Spire Climbers by Rob J. Hayes was definitely an improvement over book 1.
While I enjoy the quick and easy progression fantasy stories every so often, Spire Climbers by Rob J. Hayes was definitely an improvement over book 1.
While I enjoy the quick and easy progression fantasy stories every so often, with Hayes I just have higher expectations than just a exchangeable, if fun read.
And this second book definitely improved on the character depth and dialogue! Yes. It's still easy to read and full of action, but there's just more "voice" to it, so it feels more engaging to me. I breezed through this in no time at all....more
After Atlas by Emma Newman is the second book after Planetfall. It can be read as a complete stand alone, and is very different from book one!
It's a mAfter Atlas by Emma Newman is the second book after Planetfall. It can be read as a complete stand alone, and is very different from book one!
It's a murder mystery, set in our future, with quite some social criticism throughout the story. It makes you think, without feeling like it is mostly written to have a moral of the story. It's just an organic part of the character and his experience.
My personal biggest plus is the main character definitely being some sort of neuro spicy, which made it very easy for me to empathise with him. He struggles with some foods, and some social interactions as well. However he is very keen minded and does well in investigations.
I loved the contrast of modern high tech, and the sect like low tech in some parts.
It wasn't necessarily the easiest read, but a great book that keeps you on your toes!...more
The Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is a great sequel.
This time it's a whole new conundrum, using the mind of a criminal to get to information. So thereThe Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is a great sequel.
This time it's a whole new conundrum, using the mind of a criminal to get to information. So there's a whole new van of ethics and morals to be considered, as well as the question of what makes a human the individual they are. Is it just genes? Just past experiences? Memories? Is there an order of this that might change the outcome?
This one felt a bit slower, with less overall action than the previous book, which might be purely my subjective feeling. However I enjoyed it just as much, as I was instantly hooked by the voice as well as the topic.
Once again a book I quickly breezed through!...more
Space Junk by Rachel Aukes started off really promising, but somehow lost a bit of my engagement along the way. It was good enough to keep me reading Space Junk by Rachel Aukes started off really promising, but somehow lost a bit of my engagement along the way. It was good enough to keep me reading to the end, but I did have some niggles along the way. The science was not very scientific, which I didn't mind overly much, as it's now character driven. However, it must be quite obvious for me to even notice such discrepancies. The plot had a few holes as well, not major enough to really bother me too much, but again, enough to just take away some of my attention.
I did mostly enjoy the tone and voice, so that definitely was the main hook for me, and I was happy enough to spend time with this crew.
All in all not a book I'd miss if I read something else instead, but also not one I regret having spent time on....more
It's been ages since I read Wool, so Shift by Hugh Howey might have suffered a bit from me having forgotten plenty of bits and pieces.
I loved Wool, bIt's been ages since I read Wool, so Shift by Hugh Howey might have suffered a bit from me having forgotten plenty of bits and pieces.
I loved Wool, but only enjoyed Shift. I don't need a lot of action or suspense to book me, I love books like Becky Chambers or Andy Weir. So this being more a flashback and "how did we get here?" and the people than any actual plot progression was not my problem. However I just didn't really click with the characters as much as I should have, and that made Shift feel a bit long at times. I still live the world and idea (though not everything made sense for me), and I read it in just two days. So it's not a bad book, I just didn't enjoy it just as much as the first....more
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers is just as comforting and soothing as book one.
I really love the relationship between Mosscap and Brex, aA Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers is just as comforting and soothing as book one.
I really love the relationship between Mosscap and Brex, and how they are growing together.
The LGBTQIA+ inclusivity is also always nice to read, when it just doesn't matter who loves whom, or how many, as long as everyone is happy with it. It's simply not a topic at all, which I adore.
This story is quiet and slow, and yet speaks right to the heart.
