Monthly Archives: July 2023

books, Dystopian, Reviews, science fiction

Infinity Gate (Pandominion 1) by M. R. Carey

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5.

This is another example of a book where the idea sounds great when you read the blurb on the back, but the execution is sorely disappointing. Honestly, the most I can say about this book is meh.

The idea of a technology that allows humans to travel the multiverse is amazing, and there are so many ways a story like that could go! One of the best examples so far was The Space Between Worlds by Micaiah Johnson . Now that story had a heart. Unfortunately, this one doesn’t. 

Oh, it has plenty of interesting ideas. The worlds of Pandominion are fascinating, and the idea that in some version of our Earth, primates might not have evolved to dominate the land is intriguing. The fact that most of those diverse races manage to coexist peacefully is also wonderful to see. 

However, a long story like that can’t win on worldbuilding and concept alone. It needs engaging characters to carry the narrative and keep the readers engaged. And the characters in this book are extremely unlikeable. They are selfish to the extreme, unable to take responsibility of their own actions. They make often horrible decisions and commit atrocities and manage to justify it. I couldn’t stand most of them. The only character I could more or less relate to was Paz, because she was mostly an innocent bystander at the beginning, and any actions she took afterwards were fueled by her sense of right and wrong. But we meet Paz a lot later in the book, and for the first 35% I really had nobody to root for, so this story was almost a DNF for me.

Also, we have an empire that spans countless parallel universes and includes a diverse variety of “selves”, who manage to coexist even though some of them evolved from primates, others from wolves/cats, and even others from herbivores. But that empire itself is a repressive regime, where the only political actions seem to be strike first and annihilate the (possible) treat and ask questions never. Are you telling me that with all the bright minds available in all the multiverse, the Pandominion couldn’t come up with a better form of government?

Why is it that this mighty and very technologically advanced empire didn’t even try to communicate with the machines when they stumbled upon the mechanical civilization? Seriously, not a single attempt at communication was even considered. Or, you know, just leaving them alone. There are infinite Earths in this multiverse, so why not just blacklist this particular one and go explore somewhere else? No, the solution is to invade and annihilate. Without provocation, mind you. And they wonder why they get pushback? Or that they are being destroyed in response?

Finally, even though this book is about 500 pages long, it doesn’t even resolve part of the story that is hinted at in the first chapters. It just sets up the stage and brings all the main characters together. Yes, I understand that this is the first book in a series, and that there is an overarching story. But you need to give the reader some kind of payoff for investing hours of their time into this book. At least one story arc should have been satisfyingly concluded by the end of this book. Unfortunately, it wasn’t. And honestly? I won’t stick around for book 2 to find out what happens to the Pandominion.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Reviews, science fiction

System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries 7) by Martha Wells

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

Disclaimer before I get into the meat of this review. In order to understand what’s happening in this book, you must have read Network Effect. This story picks up almost immediately after the ending of that book, and the events in NE have a direct impact on what’s happening in this story. Of course, I’m assuming that not many people would start a series on its seventh book without reading the previous six, but you never know.

As I said, the events of this book are a direct continuation of Network Effect. They are still on the planet with the alien infestation. The corporation is still there as well. And Murderbot… Murderbot is not okay. Oh, he is fine physically speaking, but his mental state is in shambles to say the least.

And you know what? I’m really glad that the author chose to portray it this way. She could have easily just swept the events of Network Effect under the rug, and left Murderbot continue like nothing happened. To be his sarcastic and highly efficient paranoid self. But that would have diminished the impact of what had happened in those ruins. 

Murderbot had been through a horrific and traumatic experience. He was almost assimilated by a malignant alien entity, not to mention the mental violation that took place. If he had just shrugged this off, it would only have reinforced the point that SecUnits are just machines, because only a machine could walk away unscathed from something like that. 

