Normally I'd give a book more chance to grab me, however in this case I found Eugenia so incredibly annoying I could not bring myself to reDNF at 10%.
Normally I'd give a book more chance to grab me, however in this case I found Eugenia so incredibly annoying I could not bring myself to read anymore. I decided to shelve it for later, but have yet to feel any desire to go back to it. ...more
This probably falls somewhere in the science-fantasy sub genre, I can't tell you why though, because spoilers. So lets just all pretend its sci-fi and when you hit that point you'll know why.
Wow. That was cool.
When I first started this I thought 'What the hell is going on?'. Yeah, that's because this is not the first in the series. (Thanks NetGalley, you could have made it a bit more obvious). Anyway, after chatting to the author, he assured me that Waking Hell is not a sequel, and can (possibly) be read by someone who has not read Crashing Heaven. Yeah, turns out it can be done. And I find myself having to actually sincerely thank NetGalley, because I would not have requested this if I had known it was book 2. I'm so glad I did. So yeah, thanks NG.
It was tough at the start to understand the world in which Leila lives, where she is dead, but her consciousness is preserved and she is effectively a sentient hologram. And the gods are programs, yes you read correctly, they are enormous digital, corporate entities. Ow, my brain. So I was totally thrown at first. And did I mention that everything is overlaid with something called the 'weave'. The weave projects whatever you want to see. You want nice clothes? Sure. You can have them. Expensive furniture? You bet. It will even make you look younger, more attractive. As long as you can pay.
You might think it's quite a fucked up future where people pay real money for a few lines of code that doesn't do anything, and isn't even real, but the truth is people are already doing it today. People pay all those stupid app companies for gems, they pay for special armour for an avatar on a game. Why? I don't know. I wish I could tell them (the apps) where to shove their fucking gems! Anyway, my point is, this is not such a leap for the imagination. Once you think about where we are headed as a species; in terms of AI development, the environment, our relationship with material possessions and even our relationship with money, a possible future like this does not seem so alien. And that's what make's this book all the more fascinating. I would not be surprised if we end up on an asteroid, living immortal, digital lives.
I've covered the basic world, so let's move onto the plot. As I have said, Leila is dead, her brother is still alive, but not for long. When she discovers that someone has taken his digital memories and he will not be returning as a 'fetch' she decides to investigate. What starts initially as a fraud investigation, quickly escalates into something with much higher stakes, not just for Leila and her brother, but for the entire Station.
I found myself quite sucked in. It was exciting and profound, and asked some important questions as to who 'owns' your death? As soon as you die anyone can rewrite your memories and change every single future choice you make, change your entire life. And if they can rewrite enough memories, even change history.
Much deeper than I expected, will definitely read Crashing Heaven!
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Girls all over the world suddenly develop powerful abilities. Only girls.
Interesting. Also a toughie.
Yes I can see the point the author is making, I get it. The message has been received, loud and clear. So why is it that I did not really enjoy this? Surely the revenge of some out-of-control teens, for two thousand years worth of oppression, should resonate with me? Am I not feminist enough for this book?
No, I am not going to turn this into a discussion on feminism or the oppression of women all over the world, or even the use of religious doctrine to justify the oppressors. That way lies danger, and endless dialogue, that goes nowhere.
This will be a book review. Yes, I will touch on the message, obviously, but my chief goal is to review a fantasy book. Otherwise I might be here all day.
I'll begin with the plot: Some teenage girls get super powers! They also have the ability to awaken these super powers in older women. The power in question is eletrocution. And on occasion some of these women will massage a mans prostate to make him erect. Whether he wants to or not. Yeah, did I not mention there's some rape. All of a sudden the tables have turned. Now I will say that these particular parts of the book did resonate with me.
