Sleeping Giants

Sleeping Giants (Themis Files 1)
by: Sylvain Neuvel

(Science Fiction)

304 pages [Hardcover]

When a giant metal hand is accidentally discovered, a risky project to uncover its secrets begins.

Curiosity-driven stories are my favorite, and this one also just happens to be extremely easy to read. This is the first novel I’ve read that uses interviews and occasional journal entries to tell the story rather than lengthy exposition. Don’t get me wrong, I always enjoy an artful turn of phrase, but this works too.

Of all the characters, I found the interviewer, a man we know almost nothing about, to be the most interesting. He can be cold and logical, yet somehow I found myself liking him the most.

There were some great big-picture implications and the usual questions when power is involved. How far is too far in the name of progress? What is our place in the universe?

My only criticism is there was a little bit of petty emotional stuff in the middle there. It wasn’t anything too bad, I’ve read much worse, and it did end up being integral to the plot. The characters continued to evolve as the story progressed, which made up for it for the most part.

I suspect the next volume won’t be as curiosity-driven given the conclusion, although there is still a mystery or two left. But since this book was so easy to read, I’ll definitely be reading the next one, even if it’s just a break from my usual, more long-winded fare. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

The Saga of Seven Suns: A Forest of Stars

A Forest of Stars
(The Saga of Seven Suns Book 2)
by: Kevin J. Anderson

(Science Fiction/Space Opera)

496 pages [Hardcover]

The conflict with the Hydrogues escalates as humanity struggles with dwindling fuel, political challenges, and inscrutable aliens.

Oops! I completely forgot to review this one!  That’s what I get for reading too many books at once and just letting the reviews pile up. But don’t worry, I have a system now that should make sure no more books slip through the cracks. Now, I’m not sure I remember enough details to write a decent review, so I guess I’ll write an indecent review? Wait, no, that’s not how that word works…

I think I’ll be sticking with this series long term. I’ve mentioned often how much I love a deep history in a story and this series has that. Perhaps what I’m really saying is that I like depth in a story and epic histories provide that quite easily. I’m really loving the mystery of the Klikiss robots, and the mysteries within the Saga of Seven Suns.

Things escalate in this volume, as would be expected. With the Hydrogues vigorously defending their gas giants, humanity is facing a dramatic fuel shortage, causing some to go outside the law to get their hands on what they need. There’s a lot of destruction as the Hydrogues get more aggressive, but humanity doesn’t seem to be their true target. We’re just in the way. I was pleasantly surprised by some interesting new powers who enter the conflict that have the potential to be pretty awesome.

If you’re a hardcore science person this might not be the series for you. Personally, I don’t think that a story set in space is required to be researched so extensively that the author might as well have a PhD in engineering and astrophysics. It’s not a bad thing for a book to be that well researched, but being the layman I am, I enjoy a story just fine with a little less research.

As for the pace of the story and its characters, it was not always attention-grabbing. There was a time when I probably wouldn’t have bothered with this series because of that. However, I have learned, in my more recent book-obsessed years, that a slower paced and more detailed story can still be worth reading, even if I’m not over-the-top excited about reading it. I may not have been completely absorbed for every minute of it, but I enjoyed it overall. This is why I now read a few books at a time. When I have a slower, longer book to read, I make sure to have something more immediately gratifying in the mix too. It keeps the energy flowing and prevents me from getting bored.

In spite of a couple of flaws, I enjoyed this book and am curious enough about the plot to keep reading. Also, I would like to hug a world tree. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

Hyperion

Hyperion  by: Dan Simmons

(Science Fiction/Space Opera)

482 pages [Paperback]

Seven pilgrims set out on a journey to the Time Tombs, each with their own mysterious reasons for risking death by the creature that is thought to inhabit them.

In some ways, this book reminds me of James Gunn’s Transcendental. Both books follow a group of strangers on a pilgrimage to a mysterious place, with each character telling his or her personal story. There is plenty of mystery and curiosity in both, with a touch of danger.

As a result of that structure, however, there are going to be some parts of the story that are more interesting than others, depending on the preferences of the reader. In this case, the Priest, Poet, and Scholar’s stories were the most captivating to me. Others were a little less interesting, and one, in particular, takes a bizarre and surprisingly disturbing turn. Regardless, each character’s tale reveals more about the universe Hyperion inhabits and its technology, politics, and mysteries.

This book is a little difficult to describe since each character’s story is so different. Overall it is a little bit dark and a little bit crazy, but definitely interesting. There is a cynical view of what humanity had become that bled into each tale. The Shrike and the Time Tombs are wonderfully sinister and enigmatic. The different planets, with their own special characteristics, were always fun to read about. From a world-building standpoint, this book is awesome. There is always so much to learn about, without it being overwhelming.

