Category Archives: science fiction

books, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Reviews

Among These Bones (Among These Bones 1) by Amanda Luzzader

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5.

This started pretty strong but petered out by the end. 

The premise is fantastic – a global pandemic destroyed society as we know it. The survivors must take a serum every year in order not to contract the disease that killed most of humanity. The unfortunate side effect of this serum is that it wipes your memories. So every year you start as a blank slate, with the Agency telling you who you are, who your family is, and what you did in life. But who is to say that any of it is true? Is that child that the Agency shoved into your arms really your son or a random stranger? Is your name really Allison? 

I believe the author wasted the potential of this premise because there could have been so much more she could have done there! Allison in particular seems prone to accept these facts at face value and not even question them until the later part of the book. She is content just to keep her head down, get her rations, and hole up in a ratty house for the rest of her life. It’s Arie that is trying to push the limits of their world and to discover what really happened on Year One. 

And I think that was ultimately the biggest issue for me. Allison is the protagonist, and she is boring as fish. I couldn’t care less for her tribulations because she didn’t really commit to anything until the end of the book. Until then, she just kind of floated along the current and followed whichever person of authority she happened to be with, be it Arie or Ruby. Also, she is written as a bit dim. I mean you know an Agency supervisor took a special interest in you and your son, and you discovered that Arie was being tracked via his chip. Why oh why would you bring a very recognizable truck straight to your house? Especially when working vehicles are so rare? And why would you rush back there after the stint you pulled at the serum storage facility? That’s next level stupid.

Actually, all the characters in this book are written as not very bright, even if the author says otherwise about some of them. They survive and pull a successful heist only because of plot contrivances and kevlar-thick plot armor. And once I realized that, I couldn’t really care for their well-being because it felt like they would survive no matter how dire the situation was. Apart from Gracy that is, but then again, we barely knew the girl. I’m almost convinced that she was introduced only for the purpose of fridging her to create some motivation for Allison.

All in all, this was a rather disappointing read. It started great but devolved into the standard and stereotypical story of an evil corporation doing something to common people for nefarious but nebulous reasons. Also, the bad guys in this story had no shades of gray whatsoever. I don’t think I will be continuing with this series.

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Lords of Uncreation (The Final Architecture 3) by Adrian Tchaikovsky

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Stars: 4.5 out of 5

This is a fitting conclusion to an epic trilogy. I must say that Mr. Tchaikovsky created a truly unique world. I don’t think I’ve ever read a book with concepts of real and unreal (or similar) that are so well integrated into the story. This world feels lived in. It has an inner logic and it works. 

Things have gotten from bad to worse since the end of the previous book. You would think that a treat of truly galactic proportions would unite people, right? You couldn’t be more wrong. Humanity fractures and splinters, because each faction has its own idea of how exactly humanity will be saved, one which leaves them in power over the rescued remnants, of course. And none of those ideas include taking the war to the slavemasters of the Architects. 

I even understand why. Fighting something so unimaginable and unreachable is daunting, to say the least. It’s much easier for the human psyche to find a smaller enemy and concentrate on them. Hence Hugh and the Parthenon are at each other throats again. And the Boyarin want their Arcs back. The galaxy is a mess even without Architects popping up at random solar systems to turn inhabited planets into tragic art. 

And the crew of the Vulture God is still stuck in the middle of it all. Though I’m not sure if they are a crew anymore since only Oli and Kit are technically on the ship itself. Idris and Kris are on the Eye, where Idris is killing himself, trying to find the mysterious Masters who send the Architects out into the real. Solace is also there with the Partheny Ints, but it seems like everyone has their own agenda now. Until all hell breaks lose, that is. 

If I had one complaint about this book it’s that the first 30% of it or so drags. I understand that all the pieces had to be put on the board and set in motion, but it made for a rather boring read. However, once the attack on the Eye happens, things pick up. And after Anku brings the hammer down on the whole system, the action doesn’t let down until the end. 