Tunde, the male PoV character finds himself right in the middle of a rapidly changing world, as he goes deeper and deeper to follow the story he becomes increasingly afraid for his own safety. Not afraid that someone will come after him, just afraid to go out. Afraid to walk the streets at night, afraid when alone with a strange women. Now I hate to bring a downer on everyone, but this is what it's like for women, all the time. Especially where I grew up. I worked as a waitress for a while. The kitchen closed at 23:00, I had a 20 minute walk home. I hated it. Keep your head down, don't talk to anyone, don't attract attention, don't wear anything provocative, don't even look at anyone, always make sure you are not followed, and never ever show how afraid you are. Those were my rules. I was lucky, they worked.
The fear that the men feel is most well written thing about this book. I think it's important for them to see what it can feel like to be so afraid. However, how many men will actually pick this up? I know almost all of my male friends will go 'No, pass' if I recommend this. Is this aimed solely at women? As far as I'm concerned, yes. But then I have to ask, what's the point of it? We know what's out there. Most of us will have experienced it firsthand. So, why? I guess it shows us that men and women are not so different, given the power some women will protect, and others will enslave. Just as men do. Well that covers the message part.
Now, on to my issues.
*****Contains some mild spoilers.*****
All through the book Mother Eve hears a voice in her head. It gives her advice and directs her path. Okaaaay. And then she discovers the voice isn't the voice of God or the Goddess or Mary or Mother Nature or whatever. No, and then it just leaves. Starts talking to someone else. And that's it. Arghhhh. I really wanted an explanation for that! Nah. Nothing.
There are some powerful thought provoking ideas to this book, but it never quite reached the heights that I had hoped. Also the end really let me down.
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Before I even start, can I just say I absolutely love the cover! It's gorgeous. It's striking. It's the reason this book made it onto my 'Top Picks for October' list.
Now, to my thoughts. Certain Dark Things definitely suffers from that dreaded 'Is this YA?' syndrome. The main character is a teen, he is head-over-heels for a vampire, and the 'bad guy' has an unhealthy obsession with said vampire. In this instance I'm going to say yes, this is YA. Now before you run for the hills incoherently screaming about another Twilight, let me explain:
This is YA done well, I mean really well. Technically, YA is not a genre, it's a reader demographic. So I ask myself, will I be okay lending this to my friend's 15 year old daughter? Will I think it's okay for my daughter when she reaches that age? The answer is yes. Simple.
The thing that makes this a brilliantly done book is the fact that Domingo is on the verge of adulthood, and with Atl, he takes his first reals steps into it. This is a messed up, vampire ridden world through the eyes of a teen, but not in the usual way. Deep down he is desperately lonely, desperately searching for something to give his life meaning. He finds it in Atl, a young vampire fleeing her home and pursued by dangerous foes.
Atl is quite the mystery. At first, she seems very standoffish, but through various flashbacks you learn more about her and the choices that led her to Mexico City. I really want to go into more detail, but I'm afraid the experience of character discovery will be spoiled if I just blurt it all out here. Suffice to say she's not quite as she appears.
The only issue I had with this book is Nick, I'm not sure if he is just cruel, or if its something else. His obsession with catching up with Atl was just a tiny bit overdone for me. It just didn't quite fit. Everything else was expertly written, all the rest of characters had depth, I never found myself a nonbeliever. And the different species of vampire was just brilliant. The whole thing comes together to form a rich detailed world filled with blood and danger.
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
It seems there are some unfavourable reviews out there. The biggest gripes appear to be the setting and the protagonist. I think those reviews are not fair. Whilst this is no literary gem, I found the setting pretty good, and Loxley was the best part of the whole book.
Other complaints include: the way the protagonist is treated and ridiculed. Not much attention is paid to the supporting cast. You are not able to form much of a connection with any of them, so you don't much care what happens to them.
Well, I shall defend this book!
First of all, Loxley has some kind of disability. Closest I can imagine is autism. Now I've never even had a conversation with someone with autism, so I don't know how accurate this portrayal is. But I bought it. This is how I would imagine how a autism sufferer might experience the world.
Loxley perceives the world in a completely different way. It's very difficult for her to put herself in other people's shoes, she doesn't understand facial expressions, she can't fathom why people say one thing and then do/mean another. Since this is a first-person PoV, this is more than enough explanation as to why the secondary characters are 'neglected'. The reader doesn't get to perceive them the traditional way.
