idea really worked for me. I think Gwen was probably the character "most like me," thought I saw bits of myself in many of the characters...but my favorite one was the cat, Rowl. Jim Butcher must own a cat or three, or at least has spent a lot of time around them. Rowl was a perfect cat and I loved having him as a POV.
I do wonder why they call some of the airships "windlasses", though. On a sailboat, a windlass is a winch, a tool to help create mechanical advantage for raising lines and anchors. I'm not sure why an airship would be called one, unless it was the type that only goes up and down the spires (which I didn't think the windlasses were). Maybe it will be described at some point......more
Not the best Andy Carpenter story, not the worst. But still an enjoyable enough read, and a welcome respite from my real life. I devoured this book whNot the best Andy Carpenter story, not the worst. But still an enjoyable enough read, and a welcome respite from my real life. I devoured this book while traveling to and while in and while traveling home from London, where I was for business this week. There was another terror sub-plot in this book, which I thought would make it yet another shark-jump in my eyes, but thankfully the terror wasn't the main crime in the book. One thing I did like about this book was that I wasn't sure if the defendant really did the crime. Usually, it's pretty cut-and-dry, but this time, there was intrigue. It was something I haven't seen from the books before and was refreshing.
Still, I wish Rosenfelt would return to his early form with these books, instead of having more and more outlandish crimes/criminals. Guess we'll see in a year or so what the next one holds......more
A cute short story in the Riyria world. I love that MJS and Audible keep doing these freebies. I liked this story more than I did The Jester, but thatA cute short story in the Riyria world. I love that MJS and Audible keep doing these freebies. I liked this story more than I did The Jester, but that might be because I'm more familiar with the characters and the world this time around. Or maybe it's that a character's name is Kristin. :)
Royce and Hadrian are called upon by Kristin and paid quite well to kidnap her. Once a month, her father invites two friends over and locks Kristin in a box while they drink. Despite possibly better judgment, they take the job and find...well, nothing they expected to. Why did they take the job? Professional integrity, of course.
If you like this world, you'll probably enjoy the short story. And since it's free from Audible and narrated by the amazing Tim Gerard Reynolds, you have nothing to lose....more
Meh. At least it was short. I didn't really get it. It felt a lot like Ancillary Justice to me (though better written, generally speaking), in that thMeh. At least it was short. I didn't really get it. It felt a lot like Ancillary Justice to me (though better written, generally speaking), in that the book was only part of the story. This one was more "interesting" though still definitely not for me. ...more
Audiobook from Audible Studios Narrated by Dina Pearlman Length: 11.5 hours
I spent a lot of my time while listening to this book confused, which made itAudiobook from Audible Studios Narrated by Dina Pearlman Length: 11.5 hours
I spent a lot of my time while listening to this book confused, which made it all the more surprising when I realized at the end that I'd liked the book, and am fairly intrigued about what will come next. A book spanning multiple topics/thoughts, it was interesting to see how the various topics mostly worked together.
I think this book served in some ways as world-building/scene-setting for future books, which may explain why I was confused at times. This may be seen as a negative, but since I liked the world, it was okay, once I realized that I hadn't missed anything with the plot (though at times, I was convinced that I had). I also liked the main character, a researcher on the planet of Ubastis but also one of the one people on the planet with a literal license to kill...anything. So while it seemed that the plot may have moved slowly, or that I was sure I was missing things, in the end it worked out okay for me. But others, especially those who listen, might have similar confusion.
It's hard to describe what the book is "about" since Archangel covers so many topics. The book is set sometime in the future after the Earth has been effectively destroyed/overused by humans. Humans seem to have escaped to space, though it's not clear that they had to go far to find other places to live. The book mentions a station at L5, which I presume is the L5 Lagrange point that people who've studied physics/astrophysics and sci-fi lovers alike will probably recognize. L5 has long been thought of as a place where space colonization might be feasible, so it seems as if it fits and that it's not some L5 in relation to the world in the book, separate from our own system. Many humans seem to live in space, while a small handful live on Ubastis. Ubastis is a planet that has seen small waves of colonists; the first two waves of colonists were trained primarily as a military would be trained, though the job was to scout areas of the planet and start setup for more colonists in the future, to establish it as its own world. The other aspect of the colonists' life is to study the planet and understand the resources it has and the balance between the natural ecosystem and those resources--the colonists do not wish to make Ubastis into another Earth, and so immigration to the planet is heavily controlled, only up for discussion once every 10 years. Archangel takes place just prior to one of these votes, and there is a heavy contingent of "off-worlders" lobbying for the strict limits to be lifted, to open immigration to the planet. In the book, human engineering is also not only possibly but heavily used, and most people have some level of genetic modification; most to dull aggression and many for vanity reasons.