All in all, I liked how things got wrapped up in this book. And the fate that befell the Lords of Uncreation was a fine example of poetic justice. I was a bit surprised bout Oli, but it makes sense and is in tune with her character. Solace had a huge crisis of faith in this book, and I’m happy with the choice she made. Also, she is a badass. The only non-Int to stand in the middle of creation, face a very alien and overwhelming force, and not give ground. “Pret at combattre” indeed. 

I am also happy with Idris’s arc. It felt at times like he was drifting through the story as a passenger more than an architect of the events, and he would make a lousy action hero, but he saved the world in the end. And now Kris might even save the Ints from indentured servitude, but either way, unspace is a lot more welcoming for them from now on. And I like the concept of Saint Idris.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Dark Space by Rob Hart

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DNF at 50%

I love good science fiction or space opera novels. I love space exploration and humanity spreading to the other planets of our solar system before reaching for the stars. So this book should have been right up my alley, right? Well, I’m sad to say that it’s been a massive disappointment instead.

The book is split into two POVs from two characters located in different places – one is on a starship going for an inhabitable planet orbiting another star, and the other is on the Moon. While I liked the Moon storyline well enough, the whole deal with the starship left me frustrated to indifferent. 

I was frustrated with the absurdity of the premise and how all the characters behaved there. Are you telling me that the captain and most of the crew would choose to cover up an attempt to not only sabotage their mission but to destroy the ship and kill them all? That they would retract the transmission to Earth, falsify the investigation results, and act like those who question them are crazy or insubordinate? This makes no sense.

And when I wasn’t frustrated with characters acting like stupid children, I was bored because I could care less for them. Because they have less substance than a cardboard cutout.

The conspiracy on the Moon was more interesting, even if the protagonist there wasn’t very likable either but the main issue there is that I didn’t buy into the premise or the stakes of the story.

The author hints that this is not the near future, so it’s not like this is happening 20-30 years from now. Humanity has a functional base on the Moon. There is talk of space stations and even a foothold on Mars… yet we are still being divided along national lines? Why would a person born on the Moon care about Russia or US or China’s interests versus the interests of the Moon?

In that respect, The Expanse series did politics so much better. Forget national interests. People defend and identify with places they are born in. That’s why we have Earth and Mars at odds with each other, and the Belters squabble and scrape and never quite manage to unite. That makes sense. What we have in this book? Not so much. 

In the end, I stopped reading because I realized that I didn’t care to discover who tried to sabotage the mission or why. And I didn’t care AT ALL about the first contact with an alien civilization whose individuals conveniently speak English. That the tepid interest I had in the Moon storyline didn’t justify wasting more of my time on this book.

There are other excellent space opera books out there, but this one just isn’t for me.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction

Wild Massive by Rob Hart

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DNF at 35%

I loved the blurb for this book – a giant building as a representation of a multiverse with each floor being a different slide of reality and elevators traveling between them for those who knew how to find the shafts and summon them? Yes, please! An Association of various species, civilizations, or floors controlling most of the bottom floors and reaching ever higher and higher up? And with probably nefarious intentions? Sign me up for this! A plot to destroy several floors or possibly a good chunk of this building? Heck, yeah!

Well, the more I read, the more disappointed I got. This is not a small book. It clocks are almost 500 pages, and I made it a quarter of the way through, and you know what? I still don’t know what this story is supposed to be about. It’s aimless. It’s wandering and meandering all over the place. It’s like the author had all these wonderful ideas and just dropped them all in the same pot and stirred it, hoping that it would make for a good soup. Unfortunately, it didn’t, at least for me. 

The whole book feels disjointed. I’m a quarter of the way through, and I still don’t know what the stakes are, or if there even are any stakes. There are too many characters and most of their motivations are still unclear to me. I mean, I’m almost to the middle point, shouldn’t I know what these different people want by now? I still don’t know what Clarissa wants apart from being left alone in her elevator. Or why the shape-shifters are so hell-bent on destroying the Association. I mean, the only thing that is mentioned is that the Association took one of their own hostage. Isn’t an all-out war a bit of an overreaction? 