Secondly, the setting. Some readers love to know exactly where/when a story is set. They need to know. It's a common theme when scrolling through the reviews of this. I say chill the fuck out and try not to think too much about it. When you've finished you can pick it apart. Relax, if you spend too much time overthinking you'll miss out on complete immersion. Give it time, all will become clear.
Third: the way Loxley is ridiculed for being different. Okay, this makes people uncomfortable. GOOD!! You are supposed to feel this way. Congratulations you are human. Believe it or not, people with disabilities are often treated way worse than Loxley ever is. And that's not even the worst of it. We'll watch the news in a detached way. Starving orphans, desperate refugees, bombs raining down, but we're made uncomfortable by a fictional character being insulted.
Yes, I realize I've gone a little off track. Anyway, I think this book deserves more love. It probably has got a bit too much going on, and yes I think it could have been done a little better. But, overall I enjoyed the journey.
* I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Uhm, where to begin? I'm still quite lost. I'm not even sure this was a horror. It was not scary. It was only a tiny bit suspenseful. There was way too much focus on the characters and almost none on the plot. Ordinarily I wouldn't mind, as long as the plot actually goes somewhere. It doesn't in this instance.
The author spent too much time explaining the motivations of the characters, its not subtle either. It reads like a history text book. Person A had this happen and then they went on to do this, and so on. It made it almost impossible to relate to the characters. They were arseholes, apart from Vigdis, who was not much of anything. She seemed to only be there to complete the four-person dynamic. Only near the end does she play a more crucial role.
So they are driving along, get lost. And crash, of course. They seek shelter in a farmhouse, with a weird old couple. A weird old couple in a farmhouse with no farm animals! Or telephone! Or much of anything really, and yet they live there quite happily. Yeah, not suspicious at all...
During the night one of the party see a humanoid creature running around on 4 legs, oooh spooky. And that's about all that is spooky for the next 150 or pages. Those 150 pages focus on the characters and their history. Yay. Where we discover Hrafin is a 'recovering' alcoholic, Egill is a dick and an alcoholic, Anna is a sex addict and an alcoholic, Vigdis is there (and an alcoholic). That being said, none of them had any defining features, personality wise, to distinguish between the PoV's. I had to scroll back to the chapter heading to see whom I was reading about. It was all rather bland and flat.
I get what the author is trying to do, its a Stephen King kind of book, only its just not quite as good. And the ending was just... Huh? I'm not sure what I'm supposed to get out of that. I did not enjoy it, I did not hate it, I don't feel like I wasted my precious reading time. Only I think I may have. ...more
Once again, this author has surprised me with another fantastic instalment! This really is a quality series. Events in book 2, shall we say, escalate. More players enter the game, more locations are revealed, more everything really.
Among the 'new' are some characters that had previously only featured in the background, adding to the already brilliant cast. In these new/old faces we see the changing scope of the story. It's less and less about the Kinmarks and more and more about the residents of this strange land. We still see and hear much of the Kinmark saga, however it is easy to forget they are the conqueror's of this continent. It's great to become better acquainted with the original inhabitants.
My favourite new face is definitely Mad Jack, if you have read The Last Kinmark, you might recognize his name, this time he has his own PoV. And it is awesome, and yes, he is undoubtedly mad. But also funny. He is very much the grizzled old veteran, who has seen way too much to just be normal.
With the Kinmark brothers still at each others' throats a solution is desperately needed in order to prevent civil war. They cannot afford to fight several enemies at once, and each other as well. Such a solution does present itself, but will the brothers take it? And more importantly, can they look beyond their own feelings for the good of their people?
Also included in this book is an interlude. A personal memoir of King Guoryden's First Scholar. Through him we learn more about the crossing from their homeland to Fulorn. All the challenges they have faced as a people, and as individuals.
I am quite in love with this series! It has everything you could want from an epic fantasy. Awesome.