In the end, I liked it a lot, and I’m interested to see where the next three books lead. The story had its ups and downs, and I’d be lying if I said I was completely invested in every page, but there is something really cool here. If you like space opera I’d definitely recommend it. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

14

14

By: Peter Clines

peterclines.com

(Science Fiction/Apocalypse/Steampunk)

350 pages (trade paperback)

 

Nate Tucker’s new apartment building is a little strange – padlocked doors, odd light fixtures, and mutant cockroaches… but the rent’s good.

This book is not about zombies. Just thought I’d make that clear.

So many apocalyptic novels involve one brand of zombie or another. It’s either some sort of zombie plague that makes people crazy or violent or one that turns them into vampire-like monsters that are, again, crazy and/or violent. Lots of people love that stuff, but I generally don’t, although there is the occasional exception. What is so wonderful about 14, is that this book’s brand of apocalypse is completely different, and involves a more classical approach to the end of the world. Unfortunately, saying anything more would give away the story, trust me, it’s cool.

On the cover, this book is compared to the TV show LOST, but I disagree a little on that point. Yes, they both have mysteries, but I feel like the similarities end there. I didn’t really like LOST. It was good at first, but I gave up on it a few seasons in. Why? Because the mysteries kind of sucked. Well, actually, the mysteries, at first, were great, but they ruined them over time by, either ignoring them altogether or by having really anticlimactic reveals. 14 slowly builds intensity with its mysteries, each one more pivotal than the last. Pretty much everything of importance is answered and what is revealed is awesome. I didn’t see it coming.

The characters are good and create a well-balanced atmosphere of silliness with occasional seriousness. The book has a slightly lighter feel to it in that regard, but it kept the adventure fun. It was serious when it needed to be, but there were also plenty of jokes and geek references too.

This was a fun and interesting read. I always do well with curiosity-driven books. What’s behind that door? Why is it locked? What happens if I pull this lever? It was an interesting idea and something different, so I was really pleasantly surprised. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

 

*Spoilers*

For those of you who have already read the book I just wanted to add this one little thing…

(Highlight to read)

[You know how everything on the other side is covered in sand?

Two words: Squale poop. Think about it. 😉]

Technogenesis

Technogenesis

By: Syne Mitchell

synemitchell.com

(Sci-Fi/Future/Thriller)

326 pages (paperback)

 

In a future where everyone is connected to the Net 24/7, Jasmine Reese’s means of connection malfunctions and she is forced to go without access to something she has always taken for granted. She soon notices odd things about the connected people around her. When one of the few disconnected people warns her that “The Beast is watching you…” she is thrust into danger and an encounter with something she never imagined could exist.

*   *   *

This book is one of my many book sale finds. I was trying to bolster my science fiction section at the time. Since I’ve been gathering books at such an alarming rate, I thought it was about time to try to focus on my own bookshelf for a while. We’ll see how long that lasts. Distractions abound.

The short version of this review is that this book was good, but not great. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a good book. Not everything has to be mind-blowingly awesome. I enjoyed it, it was a quick read, and that’s really all there is to it.

I find that lately I’m  drawn more to longer, more complicated stories. There was a time when 300 pages was plenty, but these days it just doesn’t seem to be enough story. There isn’t enough time for me to get fully engrossed in the characters or the world but, then again, not all books are the kind you really dive into like that. I think it’s good to have a balance though. The lighter novels help me to appreciate the deeper ones and help keep me from getting buried by them. I think it works.

This book is a little bit technical without being overly so. You want a little technical in your science fiction, that’s what makes it plausible, you just don’t want so much that you nod off and start to drool. There are the usual fun ethics questions and technological advancement “what ifs” that are interesting to think about, and there isn’t one clear answer. The main character has a little trouble deciding what is right, and her choices aren’t easy. There were also a couple of cool quirks and interesting complications that I didn’t see coming.

If you’re looking for some quick science fiction, that doesn’t involve ark ships and galactic exploration, this is a pretty good choice. It’s entertaining, but you don’t have to invest too much either. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

Othella {Arcadian Heights 1}

Othella {Arcadian Heights 1}

By: Therin Knite

knitewrites.com

(Thriller/SciFi)

302 pages (Trade Paperback)

 

“Welcome to Arcadian Heights, where the world’s brightest minds go in…and don’t come out.”

*   *   *

Therin Knite’s books are fast paced and super easy to read, not to mention that the printed versions have such lovely print I didn’t really need my glasses! They make for great breaks in between those super long, epic, fantasy novels. In this case though, I was suffering from a bit of a book hangover from The Wise Man’s Fear, so I had a little trouble adjusting to this one.