There are so many gorgeous little quotes and moments, and I am so here for it! I definitely need more of this....more
Network Effect by Martha Wells is the first full novel length entry into the murderbot series. It's just as fun, entertaining and full of action as theNetwork Effect by Martha Wells is the first full novel length entry into the murderbot series. It's just as fun, entertaining and full of action as the novellas, so it still felt like it was over way too soon! I'm giving this 4 stars instead of five, simply because the plot felt a bit jumpy at times especially in the first half. On its own I'd probably still have given full stars, but compared to how smooth the previous books felt, this was just a bit rougher around the edges. This time it's a bit of a mystery along all the action, and the second half was so addictive I finished it in one go.
Gotta love murderbot and both the human "non friends" as well as his favourite annoyance ART.
I just finished it, and I already want to read more!...more
Ol' St. Nick by Raven Oak is a Christmassy SciFi with a bit of murder mystery.
I'm always a sucker for anything that combines SFF and Christmas, so I eOl' St. Nick by Raven Oak is a Christmassy SciFi with a bit of murder mystery.
I'm always a sucker for anything that combines SFF and Christmas, so I enjoyed this a whole lot more than I would have, if it was any other topic.
The story was a bit confusing at times, and I would have liked the whole thing a bit longer to get more of a grasp for the characters, but for a quick bite between the big books, it was quite fun to read!...more
Exit Strategy by Martha Wells is another amazing installment in the series!
I love seeing Murderbot grow and change, while still staying true to their Exit Strategy by Martha Wells is another amazing installment in the series!
I love seeing Murderbot grow and change, while still staying true to their self and past.
Being autistic myself, I definitely feel the struggle with emotions - ewww, what are these strange things, please take them away. The whole tone and voice just resonates so very perfectly with me, I can't get enough!...more
Grand Theft AI by James Cox has a lot of things I do love.
I've always been fascinated by non human characterrs, be it Data or The Doctor from Star TreGrand Theft AI by James Cox has a lot of things I do love.
I've always been fascinated by non human characterrs, be it Data or The Doctor from Star Trek or Lovelace from Becky Chamebrs books, so when I saw this title, I knew I had to read it!
The near enough future felt realistic and easy to believe. AI is just starting out, and I can definitely see us heading to some of the more horrible outcomes this book is showing. It's a grim story that features quite some potential triggers.
I quite enjoyed the tone early on, and the slight mystery about what happened in the past was quick to draw me in.
In the middle the story did feel a bit slow for my personal taste, and I caught myself skim reading a few times. Luckily it did pickk up again and I was hooked again for the end.
The reason why I was a bit less immersed inteh middle might have been more due to personal taste, than any fault of the book. We get to spend quite some time with someone who is best compared to a sort of crime lord, and I simply never was into those type of stories. Be it Godfather or similar, that's just not my preferred topic. So when quite a lot of the story revolved mostly around that, it lost me a bit. When it was more about the main characters planned heist, solving some mytseries, trying fort revenge, I was fully hooked again.
This is the main reason I went for 4 stars, so if oyu like that type of story, it might easily be a full 5 star to you!
I really enjoyed the rest of the book, be it the plot, the setting, the characters, the prose or the overall tone and voice. So even though it wasn't a perfect match for me, it was still a really good read!...more
The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a very quick and fun read. It was written during Corona, so the pandemic is part of it, but the wholeThe Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi is a very quick and fun read. It was written during Corona, so the pandemic is part of it, but the whole story is just wonderfully weird, fun, and crazy, so it's perfect when you just need a mental break. It'll work perfectly fine after a long day at work, or when your brain otherwise isn't at dull capacity, and has me snort quite a few times!
Our main character is fired from a food delivery startup, and after a quick stunt delivering food to pay the bills he snags a great new job opportunity, which is very vague though...
We quickly learn there's more than one world, and there's giant monsters living in one that does at times manages to open gates to ours.
The science is just a tad insane, but works perfectly with the tone of the story. There's so much banter and wild adventures, I breezed through it in no time at all!
(You might not like it if you are a Trump fan, it made me like it all the more...)...more
In the Orbit of Sirens by Bruno was a really enjoyable sci-fi that worked well on many levels!
I'll get my few gripes out if the way at the start - thIn the Orbit of Sirens by Bruno was a really enjoyable sci-fi that worked well on many levels!
I'll get my few gripes out if the way at the start - the characters are supposedly mid 20, but they definitely felt a lot younger to me. Some bits of the book had a distinct YA feel to it, which I'm personally fine with. Action, growing up and away from parents, fast paced and easy to read, typical "testing / learning" sequence, a quickly building romance, ...
Other parts where rather dark, and the world building was deeper and more fascinating than I'd expect from YA, so that have the book a bit of a disjointed feel.
Aside from not really managing to decide if it means to be adult or not, it was a really good and addictive read! I quite enjoyed exploring this new world with its different flora, fauna and new cultures. This story has elements of warfare, colonization, first contact, exploration, psychic abilities, betrayal and joining forces against the bigger evil.
I really liked how the book's pace varied depending on what part of the story we're in. The switch between action and exploring the world made it feel more rounded up.
I breezed through it in no time at all and definitely plan on reading more by the author!...more
When I started this, I did not think I would end up with a rating this high. I had a lot of quibbles along the way, and some eyeb4,5 stars rounded up.
When I started this, I did not think I would end up with a rating this high. I had a lot of quibbles along the way, and some eyebrow raising as well - but somehow by the end the book managed to have me fully gripped and enthralled.
This book is a wild ride. It has a very divers cast. I didn't really click with them from the start, but they really grew on me so very much.
Two best friends who might just be way more. Or not. They switch back and forth and just discovering their relationship in a way.
A politician who is a drag singer at night, and also figures out who who she actually really is.
A young girl with incredible powers, who is very traumatized and needs to find a balance.
An old demigoddess who really wants her old powers back, instead of painting nails for annoying divas. I really loved how she is "the villain" but the author managed to make her an interesting character with her own motivations and agency, not just evil for evils sake.
Sounds like a lot? Yeah then add in some AI who just gained consciousness, old gods, powers & magic, gene manipulated beasts, weird ass drugs, old traditions and new technology. Oh, there's also plenty of mystery and a good deal of serious, reflective topics.
At first it felt a bit rough around the edges, but it blended together ever more smoothly and by the end I felt right at home in this new world.
I also really enjoyed the African setting, which made it feel different to the other SciFi I read which is usually very western culture based.
What I found a bit - unintentionally - amusing was the sheer amount of attention to penises. Be it the book starting with a circumcision to become an adult, the "budge" in the drag dress, the fiery feeling in its tip, the colleague starring at a crotch, or some other moments. Not enough to be annoying, but definitely enough to feel like a weird pattern....more
Too much romance and some graphic sex scenes for my personal taste, but I won't detract stars for that, as it is to be expected with that title, coverToo much romance and some graphic sex scenes for my personal taste, but I won't detract stars for that, as it is to be expected with that title, cover and blurb.
I picked this up anyway, as I always liked AI and nom human characters, ever since I met Mr. Data and I was not disappointed.
I really enjoyed the characters and the way the AI bits showed growth and connection. Especially the interactions between different sort of AIs was good to read!
The love story I can't really comment on, as that just isn't my cup of tea, but the sci-fi part definitely satisfied what I was expecting. Bonus points for a cute and wise kitty!
One star missing for the "twist" not really working well for me, but that might be due to the shortness of the story maybe. So the characters were a full hit, but the plot was a bit underwhelming in my eyes.
All in all a quick and easy read I enjoyed!...more
Short, quick, easy to read this was again a lot of fun. It has its dark moments as well, which gave it a bit more depth.
There's the ongoing mystery asShort, quick, easy to read this was again a lot of fun. It has its dark moments as well, which gave it a bit more depth.
There's the ongoing mystery as well as some fresh puzzles. As as much as it's unwanted, of course there's again humans that need to be kept save. As annoying as humans tend to be...
I am still in love with the tone and voice of these, and I can so easily identify with Murderbot!...more