*I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
I've been having a - I hesitate to use the word difficult, awkward? No. *checks thesaurus* Galling? Almost. Aha! Vexing! That's the word I'm looking for. I have been having a vexing (I love that word) time when it comes to books for the past few months. I have read some brilliant works, but I've also read some not-so-brilliant ones. I've abandoned more books in the last few months than I ever thought possible. That's really something for me, I hate to leave them. Really hate it. Sometimes you just have to move on. So I did, often.
In the summer I had gone on an insane NetGalley requesting spree, and suffice it to say, I had bitten off more than I could chew. I have learned my lesson though. I had been slowly chipping away at the virtual pile, and then I thought 'fuck it, I will read whatever the hell I want'. I decided to give The Last Kinmark a go. I was hooked from the very first chapter!
The plot revolves around twin brothers, Ahkdo and Kiv. Sons of the King of Kinmark, they lead a safe, privileged life in the palace. Until certain events force the King to make certain choices. Do they ally with the other great houses of the land? Alone they would be weaker, but there would be no chance for betrayal. Do they take the fight to the enemy, or hold back and hope the others weaken them sufficiently to finish them off? Before you say 'this is another military/epic/battle fantasy', I should point out that all this takes place in the first quarter of the book! After that things gets even more interesting.
I'm going to attempt to be as vague as possible from here on in. This particular event came as quite a surprise to me, but when I think on it logically, its the most natural course of action. (Moving swiftly on from dangerous spoiler territory.) We continue following the two brothers as they each choose various paths into adulthood. Their choices will shape their own futures and those of their family and loved ones.
I absolutely loved this from the very start. The fast pace gives the reader the feeling of grand scale, without falling out of touch with the characters. Its expertly done, and above all, exciting. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this to any fantasy fan!
*I received a copy from the author in exchange for an honest review....more
I was impressed at the start. And then it gradually became a bit too clichéd for my taste. I suspect that hardcore fans of the genre will really love this. For me though, I found the characters infantile, the story partly predictable, and the overall feel quite a let down.
I'll start with the positives: The start was fantastic. It kicks off straightaway, no time wasted on introducing characters and generating a backstory. Tyler is murdered in the first chapter. The pacing was very good, and some darkly funny bits thrown in too. Its after she leaves the petrol station that the story begins to deteriorate.
Then things get a tad less good. Duck! Incoming cliché. Her surfer (loser) boyfriend is not such a good boyfriend! Duck! Another one! Her best friend since preschool is not such a good friend! Take cover! A cute cop wants to ask her some questions. Wait, what? That might not be a cliché, but his behaviour is. And then a super hot millionaire suddenly takes an interest in her! Ahhh! Get to cover men (and woman)! Oh but there's more, so much more!
I had major issues with characters. For starters, the two male love interests are total fucking arseholes. I'm sorry, but there is no other way to put it. They are both so unbelievably possessive. Even when they have no reason at all to be. Its seriously fucking disturbing, if my husband started telling me where I may go and whom I may see, I'd fucking lose it. And he's my husband, these guys are practically strangers, she has expressed no romantic interest in either of them whatsoever. So they can't even claim she lead them on. Arseholes.
After that, come a few (fucking loads) more clichés, and more creepy Christian Grey type actions from Arsehole #1 and Arsehole #2. And then, Boom! tragedy strikes (I saw it coming). And eventually the killer is revealed (also saw it coming), and then Tyler faces of with the Grim Reaper (well obviously that was coming). And roll credits.
Perhaps I would have had more patience with this if it was YA - come to think, no I wouldn't have.
*I received an e-copy in exchange via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
*I received an e-copy from the author in exchange for an honest review*
4.5 stars
Back in 2015 Michael R. Fletcher burst onto the grimdark scene with his outstanding work, Beyond Redemption. Naturally I was drawn to it. It was gross, violent, and too often unputdownable (I'm reliably informed, by me, that is a word). And then the publisher dropped him after book 1, despite having fantastic reviews the sales just weren't where they were expected to be. Unfortunately this is the world of publishing. Well, Fletcher went along and self-published the sequel anyway because a grimdark gem like this deserves to be read.
