Book Reviews Archives - Page 15 of 15

Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey

Caliban’s War by James SA Corey.

Caliban’s War by James SA Corey, Book #2 of The Expanse Series.

Introduction

In Caliban’s War by James SA Corey, the action moves to the moon of Ganymede. Someone captures a girl with a rare disease, they set loose a monster, and the moon base is under attack. James Holden is back and, with the help of new allies, must discover who is behind these attacks and how they can defeat them.

Summary

The first novel in the series only had two main viewpoint characters, James Holden and Joe Miller. Caliban’s War by James SA Corey expands the list to four, which gives more opportunities to see the same events from different viewpoints. Miller is not back and the reason is eventually explained. In the prologue, Mei is kidnapped, and that sets the main plot into motion.

The first viewpoint character is Bobbie Draper. She is a Martian Marine stationed on Ganymede, watching the UN troops also stationed there. She becomes the lone survivor when a monster single-handedly destroys both units.

The second viewpoint character is Holden and he is sent by his benefactor, Fred Johnson, to find out what is happening on Ganymede.

The third viewpoint character is Prax. He is Mei’s father and is desperate to find her. He eventually teams up with Holden. The last viewpoint character is Chrisjen Avasarala, the assistant to the undersecretary of executive administration of the UN. Bobbie ends up on Earth and teams with Avasarala. The two groups face challenges, discover the truth, and then head to confront Mei’s kidnappers.

Recommendation

Caliban’s War by James SA Corey is a great sequel to Leviathan Wakes. It expands the setting and ratchet ups the stakes. My only quibble is that the villains seem too similar to the group from the previous novel. I am planning to read the next adventure of Holden and his crew of the Rocinante in Abbadon’s Gate. Note that the Syfy series introduces Avasarala in season 1 of the expanse. Season two of the show will cover the end of the first novel and part of this novel.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Caliban’s War by James SA Corey.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12591698-caliban-s-war

Leviathan Wakes by James SA Corey, book #1 of The Expanse, is a space opera set in the near future when the solar system is settled. Jim Holden becomes the captain of the Rocinante and Detective Miller is on a missing person case. Their paths cross and the fate of the solar system lies in their hands. This is a link to my review.

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Fevre Dream by George R. R. Martin

Fevre Dream by George RR Martin.

Introduction

Abner Marsh is a river steamboat captain on the Mississippi River in 1857. He receives an intriguing proposal by Joshua York who suggests that they enter into a business relationship where Joshua finances Abner’s dream steamboat called the Fevre Dream. The only stipulation is that the first journey of the steamboat is to follow the Mississippi to New Orleans. Abner notices that Joshua keeps unusual hours, has unusual associates, and displays unusual traits.

Summary

The opposition, Damon Julian, is introduced in an early chapter as an isolated point of view where it becomes clear that he and his band are vampires. Abner investigates Joshua to satisfy his curiosity about his unusual behavior. Joshua eventually reveals that he and his group are vampire hunters searching for Damon. These vampires are not the traditional ones of legend. They display some aspects of vampires such as extreme sensitivity to light, superhuman strength, superhuman regeneration of injuries, and a thirst for blood that builds until it reaches what is called the red thirst. They also display aspects of werewolves such as the cyclical change in personality that leads to the red thirst. The novel follows Joshua’s gradual reveal of the whole truth to Abner and their confrontation with Damon.

Recommendation

This novel takes a refreshing look at vampires through a science fictional framework. The reader learns who these creatures are and why they do what they do. The novel comes to a logical and satisfying conclusion. Highly recommended.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Fevre Dream by George RR Martin.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12894834-fevre-dream

A similar novel in the fantasy genre is the Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Adamat, Tamas, and Taniel fight gods and men in this gunpowder fantasy. This is a link to my review of the novel.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Book #1 of The Wayfarers series.

Introduction

In The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers, Rosemary Harper takes a job on the starship Wayfarer to get away from the memories from her home. She meets and bonds with the crew of the starship. They are about to take a long journey where each crew member must confront their fears and make the mission a success.

Summary

The mission of their starship is to punch wormholes between the stars to create fast travel. The problem is that the ship must make the first trip without the benefit of the wormhole, so it will take over one standard year to arrive at the destination. There are eight crewmembers, Rosemary, Corbin, Ashby, Dr. Chef, Jenks, Kizzy, Ohan, and Sissix. Each has a story and each must come to a resolution.