Othella is a little bit dark since it takes place at a point in time, frighteningly not far from now, where the world is on the verge of apocalypse. The impending doom creates for a tense and interesting tale, but a more serious one.

There are no heroes in this story. Each of the three main characters’ actions are done for selfish reasons like revenge, fame, or survival. As a result, I didn’t feel for them quite as much as I could have. This is more about watching the chaos unfold and wondering what will happen when everything falls apart. I did like how we got to follow the perspective of the one character who most closely resembled a villain. Watching him do bad things in the name of ensuring a future for the human race, and then watching him live with the consequences was fascinating. There were times I felt bad for him, and then felt that I shouldn’t be feeling bad for him because of the things he’d done. There is the question of who has the moral high ground, how far is too far to go to try and save the human race?

I was a lot more invested in the story by the end. When stories move quickly and are split up across three characters like this, it takes a little time to get to know them well enough. Since this is shaping up to be a trilogy it makes perfect sense. I’ve noticed this pattern before in books that were the first of a series.

This was a solidly good book, and I would certainly recommend it. If I gave Therin’s first book, Echoes five stars, I’d give this one four, but only because I liked the subject matter of Echoes a little bit more. I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series. Often, whenever I finish reading one of my favorite books, anything I read afterward seems terrible, whether it is or not. I have to say, this one held up well against a serious book hangover and that’s saying something. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

Book Sale Haul VI

Wow, I’ve done six of these already? Time flies. I’ve been learning to restrain myself a bit more at these book sales, since I’m really running out of room, so this time I have 21 new books to share with you. Behold the literary splendor! (click for larger images)

Apparently I’m collecting The Wheel of Time books now…so far I’ve got 2, 4, 5, 7, 8, and 11. That’s a start.

Two more Shannara books for the collection and some fantasy/scifi…

Elizabethan espionage, Sherlock, thrillers, and Ian M. Banks since I really liked The Algebraist…

Tarot and math make an odd combination, but I’ve always had an interest in forms of divination, as well as a fear of math. It says it’s painless, so maybe I’ll learn something.

So there you have it, my restrained book sale finds. I’m pretty happy with it and since my personal library seems to be growing at an alarming rate, I’ve decided to focus on reading what I already have for the time being. There will be no more trips to the library for a while, since I get distracted so easily. I’m almost done with The Wise Man’s Fear so there will be some new reviews in the very near future, including an indie or two, so please look forward to them! Until next time…happy reading 😉

Solace

Solace

By: Therin Knite

knitewrites.com

(YA/Time Travel)

317 pages (ebook)

 

Corina resents the father who had the nerve to die, far off in a war torn country, without ever getting the chance to know her, that is, until a mysterious stranger gives her the chance to meet him. Insert time travel superpowers here.

*   *   *

I really think we need more YA books like this. No deadly, yet mysterious, hot guys, no supernatural love triangles, just a girl getting to know her father. Now, I wasn’t really looking to read another young adult novel so soon after the Gemma Doyle disappointment, but I received a free, no-strings-attached, digital copy of Solace from the author, and since I wanted to break in my brand new Nook, I thought I’d give it a read. While I’ve purchased Therin Knite’s other two books Echoes and Othella (which I haven’t quite gotten to yet) I probably wouldn’t have picked up this one on my own, so I’m happy this freebie got me to read it, because it is a wonderful story.

It was surprisingly good, not that I had any reason to think it would be bad judging by how much I liked Echoes, but the premise sounded a little depressing, and being a young adult novel, I thought it might not be what I was looking for. In reality, it was ultimately more uplifting than it was depressing, and while it was certainly emotional, it wasn’t sappy or melodramatic. The characters were fun. I loved their attitudes and frankness. And there was far more action than I expected, making it a very quick read, and never boring or slow.

I only have one complaint.

Generally, I like the author’s use of short sentences to give punch and immediacy to the story. There’s no excessive verbiage to navigate through, just the right amount of description to know what’s going on, which is especially effective in a first-person novel like this one. However, there were quite a few occasions where those sentences seemed incomplete, like fragments. Now, I’m no expert, and maybe that’s just a style issue, but sometimes I just really wanted to string two sentences together with a comma…really badly. I only mention this because I didn’t notice this in Echoes, so I’m not sure why it happened here.

Overall, I really liked this story, and those little writing issues didn’t detract from the enjoyment of it at all. If Terry Brooks can use “wordlessly” ad nauseam, Therin Knite can have potentially fragmented sentences. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

 

Ecko Rising

Ecko Rising

By: Danie Ware

danieware.com

(Fantasy/Science Fiction)

524 pages Trade Paperback

Technologically enhanced Ecko, a dystopian vigilante, finds himself trapped in another world without the tech he’s so accustomed to. But is this world real or a simulation known as a “Virtual Rorschach” with a psychiatrist watching his every move trying to fix him?

The very beginning of this novel is a bit of a challenge, but I’m glad I stuck with it. The earliest scenes are in a futuristic dystopian London which was a bit difficult to follow. There was a lot to take in quite quickly, liberal use of the F-word in dialogue, and a handful of British words and phrases I didn’t quite understand. I learned that a “dog-end” is in fact the used end of a cigarette, which I thought somehow according to context that it was some sort of an alley…yep, pretty different things.

But once the story shifted to the other world, things started to settle down a bit and make more sense. This other world where “Reality took a half step sideways, staggered, and fell on its ass…” lit at night by “batshit moons” that don’t follow the laws of physics, there is no glass or metal, and is populated by some nasty alchemical beasties, is a lovely work of world-building, and I’m glad so much of the story took place there. This fantasy world doesn’t exactly follow the usual clichés, and if one managed to sneak in, Ecko was sure to point it out, especially since he’s convinced that it’s all a simulation. This world revolves around trade, and is so caught up in it that the people have forgotten their past and the dangers that still lurk unnoticed. Apathy and greed are themes that echo here and in the real world that Ecko left behind.

Ecko is not the most likeable character, but that’s just who he is. He’s not a hero, but he likes to show off his technologically advanced superpowers as much as possible, and in the process, sometimes manages to do something good. The thing is, he likes who he is, and doesn’t want to be fixed, which I think is the thing I like most about him. His unpredictability is especially entertaining.

This book gets a solid like from me. The characters were interesting, the world-building was cool, and there was a lovely twist at the end. There’s a lot to this book, a lot more than I can adequately describe in this review without summarizing the whole thing. I just wish it was about 100 pages shorter, not necessarily because it was slow…maybe more because there was a lot to follow and required a wee bit more thought to keep track of everything. The sequel, Ecko Burning has been added to my list, so I’ll definitely be getting around to that one in the not-too-distant future. Until next time…

Happy Reading!

Wyrmhole

Wyrmhole

By: Jay Caselberg

www.sff.net/people/jaycaselberg

(Sci-Fi/Mystery)

309 pages (Paperback)

 While pursuing an investigation for a large corporation, Psychic Investigator Jack Stein uncovers something more mind-blowing than he ever expected.

This was a fun mystery with a sci-fi twist, or perhaps a cool sci-fi story with a mystery twist? Regardless, the combination of mystery and science fiction worked well and it read a lot like an urban fantasy. So, I guess you could call this urban science fiction.

Psychic Investigator Jack Stein is your run-of-the-mill scruffy investigator, but his psychic work is interesting, and not something you would expect in the context of the story. He uses dreams, impressions, and dumb luck to figure things out.

The story is set in a “quasi-organic, self-feeding urban environment” known as the Locality, which was probably the best thing about the book. I’m a fan of world-building and I hadn’t come across anything like it before. Maybe I need to read more science fiction though. The New end of the Locality is shiny and fashionable while the Old end crumbles and decays. There’s plenty of technology and furniture can even be programed to grow out of the walls when needed. I’d love to explore such a place.

Alchemy and science are tied together wonderfully in this story, with the past and future coming together and making sense. It’s nice to have something rooted in history when you’re dealing with a futuristic world. It connects the story back to reality in a grounding sort of way.

However, there was one problem with the history and science: the research. The author did his research, there’s no denying that, but it often felt that he just copy-and-pasted it into the story. There were quotes from various sources but they didn’t seem to be an organic part of the story. The worst thing about it was the footnotes. I don’t know if they were there as part of the story or just because the author was legally required to give credit, but they were distracting. If it was necessary for legal purposes, then there’s nothing he could have done about it, but if it was part of the story, it didn’t quite make sense, primarily because of the dates on the publications. As part of the story, it doesn’t seem right that most of his sources are from the mid 1990s. In a futuristic world, you’d expect a little more variety in dates when it comes to research. It takes you out of the story, but if it’s about credit, then I guess it can’t be helped, although perhaps they could have put them at the back of the book so you know that it’s not supposed to be a part of the story.

I’d give this one a solid like. I liked it enough to add the other few Jack Stein novels to my ever-growing book list, especially since I like having some good quick books to read. I need something to help break up all the epic fantasy series and protracted space operas. Until next time…

Happy Reading!