Also, why did the Association suddenly eradicate all the Brilliant? What are they hoping to achieve or prevent by this? What do the other various human and non-human entities at play in this Building hope to achieve? I have no clue.

There is no central theme or danger to overcome that I am aware of. And thus, it just feels like a pointless romp through a variety of strange environments. Yes, they are varied and mostly amazing, but I came for a story, not a sightseeing tour.

Also, the tone of the book is off-putting – it gets serious when describing some of the things that happen, and some pretty messed up things actually happen. But then, all of a sudden, we get something humorous or ridiculous that completely clashes with what happened before. If the author was attempting to write a satire, he failed. For good satirical books that also have a lot of heart and tell compelling stories, I would suggest reading anything by Terry Pratchett.

As it stands, I will not continue with this story, because I’m bored, I don’t care about the multitude of characters I am forced to follow, and it’s way too long.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space Western

The Warded Gunslinger (Warded Gunslinger 1) by Filip Wiltgren

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Stars: 4 out of 5.

This was a pretty good novella, and honestly, for how short it was, it managed to accomplish the most important thing – make me interested in the characters and the world. The author doesn’t waste time or words. The action moves swiftly, and there are no superfluous scenes at all. 

Also, that book cover is pretty badass.

But he still manages to introduce the protagonist and clearly set the stakes. We know why Jake is at Jackson Depot, and we know why he is dead set on finding those who decided to break into his ship and steal his cargo. And it all makes sense, and I can root for him. I also liked a lot of the secondary characters, no matter how little pagetime they got. They were all memorable and relatable. Even the thieves, because they had done this out of desperation more than malice towards our protagonist.

The world itself is a fascinating mix of science fiction and fantasy – where magic infuses every day things, but humanity is flying on spaceships and has managed to colonize space. Oh, and there are dragons, or void wyrms, how cool is that?

My only complaint is that we don’t get enough information about this world. A syndicate is mentioned, and the Federation, and a Magical Academy of sorts, but I have no scope. How far did humanity spread from Earth? Are there any other alien races out there apart from the Void Wyrms? Many questions and not enough page time to get the answers. I will have to pick up the next books in the series to find out more. From what I have seen, there are at least three more already out, and I will definitely check them out.

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

books, Dystopian, Reviews, science fiction

Ash and Sun by Jonny Thompson

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DNF at 30%.

I hate giving up on new authors, but this book simply can’t keep my interest any longer. It was slow to start, but I hung on in there, hoping that the action will pick up with the story. Well, we are 30% in, and neither the story nor the action ever picked up.

This book could have used a trim. So many useless words! That whole opening chapter could have been slashed in half if not more, and that would have made the story only better.

My other complaint is that the characters are uninteresting, and the Jens is downright unpleasant to follow. I get that the author was going for the socially awkward genius that is somewhere on the spectrum, so has issues understanding human emotions. Well, that didn’t work for me, because this depiction is inconsistent. In one chapter he struggles with understanding why some of his colleagues want to be touchy-feely after he comes back, and in the next he can read the emotions of the people he interrogates like an open book.

It’s also a big fail on the genius investigator part… yeah, he Jens would be a genius if all the other cops were kindergarten kids who never learned police procedures or interrogation techniques. Seriously, the way he investigates crimes scenes or talks to witnesses and suspects would have him fired from any police precinct IRL, no matter how understaffed they were. It was painful to read through.

Also, 30% in, I still have no clue where this book is going. Yes, there is a suspicious fire in a warehouse and seven bodies. Yes, it is probably murder, and there is another possible murder that may or may not be related to that case… and that’s it. We are over a quarter of the book in, shouldn’t we have learned a bit more at this point? In any case, I am not sticking around to find out.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Ghostdrift (The Finder Chronicles 4) by Suzanne Palmer

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Stars: 5 out of 5.

