books, Reviews, science fiction

The Reinvented Detective by Cat Rambo

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5

I honestly expected more of this anthology. I mean, stories about detectives set in the far future, solving cases using technologies we can only dream of? That’s right up my alley! The cover is gorgeous as well, and contributed to my requesting this book from NetGalley. The contents were rather disappointing, though.

I think I liked maybe three stories out of the whole anthology. Murder at the Westminster Dino Show by Rosemary Claire Smith was a fun short story that made me chuckle a couple of times. I mean, pocket-sized dinosaurs? Humanity would be crazy enough to fall for that trend. The downside of this story was that the protagonist wasn’t particularly bright. Heck, it felt like her pet dinosaur brought her all the clues she needed.

In the Shadow of the Great Days by Harry Turtledove was also fun enough to read, even if it presented a rather bleak image of the future.

The Unassembled Victims by Peter Clines was the highlight of this anthology for me. It was well-crafted, and I loved the characters. It set up the tone and the world effortlessly. It made you care about what was happening. More importantly, both detectives were actually smart people who did some detecting. I wouldn’t mind reading other stories set in this world, because there is so much to explore there.

The rest of the stories in this anthology fell rather blah to me. The biggest issue is that in many of them, there wasn’t much detecting or unraveling of clues. I also either didn’t connect with the protagonists or the writing styles. And I will admit that I don’t particularly care for poetry. Some of the stories also felt half-baked, as if the author had a word count to meet and didn’t particularly care about aspects like worldbuilding or characterization.

All in all, this is more of a miss for me, with one excellent story and two okay ones.

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

books, Post-Apocalyptic, Reviews

Three (Legend of the Dustwalker 1) by Jay Posey

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Stars: 2.5 out of 5

I really wanted to like this book. I am a sucker for a good post-apocalyptic story, so I had high hopes. And that cover is amazing. 

The book started strong, and I really connected with Three, even if I was confused about the different pieces of worldbuilding the book was throwing at me left and right. Surely, everything will get explained eventually, I thought. Right?

Wrong. NOTHING is explained. We have a world surviving some earth-shattering technological catastrophe that left everything in pretty much ruins. Yet it seems like advanced technology still works. I mean, all the people born in this world have a genetically implanted ability to connect to satellites to check the time, use GPS, ping each other, etc. So that means that the satellites are still functional… How exactly? Without constant monitoring from the surface and course corrections, all of them would have slowly drifted out of orbit and burned in the atmosphere. 

At one point, it’s also mentioned that people can upload their consciousness into a digital afterlife before they die, but where exactly are those servers kept? That’s a lot of data that would require a lot of processing power and infrastructure. It’s not like it can exist in thin air alone. So are there still places with advanced enough technology to keep the satellites and other complex systems functioning? Don’t know. It’s never mentioned.

The same catastrophe presumably also created the Weir, but we never get any explanation as to what those Weir really are or where they come from. Why do they attack at night and hide during the day? Are they all part of a technological hive mind? Do they infect other connected people or reuse the bodies of those they kill? 

And speaking of uploading and leaving their bodies behind. It’s mentioned at one point that one of the characters uploaded, but then came back into his body, even though it’s implied that that is not possible… And afterwards, it’s never mentioned again. All the characters just shrug at something that is clearly abnormal and just go on about their business.

And this whole book is like that – the author throws in a concept or mentions some kind of event, but never expands on it. Nothing is ever explained. It’s hard to understand the hardships the characters are facing if we aren’t clear about the rules of this world. What is the Strand? We are told that it’s mortally dangerous, but it’s never explained why. 

And the Weir’s behavior also changes depending on what the author needs it to be. In the beginning of the book, Three mentions to Cass that if they stay silent and “unplugged”, the Weir won’t sense them. Yet, the Weir find them anyway in the Strand, so which is it?

My other issue is with the characters. While I liked Three, I was a lot less happy with Cass and Wren. I mean, Cass doesn’t have much personality apart from Mama Bear when Wren is concerned and a damsel in distress when he isn’t. We are told that she was a valued member of RushRuin, but why exactly? What was it that she brought to the table? 

And once again, this is where the lack of worldbuilding is hurting characterisation. Cass is augmenting her body and mind with chems, and it’s killing her, but we never get a real explanation as to why. What is the difference between the chems named in this book? Why is quint so dangerous? How exactly is it killing her? How is all this produced if most of the world is in ruins? Also, what are the limitations? See, I cannot tell when Cass is doing something normal, phenomenal, or even extremely dangerous because I have no clue what quint is supposed to do to her.