But Bot is more than a machine, and he has a severe case of PTSD, even if he doesn’t understand what’s happening to him. He thinks he is broken, that something in either his organic parts or his programs is malfunctioning. So we get this very hesitant Bot, who second guesses all of his hunches and reactions, who doesn’t trust his own risk assessments, and who spends so much time checking and double-checking his conclusions that he seems slow on the uptake. 

This shows us an oddly vulnerable side of Murderbot. He isn’t used to being this hesitant. He isn’t used to not being in control of the situation or of his own reactions to those situations, and he isn’t used to not being able to have several plans of attack/retreat going at once in his head.

I also loved that Bot’s attitude towards the humans he is with (the ones who came with him and ART’s crew) has drastically changed in this book as well. Yes, he can still be sarcastic about them, but he truly considers them as friends, not just charges he has to keep alive often despite their best efforts. Bot even starts to trust them to accomplish things without his input or help. He relies on them more and he thinks of them a lot more fondly then before. This is huge character growth for Bot, and I am very happy about that.

My only complaint is that due to the limiting factors of the setting, we don’t get nearly enough interaction with ART prime or Three, which I was really looking forward to. But seeing how this book ends, I have hope that we will get a lot more ART in the future. I would also like to know what will happen to the SecUnits Bot freed in this book. It would really be interesting to see how each of them evolves.

PS: I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

The Last Wish (The Witcher 0.5) by Andrzej Sapkowski

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

I had read this series back when I was a teenager and remember loving it. Then I played all of The Witcher games and watched the Netflix series. The series was a huge disappointment, especially season 3, but Henry Cavil is 100% Geralt of Rivia. You can see that he loves the source material as much as I do.

Anyway, while I will not be continuing with the TV series, I decided to reread the books. And I started at the book that introduced me to this series the first time as well. I remember being fascinated by the way the author wove original Slavic monsters and folk tales into this rich and complex world. And I absolutely LOVE Geralt of Rivia. 

This book is a collection of short stories that weave into a cohesive narrative that serves to introduce us to Geralt and the most important characters in future books, like Yennifer, Jaskier, the elves, etc. And while Ciri isn’t in this book, she is mentioned and we get to read the story about how Geralt got to be linked to her by destiny. 

I liked that not all of the short stories involve Geralt slaying soulless monsters. In fact, in a lot of them humans are worst monsters than the actual monsters. And some of those stories are actually rather heartbreaking. Like the whole horrible affair in Blaviken. Was Renfri born a monster like the sorcerer claimed, or did humans make her that way by driving her to become cruel and callus just to survive? Or what’s the point of all your arrogance and pride if your entire race is dying off because of that pride?

I plan on rereading the entire series this year and I am looking forward to immersing myself in the complex and bloody world of witchers, monsters, and political intrigue. 

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Cast in Shadow (Chronicles of Elantra 1) by Michelle Sagara

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

This is a good first book in the series. It does a good job setting up the world and the characters, as well as establishing the stakes and hinting at an overarching plot.

I really liked discovering the world of Elantra. This is a city build on the ruins of a much older civilization, and those ruins still contain magics that nobody can understand or harness, but which are deadly nonetheless. This is also a city where a multitude of mortal and immortal races manage to coexist in relative harmony, probably thanks to no small part to the efficient policing by the Hawks – Elantra’s police force. 

I loved discovering the different races, their customs, behaviors, and reactions ingrained into who they are. I think that the author put a lot of thought into the worldbuilding, so all those races feel “real” and organically woven into the story. I love book like that. We don’t have your run of the mill elves and werewolves (or were something else), but races with long histories and logic behind the way they act.

I liked the various relationships that Kaylin formed with her colleagues in the Hawks. I especially loved that she has several female friends and those friendships aren’t tainted by jealousy or competition over men. Too many urban fantasy authors make their female protagonists into special snowflakes in a world of men or surrounded by horrible female characters. Glad to see that it’s not the case here. Believe me, we women can coexist perfectly fine with each other without backstabbing and undermining each other. Shocker, I know.

