Monthly Archives: January 2026

books, Reviews, science fiction, Space opera

The Tangled Stars by Edward Willett

Leave a comment

Amazon link (sponsored)

Stars: 5 out of 5

That was a delightfully entertaining story! I haven’t read anything else by this author before, but seeing how much I liked this book, I’m inclined to check his other works as well.

This is part heist, part mad adventure in space, part exploration story. It’s fast-paced and full of twists and turns, and it keeps you engaged throughout. 

I think the biggest draw, at least for me, was the characters. I love good character-driven stories, so this was right up my alley. You can’t help but like Coop. Yes, he is a crook and a conman, but he had this earnestness about him that just makes him so endearing. Laysa is also a great character with her own motives for joining this mad capper. And she and Coop play really well off each other. I could truly believe that they used to be partners in crime and lovers before. There is this easy understanding they have when push comes to shove, and the situation goes sideways.

As far as villains go, Galioto is on the heinous side of the spectrum. A little overboard at times. Though his motivation for pursuing Coop to the edge of the solar system and beyond is well laid out and makes sense. He is a megalomaniac who wants more money and control when this adventure starts, and is forced to see it through because his empire is in shambles and he has no other choice but succeed in the end. You could argue that his undoing is entirely of his own making, though. If he hadn’t gambled everything to pursue Coop and his mad bid to steal the only MASTT-equipped ship in the system, he wouldn’t have been betrayed and sidelined from his own criminal empire. So he is getting exactly what he deserves in the end. 

But the best character in this story by far is Thibauld, the AI-uplifted cat. Where can I get one of those? He cracked me up with his Star Wars and Star Trek references that nobody else in this century understood. His relationship with Coop is hilarious at times. The whole idea of AIs going rogue and what that would spell for humanity is also very well done. 

And I loved how all of their plans would inevitably go awry, almost from the get-go, and they would have to scramble and pivot. Fast thinking and smooth talking (and a little bit of coercion at times) got them out of the frying pan and into the fire on more than one occasion.

The ending hints at the possibility of a sequel, but it doesn’t look like it’s been written yet. I really hope that the author comes back to this world in the future.

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

books, epic fantasy, Fantasy, Reviews

The Sword Defiant (Land of the Firstborn 1) by Gareth Ryder-Hanrahan

Leave a comment

Amazon link (sponsored)

Stars: 2.5 out of 5

I loved the Gutter Prayer by the same author, so I was really excited about his new series… but ended up being disappointed. 

The worldbuilding is pretty run-of-the-mill fantasy here – a group of heroes who fit the traditional mold of paladin, warrior, barbarian, bard, thief, changeling, etc. save the world from an evil overlord. We have elves, and dwarves, and Wilders, and obviously humans. This is nowhere near as original as Gutter Prayer. But even that isn’t a deal breaker. I read plenty of classic fantasy that I loved.

I was also sold on the idea of telling the story of what happens after the heroes saved the world, and the world moved on, while they grew old and disillusioned. This could have been great! Unfortunately, this turned out to be boring.

The biggest issue with this book is the pacing. Alf spends so much time thinking about the past and how everything changed that he literally doesn’t do anything meaningful for 70% of the book. He wanders, he wonders, he regrets that Pier is dead. He wants his old band back together, even though it’s been 20 years, and they all became different people than when they defeated Lord Bone. He constantly overlooks the shady stuff his former companions do because they are the Nine, and they can do no wrong in his eyes…

He seems to constantly be reacting to the events instead of acting. This makes for a very boring character. And a very boring narrative, because nothing of note happens until about 60% into the story. Then the pace suddenly picks up, and the reader is bombarded with revelation after revelation, some of which had absolutely no foreshadowing. Why did we spend more than half the book twiddling our thumbs instead of setting up the big confrontation better?

I also didn’t particularly care about Olva and her quest to find her son. We barely meet Dewyn before he is kidnapped, so he is more of a plot device than a real person. And since he isn’t a real person to me, I couldn’t relate to Olva at all. And he doesn’t even become a real person by the end of the book, just a vessel for the return of a different being. 

I was bored for most of the book. I skimmed through chapters of the Council deliberating on useless stuff and Olva exploring the Isle of Dawn. All I felt was a mild irritation about Alf just wafling about and wanting him to act. Do something, anything! Yes, things picked up by the end of the book, but by then I was already checked out of the story.

As much as I loved the Gutter Prayer, I’m afraid this series was a complete miss for me.

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

books, Horror, Reviews, science fiction

An End to Potential by Emily Swiers

Leave a comment

Stars: 4 out of 5

This was a surprisingly good read, even though it turned out to be a completely different story from what I had expected when I started reading this book.

Yes, this is a quest and a mystery to unravel, but more than that, this story is about coping with trauma and piecing together tattered bits of yourself in the hopes of becoming a better (and healthier) person.

I admit that I didn’t particularly like Kana at first. She seemed like the typical spoiled rich brat who always gets her way without even once stopping to consider the lives she wrecks in the process. And admittedly, she is all that, but there is also so much more that meets the eye. Frankly, with all the abuse and trauma she’s been through in her short life, I’m surprised she isn’t a raving lunatic most of the time.

The further I read into this book, the more I came to sympathize with her. Yes, she is capricious and always wants to have her way. Yes, she can be cruel and has a total disregard for the safety and well-being of others. But would you blame her? She learned from a young age that a nanny could kidnap you or sell you to kidnappers. The bodyguard assigned to you might be the one handing you over to people with a grudge against your mother. The doctors who treated your injuries would turn around and sell your medical records to the press to turn a quick profit. No wonder she is paranoid and doesn’t trust anyone. Or have any friends or romantic interests.

The story itself is a bit convoluted with a lot of flashbacks that, though useful to paint the picture of Kana’s life, sometimes bog the narrative down. It felt like it dragged at times. Also, some of those flashbacks raise more questions than they provide answers. Like the postcard referenced at the very beginning of the story. What was that about? And the incident that left Kana disfigured. It’s mentioned in the beginning, but never expanded upon. Why talk about it if it doesn’t have any impact on the story?

My other issue is with Bexley. Who is she? Kana treats her like a close friend during that one phone call at the beginning of the book, yet Bexley isn’t present in any of her other recollections of her childhood or teenage years. She isn’t mentioned at all for most of the book, apart from one other time. What are her ties to Kana and the Amobrose family? Why is she in California and not wanting to come back? The lack of any mention of her in Kana’s past makes her seem like a figment of Kana’s imagination rather than a real person.

The other question that is left unanswered is why Rabid Sinthies were attracted to Kana. What makes her so special? There are hints to it, but nothing is fully explained. 

All in all, I really liked this book, and I am looking forward to reading more books by this author. And if there is a sequel, I will definitely pick it up.

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