I was okay with Wren, because even though he is the Special One, he behaved like a normal 5 year old child for most of the book. A scared child who is out of his depth and forced to see and confront some pretty ugly things. 

What I didn’t like was that Three transformed from this ultra-compenent survivalist, a lethal warrior who roamed the desolation between various human enclaves for years, into a self-doubting wreck of a man who couldn’t do anything right. Also, I wasn’t sold on the sudden affection he developed for Cass. Sorry, don’t buy it. Grudging respect – yes, care for her and Wren – absolutely, but love to the point of sacrifice? Erm, nope. 

It is hinted that she reminded Three of someone he had loved and failed to protect, but once again, the lack of worldbuilding does a disservice to the characters. We get brief mentions of Three’s past, but not enough to explain his behavior. Like what ties him to jCharles and his wife? Where does his guilt come from? What was this House he was created in and for what purpose? Also, WHEN was that? 

In the end, I was left with a lot more questions than answers and a very vague worldbuilding that left me frustrated and unengaged most of the book. And the final confrontation with Asher was just ridiculous. Talk about a one-dimensional villain with no redeeming qualities. It begs to question, if Asher was such a horrible human being, why didn’t the other members of RushRuin do him in or walk away from him? Most of them seemed like decent people and were powerful in their own right, so he must have had some kind of hold on them.

Anyway, I am not sure if there are more explanations about this world in the next book, and I am not even sure I feel like continuing with this series.

books, epic fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

The Lost War (Eidyn 1) by Justin Lee Anderson

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Stars: 2 out of 5

I was excited about this book when I read the blurb. It also has raving 5-star reviews on Goodreads, so I was really looking forward to a great new epic fantasy series when I picked up this book…

That excitement turned into confusion within the first few chapters. It really felt like I was reading the second, or maybe third book in a series, not the first one. Characters kept mentioning events that happened or things they did, and I was like, What am I missing? I even went on Goodreads to check that there wasn’t a prequel or something I missed. Nope, this is book 1. 

And I could have pushed through the confusion and still liked the story. There are plenty of wonderful books that literally drop you in mid-action and let you figure out the world and what the heck is happening as the book progresses. Unfortunately, this book isn’t one of them. 

The problem here is that nothing that happens for the first 70% of the book matters where the story is concerned. The characters meander from point to point and keep making seemingly random detours. It almost feels like the author had a plethora of great ideas and didn’t want to sacrifice any for the sake of the plot, so he plopped them all in. What’s the harm, right? Especially since none of it matters, once you get to the plot twist in the end. Well, it made for a bloated and boring narrative. 

The characters could have been the saving grace of this book, but I hated all of them, apart from maybe Samily. I especially grew to despise Aranok. He is supposed to be one of the most powerful magic users in the kingdom, and the King’s Envoy (with or without memory modification). Yet he behaves like a spoiled 5-year-old with poor impulse control. He is a grown man, for Pete’s sake! Why does he throw temper tantrums every time something goes wrong or someone dares to go against his orders? He treats everyone else around him with such smug superiority, I wanted to slap the shit out of him most of the time.

And all the female characters just fawn all over him and excuse/justify/downplay his horrible behavior. Because he is so “special”. Excuse me? I haven’t seen his “specialness” in this book, not even once. I’ve seen him make stupid decisions and put himself and his companions in mortal danger time and time again. And it fell on others to pull his butt out of the fire every time. 

I also found it extremely irritating that he kept questioning Samily’s faith. That was rude and boorish, as well as painted him in a very negative light. We get it, you are an atheist. That doesn’t mean you have to disrespect someone else’s faith or try to make them miserable because of it.

I also don’t particularly like when the author fridges characters just for shock value, like he did with Vasin and Glorbad (spelling?). Also, what the heck is it with these unpronounceable names? And Minygogg, really? Maxigogg was already taken?

I also don’t think that the plot twist ending justified the meandering plot and boring sidequests. If anything, it made me mad that I wasted so many hours reading a story that didn’t particularly matter because it was all a lie. That I had to endure countless pages of Aranok being an ass just to learn that, hey, even with his memories restored, he is just as big on ass. Needless to say, I have no desire to follow his adventures into the next book. I think this series and I will be parting ways on book 1.

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

books, Post-Apocalyptic, Reviews, science fiction, Soft Science Fiction, Space opera

We are Legion (We Are Bob) (Bobiverse 1) by Dennis E. Taylor

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Stars: 4 out of 5

This was a rather unique premise for a story. At least, I haven’t encountered this kind of story before. I have read plenty of books about real AI and sentient starships, but not one where the digitalized consciousness of a real person is put into a starship. 