This novel reads like an episodic TV show. We go to Kizzy’s homeworld, we hear Dr. Chef’s backstory, we go to Sissix’s homeworld, there is a planet where Corbin has a run-in with the inhabitants. Each episode is self-contained and resolved. It’s a fun book to read, but there is no conflict. They do what they do, they look and sound cute, but nothing happens that challenges them. Rosemary is the narrator and the summation of her story is that she finds a home on the Wayfarer.

Recommendation

I’m not used to a novel that doesn’t have any conflict and has no opposition character. The opposition in the novel consists of two groups. A group of aliens hijack the ship and get what they want. They leave before the next chapter starts, and don’t reappear. The other group is the Toremi, who owns the small, angry planet and wants the wormhole desperately. That conflict is too little and too late and of course, resolved in one chapter. This was not my kind of novel. I will not be reading the next book in the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Long Way to A Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22733729-the-long-way-to-a-small-angry-planet

A similar novel, Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey, book #1 of The Expanse, is a space opera set in the near future when the solar system is settled. Jim Holden becomes the captain of the Rocinante and Detective Miller is on a missing person case. Their paths cross and the fate of the solar system lies in their hands. This is a link to my review.

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J. K. Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany, Book #8 of The Harry Potter series.

Introduction

This book is billed as the eighth story in the Harry Potter series. It is actually a copy of a stage play. The play was co-written by the play’s director and staged in London. It is set nineteen years after the events of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, right after the epilog of that book. It follows the relationship of Harry Potter and his son, Albus, as he becomes a student at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Albus must deal with the legacy of being Harry Potter’s son and challenges of his own making.

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Parts One and Two (Harry Potter, #8)

Summary

In the course of the play, we follow Albus during scenes set at different times during his first few years at Hogwarts. Reading the play felt like hearing an oldies rock band replaying their hits. The sorting hat was from book 1, except Albus was sorted into Slytherin and his best friend became Scorpious Malfoy. Albus and Scorpious use the polyjuice potion from book 2. The time-turner they will use is from book 3. The main plot is derived from book 4’s Tri-Wizard Tournament. Cedric Diggory’s father, Amos, wishes to rewrite history. Albus and Scorpious attempt to do so with disastrous results. Was this play an homage or a fanfiction? You be the judge.

Recommendation

It was a fun, short read. I greatly enjoyed reading them playing their hits, but on reflection, I don’t feel that this book should be a canon part of the series. I did not believe the twist at the end was earned or made any sense based on the previous seven books. However, if you have read the first seven books then you must read this one.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by JK Rowling, Jack Thorne, and John Tiffany.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29056083-harry-potter-and-the-cursed-child

A similar novel in the fantasy genre is the Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Adamat, Tamas, and Taniel fight gods and men in this gunpowder fantasy. This is a link to my review of the novel.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge, Book #1 of The Zones of Thought series.

Introduction

Johanna and Jefri’s parent’s spaceship has crashed on a planet ruled by the Tines. The Tines are a dog-like race that has communal minds. Two rival groups of Tines capture each kid. On the other side of the galaxy, Ravna and her crew race to get to the kids. Ravna believes that the kids have the clue needed to fight the super-intelligent being called the Blight. She hopes to get that clue before the ships controlled by the Blight intercept her or get to the kids first.

Summary

A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge is set in the far future when humanity has gone to the stars and mingles with the beings found there. The world-building is the star in this novel.

There are four areas of the galaxy that are called zones of thought. Knowledge, speed of thought, and speed of travel all increase as one go from the inner core to the outermost edge of the galaxy. The Unthinking Depths have the least of all. The Slow Zone, where the old earth is located, is limited to sub-light travel. The Beyond has faster than light travel. It is where humanity has expanded to and the area where the kid’s spaceship came from. When civilizations become extremely advanced, they head to the final zone called the Transcend.

Researchers in the low Transcend release the superintelligence called the Blight. Only the kid’s spaceship escapes. The plot alternates between the story on the Tines world and Ravna’s crew.

Recommendation

While the world-building of the Ravna plot was intriguing, the actual interaction between Ravna and Pham Nuwen was less so. The better stories were about Johanna’s interaction with the Tine called Woodcarver and the melding of Jefri with the Tine called Amdi. The background is difficult to understand, but the characters make it an interesting read.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/77711.A_Fire_Upon_the_Deep

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series.

