Mar 17 2022

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Book Review: Leviathan Falls by James S.A. Corey

Title: Leviathan Falls

Author: James S.A. Corey

Series: The Expanse #9

Genre: Science Fiction

Rating: 2.5/5 stars

The Overview: The Laconian Empire has fallen, setting the thirteen hundred solar systems free from the rule of Winston Duarte. But the ancient enemy that killed the gate builders is awake, and the war against our universe has begun again. In the dead system of Adro, Elvi Okoye leads a desperate scientific mission to understand what the gate builders were and what destroyed them, even if it means compromising herself and the half-alien children who bear the weight of her investigation. Through the wide-flung systems of humanity, Colonel Aliana Tanaka hunts for Duarte’s missing daughter. . . and the shattered emperor himself. And on the Rocinante, James Holden and his crew struggle to build a future for humanity out of the shards and ruins of all that has come before. As nearly unimaginable forces prepare to annihilate all human life, Holden and a group of unlikely allies discover a last, desperate chance to unite all of humanity, with the promise of a vast galactic civilization free from wars, factions, lies, and secrets if they win. But the price of victory may be worse than the cost of defeat. -Goodreads

The Review:

It has been almost three months since I read Leviathan Falls, the final novel in the Expanse series, and I’m finally ready to review it.

It was a good book, but it wasn’t the wow moment I had been hoping for.

I had a lot of expectations for this finale. Many ideas of what I wanted to see happen and a mental list of questions I wanted answered. I was more or less let down on all accounts. There were a few hints at answers, but they were presented in a dense, convoluted manner that in no way satiated my curiosity. While the book contained some decent character arc payoffs, it only just touched on the main series ones. The epilogue saved it from total disaster, but yet I am still left with more questions. If for a minute I let go of expectations, I can admit that there was an unconventional subtlety to the ending that had way more of an impact than if it had been sent off with guns blazing (figuratively speaking… mostly), and I admire the beautiful writing and element of craft in its composition… but yet, here I sit, still feeling a bit unsatisfied.

And I think it all comes down to series pacing and structure.

After the earth-shattering amazingness that was Nemesis Games, the series took a new direction. Focusing more on the “expanding” part of the series, it was definitely the beginning of a second arc. One I still felt connected to through many familiar faces. I didn’t necessarily love the new direction, but I was willing to give it the benefit of the doubt, putting my overall evaluation on hold until reading the last book. You see, if we weren’t working towards something momentous, did we really didn’t needs these endless pages of build-up? Probably not.

Taimant’s Wrath (book 8) was a slam dunk, completely momentous and profound installment that left me feeling all of those culminating emotions suitable for the end of a series. The trouble is, the series didn’t end there – it took all that great momentum and petered out into the last book.

A lot of the conflicts in book 9 felt contrived. Written in not because it had meaning to the series as a whole, but to give the characters more problems to navigate to perpetuate the story. The antagonist was a character we hadn’t seen before, and while I love the deep integration we get into the world of every human in this series and enjoyed her story, I didn’t think she served any purpose other than as a vehicle for plot advancement. Cut her story out entirely, and all the baggage that came with it, and there would’ve been a lot more room to actually explain what the heck has been going on this entire series. In more than just vague impressions.

If I can be so bold to suggest, the last half of the series would’ve been stronger with a different structure. Ideally books 6, 7, and part of 8 would be combined into one book – giving us enough time to acclimate to the new state of the story but still progressing it forward. Then the best bits of the remainder of 8 (all the momentous stuff that knocked me on my behind) combined with a very trimmed book 9. With perhaps a novella in between detailing the protomolecule’s origins. Or, even better, detailing it somewhere in the main text.

I know, easy enough for me to sit here and analyze and criticize. But that’s part of the reason it took me so long to write this review. I’d been trying to figure out exactly WHY the story felt disappointing. I’d been championing it as my favorite scifi ever since the fifth book came out, and I kept holding onto hope that it would continue to hold that spot after the final novel. The way it stands now, books 5&8 are among the strongest I’ve ever read in any genre, but I now feel compelled to add a few disclaimers when suggesting the series to others.

I’m not all bitter-sauce about it though. There are so many great moments and amazing characters (Avasarala will forever remain my chosen spirit-animal) within this series that make it so much fun to read and recommend. I will always have a special place in my soul for it, even if it didn’t ultimately end where I’d hoped.

Recommendations: if you’re looking for an action-packed space opera with some of the best character work in the business, you can’t go wrong with the Expanse. Even though this finale left me somewhat wanting, I don’t regret a single moment reading it, and in fact still cherish a lot of it.

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by Niki Hawkes

Mar 10 2022

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Book Review: The Kaiju Preservation Society by John Scalzi

Title: The Kaiju Preservation Society

Author: John Scalzi

Series: N/A

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: When COVID-19 sweeps through New York City, Jamie Gray is stuck as a dead-end driver for food delivery apps. That is, until Jamie makes a delivery to an old acquaintance, Tom, who works at what he calls “an animal rights organization.” Tom’s team needs a last-minute grunt to handle things on their next field visit. Jamie, eager to do anything, immediately signs on. What Tom doesn’t tell Jamie is that the animals his team cares for are not here on Earth. Not our Earth, at at least. In an alternate dimension, massive dinosaur-like creatures named Kaiju roam a warm and human-free world. They’re the universe’s largest and most dangerous panda and they’re in trouble. It’s not just the Kaiju Preservation Society that’s found its way to the alternate world. Others have, too–and their carelessness could cause millions back on our Earth to die. -Goodreads

The Review:

This book was such a delight. When it first came across my radar, it seemed exactly the breath of fresh air I needed to recharge my reading routine. And it was.

I even loved reading the author’s comments at the back of the book detailing his writing journey through 2020. His story struck me as especially poignant, and these words describing the Kaiju Preservation Society endorsed his book perfectly:

KPS is not… a brooding symphony of a novel. It’s a pop song. It’s meant to be light and catchy, with three minutes of hooks and choruses for you to sing along with, and then you’re done and you go on with your day, hopefully with a smile on your face.

And a smile on my face is absolutely where it left me. Which is the same for all the books I’ve read by him so far, actually. To that end, if you’ve ever read a Scalzi book then you are familiar with his cheeky writing style, fun plots, and quick-witted characters. Take all that you know about him and imagine what he would do within a Kaiju Preserve… Yeah, it was awesome and epic and an absolute riot!

The tone of the novel was definitely my favorite part. I love the dry humor and constant banter between characters. I also appreciated their sense of camaraderie. And the Kaiju!! Holy crap, the Kaiju. They were so cool to read about – it made me feel, for a small moment, like I was a Kaiju naturalist on this grand adventure myself, which was awesome.

The plot and the characters didn’t have a ton of depth, but that didn’t bother me – it wasn’t really needed for the type of story presented. It was, perhaps, too heavy on the back and forth dialogue explanations on occasion, but it more than made up for it with a plethora of heart-pounding action scenes. Overall, it was a perfect light read that came to me at precisely the right time. I love that I read it.

Recommendations: this is an absolute must for fans of Scalzi’s Old Man’s War series. If you’re in the mood for a fun, light-hearted reads with cheeky humor, plenty of action, and fun characters, this is an awesome pick.

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by Niki Hawkes

Mar 1 2022

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Tackling the TBR [79]: March 2022

It’s once again time for my favorite feature: Tackling the TBR! There’s nothing I love more than picking out which books to read next, and this slightly organized method of reading has really amped my enjoyment to the next level. Bring on the mantras!

Read the best books first.
&
Life is too short to read books you’re not enjoying.

However you put together your TBR for the next month, the goal is to reduce the amount of obligation in reading and increase the fun.

Here’s a look at how the system works:

1. Identify the titles that take top priority in your TBR.
2. Combine them all in your own Tackling the TBR post.
3. Throughout the month pick from that pile as the mood strikes you.

Here’s what mine looks like:

March 2022 TBR Tackler Shelf:

February was an interesting reading month. I delightfully carried over my enthusiasm for dropping strict reading structures and allowing myself to read what struck my fancy in that moment. It led to a lot of staring at my shelves, wondering what I was in the mood for haha. But overall, aside from a few reading obligations I’m wrapping up, it was another successful month. I even picked up a few nonfiction to fill the space between reads, which is the epitome of embracing mood reading for me (because it’s stuff I generally don’t use for my content creation).

This month is seeing me trying to wrap up a few obligations I signed up for before my epiphany. I’ve a buddy read for Thousand Names (which I’m excited for but still a bit stressed because I’m not sure how I’m going to do it all) and Shadow of the Gods for my book club. In the Shadow of Lightning is one I’ve been sneaking peaks at here and there and am already 15% in – it’s my “physical” read for the month, and I’m excited to devote most of my time to it. The only thing that comforts me is, no matter what I decide to spend time on from this list, it will be stellar reading.

Have a great month in reading!

by Niki Hawkes

Feb 24 2022

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Book Review: The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay

Title: The Misfit Soldier

Author: Michael Mammay

Series: Misfit Soldier #1

Rating: 4.5/5 stars

The Overview: Sergeant Gastovsky–Gas to everyone but his superior officers–never wanted to be a soldier. Far from it. But when a con goes wrong and he needs a place to lay low for a while, he finds himself wearing the power armor of the augmented infantry. After three years on a six-year contract, Gas has found his groove running low-level cons and various illegal activities that make him good money on the side. He’s the guy who can get you what you need. But he’s always had his eye out for a big score–the one that might set him up for life after the military.

When one of his soldiers is left behind after a seemingly pointless battle, Gas sees his chance. He assembles a team of misfit soldiers that would push the term “ragtag” to its limits for a big con that leads them on a daring behind-the-lines mission, pitting him not only against enemy soldiers but against the top brass of his own organization. If he pulls this off, not only will he save his squadmate, he might just become the legend he’s always considered himself. He might also change the way the entire galaxy looks at this war. But for any of that to happen, he has to live through this insane plan. And charm rarely stops bullets. -Goodreads

The Review:

Yep, it’s official: Mammay is my favorite scifi author.

I find myself genuinely excited for each new book, and that giddy anticipation for a new book is something I haven’t experience a lot of lately. These are my feel-good scifi reads – make way, Becky Chambers.

One of my favorite things about Misfit Soldier was the humor. The characters find themselves in a few awkward situations, but the overall tone of the narration and cheeky perspective of the main character is what makes this book so charming. Gas is such a fun character – equal parts resourceful and able to bullshit his way through the rest. Even the cover tag line, “One Man. No plan. What could go wrong?” Practically drips with that sardonic humor that I love so much about Mammay’s books. All of his works so far have been quick-witted and filled with that dry situational humor I love so much, and this was no exception. One scene in particular had me busting a gut… so good.

I also really enjoyed the structure of this book. Essentially, it was a science fiction high-stakes heist novel! There’s a grand scheme which required the gathering of a highly skilled (and quirky) team, but instead of breaking into a bank for some loot, they were figuring out how to get planetside behind enemy lines to retrieve a soldier. I love reading about people with special skills in any field, so it was especially fun to see these people work together to make things happen. All with a great payoff to boot. It’s one of those stories where you have to let go a bit and trust the process that there’s more going on than what’s on the surface.

Overall this was an absolute delight – I can’t wait to read what he comes out with next.

Recommendations: if you love cheeky scifi like Scalzi’s Old Man’s War and Wells’ Murderbot, this book is right up your alley. Great characters, fun plot, and excellent dry humor – what’s not to love?

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by Niki Hawkes

Feb 17 2022

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Novella Review: Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

Title: Where the Drowned Girls Go

Author: Seanan McGuire

Series: Wayward Children #7

Genre: Fantasy

Rating: 4/5 stars

The Overview: Welcome to the Whitethorn Institute. The first step is always admitting you need help, and you’ve already taken that step by requesting a transfer into our company. There is another school for children who fall through doors and fall back out again. It isn’t as friendly as Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children. And it isn’t as safe. When Eleanor West decided to open her school, her sanctuary, her Home for Wayward Children, she knew from the beginning that there would be children she couldn’t save; when Cora decides she needs a different direction, a different fate, a different prophecy, Miss West reluctantly agrees to transfer her to the other school, where things are run very differently by Whitethorn, the Headmaster. She will soon discover that not all doors are welcoming… -Goodreads

The Review:

I’ve had so much fun with this series. It’s such a breath of fresh air between all of the dense fantasy novels I’ve been reading lately.

I don’t generally read overviews, preferring to go into everything a little blind. With this series, I was even less inclined to see what was next – the surprise of what McGuire had in store for me was one of the main draws of the series. Even when I get an indication from the title, as was the case here, I still never know what direction the author is going to take, and I love that. In a market where there’s a lot of formulaic storytelling, something that’s completely unconventional is a welcome variation.

I wasn’t totally sure what this novella would bring, but I was hopeful it would still follow one of my favorite characters of the series so far: Cora. I really love everything about her. Even though Beneath the Sugar Sky wasn’t her story, I found meaning in her POV – an acceptance of herself and a celebration of body positivity that was inspiring. Her growth arc in this book was a little more understated, but it gave her a lot more dimension and I can see the buddings of some profound convictions forming that will hopefully play a role in future installments.

So far in the series we’ve experienced some pretty weird stuff. Hair-raising phenomenon like shocking murders, corpse reanimation, and man-eating kelpies. But this novella, which takes place in our realm, was easily the eeriest one yet. It had that very clinical, white-coat regimented conviction that there’s something wrong with these kids and they’re going to “fix” them no matter what. Certain elements regarding this part of the story introduced what I thought was a brilliant idea for an overarching conflict for the series. And although I’ve been terrible at predicting so far where things are going to go next, I really hope that idea is explored heavily in future novellas. As is, I cannot wait for the next one!

Recommendations: this portal fantasy series is awesome if you like cool concepts, unconventional storytelling, great representation in characters, and food for thought beyond what’s on the pages.

I would like to thank TOR Publishing for an early copy of Where the Drowned Go – it prompted a read of the whole series that ended up being a highlight of my year. Thank you!

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by Niki Hawkes

Feb 14 2022

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Novella Reviews: Wayward Children 4-6 by Seanan McGuire

Book Info: In an Absent Dream (#4)

Rating: 5/5 stars! (Yes, a solid 5/5 – a rare occurrence for me)

This was by far my favorite installment of the series. Not only did it follow whom I consider the most interesting character introduced in the first book (among many), it also told her story in a perfectly-paced, completely absorbing manner. It doesn’t hurt matters that this was also my favorite world that we’ve been to thus far – a “goblin” market where everything is a transaction, and committing to more than you can handle comes with some serious consequences. To be totally honest, I’m not sure where the “goblin” aspect factors in, surmising that it’s based on lore I’m not familiar with. Regardless, it was vibrant and eerie and I loved every moment. Several of these novellas have given me food for thought – introducing ideas beyond the scope of the book that have me pondering well beyond the pages – but this is the first one that really made me feel something for the characters. It was beautiful and tragic and lovely and heart-wrenching, and if I wasn’t already committed to reading the rest of the series before, I certainly am now.

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Book Info: Come Tumbling Down (#5)

Rating: 2/5 stars

Truthfully, anything would’ve seemed second-rate to the In an Absent Dream (the book right before this one), but then take into account how much I already didn’t love this set of characters and how less than enthusiastic I was to spend more time with them and, well, here we are.

I had a lot of issues with character plausibility and consistency of behavior in Down Among the Sticks and Bones, but those luckily didn’t bother me much here. I initially liked that it was going to involve more of the wayward children, but they really didn’t contribute much to the plot. No, indeed, to me they felt like just extra bodies moving from place to place without any real purpose other than to produce a couple of awkward setups for the next novellas (and weird additions to the world that didn’t seem to fit at all. Contrived). With the previous book, I read it slowly, savoring every word and hoping it would continue forever. In this one, I found myself speed reading, impatient to just get it over with “for crying out loud.” The author and I obviously differ in our preferences. These characters seem to be her favorites, as she only narrated the two audiobooks associated with them. And who knows? Maybe the change in voice and lack of the beautifully subtle character nuances achieved by the other narrator is the underlying reason why I’m not loving these as much. Whatever the reason though, I’m hoping we’ll lay this world to rest for a while and focus on the many other cool prospects out there.

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Book Info: Across the Green Grass Fields (#6)

Rating: 3/5 stars

In most of the novellas, I’ve really enjoyed the backstories for the characters where we get a glimpse at the traumas they’ve faced that led them to their doors. Occasionally though I think it takes too much time away from the world-exploration aspect of the plot. While this was actually my favorite backstory yet, I think it came at the sacrifice of the world we eventually got to visit. But I’ll get there in a moment.

These books have a lot of extra meaning for me. They’re incredibly inclusive and talk openly about issues children face when they don’t conform to our society’s outdated definition of what it means to be “normal.” It was kind of a weird experience to see these young girls deal with “clicks” and snap judgments from a Queen Bee at a very young age. You usually don’t see representation like that in media until the teen years (Mean Girls) but things like ostracizing and bullying by ignoring people starts sooo much earlier than we’re led to believe. It did for me, and so even just reading about a hint of what it’s like going through that was oddly therapeutic – kids do horrible things to other kids and oftentimes it’s not even for a clear reason. It’s most definitely not because the victim did anything “wrong.”

I’ve mentioned I love the bit of psychological evaluation I can do while reading this series – it keeps me so engaged. It’s not a preachy series by any means, nor does it set out to send a “after school special” message. These are just the personal meanings I’VE gotten out of it, and thought I’d actually share a little more of my thoughts in this review.

Before I forget, I’d also like to mention that this is the first time in the series where I started looking at the doors as saving graces – things that come around because the kids desperately need them – and not just unfortunate hazards that befall them. They’re not at nefarious as I’d once thought them, and it has given the series just a little more of a spark.

So the world we visited: by all accounts, it should’ve been one of my favorites, and indeed it did a good job introducing the fun (the unicorns, is all I’m sayin’). I liked the world itself and the types of creatures in it. I love what it meant to the main character to be there.

What I didn’t like was the conflict. It felt so thin. So incredibly unbelievable. And considering all the weird stuff that goes on in these worlds that I just accept without a blink, that’s quite the criticism. It felt like an afterthought. Not well-imagined. And almost a throwaway effort. So while the first of the book had a lot of substance and was bordering on another high rating for the series, the second half brought it back down to moderately good. I’ll take it, but I wish there’d been more.

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