The world in which this story takes place is a rather bleak one, and I would really hope that humanity can do better. Though, judging by everything happening around the world right now, I might be giving our race too much credit. I think humanity has an infinite potential for self-destruction. Unfortunately, I can very well see humanity going into an all-out nuclear war just to prevent a nation from sending out a probe ahead of others. It’s not science fiction anymore, it’s a fact of life.

Fortunately, Bob is a very endearing character who brings much-needed levity to what otherwise would be a very depressing book. His positive outlook and curiosity are what made this book fun. All the problems he encounters don’t discourage him at all. He approaches them as challenges to overcome. In that sense, this book reminded me of The Martian and Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. The protagonist has the same vibe – ready to McGiver his way out of any situation. 

Granted, it feels like some of the problems Bob faces are non-problems at all, because he overcomes them so easily. I understand that this is a world 100 years into the future, but some of the technological advances seem implausible with the state of science and technology we are at now. Unless there are some significant breakthroughs in the next 100 years, and a lot more money is invested into research. It’s even less plausible in a country that reverted to fundamentalist Christianity like FAITH. 

But the story is engaging enough that I was willing to overlook the parts that stretched my disbelief a little too much. I was invested in the exploration of every star system the new Bobs go into. Heck, I was on the edge of my seat during the first contact story and the migration Bot initiated with the Deltans. 

My only issue, and the reason this book didn’t get 5 stars, is that it ends on a cliffhanger. None of the story arcs were brought to a satisfying conclusion, but just left in media res, to be picked up in the next book. 

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

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

Empire of Silence (The Sun Eater 1) by Christopher Ruocchio

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Stars: 4 out of 5

This is a promising start to what shapes up to be a very interesting series.

The worldbuilding is very detailed, and the hints we see at a larger universe are very enticing. You can really believe there is a galaxy-spanning empire somewhere beyond the little planetary system where the story takes place. And not just the Old Earth empire that Hadrian was born into, but the other political forces as well. We meet representatives of some of them in this book, and I am looking forward to seeing more in the next books.

I liked Hadrian as the protagonist, even though he was a bit annoying in his whininess sometimes. But at least he was self-aware of that particular trait of character and even self-depricating sometimes. And I mean, as far as a coming-of-age story goes, the universe sure threw him a few curveballs, so a little bit of self-pity is justified.

I was surprised at just how bleak this world is. It’s a rigidly stratified society where your status and just how good a life you will lead depend on your genetic code. If you were born into an aristocratic house, you would live a life of luxury that many dream of… But even then, even nobile houses are but pawns to the empire and the Chantry that controls all technological advances. I mean, even the nobile children are conceived in vats, their genes carefully selected and edited by the Chantry.

The Chantry has absolute power in the Empire, because it can simply refuse procreation privileges to a noble house and effectively eliminate that house in a generation or two. Or they can declare them heretics and glass the whole planet from orbit with weapons and technologies only they possess.

And the commoners? Well, they live in abject poverty, at least on the two planets Hadrian visited in this book. No genetic modifications for them, or even advanced medical practices. Just hard work, servitude, and blood sports.

Honestly, by the end of this book, I wasn’t sure if I was rooting for humans or for their alien enemies to eliminate them. And the jury is still out on that one.

But all in all, I am excited about continuing this series in the next book.

books, Fantasy, Reviews

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed

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Stars: 5 out of 5

This is a wonderful fairy tale in the best tradition of the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Andersen. The true and harsh tales, not the sanitized Disney versions most of the modern children grew up with.

Veris has to venture into an enchanted forest to rescue the children of the man who was responsible for her parents’ death. This already presents a huge moral dilemma for her, because she hates the Tyrant and everything he represents, but she also understands that the children are innocent, even if they are his.

Because these enchanted woods are not the Disney fairy tale woods. They are dark and ancient, and cruel, but they have rules. Follow those, and you might, just might survive the trip and even come back whole.

I loved the description of the woods and the horrors and wonders that call them home. The author uses language like a scalpel to craft mesmerizing images of beauty and horror at the same time. These woods are alien, their inhabitants even more so. And I was genuinely afraid for Veris and the children, because what can mere mortals do against something this ancient and powerful?

We need more stories like this.

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

books, Fantasy, Reviews, YA

Abeni’s Song by P. Djali Clark

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I don’t usually read YA as a rule, probably because I am a few decades past the age when those particular stories were interesting to me. However, I had fun reading this one because it’s very well-written and avoids the pitfalls of other young adult books – insufferable heroines, children who seem to be smarter and better at everything than adults, or dreaded love triangles. 