Introduction

This book starts with one of the most iconic first lines from any novel. “The man in black fled across the desert, and the gunslinger followed.” The protagonist is in pursuit of the antagonist which promises action. The words gun and desert suggest a western. The word black suggests something sinister. All these images appear from just twelve words.

Summary

The gunslinger walks the desert coming upon a homesteader Brown and his raven Zoltan. He stays for the night and remembers what happened to him in the town of Tull. The gunslinger meets Alice and later Jake in his pursuit of the man in black. He follows the man in black, searching for revenge which may end up destroying his own humanity.

In the first chapter, the gunslinger meets Alice. She has a sad and doomed arc that felt right. I am not sure what I should think about Roland, the gunslinger. He debates good and evil in his head but doesn’t seem sympathetic to me. I suppose that is the way that King wants me to feel about him.

I read the 2003 rewritten version of the novel. That is the cover inserted above the introduction. I compared it to the earlier 1982 version through this website https://web.archive.org/web/20071225081733/http://www.thedarktower.net/gunslinger/, but found the changes to be minimal.

Recommendation

For me, the book seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. I liked the stories about Alice and Jake. I found Roland’s backstory in the third chapter to be interesting. The fourth chapter was a dull travelogue, but then we get to the last chapter. I wanted a thematic close to the story, but that did not happen. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending. What a disappointment. I see from King’s afterward that he used this story to set up the novels that follow and I get that, but I was hoping for a good ending that would make me want to read the next book. I don’t feel that way.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Gunslinger by Stephen King.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/43615.The_Gunslinger

My review of Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan a book like The Gunslinger. They are both fantasy novels focusing on the protagonist’s use of guns. Adamat, Tamas, and Taniel fight gods and men in this gunpowder fantasy.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan

This is a prequel novella in the Powder Mage series.

Introduction

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel is a prequel novella. The novella occurs 22 years before the novel Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. It is not necessary to read the novel first to understand this story. Knowing the character of Adamat from the novel enhances the themes explored in that novel.

Summary

I enjoyed this novella almost as much as the novel. I felt that the lack of action and the odd use of Constable White kept the story from being great. The powder mage series includes magic derived from the use of gunpowder, the magic of the Privileged who are used by the monarchy, and a minor caste of magicians called the Knacked. Adamat is a Knacked. His talent is having a photographic memory. Adamat is a special detective constable for the Adopest police department.

His talent makes his deductive reasoning seem similar to Sherlock Holmes’s process, but his humble background and marriage keep him grounded. Adamat investigates two seemingly unconnected murders. The complication is that his friend Richard is accused of committing the second murder. He must negotiate between the dockland gangs, the corrupt police commissioner, and a powerful noble family to save his friend from execution by the guillotine. Adamat attempts to solve the crimes with the help of Constable White.

Recommendation

I wanted more action and suspense scenes in this story. Most scenes were either described or happened off-screen. I felt that Constable White should have been introduced sooner because she is crucial to the plot. I think this novella is an important addition to the powder mage series and well worth the time invested to read it.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23597688-murder-at-the-kinnen-hotel

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, Book # 1 of the Powder Mage Series. My review of Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. Adamat, Tamas, and Taniel fight gods and men in this gunpowder fantasy.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan.

Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan, Book # 1 of the Powder Mage Series.

Introduction

Promise of Blood is a gunpowder fantasy by Brian McClellan. It is somewhat a retelling of the French Revolution. I enjoyed the magical background and well-developed characters. It is the first book in a series.

Summary

There are three main characters. The book opens with the story of Adamat. He is a retired detective. His magical gift is a perfect memory. His deductive reasoning reminds me of Agatha Christie ‘s Hercule Poirot. The royal class in the country of Adro in the city of Adopest has been overthrown by a group headed by Field Marshal Tamas. Adamat meets with Tamas, who sends him on a quest. Tamas is the second main character, a wise leader of men. He is a powder mage, a person that can use gunpowder as magical dust to heal oneself or to manipulate bullets. The third main character is Tamas’s son Taniel.

Taniel is a powerful powder mage, the action hero of the story. He uses gunpowder as a narcotic. His reaction to snorting gunpowder is a cross between snuff and cocaine. I wonder if he will have an accounting with his addiction in further novels. This novel’s strongest asset is in the connections between the main characters and the secondary characters. Tamas is haunted by the execution death of his wife. His assistant Olem has romantic chemistry with the laundress Nila. I want to see where that leads.