I was less trilled about Kaylin though. I understand that she is young and had a traumatic childhood, but this girl has zero impulse control. She never stops to consider the consequences of her actions BEFORE she does anything. And while in some instance it’s warranted and understandable, it gets old really fast. Hopefully, having resolved the biggest trauma from her past, she will be able to grow and mature in the next books. I am certainly willing to check out the next book to see if there is any character development.

My biggest complaint about this book is that the narrative is rather confusing at times. We pay so much attention to Kaylin’s thoughts, flashbacks, feelings, etc. that it bogs down the actual story sometimes. So the action scenes stretch out into pages and loose their intensity. 

Also some of the subtext in the conversations isn’t clear. Like I get the feeling that I should get what the hidden meaning is, but I simply don’t. That makes for a rather frustrating read at times.

All in all however, I am definitely willing to give the next book in the series a try to see if Kaylin matures a little, and to learn more about the fascinating city of Elantra.

books, Fantasy, Reviews

Three Oaths (A Daidoji Shin Mystery 4) by Joshua Reynolds

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5.

About a quarter of the book in, I realized that this wasn’t the first book in this series, because the characters referred to events that had happened in previous books. This however didn’t diminish my enjoyment of the story. I also must note that I didn’t know that the Legend of the Five Rings was a table top RPG. Needless to say, I never played it, nor was I familiar with the lore and world. This, however, didn’t hinder my enjoyment of this story. So I can affirm that this book can be read as a standalone.

The world depicted in this book has some strong similarities with medieval Japan (which I am all in for, since I love Japanese culture and history). It is, however, slightly more tolerant on some issues than its historical counterpart. For example, women can hold positions of power in the government (one of the characters is a general in her household), and it seems like same sex relationships aren’t frowned upon. 

I loved Shin and his sidekicks that he seems to accumulate with ease by turning criminals into allies and by knowing exactly how to get the best use of someone by allowing them the dignity of being themselves. Shin is smart, very curious, and with a mind honed to solve complex puzzles. He is definitely wasted as a mere representative of the Merchant Guild. He is also pretty fearless, which gets him in trouble more often than not, to the consternation of his bodyguard. I loved her too. She is Shin’s exact opposite – impatient, a stickler for rules, and straightforward and unbending. Where Shin can be deceitful with words and actions to get results, she prefers to have her katana speak for her. Amazingly enough, they work pretty well together. 

The main intrigue is also pretty interesting. Is Mosu an imposter or not? And if he is, why is everyone happy to pretend that he is not and proceed with the wedding like nothing happened? The more Shin digs into this sordid affair, the bigger a conspiracy he discovers. From what I can see, it even ties to some of the events that happened in previous books. Somebody is working to bring the demise of the Lyon Clan. Surreptitiously and from the shadows, using others to weaken their enemy. And that particular storyline isn’t resolved by the end of the book either. I will definitely pick up the next book in the series, because now I am invested. I want to know who the mastermind behind all this is. 

I will also definitely pick up the previous three books about Daidoji Shin, because he is such a likeable character, and I want to know what other mysteries he solved and how he came to have some of the servants he has at his service, like the smuggler Lun. And now I am also interested in checking out other novels set in the Legend of the Five Rings universe, because that world is fascinating. 

PS: I received a free copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

PPS: Also, that book cover is amazing.

books, Fantasy, Ghost Story, Reviews, Urban fantasy, YA

The Hollow Boy (Lockwood & Co 3) by Jonathan Stroud

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

This series keeps getting better and better. The intrigue behind the Orpheus Society is getting a bit more development, and we have some interpersonal drama between the three members of Lockwood & Co. 

All in all, it was a fast-paced and gripping story. The plot thickens. Now we have a (yet) unknown group of people who discovered how to weaponize ghosts. A ghost bomb, anyone? And we have another (or same group) of people who were performing some kind of ritual in a plague pit that served as a focus point for a massive haunting in the whole of Chelsea. The reasons behind these events are unknown, and that’s intriguing. I’m pretty sure a confrontation between Lockwood and Co and these people (whether they are the Orpheus Society or not) will be the endgame of the series. I am excited to see how that unfolds.

On the interpersonal front, a wrench is thrown into the relationships between the trio in the person of Holly Munro. I found it rather hilarious to watch Lucy get all bent over the axel over the presence of another girl in what she considers her domain. This brings home the fact that even though they deal with horrible things that even adults would have nightmares about, Lockwood, Lucy and George are still basically children. They are teenagers with raging hormones, unbridled emotions, and rampant insecurities. 

Lucy especially has a huge chip on her shoulder, so she tends to be very judgmental of anyone she feels threatened by. Which means all females she comes across, unless they are absolutely ugly. So seeing how efficient, organized, and put together Holly is would rub her the wrong way. It was a bit funny to see Lucy assume so many things about Holly and then be an absolute snotty b… to her because of those assumptions. Hopefully, the events of this book showed her the dangers of assumptions, lack of honest communication, and what happens when you let your feelings fester. Maybe she will be nicer to other people now. 

We also learned what happened to Lockwood’s sister, and why he behaves the way he does most of the time. We still don’t know what happened to his parents, but the insinuations thrown in book 2 point towards the fact that it was nothing good and that it wasn’t an accident. 

I will definitely be continuing with this series and learning more about the Problem, the mysterious groups trying to weaponize it, and how our trio of friends can survive the aftermath.

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Urban fantasy

Volatile Bonds (Prospero’s War 4) by Jaye Wells

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

Well, this book was a big disappointment, especially compared to book 3. Don’t get me wrong. It started strong with a murder and an explosion and a new actor trying to take over Babylon (again). It’s fast paced and a lot of things happen, and good guys win in the end, well sort of… but it just doesn’t hit the same as previous books.

Problem is, this series is starting to get formulistic. In every book, something happens and Kate looks for clues, but finds nothing. So they go visit Little Man, who gives them some clues. Then they hit a dead and again, so they go talk to Abe in prison… again, and get insulted and not learn much at all. Honestly, what’s the point visiting Uncle Abe in every book apart from reminding the reader what a horrible human being he is? Then by the end of the book Volos swoops in to help save the day… again. No matter which book in the series you pick up, the order of events is exactly the same. 

Are you telling me that Kate doesn’t have any informants other than Little Man? And if Little Man is so knowledgeable in all underground Babylon affairs, why is he living in squalor? Why isn’t he brokering this information better? Also, why do we have to go talk to Abe all the time? Honestly, at this point, you give the creepy guy in prison more intel by showing up there than you are getting from him. Not to mention, it’s getting boring.

My biggest pet peeve though is that the author is trying to push Kate and Volos together by making us believe that Volos can be good for her, or that she still has romantic feelings for him. Erm, bad idea. The author spent three previous books showing us that Volos is ruthless, domineering, cruel at times, and not above using blackmail to get what he wants from anyone, including Kate. He constantly tries to insert himself into her life and dominate it. Their relationship is toxic to the Nth degree. WHY are we all of a sudden trying to put him into the status of love interest? No, just no.

Especially when it’s done to the detriment of Morales’s character. In order to push Kate towards Volos, the author had to paint Morales in less than flattering light, so she makes him shifty and cowardly about telling their superiors about his involvement in the murder of an undercover cop. Problem is, this behavior goes against everything we learned about Morales’s character in the past books. It’s like he had a case of identity switch. And it’s only done so that Kate can’t trust him anymore and would be pushed away. Sorry, but that’s lazy writing. If you absolutely want Kate and Volos together, find an organic way to make that happen. Don’t bring down another character just for that.

I really hope that there is another book in this series coming out soon and it will explain some of the treads left hanging at the end of this one. Like who is the real leader of the Votaries? But more importantly, I hope we get better character development on everybody’s part. 

PS: Loved the guys with the pigeons though.