Mar 12 2024

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Book Review: 16 Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker

Title: 16 Ways to Defend a Walled City

Author: K.J. Parker

Series: Siege #1

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 5/5 stars!

The Overview: This is the story of Orhan, son of Siyyah Doctus Felix Praeclarissimus, and his history of the Great Siege, written down so that the deeds and sufferings of great men may never be forgotten. A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all. To save the city will take a miracle, but what it has is Orhan. A colonel of engineers, Orhan has far more experience with bridge-building than battles, is a cheat and a liar, and has a serious problem with authority. He is, in other words, perfect for the job. -Goodreads

The Review:

I’m going to need more K.J. Parker books to devour.

What a total delight! Written in a chronicled, sardonic tone, this was like a mashup between Abercrombie and Pratchett. There were a few brutal elements, but the levity of the tone always kept it from feeling too dark.

And I laughed out loud. A lot.

Mostly at the dry, situational humor. And it’s not just WHAT he said, it’s HOW he said it that made it funny. The writing style was easily my favorite thing about the book. Written in a chronicling fashion, it truly read like some bloke recounting a story about “that one time I…” and whatnot. The narrative switches tenses, talks to the reader, and even confuses pronouns. It’s what makes me want to read more of Parker’s works asap. I love it when authors get creative and break rules, especially when it’s done this deftly.

The main character was great, with a self-preservation streak as long as the bridges he builds, but compassionate enough to root for. And complex enough to make me internalize some of the hard decisions he faced. Superb. Parker struck the balance perfectly of slightly over-the-top characters without making them stupid. This book is such a strong perspective piece and it’s clear all of the supporting characters were made more amusing due to how the main character viewed them all. Truly immersive.

I’m really close to fangirling. I can’t wait to read more Parker and am excited to have found a new author to geek out about. Allen from the Library of Allenxandria was right!

Recommendations: If you’re having withdrawals from Abercrombie, de Castell, or Pratchett, read this book.

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

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by Niki Hawkes

Sep 27 2022

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Book Review: Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky

Title: Children of Time

Author: Adrian Tchaikovsky

Series: Children of Time #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars!!! <-Rare

The Overview: A race for survival among the stars… Humanity’s last survivors escaped earth’s ruins to find a new home. But when they find it, can their desperation overcome its dangers? WHO WILL INHERIT THIS NEW EARTH? The last remnants of the human race left a dying Earth, desperate to find a new home among the stars. Following in the footsteps of their ancestors, they discover the greatest treasure of the past age—a world terraformed and prepared for human life. But all is not right in this new Eden. In the long years since the planet was abandoned, the work of its architects has borne disastrous fruit. The planet is not waiting for them, pristine and unoccupied. New masters have turned it from a refuge into mankind’s worst nightmare. Now two civilizations are on a collision course, both testing the boundaries of what they will do to survive. As the fate of humanity hangs in the balance, who are the true heirs of this new Earth? -Goodreads

The Review:

Add Children of Time to my very short list of all-time favorites!!

So many things about it worked for me. First of all, I’m especially drawn to Scifi stories with a strong biological component (Julie Czerneda has been a long-time favorite in that regard), and not only was this one bursting with alien flora and fauna awesomeness, but it also had a strong anthropological angle. I read so many Scifi where the most creative they get with world-building is what type of tech is used on this group of ships vs that one, so it’s wonderful to get the same level of expansive creation I usually have to defer to fantasy novels to experience.

This is my first Tchaikovsky, and it definitely won’t be my last. He made so many brilliant writing decisions in this book that I was left in awe. He had really creative solutions to some story logistics that would’ve left me stumped. Like how to tell the story over multiple generations while maintaining your reader’s connection to the characters. Sometimes it’s as simple as giving them the same name – something I never would’ve thought of. He handled the time jumps for the humans with similar grace, establishing a trust with me very early on in his ability to deliver a satisfying story.

What’s more, I found out mid-read that the author majored in both Zoology and Psychology – both of which spark my interest so much I can hardly stand it. And both backgrounds clearly enhanced the story. I love it when authors take a background of deep knowledge and apply that to their writing.

The book had the perfect balance of world-building, character connection, pacing, momentum, and then he topped it all off with a brilliant finish. I’m sure I’ll be talking about this one for years to come.

Recommendations: one of my all-time favorites! If you like Scifi with a good dose of anthropological components and creature creations, this is an excellent pick. It’s imaginative, exciting, and incredibly well-composed – I can’t recommend it highly enough!

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by Niki Hawkes

May 18 2018

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Mini Book Review: All Systems Red by Martha Wells

Title: All Systems Red

Author: Martha Wells

Series: Murderbot Diaries #1

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 5/5 stars

The Overview: In a corporate-dominated spacefaring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. Exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids, for their own safety. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern. On a distant planet, a team of scientists are conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid — a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module, and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.” Scornful of humans, all it really wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is. But when a neighboring mission goes dark, it’s up to the scientists and their Murderbot to get to the truth. -Goodreads

The Mini Review:

Murderbot might be my spirit animal.

I loved this novella. It had a fun plot and, more importantly, it had a killer main character (pun intended) who will speak to your inner introvert like no other. And it was funny. I wasn’t expecting to laugh so much at a SecUnit POV, but the situational humor and dialogue delighted me at every turn. Good humor will spark a higher rating in me every time, and it almost feels like a bonus that everything else was so good too. Overall, All Systems Red had all the components I look for in a sci-fi and I can’t wait to see where the story goes next!

Series status: I plan to read all the things… in fact I may hound for ARCs and purchase hardcovers for my collection.

Recommendation: All Systems Red seems to me the epitome of the best the genre has to offer, so whether your looking to get into sci-fi or are an established reader seeking your next good read, All Systems Red earned its spot as a staple in my recommendation arsenal.

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