This is by no means a light afternoon read. You need a strong stomach and not just because its grimdark. Fletcher is more or less the king of the sub-genre, for a good reason too. Most authors might allude to a characters' flaws, they might even force said character to confront these flaws, Fletcher grads the reader by the neck and screams it in their face! His creations are bastards, pure and simple. Imagine if Game of Thrones was populated only by people like Cersei and Ramsey, and Jaime Lannister's only redeeming features were his chiselled good looks. You think GRRM is bad because occasionally the bad guys win? Even Abercrombie's characters have some slither of humanity. Fletcher's are just bastards. And yet, I could not tear my eyes away!
In the Manifest Delusions universe certain people can bend reality to whatever they believe. The more powerful the delusion the more people are sucked into it. Yes, that sounds awesome, but that's just what they are. Delusions. Suffered by crazy people. These are not nice beliefs. Everyone with some kind of power uses it only to exploit others. Like I said, bastards.
Come back after you've read Beyond Redemption
**Spoilers for Beyond Redemption to follow**
After the climax of book 1, our unlikely gang all find themselves in the Afterdeath, which is exactly like it sounds. Like afterlife, just grey and depressing. Overcome with a compulsion to right his wrongs, Bedeckt sets off on a quest to free the world from Morgen, a boy-god with serious dirt issues. Escaping the Afterdeath is only the start, and hot on his heals are the oh-so-modest Wichtig and the, ahem, charming Stehlen.
Now, in theory, readers should be put off by this series. I mean, it is bleak and awful and violent and full of sick people doing even worse things, and still, I was enthralled. The characterization in this series is some of the best I've ever read. I cannot stress enough how much I related to each and every one.
Wichtig is funny and charming, and a total psychopath. He uses and abuses as he sees fit, he'll quite happily step on whomever to get what he wants, and yet there's an unyielding loyalty to his friends. A loyalty that he spends most of the book trying to fight against.
Bedeckt drew me in from the very beginning. A kind of parody of the traditional hero, he's incredibly well-written. He strongly believes he is responsible for everything that is happening, and so attempts to rectify it. He is very easy to relate to as a reader. The last sane person in a crazy world on an insane quest.
Lastly, we come to the lovely Stehlen. I can only describe her as a black hole of self-loathing and hate, wrapped in bitterness, and a yearning to be seen for what she truly is. She longs to be punished for her various crimes, but at the same time she desperately wishes to be accepted. But how could anyone accept and love her? She is a thief and a murderer. It's these contradictions that make her such a fascinating character.
So, lets get back to the plot. Bedeckt escapes the Afterdeath, chasing after Morgen; who has been very busy expanding his theocracy. Wichtig chases after Bedeckt, Stehlen goes after Wichtig, and Konig's nasty reflection sends some very, very nasties after all of them. And in the meantime, Morgen's reflection is plotting too! Phew. There is a lot going on here! And there's so much more. All I can say is that I can't wait for the next one.
In closing all I can say is this: If you like grimdark, you will like this. It's vile and sick and very twisted, but its fantastically done. ...more
This is another one from one of my insane requesting sprees. Most normal people go on eBay and 'drunk-buy', I go on NetGally and request (too much) reading material in a caffeine induced state. Thrilling stuff. Weekends at my house are crazy.
First of all, you should probably not read this if you don't like the darker stuff. Stratus is not, by any means, a hero. So if you are offended by blood, guts, occasional religion bashing, violence, and a general disregard for human life, perhaps this is not the one for you.
Secondly, I always try to have zero expectations, I know it sounds terrible, but I've found that I will enjoy a book more if I don't know much about it. So I was pleasantly surprised to discover that this is a first person PoV, I really love them. Especially the grimdarks. The darker, the better, because I'm fucked up like that.
Third, and most important, this was awesome. I was hooked from the very first lines and I could not get enough. I'm devastated I can't afford to buy a HB this month. I need one, plus I want to support the author. Especially if his debut is this good.
This was action packed, brilliantly paced, and quite funny in some parts. Stratus trying to make sense of humanisms is very entertaining!It was everything I expect from a exceptional grimdark and so much more.
I sincerely hope there will be a book 2, it ends very suddenly on a cliffhanger, and I'm terribly excited to see what happens!
I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Let me ask you a few questions: Do you like science fiction? Do you long for the days when Firefly was on tv? Are you bored of zombies and werewolves? If answered yes to any of these, then this is the book for you! Trust me, I know what I'm talking about. Well. Mostly. Sometimes.
First of all, I must give kudos to whomever designed the cover! I mean, just look at it. I would have ordinarily probably skipped past this one if it wasn't for that gorgeous artwork. Secondly. I have never read anything by Reynolds before, I was a total virgin. All I can say to that is: shame on me, I've been missing out.
Now, I have noticed a few reviewers saying this is bordering on YA, not that that is a bad thing, but I did not get that vibe at all. Not that its particularly adult or anything, it just didn't feel like it was aimed at teens. To me, it was aimed at people who have never tried any of Reynolds work or perhaps are new to the science fiction genre. Readers willing to broaden their horizons without being scared off by long sweeping epics and endless scientific facts. Don't get me wrong, I love science, but readers (me included) tend to be put off by anything that might make them feel thick.
The story follows two sisters, on the cusp of adulthood, who join the crew of a spaceship. Both seeking money or 'quoins' as they are referred to in this instance, and adventure. Well, they get more of one than the other...
Told in a diary format from the perspective of Fura Ness, this takes us through the adventures and dangers the crew of said ship face. From the initial 'escape' from their overprotective fathers clutches' to their adjustments to life on a spaceship. And their eventual and inevitable transformations. Fura has to make many sacrifices along the way, and make them she does. Over and over.
What I truly loved about this book was the stunningly imagined universe in which it is set. From the way the characters interact to the bizarre tech, its all beautifully done. It makes me excited for the future. And then immediately sad as I won't be around to see technological advancements on that scale.
This has all the right ingredients to be bestseller material. One of my favourites of the year.
*I received a an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
This is a difficult one to rate. On the one hand I enjoyed it, on the other hand the writing put me off a little.
Lets start with the good: I really loved the whole idea of a future where cities orbit the Earth. The tech too, was very well done. The setting was awesome. No it's not an orbiting city. It's a tiny little village in Nigeria. A tiny oasis surrounded by wasteland ruled by warlords. An oasis that has survived, until now, by staying under the radar. Too small to bother with, just enough for them to live. Not worth a second look. So when a man falls out the sky and lands in their jungle, some unwanted attention is attracted.
Some more of the good: the cultural importance of stories, especially in an isolated community like Ewuru. That is how information is shared and passed down, generation after generation. But it's the future! Isn't their any internet? Is all data not just a few clicks away? Well, yes. But in the case of this village, they are completely cut off, on purpose. The world is pretty much fucked, so they want nothing to do with it. Can't say I blame them.
Now, to the not-so-good: The writing. It's not terrible, but this book could have done with a bit more editing and general "polishing". On occasion the plot lacked a direction. Characters where randomly dropped in, only to have the arcs not go anywhere. It's worth putting up with though.
Overall I liked this enough. It presents a very bleak and realistic future, meaning that nothing has really changed, except the people that have now live in space and the have-nots are stuck here on Earth. Don't worry, we'll have blown ourselves up before this actually happens!
*I received an e-copy via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
I wanted to read this series since I first heard about it. Only I am terrible at sticking to a reading schedule. I normally have a plan of what to read next, but I'm just shitty at following these plans through. I was slightly concerned that I would heave to read the entire series to avoid spoilers, but that's not the case at all. This installment is completely stand-alone.
Through this you get a tiny window into the lives of these strange and wonderful characters. Those that are familiar with the series will better understand their motivations, and those that aren't will want to. I certainly do.
There were two tales in particular that stood out for me, namely, You Never Forget Your First Time and Black Blood. The former featuring a young woman who learns the true cost of revenge. The latter features an Arbiter, charged with rooting out all heresy in the kingdom, who finds herself tangled up in some pirate business. Both were great in their own ways, but totally different in style. Shows great versatility.
The Bound Folio is an outstanding intro into the First Earth, after you read this you will simply have to read the rest in the series. That's the point of anthologies. Introduce the readers to something they have not tried before. And try it you should....more
When I read the phrase "hunter-killer pilot" I thought 'ooh some good old fashioned tie-fighter type action'. Aerial acrobatics, some dog fights, that kind of thing. Man and machine working as one in the sky. Only the things the pilots fly are not machines, not even close, no they're dragons. Yeah. that's right, dragons. Or drakes as they are known in this instance. Don't worry I not spoiling anything, you find all this stuff out in the first few pages. Its not mentioned anywhere in the blurb, not a peep, but I think its something that readers would like to know. If you are in the mood for some dragon carnage, look no further.
To give you an idea of what to expect, I'll give a brief backstory: A extraordinary discovery leads, unsurprisingly, to an arms race. War breaks out, countries are destroyed, borders are shifted, cities leveled. Fast forward a few decades or so, and the war is at a stalemate. None of the warring factions are gaining any ground. The conflict needs to be ended, quickly and decisively.
The world is in a pretty bad state, fossil fuels are depleted, hence the lack of traditional aircraft, or any vehicle for that matter, instead they rely solely on genetically engineered lizards for all their transport needs. Now rather than training these giant lizards to do what they ask, they've purposely bred them, for lack of a better word, stupid. Easier to control, but they go one better, for extremely reliant lizard-piloting you merge thoughts with the lizard. Yes, a reptilian mind-meld. For the majority of the pilots this carries very little risk, but for the drake pilots, like our dear old Max (remember him from the blurb), this carries the danger of something known as 'the Fall'. Dum, dum, dum.
Because the drakes are bred with stronger minds, they carry a greater risk, namely becoming a dribbling mess that screams a lot. They send these pilots to the Landfill. Dum, dum, dum. Where they live out their very short days pilled up.
Ok, still with me? Our favourite cocky, loud mouthed, superstar pilot figures out some things don't quite add up. And then he gets himself into some trouble, and some more things don't add up. And then he's some serious throuble.
There are a few people that you will immediately identify as 'the bad guys', now they may well make morally questionable choices, but they are (mostly) for the greater good. The book invites no opinions on who is right, it only gives you the facts and lets you make up your own mind. Is it acceptable to sacrifice the lives of a few pilots (who will die soon anyway, and knew all along they would) in order to win a war that has dragged on and on for years. How many future lives would that save? Can you balance the lives of the few against the lives of many more in generations to come? These are the kinds of questions this story asks, and provides no answers. That's up to you, dear reader.
One thing that was lacking was an epilogue. In most cases, you get an idea of what happens after. Here you get an idea of what should happen, but judging by the people making these promises, I would have liked to have known what really happened after. I stuck with Max all the way hoping to see the outcome of his actions and then get nothing. Nowt (that's Geordie for nada). Vague promises and hints.
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Where to even start with this one? Uhm, I have no idea. I don't even know what genre this goes in. Horror-porno-satire? Is there such a thing3.5 stars
Where to even start with this one? Uhm, I have no idea. I don't even know what genre this goes in. Horror-porno-satire? Is there such a thing? No? How about whisky-fueled-satirical-horror-porn? Yeah, that's the one.
Now that I have established a fitting box to file this in, lets get on with it!
I've seen this draw many comparisons with American Horror Story: Murder House, and yes, I can see that. There are many, it's set in a haunted house/mansion. There's a lot of kinky sex. The family that move in are a husband, wife and teenage daughter. Everyone sees things that aren't there, or maybe are?
