Book Reviews Archives - Page 4 of 19

Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold

Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #11 of the Vorkosigan saga.

Introduction

Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold is the eleventh novel of the Vorkosigan saga. The Emperor of Barrayar sends Miles as his Imperial Auditor to find out how the Komarr terraforming mirror was destroyed. Miles discovers plots against him as the son of the Butcher of Komarr and other terrorist plots. He must disentangle the various plots with the help of Ekaterina Vorsoisson. Can Miles save Komarr from itself or will the planet fall into anarchy?

Summary

The history of Komarr influences this novel. This is the short version of that history. The Komarr system is a travel hub with many connections. Barrayar only has one connection and that leads to Komarr. In the past, the Komarrans let the Cetagandans through their system to attack Barrayar. The war between Barrayar and Cetaganda was hard on the Barayarans. The Barrayarns expelled the Cetagandans but at great cost. The Barrayarans blamed Komarr for this. Later the Barrayarans took over Komarr. An incident in that war earned Aral Vorkosigan (Miles’s father) the title of Butcher of Komarr. A faction of Komarrans want to overthrow the Barrayans.

That brings us to this novel. Miles is a newly appointed Auditor. That means that he has the power to investigate and judicate matters under the authority of the Barrayaran Emperor. Komarr has an ongoing centuries long terraforming project in process. The populus all live under domes on Komarr’s surface. A solar power satellite important in the terraforming project was damaged and Miles must discover if it was an accident or sabotage.

Ekaterine Vorsoisson has an alternate viewpoint in this novel. She is from Barrayar and married to Tien Vorsoisson, an engineer involved in the terraforming project. Tien has secrets and they have an unhappy marriage. Caught in the middle is their son.

The connection between Miles and Ekaterine is important to the plot of this novel. Miles must solve the mystery with Ekaterine’s help.

Recommendation

Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold takes the Vorkosigan Saga into a new direction. This and the succeeding novels of the saga follow Miles in his Auditor role solving problems for the emperor. The important development for this novel is the introduction of Ekaterine. She is a match and a muse for Miles. He’s finally growing mature. I enjoyed the background and mystery behind this novel.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Komarr by Lois McMaster Bujold.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61884.Komarr

In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, death will not stop Miles Vorkosigan, but his boss Simon Illyan has an illness that might end Miles’s career. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold, Dr. Ethan Urquhart must discover what happened to unusable ovarian samples. Will Ethan go off the planet, risk being corrupted, and solve the mystery of the unusable samples, or will he doom Athos by doing nothing?

Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold, they send Miles Vorkosigan and his cousin Ivan to Cetaganda on a diplomatic mission. Miles becomes involved in a complex mystery. Will Miles foil the plot to destroy Cetaganda and save his home planet of Barrayar?

Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

In The Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold, they accused Miles Vorkosigan of treason. Will Miles play The Vor Game well enough to escape the treason charges made against him and secure the assignment he desires?

Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?

Warriors Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

Links (Continued)

In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?

Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Shards of Honor (Book#1 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Barrayaran Captain Aral Vorkosigan takes Betan Commander Cordelia Naismith as a prisoner. They take a hike in the jungle. What happens when they fall in love?

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Falling Free (Book #4 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, space engineer Leo Graf must decide between retiring or risking his life protecting his students. The novel is a fun, self-contained space opera romp.

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan, Book Ten of the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan is the tenth book of The Wheel of Time series. The novel follows four main plot arcs. Rand, Mat, Perrin, and Elayne. All four characters face hard choices and must grow so they can complete the challenges put before them in future novels. Will the forces of Light be stopped at the Crossroads of Twilight?

Summary – Prologue

The prologue has seven point-of-view characters, and each point of view sets up a plot arc.

Ritel Ituralde is a general of Amon Domain who knows the Seanchan will attack him soon and makes plans to defeat them.

Eamon Valda is a leader of the White Cloaks who face battles with the Seanchan and the Aes Sedai.

Gabrelle is warder-bonded to Logain at the Black Tower. She tries to figure out what move the Ahsa’man will take next.

Yukiki searches for the Black Ajah at the White Tower.