The main character, Dr/Commander Lauren Vashti, is a "natural," a non-genetically modified human. She was one of the people in the second group of colonists to come to the planet. Her husband was one of the leaders of that second group, and the pair are seen in many ways as a literal mother and father (and in the case of her husband, even a saint) of the planet and its resources. Vashti's husband was killed by a highly-engineered "assault human," a BEAST, one who was specifically genetically modified to be a soldier of sorts. This brings me to the first of the interleaved topics that the book touches on--motherhood and, to some extent, single motherhood. Vashti spends much of the book seemingly at odds with her dual role on the world. She has a literal daughter, a toddler, but often sees that being a literal mother is incompatible with being a leader, a voice for the planet as a whole. Because of her natural gifts as well as the reverence given to her, Vashti is also a literal mother to many Ubastians (and off-worlders?), as her eggs were frozen and used to create other offspring. There were striking scenes in the book where Vashti's grief/memories of her husband are interrupted by her daughter, perfectly capturing the issues with motherhood. Later in the book, as she realizes that she is in some way a mother to the planet, similar memories are jarringly interrupted by the politics of the planet, things she must stand up for.
Obviously, another topic in the book is that of genetic engineering and the...sense...in doing so. I won't go into details, but Vashti being a "natural" woman actually has a fairly important aspect in the plot. In particular, it seems that BEASTs can only really be "controlled" by natural humans, those without genetic modifications. This speaks volumes to the topic of genetic modification in general, but the topic is also touched upon by human nature. Because Vashti is a "natural," she has a "normal" level of aggression/willingness to kill. It seems that many people have that particular knob turned down. Vashti is looked down upon by outsiders because she is in fact willing to kill to study the fauna native to Ubastis and willing to kill in self defense. It seems that most others find killing repugnant in general, something to be psychologically educated-away/re-educated away. The people of Ubastis (and also the off-worlders, I believe) are vegetarian. In fact, many are Muslim, though it was never really clear to me why it was important that so many were Muslim (the rest seemed to be Christian of some sort).
Another topic commonly dealt with in science fiction is that of resource use/protection of a planet/avoiding a runaway situation like we have on Earth/that eventually dooms Earth in many books...this book is no different. In her role as scientist and "mother" on Ubastis, Vashti preaches for conservation and minimization of the human footprint on the planet. The Earth is looked to as a sign of the worst that can happen.
In all, Archangel is a book about revolution. There are many types of revolution in the story, both personal revolution for Vashti, but other aspects of revolution, too. Once I came to terms with being "confused" every now and then, it was actually a fun read. The narrator, Dina Pearlman, is one whose name is familiar but I can't find any other books that I've listened to that she's narrated. Her narration had an odd cadence that was particularly difficult to follow at first. I found speeding up the audio playback helped that significantly, though her pacing may also have contributed to my confusion at times. Once I got "used" to it (at the faster playback speed), I got more into the book, but it did take awhile.
This book might not be for everybody--and certainly might not be for everybody in audio form--but as for me, I'm looking forward to seeing what happens next on Ubastis....more
Meh. I'm not sure why this book is getting all the praise that it is. It was fine...but nothing special. The writing was beautiful, but without an engMeh. I'm not sure why this book is getting all the praise that it is. It was fine...but nothing special. The writing was beautiful, but without an engaging story, beautiful writing alone does not a book make. I feel like "sudden plague"/end of the world was done better by Stephen King in The Stand and inter-woven stories done significantly better by David Mitchell in Cloud Atlas. I didn't hate the book, but I am certainly not gushing over it, either. I guess, at the end, I still wasn't sure why any of the characters mattered. I kind of wish that more of the book was the story of how the individual civilizations/towns started back up. There was a bit of that detail for The Airport. Would have been cool to see it in other places, too, instead of going back and forth with characters pre- and post-plague that were not all that interesting.
And I'm not really sure why Station Eleven was so important, other than the obvious connection between the characters.......more
Wow. A true "hard science fiction" book if I've ever read one, this one is worthy of the praise it's been getting. A story centered around the well-knWow. A true "hard science fiction" book if I've ever read one, this one is worthy of the praise it's been getting. A story centered around the well-known "three body problem" you might remember from physics class, it's hard to say much about the plot without spoiling it. There is one item I didn't think was resolved enough in the book (see spoiler below) but all in all, this was a fantastic story that had me staying up past my bedtime every night until I finished. The characters were interesting, though not so developed that time was "wasted" talking about them. The story really is about the story and the characters are a vehicle for it. A book about a physics problem wouldn't really work with marketing people as the characters, but having the characters be scientists (mostly) made it familiar (for me anyway). The concept was fascinating and I am interested to see what the sequel holds, whether it is a near-future (with respect to the events in this book) sequel or one set 450 years for the events in the book. Either way, the sequel is not necessary, as the book stands very well on its own. It's also interesting that I found the book to be fairly tight, fairly fast-moving. I associate this kind of no-frills writing with Chinese works in general, and the book still stands up without needing a lot of exposition. The end felt like a little bit of an info dump, but at least the info dump made sense in the context of the story.
I know this is a bit scattered, I intend to possibly write more when I'm on a real computer/keyboard, not just the on-screen keyboard on my iPad. Either way, read it, especially if you actually know enough math/physics to understand the three body problem. But even if you don't have that math background, the story explains it all pretty well in what seemed to me easy enough to understand language (I might be biased based on what I studied in school...).
(view spoiler)[What was the countdown counting down to? Was something specific supposed to happen at the end of the countdown or was it an arbitrary number for each scientist? Also, why did Wang's nano materials research have to stop? These are the things that didn't seem to be resolved a the end... (hide spoiler)]...more
Cute little short story about Orlando Gardiner from the Otherland series re-visiting the Oz sim-world from the book. This time, it seems that there maCute little short story about Orlando Gardiner from the Otherland series re-visiting the Oz sim-world from the book. This time, it seems that there may be some trouble brewing in this fictional land. I can't say much about this story without spoiling a) Otherland and b) the story itself so I'll skip that part.
Generally speaking, I liked the story though one of the characters was not one I'm familiar with. I'm not sure if it was created for the story or was a character in an Oz book (I've never read any of the books though have seen two movies). It would have been nice to see some of the Otherland characters in the story, and/or to have some continuity with the world or the OTHER short story (available in Legends II. Still, the story was enjoyable enough and I was glad I was able to buy it standalone without having to get all of the other stories....more
Didn't really get into this one, though I don't know why. It certainly had good moments, but I felt like I "had" to read more of the book, not that I Didn't really get into this one, though I don't know why. It certainly had good moments, but I felt like I "had" to read more of the book, not that I really wanted to. I did about half of the book in audio, which may have contributed to my "meh" feelings. The narrator had a thick Eastern European accent which felt appropriate but made listening a little bit of a chore. But even when I switched to Kindle, there were parts that pulled me in and others that glazed my eyes. It may work better as the movie/TV movie that Ellen Degeneres wants to make...if it's free, I'll check it out. I guess this one just wasn't for me....more
Meh. Not my thing. But not really surprising, given that one thing that Leigh Brackett is known for I've never heard of and the other thing she seems Meh. Not my thing. But not really surprising, given that one thing that Leigh Brackett is known for I've never heard of and the other thing she seems to be really known for (one of the Star Wars movies) really isn't my thing. Pulpy sci-fi, much like an Arnie movie, not particularly deep and not really my jam. I guess it was alright...at least it was short.
The audiobook was terrible. The ebook from Baen had a lot of typos....more
A little bit of a slow start, but once I got invested in Esk and Granny Weatherwax, I really got into it (once I had a physical copy since the Kindle A little bit of a slow start, but once I got invested in Esk and Granny Weatherwax, I really got into it (once I had a physical copy since the Kindle copy was so fubar, an issue I never got resolved). I even stayed up late on a work night to read, then came home from work and went right back to reading to finish it.
It seems relatively inadequate to describe the book using words, when so much of the book was how words have many meanings, and it's all really about intent. The book was also about conventions, and trying to break conventions...just because something's always been done a certain way doesn't mean it SHOULD be done that way. Or thought of in a given way. The book really emphasizes the need to get over mental inertia...but in a way that's fun and in fact funny. You, the reader, sees the point but don't feel bludgeoned over the head with it. And there may have been a little romantic advice at the end...
I know everybody says that the Discworld books don't have to be read in order, but I'm glad I took the opportunity to read this book before moving on to the second "Witches" book, Wyrd Sisters. I feel like I have a lot invested in Esk and Granny and am anxious to see what awaits them in the next book....more
Audiobook from Penguin Audio Narrated by George Newbern Length: 37.75 hours
The finale to the Otherland series, Sea of Silver Light wraps up the multitudAudiobook from Penguin Audio Narrated by George Newbern Length: 37.75 hours
The finale to the Otherland series, Sea of Silver Light wraps up the multitude of story lines that began in City of Golden Shadow. While the book dragged in places, and some may find that the book (and the series, especially in the middle books) wanders a bit too much, it is hard not to appreciate Tad Williams' amazingly prescient series, especially if you're a fan of a) the internet and b) classic literature. It's probably safe to say that the wandering will not be for everybody, but for those that enjoy the mystery and the references to other works, the series could be a lot of fun.