Taniel had a broken engagement with another powder mage, Vlora. She is undeveloped in this novel, but I am sure that she has a part to play. There is interesting romantic chemistry between Taniel and his barbarian assistant Ka-poel. I look forward to seeing examined. Taniel’s friend Bo and Bo’s women are interesting. The mysterious Gavril and the chef Mihali seem to have important parts to play as well.

Recommendation

Adamat is my favorite character. I am glad that I signed up for the author’s email list because I received the novella Murder at the Kinnen Hotel which is about Adamat’s back story. The next novel in the series is The Crimson Campaign and I have put it on my to-read list.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15790883-promise-of-blood

My review of Murder at the Kinnen Hotel, a prequel novella. The novella is set 22 years before the novel Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan. It is not necessary to read the novel first to understand this story. Knowing the character of Adamat from the novel enhances the themes explored in that novel.

Murder at the Kinnen Hotel by Brian McClellan

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey

Leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey.

Leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey, Book #1 of The Expanse Series.

Introduction

Leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey is the first book in The Expanse series. It is a space opera set entirely within the solar system. I liked the non-stop action and the execution of the police procedural plot.

Summary

Each chapter is titled and narrated by the viewpoint character. The prologue introduces Julie Mao, who starts the plot rolling. Each subsequent chapter, except for the epilogue, is told by the two protagonists. First is Jim Holden the executive officer of the water hauler the Canterbury. He is sort of a jerk. His command philosophy tends to be wishy-washy. The author could have written him as a type-A hero, but I appreciate that the author chose a different path for him.

The real star of this novel is Detective Miller. He feels like a direct descendant of Philip Marlowe, first written by Raymond Chandler in The Big Sleep. He is the ultimate film noir detective but based on the asteroid of Ceres. Miller wears a pork-pie hat to prove it. His case is to find Julie Mao and how he grows as a character is what drives this story. I started to read this novel as a companion to watching the SyFy series called The Expanse.

Recommendation

The novel is great. The show starts slowly but delivers toward the end. The first season of the show ends just before the climax of the novel Leviathan Wakes. I am looking forward to seeing how the showrunners depict the end of the novel and continue the story. Caliban’s War is the name of the second novel. I plan on reading the novel in conjunction with watching season two of The Expanse, airing in January 2017.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Leviathan Wakes by James S A Corey.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8855321-leviathan-wakes

My review of Caliban’s War by James S.A. Corey Book #2 of The Expanse Series. They send Jim Holden to Ganymede to investigate. We meet new characters and learn about what happened to Julie Mao.

Caliban’s War by James S. A. Corey

The Atlantis Gene by A. G. Riddle

The Atlantis Gene by A G Riddle

The Atlantis Gene by A G Riddle, Book #1 of The Origin Mystery.

The Atlantis Gene: A Thriller (The Origin Mystery, Book 1) by [Riddle, A.G.]

Introduction

The Atlantis Gene by A G Riddle is the first book of The Origin Mystery trilogy. I enjoyed this book for the big idea main topic and the narrative forward movement. It read almost like a movie because of the short chapters, with the negative being that there was no time to develop the characters.

Summary

I see three main influences in this novel. It is a techno-thriller in the vein of Michael Crichton, it has some of the puzzle breaking and conspiracy theory as found in Dan Brown‘s books, and it uses the alien influence that Graham Hancock writes about. Our heroes are an ex-CIA agent and a doctor that works with autistic children. Their plot plays too much like Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and not more like Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark.

Recommendation

I thought the best part of the novel was the journal of Patrick Pierce. It felt like a version of The English Patient. The next book in the trilogy is The Atlantis Plague and I put it on my too read shelf. I want to find out what happens next.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Atlantis Gene by A G Riddle.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25843420-the-atlantis-gene

My review of Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, book #1 of The Expanse Leviathan Wakes is a book like The Atlantis Gene using near-future science fiction. Leviathan Wakes is a space opera set in the near future when the solar system is settled. Jim Holden becomes the captain of the Rocinante, and Detective Miller is on a missing person case. Their paths cross and the fate of the solar system lies in their hands. This is a link to my review.

Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey