[21 Apr 2024] I'm not a fan of short stories, but there were only five stories in this collection and most were more of the novella length. I only read[21 Apr 2024] I'm not a fan of short stories, but there were only five stories in this collection and most were more of the novella length. I only read the first one and the last one. The other three just didn't interest me. I didn't need another story about Stephanie Harrington or Grayson and I didn't care much about the taming of Silesia. But the first story about the founding of the Andermani dynasty was good and the last one about the early marriage of Honor's parents was okay.
[21 Apr 2024] The first half of this book is a retelling of an important period in Honor's life, from only a very slightly different viewpoint. The sec[21 Apr 2024] The first half of this book is a retelling of an important period in Honor's life, from only a very slightly different viewpoint. The second half is a series of minor space battles mostly involving a young engineer who had been wounded at the Battle of Hancock. I'm a diehard Honorverse fan so I will read just about anything in that pantheon, and I enjoyed this but it wasn't anything special. ...more
[4 Mar 2024] This fifth book in the Nora/Liam/Jonah story was actually rather disappointing. Most of it was politics, with a little commerce, while the[4 Mar 2024] This fifth book in the Nora/Liam/Jonah story was actually rather disappointing. Most of it was politics, with a little commerce, while they prepare for their expedition to the Origin Lens. Finally at about the 95% point of the book they actually arrived at the Lens. What happened then was totally unbelievable and the final resolution was rather anti-climactic. ...more
[27 Jan 2025] The subtitle of this series is a little misleading. Although the heroine is trained as a xeno-archaeologist, that's not what she does. Sh[27 Jan 2025] The subtitle of this series is a little misleading. Although the heroine is trained as a xeno-archaeologist, that's not what she does. She flies around the galaxy in her one-person ship mapping space and occasionally testing for exploitable resources. Something happened to her in her earlier life -- partly this was the death of her husband, but I think there was more to it -- that left her angry and generally distrustful of other people. But her meeting with Liam and his crew who have been exiled to the boonies after essentially winning the recent war, mitigates that anger and distrust to some extent.
I found this book fun and reasonably believable. Some action, more character development, and some humor. I liked both of the main characters and most of the secondary characters. I will probably read more in the series. ...more
[19 Dec 2023] This book was okay, but it struck me as rather juvenile. I don't know if this is the author's first book but I wouldn't be surprised. The[19 Dec 2023] This book was okay, but it struck me as rather juvenile. I don't know if this is the author's first book but I wouldn't be surprised. The protagonist owns a small spaceship and survives by doing odd jobs, not always legal. His crew consists primarily of droids, but he ropes some of his human friends into helping him when a new client hires him to steal back a consignment of ore which he says was stolen from some small operators.
There is a lot of action in this book, some of it rather unbelievable, but ... oh, well, it's space opera. Most of the tech is not explained at all and again doesn't hold up. For instance, the ship can call up a wormhole within minutes of leaving a space station.
Also, the author does not do a great job of building characters and relationships. The characters I liked best were the droids, mostly because they were independent and sarcastic, but dependable.
This is the first of a series, but I doubt I'll read any more installments....more
[6 Aug 2023] Although I'm still a huge fan of Nathan Lowell and Ishmael Wang, I felt somewhat disappointed with this book. The first part of the book w[6 Aug 2023] Although I'm still a huge fan of Nathan Lowell and Ishmael Wang, I felt somewhat disappointed with this book. The first part of the book was good, with a series of equipment failures putting the Marva Collins and it's crew in serious danger. But in the last part of the book, after they return safely to Port Newmar, Ish makes some decisions that I was disappointed in. I can understand why Lowell took that direction. Much of the last two trilogies has been focused on Ish's developing understanding that he was not really in control of his life. Rather he felt that others, mainly Pip, but also the other ship captains he had served with, pushed him into decisions that he wasn't wholly committed to. The change he makes in this book is understandable. It's just that it was little bit of an easy way out. ...more
[30 July 2023] This is the second in the SC Marva Collins trilogy, which continues the adventures of Ishmael and Pip in the Toe-Holds, as started in th[30 July 2023] This is the second in the SC Marva Collins trilogy, which continues the adventures of Ishmael and Pip in the Toe-Holds, as started in the Seeker's Tale trilogy. Like the first book in this trilogy (School Days), nothing much happens. They have in fact started their travels to the Toe-Hold stations, to indoctrinate the Academy cadets they're carrying, but they're fairly routine trips. This book consists mainly of conversations.
Still I enjoyed this book, because Ish is such a favorite of mine. And many of the conversations are about interesting topics. And because I fully expect that the third book of the trilogy will build on the foundation of the first two books and contain a lot more action. ...more
[8 Jun 2023] This book was very much like In Ashes Born, also by Lowell. It's the first of a new trilogy but nothing much happens in the book. Ish and [8 Jun 2023] This book was very much like In Ashes Born, also by Lowell. It's the first of a new trilogy but nothing much happens in the book. Ish and Pip are invited to start a new project with the Academy, but they spend the entire book arguing about whether to do it and how it should work. Of course, I will read anything about Ishmael Wang, and enjoy it. But I did get a little annoyed at the endless "planning". On the plus side, the second book is expected to be published pretty soon....more
[7 Dec 2023] I was somewhat disappointed with this installment of the Murderbot diaries. Especially the first half seemed somehow labored. With previou[7 Dec 2023] I was somewhat disappointed with this installment of the Murderbot diaries. Especially the first half seemed somehow labored. With previous Murderbot books, I can imagine the author being so excited by the story she was telling that it fairly flew off her keyboard (note: I have no information about the actuality of that). But this one seemed slow and struggling. The second half of the book definitely picks up, after the action starts to get hot. I don't know. That may have been intentional, to illustrate the emotional turmoil that Murderbot was going through. But during the first half of the book, I found myself feeling blah about whether to continue reading. My love of the previous books kept me going, and it did get better. ...more
[17 Feb 2023] I loved the first Murderbot story. Then when I started this one I was afraid I was going to get tired of his constant whining. But I didn[17 Feb 2023] I loved the first Murderbot story. Then when I started this one I was afraid I was going to get tired of his constant whining. But I didn't. He's just such a wuss. He says he doesn't like humans, but his favorite activity is watching TV shows about them. And he keeps letting himself get involved with them, especially groups that really need him. Sure, he can kill humans with little to no regret, but he's also very protective of them....more
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