A series written in the mid-late 90's, the books cover amazing breadth of topics with a wide cast of characters in this world and in a parallel online world. What started as a cyberpunk story quickly unfolded into a much larger world with many players with significantly different motivations--on all sides of the story. With unlikely/atypical heroes (a South African woman, an African "bushman", a blind woman, two teenagers, a mom, and a guy who doesn't know his own past, not to mention a 5 or 6-year old girl, an ancient man...the cast is huge!) and a sprawling world, it's easy to see why some people are overwhelmed. The more intriguing part, though, is trying to piece together the entire story, trying to figure out who's involved in the world and for what purpose...and what the online world really is. I will admit that when the world was pieced together, it seemed pretty out there...but I was so engrossed that I didn't really mind. The only part I really did mind was the end; the book felt maybe a little too neat, and a little too drawn out at the end. That said, it does leave an opening for Williams to return to the world (and looking on Goodreads, it seems as if he may have done just that with a short story in Legends II.
It's hard to describe the book and what happened in the series without venturing into spoiler territory. Basically, Renie, a young South African woman who is a sort of professor or teacher of computer engineering-type classes at a local university, finds one day that her brother is in a coma of sorts, a result of playing an online game. Games in the future world that Williams created are played online in a virtual reality simulation type schema, where users have different levels of gear that immerse them (fully or to varying degrees) into a virtual world. Some users go so far as to get neural cannulas, so that they can "jack in" and have the VR system provide a direct link to their brain, become fully immersed. Renie, wanting to try to find out more about how her brother came to be in the coma, went online to try to learn what she could of what he got into. Unsurprisingly, she found herself sucked into and literally stuck in a virtual world, unable to disconnect (sort of like Sword Art Online). While there, she meets others who have family members with the same affliction as her brother, and still others who have been recruited by an unknown agent to help Renie and those who are trying to help their children/family members. In parallel, there is the story of the Grail Brotherhood, a private group of the world's most powerful and wealthiest elite, who wish to achieve immortality, and invest heavily in a system to do so. In a third story line, there is additional intrigue about a psychopath who calls himself "Dread" and seems to seek out ways to torture and kill others, online and in reality. His story ends up weaving and in some ways connecting the Grail Brotherhood and those of the people trying to help the children. Throughout, there are a multitude of worlds created by various users of the online system, many with literary references (such as The Wonderful Wizard of Oz and The War of the Worlds) or other evolving schema (such as a virtual rainforest that actually begins to evolve in the simulation world, similar to how it might have on earth). Williams uses cyberpunk, the idea of virtual/simulation worlds, and some more fantastical elements (some characters have special abilities, particularly abnormal/special mental powers) to weave a tale that leaves the reader picking up puzzle pieces and slowly piecing things together, just as the heroes do in the story.
I'm most amazed at how prescient Williams was. The book was written in the mid-90's, yet there are references to things in the world today, innovations that were barest ideas of science fiction in the 90's. The first and most obvious observation is that the VR world, while more immersive than anything we really have today, is very much akin to the internet of today, with people spending entire lives and making entire livelihoods on the internet. People use tablet-like devices to connect to the networks, to make calls, to shop, to go into their simulation worlds--much like an iPad or other tablet of today. People watch movies on the internet, so-called "Net Flicks" (I really wonder if that's how Netflix's name came to be), and an automated robotic floor-sweeping robot (Roomba, anyone) makes an appearance or two. Kids have "storybook sunglasses" which sound a bit like more immersive (and frankly more fun) versions of Google Glass. Just today, I read an article on Slashdot about body hacking through the vagal nerve, a topic that's actually brought up in the book (as a therapy that is abused, oddly enough). There are other examples, which reading in 2015, are fun nuggets to pick up along the way. It's crazy how forward-thinking this book was, how much it got "right" even for 2015 (I think the book is supposed to take place closer to 2050).
I liked this book and really enjoyed the series. I think that listening was a fantastic way to experience the book, to be able to lay back and shut my eyes and become immersed in the book as the characters are immersed in their world. The narration was (as I've said in my other reviews) great, if a little slow. But that meant that I could speed the book up slightly in the playback, cutting down some of the listening time.
The book (and series) may not be for everyone. I think it's fair to criticize this book for going on a little "too long" or for being a little "too neat," and it's equally fair to think that Book 1 started slow or that books 2 and 3 wandered a bit (they absolutely were "middle books" in a series, which not everybody enjoys). But I still really liked the series. I look forward to reading it again in the future, maybe in a few years, to see how much I can pick up in advance, knowing as I do now, how the book ends....more
terpkristin
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