This is an alternate history book set in the 19th century Oxford university. In this alternate world, words have power and translators can make somethThis is an alternate history book set in the 19th century Oxford university. In this alternate world, words have power and translators can make something similar to magic by exploiting the differences between a word and its translation. The British empire uses the translators at Oxford to maintain and extend its power. We follow a group of four young translator students, who are discriminated because they are not white and/or not males. They were brought to Oxford because their skills in languages from faraway places are needed for the translation institute, but they are made to feel like they don't really belong. Little by little, they will start to question the whole system of dominations on which the British Empire was built.
I thought the magic system was really interesting and it was IMO the high point of this book. The daily discrimination and the fact that well-meaning people could be oblivious to it was also really interesting to me. However, the book was a bit spoilt for me by its last part, in which I thought the students were behaving in a completely unbelievable way....more
I was apprehensive about because I had not liked the only other novel-length book in the series as much as the other. Fortunately this turned out to bI was apprehensive about because I had not liked the only other novel-length book in the series as much as the other. Fortunately this turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I enjoyed watching the Murderbot character continue evolving in new ways.
I think there are at least two more books in the series to come and I'll look forward to them!...more
A YA book about a young American-Samoan girl raised in the USA who comes to Samoa after her father's death to learn more about her family and discoverA YA book about a young American-Samoan girl raised in the USA who comes to Samoa after her father's death to learn more about her family and discovers she has supernatural powers. The heroine is a teenager, so it's not shocking that she misinterprets and overreacts to what people around her are doing, but I found there were a few too many contradictions and arbitrary decisions.
I also found certain scenes had a high yikes factor for me in terms of consent, most notably a scene where a 25-year-old man touches and kisses her (she's 18) after she's told him she just wants to be friends.
This didn't quite work out for me. This is a fantasy book taking place during the war in Vietnam. Kitty is a young American nurse and the first part, wThis didn't quite work out for me. This is a fantasy book taking place during the war in Vietnam. Kitty is a young American nurse and the first part, which could almost be a non fantasy novel, describes her work in the hospital, the patients, both American soldiers and friendly vietnamese (i.e., not vietcongs) patients, and her relationships with other people. I thought that first part well written and quite engaging. The second part however seemed to me to be going every which way. The fantasy elements, which had been toned down almost to inexistence in the first part, suddenly took a huge part in a way that was hard to belive (if I can say that about fantasy elements), and the plot advanced with a succession of twists that felt artificial to me. I realised I didn't care much what happened to Kitty (though the last 10 pages were again engaging and well written)....more
J'ai beaucoup apprécié la première partie de ce livre. On suit l'enfant, enfermé entre le père et la mère dans un appartement en béton dans un immeublJ'ai beaucoup apprécié la première partie de ce livre. On suit l'enfant, enfermé entre le père et la mère dans un appartement en béton dans un immeuble de plus de 5000 étages, en béton, tous constitués d'appartements identiques. Le style est très particulier et intéressant. Par contre la deuxième partie qui part plus vers uen fable ne m'a pas plu. Je n'ai pas compris où l'autrice voulait en venir. ...more
The great strength of this book is its worldbuilding, which is very original and immersive. Hurley presents a planet locked in a perpetual war, with cThe great strength of this book is its worldbuilding, which is very original and immersive. Hurley presents a planet locked in a perpetual war, with civilisations taking origins in islma, where all men are sent to the front and the civil population consists almost exclusively of women who fill all roles in society, including boxing fighters and bounty hunters. This world's technology is based on some kind of magic coming from insects, so we have lamps where the glow comes from insects, cars powered by some kind of insect breeding boiler, ...
The weaknesses of the book come first from the fact that we are dropped too abruptly in this world at the beginning and it's hard to understand what's going on. This may be linked to the fact that the story felt a bit awkward to me. For instance the book starts with the memorable sentence "Nyx sold her womb somewhere between Punjai and Faleen, on the edge of the desert", but it never became very clear to me why she sold her womb, though this plays a part in the plot.
Since this is Hurley's first novel I'm ready to overlook the weaknesses and congratulate the author for managing to write such an immersive book....more
It was an enjoyable read though I have to admit I was a bit disappointed after A psalm for the wild-built. We come back to the same very nice and respIt was an enjoyable read though I have to admit I was a bit disappointed after A psalm for the wild-built. We come back to the same very nice and respectful society as in the first book, and it's really good to get back into it, but I felt it didn't add very much to it. There was something interesting that was barely touched, when Mosscap asks people what they need and some of them answer existential things like "companionship". I would have liked for the book to explore about those unfulfilled needs.