This is more of a fairy tale and a coming-of-age story or even a hero’s journey story, and it plays by the rules of those genres. Yes, Abeni can be annoying and quick to judge others, brash and even stupid at times, especially at the beginning of the story, but she grows and matures as we follow along. This is very much a journey of self-discovery for her. It’s also a story of found family, of seeing past differences and finding friends in unexpected places. And about courage as well. Not only the courage to confront an evil that terrifies you because it’s the right thing to do, and there is nobody else to do it, but also the courage to take a long, hard look at your own motivations and shortcomings and acknowledge that you were wrong.

I like how we see Abeni growing up and assuming the role of protector for the newly reborn Asha, even though she is still a child herself. Yes, it’s terrifying, and Abeni tries to pass that duty to others, like Asha’s sister, but she still does what she feels is right in the end. 

And no hero’s journey would be complete without trials and adventures. Some are scary, some are sad, and some are there to remind us that there is always a light even in the darkest places. I loved the episode in the Vale of Lost Things. It is an amazing place to visit, though I wouldn’t want to stay there permanently. 

I also liked that Abeni had to confront how anger and resentment can warp people when she confronted the Goat Man. In a way, she could have chosen the same path. He’d even said that she had a lot of anger burning inside her, and that the Witch King could use that anger. I think it’s one of the reasons why she was so upset about how the villagers treated Songu and why she agreed for him to come with them at the end of the book.

Abeni started this book losing everything – her family, her friends, her home. She ended the book having found new friends as well as a purpose in life. And I think she also learned several valuable lessons.

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

books, Dark fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

Grave Empire (The Great Silence 1) by Richard Swan

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Stars: 5 out of 5

I really loved this book! And I think I found a new favorite dark fantasy series to follow. Also, I didn’t realize that this was a continuation series to a previous series called Empire of the Wolf, though from what I saw, Grave Empire happens several centuries into the future, so knowledge of the prequel isn’t a must. In any case, I will definitely go back and read that series as well while I wait for the next book.

What I liked the most was that the world feels lived in. You can feel the weight of centuries and the lore and history that comes with it. I was also surprised to see that this particular world is in the throes of the industrial revolution, instead of the usual medieval setting so common to fantasy worlds. It was fun to see how stage coaches and steam engines would coexist with magic and horrors from beyond the grave.

The protagonists were also fun to follow. I felt sorry for Peter, who felt like a fish out of water most of the time. He didn’t want to be an officer or be sent so far from home. He only accepted the commission because his late father bought it for him, and he really didn’t feel particularly welcome at home anymore. He is faced with unimaginable horrors, on top of all his doubts about being a coward or an incompetent officer, and he ends up… something else. I’m sure he will have a crucial role to play in the next book.

Renata is a lot more independent and opinionated. She also has nerves of steel. Nothing in her training as a diplomat would have prepared her for the horrors she had to face by the end of this journey, yet she persevered where a lesser person would have lain down and waited for the end. And the hidden reservoir of grit in that girl surprised everyone, even herself.

The only character I really didn’t care about is Lamprecht. He is simply despicable. And I don’t understand why Yelena was helping him in his research for so many years. Why didn’t she put a stop to it as soon as she realized that he wanted to bring one of the vacants back to Sova with them? I know that he is set up to be the villain in the next book and a foil to Renata and Peter, but the man really has no redeeming qualities, whereas the other two are pretty multifaceted people. It makes me almost a caricature instead of a character.

I loved the hints at different other races and their origins, and how science and progress can coexist with religion when the existence of the afterlife is a scientifically proven fact. I would have loved to learn a bit more about Nema Victorianism and how it differs from Nema Conformism, and why those differences are considered so big that nations go to war because of them. I understand that it’s a nod to the splintering of the Christian church back in the day, but I would have loved more details.

All in all, though, I am looking forward to the next book. The board is set, the pieces have taken their places; let the best player win.

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

books, Fantasy, Reviews, Romantasy

Dragon Unleashed (Fallen Empire 2) by Grace Draven

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Stars: 3.5 out of 5.

I loved the first book in the series, so I was excited to see how the author would take the story of the fall of a horrible Empire further. Unfortunately, I didn’t like this book as much as the first one. Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a good story, just not as strong as the first one. 

I think it’s partly because I wasn’t as invested in Halani and Malachus as I was in Gilene and Azarion. They are good characters, but they didn’t quite work for me as a couple. I love Halani and her relationship with her mother Azil, but adding Malachus into the mix? Let’s just say that their explosive romance wasn’t as organically developed as the one between Gilene and Azarion.