Gawyn oversees the Younglings and wonders what to do next.

Davram Bashere commands a unit in Elayne’s army that is sieging Caemalyn, trying to win her the crown of Andor.

Samitsu is overseeing Cairhien by Cadsuane’s request. She must find out who and why someone attempted to assassinate Dobraine.

Summary–Groups of characters

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has four main plots.

Rand wants to make a truce with the Seanchan so they can both focus on defeating the forces of the Dark One rather than each other.

Mat leaves Ebou Dar with the cover of the traveling circus to escape to Murandy. He courts Tuon but is clueless about the ways of the Seanchan.

Perrin discovers the Shaido confines Faile in their winter quarters in Malden. The Shaido are too strong to attack. Perrin looks for supplies and faces a difficult decision.

Egwene brought her rebels forces to siege Tar Valon. She faces a set back at the end of the novel which might jeopardize her ability to take Tar Valon.

Summary–Best Plot Points

Three Chapters stand out in Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.

Traps is Chapter 9 where Faile is punished by the Shaido but is comforted by Rolan.

A Mark is Chapter 21 where Alvarin is worried that she will be found out at the White Tower as part of the Black Ajah.

What must be done is Chapter 31 where Perrin must make a hard choice. Perrin’s conflict in the series has been between the hammer and the axe. For him the hammer means the blacksmith profession and resolving issues by words. The axe means war and battle. Perrin faces a situation where he must choose between the axe and the hammer.

Recommendation

Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes, but the plot arcs begun in Winter’s Heart are still not competed in this novel. This novel functions to set up the events resolved in the next novel in the series, Knife of Dreams. This novel didn’t have a big ending like the ones that occurred in most of the other novels of the series. I see Winter’s Heart, Crossroads of Twilight, and Knife of Dreams as a sort of a trilogy set inside the series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Crossroads of Twilight by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/113435.Crossroads_of_Twilight

Winters Heart by Robert Jordan has some brilliant scenes but misses conclusions to the plot arcs explored

Winters Heart by Robert Jordan

Review of Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. When Rand fights the Seanchan, will they defeat him, or will he win across the Path of Daggers?

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, Book Five of the Wheel of Time.

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time.

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book Three of the Wheel of Time.

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book Two of the Wheel of Time.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book one of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi

Introduction

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is, as he names it in the Author’s Note, a reimagining of the story and events of the novel Little Fuzzy by H. Beam Piper. Scalzi updates the story to contemporary sensibilities. Jack Holloway is an independent prospector on the planet Zara XXIII. His companion is his bomb-detonating dog named Carl. They find a new mine worth a lot of money for him and Zarathustra Corporation. The problem is when he discovers a new species or better yet when they discover him. If the species he calls Fuzzys proves to be sentient, he and Zara Corp lose the right to exploit the planet. Will Jack choose to get filthy rich or protect the new species?

Summary

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi starts with Jack Holloway prospecting on the planet Zara XXIII with his dog named Carl. They cause an ecological disaster which is noticed by Jack’s ZaraCorp contractor rep named Chad Bourne. Chad threatens to end Jack’s contract. Jack finds a valuable mine because of the disaster and will profit greatly but he runs into a problem.

Back at Jack’s tree house in the middle of the jungle, he encounters a being. He can’t decide if it is more like a monkey, dog, or cat. It might be smarter than that. If the being is sentient, then he stands to lose his rich find because the law will give it to the beings which he calls Fuzzys.

Jack enlists the aid of biologist Isobel Wangai and xeno-linguist Dr. Arnold Chen to figure out if the Fuzzys are sentient.

He faces off with the representatives at ZaraCorp and brings the issue of sentience to the planetary court. Jack believes they are sentient while ZaraCorp thinks they are wild animals. The conclusion proceeds from there.

Recommendation

Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi is a contemporary retelling of the story found in H. Beam Piper’s novel Little Fuzzy. I have read both novels and I enjoyed the added elements that Scalzi had added. The corporate plot is like the movie Avatar, though Avatar was probably inspired by Little Fuzzy in the first place. This novel reads like a remake of a movie. I’m glad I read it.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Fuzzy Nation by John Scalzi.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9647532-fuzzy-nation

Zoes Tale by John Scalzi is the fourth book in the Old Man’s War series. This novel tells the events from the previous novel, The Last Colony, from the point of view of Zoe Boutin Perry.

