Feb 6 2024
Image

Book Review: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known by Seanan McGuire

Title: Mislaid in Parts Half-Known

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series: Wayward Children #9

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Antsy is the latest student to pass through the doors at Eleanor West’s School for Wayward Children. When her fellow students realize that Antsy’s talent for finding absolutely anything may extend to doors, she’s forced to flee in the company of a small group of friends, looking for a way back to the Shop Where the Lost Things Go to be sure that Vineta and Hudson are keeping their promise. Along the way, temptations are dangled, decisions are reinforced, and a departure to a world populated by dinosaurs brings untold dangers and one or two other surprises! A story that reminds us that finding what you want doesn’t always mean finding what you need. –Goodreads

The Review:

A decent continuation, but far from my favorite of the series so far.

There are two types of Wayward Children books -> the plot-progressing school-setting ones where multiple characters are involved. And the single character deep-dives that usually involve exploring a new place (through a door). The latter often end up being my favorites of the series because not only do I get an adventure, but I also develop deeper connections to the characters involved.

This installment was a plot-progressing one where many characters converge to move the overall arc of the series forward. This was entertaining in its own right, but I’ll admit a disappointment that it wasn’t a deep-dive given that there are mf DINOSAURS on the cover. My friends, there were no dinosaurs in this book. Not “on screen” anyway. It was more a bridge novel wrapping up loose ends from the previous book. I can only assume she’s going to return to this world eventually, but for now I’ll have to wait for my dinosaur fix. Woe is me.

Glimmers of an overarching plot regarding the door magics of this world have been hinted at occasionally, and learning more about that has been one of the reasons I’m eager for more WC books. Even after nine of them, it hasn’t become a strong through-line yet, but just the few casual mentions here and there are enough to keep me hooked!

Overall I can’t wait to see what adventure McGuire has in store next!

Recommendations: sometimes edgy fluff, sometimes deeply profound, you never know what you’re going to get with a Wayward Children book. The discovery is half the fun! But “Be Sure.”

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Elizabeth! <3

I’d like to thank the marketing team at tordotcom for the chance to read and review an early copy of Mislaid in Parts Half-Known!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 5 2024
Image

Book Review: Empire of Silence by Christopher Ruocchio

Title: Empire of Silence

Author: Christopher Ruocchio

Series: Sun Eater #1

Genre: Sci-Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: Hadrian Marlowe, a man revered as a hero and despised as a murderer, chronicles his tale in the galaxy-spanning debut of the Sun Eater series, merging the best of space opera and epic fantasy. It was not his war. On the wrong planet, at the right time, for the best reasons, Hadrian Marlowe started down a path that could only end in fire. The galaxy remembers him as a hero: the man who burned every last alien Cielcin from the sky. They remember him as a monster: the devil who destroyed a sun, casually annihilating four billion human lives—even the Emperor himself—against Imperial orders. But Hadrian was not a hero. He was not a monster. He was not even a soldier. Fleeing his father and a future as a torturer, Hadrian finds himself stranded on a strange, backwater world. Forced to fight as a gladiator and navigate the intrigues of a foreign planetary court, he will find himself fighting a war he did not start, for an Empire he does not love, against an enemy he will never understand. –Goodreads

The Review:

Booktube was right -> this is amazing.

There wasn’t a single thing I didn’t like about Empire of Silence. Having read and reviewed books for an audience for so long, it’s a rare thing when I can turn off my critical mind long enough to enjoy a book with wild abandon. I loved everything from start to finish.

And they tell me it only gets better!

This book was a cool hodgepodge of fantasy and scifi. It read kind of like a Stormlight Archive book in tone and scope, but in a dramatic scifi setting not unlike Red Rising. And did I mention the writing voices was akin to Rothfuss’ Name of the Wind? I realize I’m referencing many SFF heavy-hitters, but Empire o Silence had so many of the best elements of each that I feel it deserves the comparisons.

My favorite aspects of the book were the characters and world-building. The character profiles enhanced it all. The main character reminded me a little of the Mandalorian where he periodically gets the ever-loving crap kicked out of him, but has to figure out how to pull himself back up. Sometimes he gets in his own way, but it’s always interesting to me to see the growth arc of a character like that. I also love the blurring of genres, and how creative the setting. Everything from the human cultures and infrastructures to the delightfully weird flora and fauna… so cool. And the alien villains? Loved them.

The writing was lyrical without being too heavy-handed, the pacing was on-point, the characters were clever and engaging, the world-building was epic and fun, the villains were bomb, and I’m so excited for the rest of the series I can hardly stand it.

Recommendations: if you loved any of the series mentioned in this review, then you’re already primed to like Empire of Silence. Give into the hype-train… it’s worth it.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Jen, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, Mike, and Elizabeth! <3

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jan 25 2024
Image

Book Review: Amber and Ashes [Dragonlance] by Margaret Weis

Title: Amber and Ashes

Author: Margaret Weis

Series: Dark Desciples #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Margaret Weis takes up where the War of Souls series left off with the central character Mina. While following her story, this new trilogy also explores the chaos that is post-war Krynn. This is Weis’s first solo trilogy in the Dragonlance world. –Goodreads

The Review:

Seeing as I haven’t picked up a Dragonlance book in over 15 years, this felt like a random read. But I was looking at my collection of the main series by both Weis & Hickman, remembering how much fun I had with it and how awesome I thought the ending of War of Souls (the final trilogy) when inspiration struck to see how the remnant pieces fell in the aftermath.

That’s a lot of history to carry into a spinoff trilogy, and I went in with a weird hodgepodge of high hopes because of how much I loved the main series, and low expectations given my poor experience with Weis’ Mistress of Dragons.

Amber and Ashes was just okay.

A mediocre story spritzed with the a couple of really good scenes – ones that were enough to keep me reading when I’d been considering a DNF. Let’s face it, Mina wasn’t a character I particularly liked to begin with, yet the way she was written here made me like her even less. She came across hollow and one-dimensional with a proclivity for meekness and subservience. More of a figurehead than an actual person. The monk, by contrast, was a bit better. More well-rounded and thoughtful. But it was the dog who ultimately stole the show. No jest.

Overall, I don’t mind that I read it, but I’m in no hurry to pick up the next book. The plot and character lineup were simple enough that I’m sure I can dive in again months, even years later without missing a beat. Those few good scenes were enough to raise my overall rating to 3 stars.

Recommendations: Read this only if you’ve already tackled the main Weis/Hickman series ending with the War of Souls trilogy. If, like me, you thought the conclusion to that saga was superb, this might feel like a letdown of an extended epilogue. If you’re a Dragonlance superfan who plans to read ALL THE THINGS, then not only do I admire your dedication, I’d also say this is likely one of the better ones.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Jan 13 2024
Image

Book Review: A Time of Dread by John Gwynne

Title: A Time of Dread

Author: John Gwynne

Series: Of Blood and Bone #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

The Overview: A race of warrior angels, the Ben-Elim, once vanquished a mighty demon horde. Now they rule the Banished lands, but their peace is brutally enforced. In the south, hotheaded Riv is desperate to join the Ben-Elim’s peacekeeping force, until she unearths a deadly secret. In the west, the giantess Sig investigates demon sightings and discovers signs of an uprising and black magic. And in the snowbound north, Drem, a trapper, finds mutilated corpses in the forests. The work of a predator, or something far darker? It’s a time of shifting loyalties and world-changing dangers. Difficult choices need to be made. Because in the shadows, demons are gathering, waiting for their time to rise… –Goodreads

The Review:

A Time of Dread helped take the edge off my Faithful and the Fallen hangover… but it wasn’t the same.

I mostly like the premise that’s providing the backbone of this trilogy. It was a creative way to put a twist on things that happened in F&TF without repeating elements. And I especially like the duality of the “villain” in that I can’t tell for certain who’s evil and who’s not. It’s giving me a stronger drive for answers than the original four books, which is always fun.

I’d also say this trilogy is starting out a lot more accessible, with considerably fewer POVs featuring younger characters. If not for the typical Gwynne brutality I’d have thought this one was written for a younger audience.

The characters are great – all fiery and driven and not afraid to do hard things. A with any spinoff or next-gen continuation, it’s probably impossible to have an identical experience of latching onto characters (usually I fall in love with the first cast and never look forward) but their charm makes these new characters hit some of the same notes. At least they’re as good as they can be without actually BEING Corban and Cywen.

The book was probably good enough to warrant a 4/5 stars, but something about it or my mindset while reading it kept me feeling detatched. Because of my experience with F&TF and the Bloodsworn Saga, I know what a 4 & 5 star Gwynne feels like, and I definitely didn’t connect with this one as much as those. 3 stars it is.