Probably because Gilene and Azarion had to overcome some pretty messed-up things together – escaping Kraelag, surviving a cursed city, and navigating the politics and hostilities of Azarion’s homecoming. They had to rely on each other and saved each other’s lives on multiple occasions, so their growing respect and affection felt earned.

With Halani and Malachus, we don’t get any of this. This is basically a story of Halani finding a wounded man and nursing him back to health, and he falls in love with her for that. Nothing particularly bad with this setup, but it makes for a rather boring story. For most of the book, there are no stakes. Yes, the Empress wants to mother-bond, but it’s a distant kind of treat, which doesn’t affect the main couple until we are past three-quarters of the book. Most of the book is just them milling about in the free traders’ camp, away from danger. 

So to me, Malachus’s obsession with saving Halani in the end doesn’t feel earned, because their love hadn’t grown organically or been tempered or tested before that moment. I understand the parallel the author wanted to draw between Goldar trying to save her daughter and Malachus saving his lover, but it doesn’t hit the same as the raw despair Azarion felt when he watched Gilene immolating Kraelag. 

But while I was lukewarm about the main couple, I really liked the side characters, especially Azil and the other free traders. Though I don’t understand how Hamond is still the leader of the caravan after all the heartache he caused. And seeing a glimpse of Gilene and Azarion finally reunited and happy was a welcome sight. Oh, and seeing the Spider of the Empire finally getting what she deserves was also a very welcome bonus. 

So all in all, I still had fun with this book, just a lot less than with the first one.

books, Horror, Reviews, Zombies

How We End by L.M. Juniper

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Stars: 3 out of 5.

Reading zombie books is my guilty pleasure, and I realize that there is only so much you can do with the genre before you run out of fresh ideas and start repeating common tropes, even inadvertently. 

How We End surprised me in the beginning with how different it was from other zombie books: people cooperated and helped each other when faced with the horrors of zombie apocalypse, instead of being complete arsholes, as they are usually depicted in other books. In a way, this was a story of found family and overcoming hardships together more than a zombie survival book. Seven strangers are thrown together during the first outbreak in London, and they decide to stick together and try to survive this nightmare. It was refreshing to see this aspect of humanity brought to the forefront, rather than the cruelty, looting, and killing that are usually prevalent in zombie books.

The characters are also pretty interesting, though only two of them, Liv and Jake, get any sort of development or story arc. The rest are more there for support and to add necessary survival skills to the group. Like how convenient that the American couple stranded with them are a cop and a restaurant owner who can cook pretty much anything and knows how to forage? And for some reason knows exactly what kind of edible wild plants and mushrooms are available in the UK, even though he is from Louisiana and was a tourist in London? 

And here we come to the crux of my issue with this book – everything is a bit too convenient. Need a car? Fareena knows how to hotwire them! Need a houseboat to use the canals? Fareena’s aunt used to live in one, so she knows how to navigate them! Need to stock up on food for the winter? Rob can forage! And cook! And pickle! And smoke meat! Need a water filtration system? Another member of the group used to be a cosplayer who loved to tinker with stuff… don’t ask me how that translates into knowing how to make filtration systems. Oh, and Jake was a doomsday prepper with a stocked pantry and a bugout bag ready to go!

There is never a struggle or mad dash for survival, unless it’s needed by the story to fridge a character. And even then, some characters survive against impossible odds when others just get offed seemingly immediately. How was Frances okay after an infected clawed all over her face and scalp? I distinctly remember the author mentioning blood and wounds… yet this is never mentioned again once they get on the boat. Jake has traumatic bruising on his arm… which is conveniently glossed over and never talked about again. More importantly, it never impedes him from doing anything.

And the action comes to a grinding halt in the last quarter of the book, once they all get to Jake’s parents, and what we get is a long group therapy session with absolutely nothing else happening. Then the author remembered that this was actually a zombie book and decided to end it with a bang… so they go on a hospital raid… for no reason. Yes, they would eventually need meds, but going into ground zero for infection half-cocked with people they had never worked with before is the epitome of stupid. Not to mention, the action sequences in the hospital dragged way too long. 

By the time they reached Jake’s parents’ house and everything that happened there, I was rapidly losing interest in the story. The hospital raid didn’t really do anything to help with that. The book went from a solid 4 stars to about 2, so I rounded it up to 3 because the first half of the book had promise.

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

My dreams and stories. The life of a writer.