Zoes Tale by John Scalzi

Last Colony by John Scalzi is the third book in the Old Man’s War series. John Perry and his family colonized a new planet. Can he protect the colony, or will the colony perish leading to the extermination of humanity?

Last Colony by John Scalzi

Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi is the second book in the Old Man’s War series. Jared Dirac is a clone with another man’s memories. He must save humanity from three allied alien races determined to destroy humanity.

Ghost Brigades by John Scalzi

Old Man’s War is the first novel in the Old Man’s War series. This is the link to my review.

Old Man’s War by John Scalzi

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem

Introduction

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem is a science fiction story that explores the themes of communication, sense of self, and reality. It is a stand-alone novel. Kris Kelvin is a psychologist who must discover what is happening with the researchers on the Solaris space station. The Solaris Station is orbiting a planet with a world-sized entity they name Ocean who the scientists are unsuccessfully trying to communicate with. Will Kris understand what is happening with the Solaris entity before it is too late, and all the researchers are dead?

Summary

In Solaris by Stanislaw Lem, the corporation that finances the Solaris space station sends psychologist Kris Kelvin to figure out what is going on with the researchers on the Solaris space station that orbits the planet of Solaris. There are three men left inhabiting the space station. One of the researchers that Kelvin knew named Gibarion sent him a message to come to the station. He first meets Snow when he arrives and later, he meets Sartorius. Kelvin learns the fate of Gibarion. He learns something from all three about the issue with Solaris.

The researchers tried to contact an entity on the planet of Solaris. The entity is an immense world ocean. The entity tried to contact the researchers with beings created from the memories of the researchers’ which they call visitors. Things get more complicated for Kelvin when his visitor arrives. She is unexpected and perplexing to him.

Recommendation

Solaris by Stanislaw Lem is a thought-provoking novel. I read the 1970 translation from the French by Joanna Kilmartin and Steve Cox with a book cover promoting the 2002 movie adaption. It’s an English translation of the French Translation of the original Polish. I watched the 1972 movie adaptation. The cinematography was fabulous. The actors spoke Russian, but the subtitles worked with an excellent ending. I watched the 2002 movie adaptation starring George Clooney and directed by Stephen Soderbergh. It was interesting, but didn’t make its production cost back at the box office.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Solaris by Stanislaw Lem.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/51077757-solaris

The title story of Stories of Your Life’s theme is like Solaris; contact with an unknowable alien entity.

Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang

My review of Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang is an eight-story SF short story collection. It was made into the movie Arrival. The title story explores the similar theme of first alien contact.

Thinner by Stephen King

Introduction

Thinner by Stephen King is a supernatural thriller fantasy novel that was originally published under the author’s pseudonym, Richard Bachman. Attorney Billy Halleck has been heavy for most of his adult life. A series of events leads to him killing an old gypsy woman with his car. Billy has powerful friends and receives a light sentence. The woman’s father puts a gypsy curse on him by saying one word, thinner. Billy loses weight no matter what he does, and it will not stop. Can Billy reverse the curse, or will he wither and die?

Summary

Billy Halleck is a defense attorney with a wife, Heidi, and a daughter, Linda. He’s overweight and enjoys life. He’s driving and Heidi distracts him which leads to him hitting and killing an old gypsy woman.

Billy avoids punishment by the law because police officer Duncan Hopley and judge Cary Rossington favors him. That infuriates the woman’s father, Taduz Lemke, so he curses each one of them with a special curse. The word he says to Billy is thinner.

Billy begins to lose weight no matter how much he eats. He tracks the gypsy band across New England to get Lemke to reverse the curse. Billy enlists his client, mobster Richie Ginelli, to help him.

Billy and Lemke meet. Some curses can’t be broken, so they find another solution.