That's pretty much where the similarities end. What follows is a completely crazy journey. The author slowly releases information through various flashbacks, that explain in detail, what led our messed up protagonists into this difficult situation.
It starts off rather innocently, Rebecca driving to her lover's place to end it, she wants a fresh start with her husband and daughter, very quickly things get weird. At first I was a little thrown off balance by the constant jumping around in time. Six months before today, 3 months before today, 50 years before today, it made it difficult to keep track of what was happening when, and to whom. Alas, a few days after the finish, I think it works very well.
The reader is just barely keeping up, that's kinda the point. It all adds an angst to the plot. Whilst the reader is trying to make sense of the order of everything, they are unprepared for the revelations to follow. Makes for a brilliant suspense builder.
I was surprised by the quality of the writing, its really good. Even with all the sex, I'm not a prude or anything, but I was blushing quite a lot all the way through this! (How many different words do you need for vagina? Quite a few as it turns out!) Anyway, it wasn't enough for me to be put off, or distract from the brilliant writing.
This is a very well written, darkly funny, sex-and-booze fueled speculative fiction, with majong.
*I received an e-copy from Perpetual Motion Machine Publishing in exchange for an honest review.
It had great action, intense drama, some dark magician types, a sword-wielding-ninja-girl, some thieves, and a ship.
Yes, that all sounds great. But, its not quite great, I'll settle for 'pretty good'. It was fun. A lot of fun. Maybe just too much focus on fun and action, and not enough on the characterization.
There was only one character I really liked, and that was neither Hope nor Red. It was, of course, Sadie the Goat. The rest were just sorta there. Nothing wrong with them, just not as interesting as her. I was disappointed when Red grew up and she didn't feature as much anymore.
Another thing that bugged me a little was the relationship between Hope and Red. They were both, emotionally, quite immature, it made their relationship seem a little too YA-ish (that's a word, right? It is now!). It was tolerable. I can just imagine hating them as a couple in real life!
In short, I liked it. It was a fun, light read, with plenty of action. Enough to make me want to read book 2. Colour me interested.
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ...more
Well, I'm not really sure where to start with this particular title. Spies and magic, what can I say? It was rather good. At least, it started out exceptionally good and then deteriorated slightly through the middle and didn't quite make up for it at the end. But still a good read.
For me, the best thing about this book was the whole 'spy thing'. I love a great spy drama and this was up there with the best. It's not without its flaws, some parts were more dragged out than I expected for something originally published as individual episodes. So there were occasions where I thought there was a little too much focus on the environment and not enough on the characters. That being said, the descriptions of Prague are nothing short of magical.
There were some issues with pacing as well, now I'm not sure if that's because it was written by several different authors, or if it's because this is a 'box set', or perhaps something else, but sometimes it felt somewhat disjointed. I was able to look past it though. This is a brilliantly crafted spy drama with some magic for good measure. And some really good artwork my 5th Generation B&W Kindle did not do justice.
*I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Ah, what have we here? Some political satire? Ooh, me likey. At least I did, until about halfway through and then it was a little too much. I was hoping for a bit more intelligent humour. Maybe a little more subtlety.
It starts out with so much promise, but it gradually gets sillier and sillier until I no longer cared either way. It's not bad, I just thought that something less than 200 pages should not take me 2 weeks to finish.
There's a point when too much silly humour becomes insulting to the reader. It started out with a few chuckles here and there and then not so much. I don't mind a bit of toilet humour now and then, but please for the love of all that is funny, can we have it interlaced with some intelligent wit. It's a shame really, because this book has some valid points on the ridiculousness of a presidential campaign. Which, to be honest, is no more than X factor on a national scale.
Anyway, I'm not quite sure what I'm meant to get out of this book. Entertainment? Yeah, a little at first. Is it supposed to make me really think about how the world's most powerful man is actually elected? Yeah, but I do that anyway. So, I guess the message is lost on me.
*I received a copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review....more
Tracey the Lizard Queen
>
Books:
2016-reads
(79)