When we last saw Fergus, he had been saved from imminent and very painful death by the Asig, while he in turn saved the known galaxy. But all is not sunshine and roses in this book. Yes, Fergus is alive and even whole, but he is the most wanted man in the humanity settled cosmos, with a hefty price on his head and a lot of powerful enemies. So he has been in hiding. Which means that he has been alone with is cat and no contact with his family and friends. But when one such friend finally comes calling and asks for his help to free another friend from pirates, of course he will say yes.

Suzanne Palmer has a gift for creating likeable characters. I mean, we are dealing with a ship full of pirates here, yet I grew rather fond of all of them in the end. I think this is also due to the fact that Fergus always tries to see good in people, or at least to find ways to coexist with those he has no choice but to interact with due to various circumstances. It also helps that all of the characters are painted in different shades of gray and all have their own needs, wants and motivations. The villains aren’t even just for the sake of being evil, they have their own reasons behind their actions. The good guys aren’t always exactly good either. Everyone is human and bound to make an absolute mess out of things.

I also liked the main mystery of this book – a missing ship, possible rogue active jump points. A solitary planet in the middle of the Gap between two sections of the galaxy. Oh, and new kinds of aliens, who turn out not so evil in the end after all. Oh, and Fergus being his usual “interesting” self. We get more Asig as well, and get introduced to some of the other humans they changed.

I had a lot of fun with this story, and I am looking forward to following Fergus on his future adventures.

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

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Redemption Ark (Revelation Space 2) by Alasdair Reynolds

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5.

This is the third book I read by this author, and I’m beginning to see a trend: the worldbuilding is excellent. The ideas are fascinating and thought-provoking. The faraway future of human space exploration and settlement the author paints is definitely worth exploring further. But the characters, oh the characters… the author can’t write engaging characters to save his life.

It was a slight issue for me in the first book of the series, Revelation Space, but the new world was interesting enough to dive into that I overlooked the lack of engaging characters to follow. It was also visible in the prequel Chasm City, but at least that book gave me some answers about other things raised in book 1, so I let is slide. But this problem came to the forefront in this book, because the main storyline is most definitely character driven. Unfortunately, I didn’t have any good characters to latch on to. And by good I mean interesting and realistic, or even engaging. 

I couldn’t care less for Clavain and his identity crisis, mostly because he came off condescending and thinking himself smarter and better than anyone else in the universe… while making some rather stupid assumptions and decisions. I also didn’t like Skade and couldn’t really understand her motivations for being as she is. You would think that it would be better explained, since she is the main villain. But even her story was put aside halfway through, when Clavain and his crew got busy with the big confrontation with the Triumvir. 

Speaking of which, what was that even about? We spent pages upon pages talking about the importance of the weapons, and everyone is fighting for control and possession of said weapons… only to just leave them and run at the end? What was the point of this book exactly then? If they were essential for the fight against the Inhibitors, then why didn’t anyone bother to scoop them up before they turned tail and burned it out of the dying system?

As it stands, the book dragged for me. In fact, it took me the better half of last year and then a couple months in 2024 to finish it, simply because I would start losing interest after 10 pages or so and put the book away. I had to force myself to come back to it every time and finish it. I will still give book 3 a try to see where this story is going, but I hope it will be a much tighter book with at least a couple characters I can latch into.

books, Dystopian, Post-Apocalyptic, Reviews

A Mirage in the Memory by Simon Tull

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

I like the concept of this book. This is a post-apocalyptic world where some humans have been turned into vampires… then exterminated normal humans. Now the world is ending, the civilization is crumbling, and the immortal vampires linger in sun-shielded cities under the tyrannical rule of a handful of families. 