Then ending is very open, which I was both OK and frustrated with. IMO this calls for a third book. I don't know if Chambers has plans to write it....more
This is the first book in a series of three. Cazaril, the main character and former soldier, has been sold as a slave in a galley after a lost battle. This is the first book in a series of three. Cazaril, the main character and former soldier, has been sold as a slave in a galley after a lost battle. He has been severely mistreated. The book begins after he has been freed but is badly scarred, physically and mentally, from this ordeal. He seeks employment in a household he worked in when he was young and becomes attached to the young princess living there. After this his life will follow the events in the kingdom, arising both because of human politics and the will of the gods. I liked that, even though this is fantasy and magic (more precisely, the gods intervening in human business) plays a strong role in the story, this was really a character focused book, with very interesting characters and relationships between them. Cazaril, as a handicapped man both physically and morally, was particularly interesting. An enjoyable and stimulating read (minor gripe though for the choice of the authors for the titles of nobility which do not bring anything IMO and are a pain to understand when they first appear)....more
As far as I understand Come join us by the Fire Season 2 is primarily audio short stories. I don't like listening to audio much (particularly in EngliAs far as I understand Come join us by the Fire Season 2 is primarily audio short stories. I don't like listening to audio much (particularly in English) so I picked the ebook version which contains only a subset of the stories, unfortunately. These were mostly OK but there were few standout stories. My favorite one was Ghost Bread by Camila Grudova about the concept of Ghost Emigration: people fleeing from their country obtain visas to go abroad and commit suicide there, so that their ghost will be in a nicer place. I also liked You will survive this night by Indrapramit Das. The prodigal Son by Daniel M. Lavery had something to it but I think I missed its main essence because I was not familiar with the original myth....more
A collection of short stories, most of them very short. The writing is often beautiful but this format of flash fiction is not my cup of tea. A set of nA collection of short stories, most of them very short. The writing is often beautiful but this format of flash fiction is not my cup of tea. A set of notes at the end tells in which context each story was written. Some of them were written for challenges or with different constraints (length, themes to include, ...) and knowing as I read them these constraints would have helped me to appreciate the stories more....more
I was a bit disappointed by that one. It was an enjoyable read, that managed well to convey the feelings of the main character, but it was really shorI was a bit disappointed by that one. It was an enjoyable read, that managed well to convey the feelings of the main character, but it was really short and the story was a bit simplistic. Also in at least two places I struggled to understand what was going on so the story did not quite make sense to me. ...more
In this alternate early 19th century England, magic has existed but has not been performed since 400 years. Some magicians want to bring it back. This In this alternate early 19th century England, magic has existed but has not been performed since 400 years. Some magicians want to bring it back. This book is very well written and the story, which is rich and complex and combines several threads, really held my attention. However IMO the book was a bit too long at more than 800 pages with respect to the story. Fortunately the pace picks up during the last 300 pages and I could hardly stop reading....more
This was a nice book in the Lady Astronaut series. The focus is on Nicole Wargin on the Moon colony, and it's interesting to follow another character aThis was a nice book in the Lady Astronaut series. The focus is on Nicole Wargin on the Moon colony, and it's interesting to follow another character and her personal issues. As with the rest of the series, the focus on sexism and racism in this alternate 1963 america is interesting as well. This is mostly a whodunit novel set on the moon, with the political situation on Earth really catching up with the situation in space. It is well-written, with many plot twists, and a real page turner, and the short chapters make for a nice rythm that kept me reading late in the night. I wish however that the book had been a bit shorter with fewer plot twists. At some points I caught myself thinking "Come on, what now?!" when a new issue would arise. ...more
Ugh that was a chore to finish. I read it as part as my lifelong challenge to read all recipients of the Hugo or Nebula awards and this seriously putsUgh that was a chore to finish. I read it as part as my lifelong challenge to read all recipients of the Hugo or Nebula awards and this seriously puts into question the interest of this challenge. :) This is a post-apocalyptic, partly dystopian book in which a community tries to survive by cloning. The writing felt flat at at many times I felt like I had to be a mind reader to understand what the author meant, especially concerning the loss of fertility in people and animals. The book has three separate stories that span different periods in time. The second one was the most interesting. ...more
Pas le meilleur de la série. J'ai trouvé que ça traînait un peu en longeur après un premier quart très intéressant, et sourtout il m'a semblé que deuxPas le meilleur de la série. J'ai trouvé que ça traînait un peu en longeur après un premier quart très intéressant, et sourtout il m'a semblé que deux points importants de l'histoire sont incohérents. Mais heureusement le rythme s'accélère sur la dernière partie et c'est toujours un plaisir de retrouver les personnages. ...more
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