Recommendations: for the love of all the book gods, don’t pick this up until you’ve read F&TF! This is a next-gen continuation set about 100 years later and it contains ALL THE SPOILERS. Also… read F&TF if you haven’t already. It’s a brilliant classic-feeling fantasy written with a modern voice and pacing. Superb! The jury is still out on this one.

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Dec 21 2023
Image

Book Review: Bride of Death by T.A. Pratt

Title: Bride of Death

Author: T.A. Pratt

Series: Marla Mason #7

Genre: Urban Fantasy

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Marla Mason has been a mercenary, chief sorcerer and protector of an entire city, and an occult detective, and now she’s a goddess of Death… but only part-time. She gets to spend six months a year living as a mortal woman on Earth, and she’s decided to devote those months to hunting monsters for fun and personal redemption. Armed with axe and dagger, with the living severed head of her worst enemy in a birdcage for a traveling companion, she sets off by motorcycle into the American Southwest on a journey of self-discovery and other-destruction. -Goodreads

The Review:

I always enjoy a good Marla Mason novel – it’s nice to get that snarky fix every so often. I love Marla. She’s a very unconventional character, especially as an urban fantasy heroine, and is most pointedly NOT a nice person (it’s part of her charm). Her “unlikable” profile and generally low BS tolerance gives her great anti-hero vibe I’ve not yet seen done better in this genre.

I found myself slightly unsatisfied with the direction Bride of Death took when compared to the first few books in the series. Some of the reasons this series is among my favorites are those early expansive culture-building within Felport and the well-developed and complex cast of characters. I really didn’t get much of either from this book. I also thought the character went through some weird changes and shifts in mindset that didn’t feel totally consistent with character. But I guess who am I to judge if even a fictional character wants to “do better.”

Overall, I think the first books that went through a trad house were a lot more streamlined. These self-published ones are taking already weird story elements to the ridiculous and sometimes downright stupid realms that I feel are a disservice to the series. Even so, I loved those first books so much that I’m committed to reading to the end eventually. And there are a couple of unresolved plot points that I’m eager to see resolved.

Recommendations: If you like Urban Fantasy and are in the mood for something wildly unconventional and creative, the Marla Mason series is a great pick. Especially the first five or so books. The jury is still out on these remainders…

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Jen, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes

Nov 16 2023
Image

Book Review: System Collapse by Martha Wells

Title: System Collapse

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Murderbot Diaries #7

Genre: Cheeky Science Fiction

Rating: 3/5 stars

The Overview: Am I making it worse? I think I’m making it worse. Everyone’s favorite lethal SecUnit is back. Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize. But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast! Yeah, this plan is… not going to work. -Goodreads

The Review:

I always love returning to Murderbot’s POV.

After Fugitive Telemetry was released (which bounced back to an earlier timeline in the series), I was worried we weren’t going to get any more storyline beyond Network Effect (the full-length novel). But there IS more! It’s right here!

… and it was just okay.

Truthfully I thought System Collapse dealt TOO much with the after-effects of the events in Network Effect and didn’t have as many compelling plot-advancing events as in previous books. It mostly read like a transition story… which I guess is the typical use for novellas in large series, but I’ve come to expect more impact from Wells’ shorts. This one didn’t quite stack up.

It still had the same great inner monologues and sarcasm from Murderbot. And I especially loved the passages of It trying to process Its FEELINGS from the events in NE. Introverts around the world can unite behind Murderbot as a character. Wells understands social awkwardness on a deep level and it has been a joy to see that celebrated in this series. The crew around Murderbot were also great, although I still struggle to keep all the humans straight, even after recently rereading All Systems Red where I was actively TRYING to distinguish between them. Regardless, it’s the machines and computers who are the most vibrant, anyway, and those entities were in full swing in this installment (sometimes literally).

Overall, I’m tickled to be back progressing Murderbot’s story, even though this one felt more tangential. The setup is now presumably all in place though, so I’m expecting a banger of a next novel.

Recommendations: if Murderbot has been missing from your life up to this point, your FOMO should be hard. It’s sarcastic, action-packed, reflectional, and too much fun to handle. Read it.

Thank you to my Patrons: Dave, Katrin, Frank, Sonja, Staci, Kat, Betsy, Eliss, and Mike! <3

Thank you, TOR Publishers and Martha Wells for the chance to read and review an early copy of System Collapse!

Other books you might like:

by Niki Hawkes