I was fascinated by the few glimpses we have of this world and I would have loved to learn more. Unfortunately, the author gives us only crumbs of information. Though I understand that this is a prequel, so maybe the events that led to the current state of affairs are explained in the main books.

My issue with this book is that even though the world is fascinating, I simply couldn’t empathize with the protagonist. Yes, he is haunted by the things he has done and the lover he was forced to leave behind, but it felt rather flat for me. I think I would have felt more invested in his plight if the author had introduced me to his relationship with his wife a bit more. Maybe in flashbacks or something. Or if I got to experience the event that made him leave her behind instead of just seeing it mentioned here and there. As it stands, I had no clear feel for their relationship, and no clue why he left her, or why he felt guilty about it. 

I also need to mention that a lot of the choices the protagonist makes in this story are… questionable, to say the least. Not to mention that the ending is a complete downer. I mean, nothing was accomplished. Thibault is still as much of a slave as he ever was, AND he still doesn’t know where his wife is or if she is even still alive. So what was the purpose of all this?

I was honestly more interested in the side characters, like the burned hacker or the android mod builder. Them, I wouldn’t mind reading about. Thibault? Not so much.

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

books, Horror, Reviews, science fiction

Ghost Station by S.A. Barnes

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5.

I come to the conclusion that I don’t like how this author writes her protagonists. I had that problem with her previous book, and it’s even worse in this one. Ophelia is a horrible person, at least in my opinion, and instead of punishing her for her shortcomings and making her grow up and become a better human being, the author rewards her for them.

I mean who you have a protagonist that LIED about her past to get the job she has now. Mind you, this job is to help people suffering from a psychological condition that can make them violent and delusional. Moreover, this is a condition Ophelia is very familiar with because her father had it… yes, that’s the part she lied about. Oh, and she also has PTSD from her experience with things her father did, and a plethora of other psychological issues herself, yet she thinks she can be objective enough to help others with this? I mean how self-absorbed do you have to be to think that this is okay?

Also, no professional board in their right mind would ever authorize something like that, so no wonder she had to lie about her identity. Oh, and use the influence and money of the family she despises so much just to get what she wants. So it’s okay to disparage your relatives and pretend that you are better than them, but still use their name when it suits you… okay then.

Not only that, but Ophelia also accepts a posting that will put her in the precise situation that will trigger her PTSD. She know is, in fact, she mentions is a few times… yet she fights tooth and nail to still get that position. I mean is that supposed to endear her to me? If this protagonist spent even a moment thinking about anyone other than herself, she would realize that she is the LAST person that needs to go on this mission. That by going she is putting everyone else in danger. She is supposed to provide psychological counseling and stability to the crew put under difficult conditions. How is she supposed to do that when she has several psychological breakdowns just being in an abandoned space station? But no, that thought doesn’t even cross her mind.

And, as I mentioned before, the author thinks this is perfectly normal and in fact brave of Ophelia to do that. She is rewarded for being this reckless and selfish at every turn. She is saved from though situations by plot armor and deus ex machina solutions. 

That’s the other issue I have with this book – the ending is extremely underwhelming, just like the previous book by her, Dead Silence, has been. We get this huge buildup with so many mysteries and horrors… and it all circles back to the evil corporation will be evil trope.. that we already saw in the previous book as well. This is getting old, and it cheapens the plot, in my opinion.

As for the supporting characters, there is really nothing much to say about them. They are more a collection of stereotypes than realized individuals. We have the gruff team leader with a hidden heart of gold who will become the protagonist’s possible love interest. Then we have the rude macho dude that hates her from the get go (for good reasons, mind you). And another male character that might as well be a non-entity. As for females, we have the b76chy female that will turn out to be evil, and a sweet young innocent girl that everybody wants to protect. Actually, if you look at the cast of characters in this book and compare it to the characters in Dead Silence, they are identical. Only the names changed.

I think I’m done with this author. Their stories sound so great when you read the blurb, and the covers are top notch, but the execution is sorely lacking, at least in my opinion. 

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