Recommendation

Thinner by Stephen King was an enjoyable read, but what made the novel great for me was the last sentence. The last sentence changed the meaning of the novel for me and was perfect for the story. I find the history of this novel interesting. They published the novel under the name Richard Bachman like four previously published novels were. On page 117 in my copy, Billy’s doctor says the way Billy tells it sounds like he is in a Stephen King book. The funny thing is that he was. King used the alias to publish more than one book in the years he had more. Someone discovered the deception, so King stopped using the alias. He also fictionalized his feelings about writing as another person and getting caught in the novel, The Dark Half.

Links

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

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/147336843-thinner-by-stephen-king

Under the Dome by Stephen King begins with a dome covering Chester’s Mill. Who made the Dome, and will the people trapped inside it escape before they all die?

Under the Dome by Stephen King

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, book #2 of The Dark Tower series, features Roland, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes. Roland gets one step closer to reaching the Dark Tower.

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Talisman by Stephen King

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub

Introduction

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub is a fantasy novel. Twelve-year-old Jack Sawyer has an important and dangerous mission. His mother is dying. The only way for him to save her is to find the mythical Talisman which is in a parallel world called the Territories. He must pass many challenges to obtain his goal. Will Jack find the Talisman in time to save his mother from death?

Summary

The story is told in the third person with Jack Sawyer as the focus character except for a series of interludes featuring the antagonist, Morgan Sloat. There are four parts to the novel reflecting Jack’s journey to enlightenment.

Part I: Jack Lights Out

Jack learns about his mother’s illness. Speedy Parker teaches him about the Territories and that the Talisman, which is located in the Territories, can cure her cancer. Everyone has a twinner in the Territories. Jack’s mother’s twinner is the Queen of the Territories. Speedy gives him an aid to cross over. Jack flips into the Territories.

Part II: The Road of Trials

Jack starts his journey in New Hampshire but must travel to California to find the Talisman. He stops in Oatley, New York. He finds work in the town at a bar and almost gets trapped there.

Part III: A Collision of Worlds

Jack is travelling again and runs into a werewolf creature named Wolf. They become friends and continue their journey. They flip to the real world, and they arrive in Indiana where they are arrested and sent to the Sunlight Home, a boy’s reform school. The school’s owner runs the place like a prison. Jack and Wolf are singled out as bad students.

Part IV: The Talisman

Jack escapes the school and finds Morgan Sloat’s son Richard in a boarding school in Illinois. They travel by train to California using the Territories. Jack finds the Talisman. He must win the Talisman and bring it to his mother to heal her.

Recommendation

The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub borders on the line between fantasy and science fiction. I feel like the authors don’t make all the points fit together. I like the character of Wolf, but I don’t understand how werewolves fit into this story. The novel feels like a portal fantasy, but I think werewolves belong in a different story than this one. Jack’s actions and thoughts seem older than a boy of twelve. The scenes in the boarding house with Richard felt like they were from another novel. The story does come to a satisfying conclusion though.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of The Talisman by Stephen King and Peter Straub.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/13444.The_Talisman

It by Stephen King has seven kids who face horror. As adults, they face It again. Will the Losers Club defeat the hidden evil in the Derry sewers, or will they perish?

It by Stephen King

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King, book #2 of The Dark Tower series, features Roland, Eddie Dean, and Odetta Holmes. Roland gets one step closer to reaching the Dark Tower.

Drawing of the Three by Stephen King

The Gunslinger by Stephen King, book #1 of The Dark Tower series, seemed to set up for a climax that never happened. What is there is a trippy and metaphysical non-ending.

The Gunslinger by Stephen King

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, Book #10 of the Vorkosigan saga.

Introduction

Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold is the tenth novel of the Vorkosigan saga. Miles has a medical issue that occurred on his last adventure which jeopardizes his career as an Imp Sec operative. He has a medical event at the wrong time, and he must report to his boss, Simon Illyan. The problem is his boss suffers from an illness related to the computer implanted in his brain. The nature of Illyan’s memory glitches jeopardizes the Barrayaran Empire. Can Miles figure out what happened to Illyan and what he should do about it before it’s too late?

Summary

In Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles must reevaluate his life because of a medical condition that interferes with performing his job as the leader of the Denarii Mercenaries and as an operative of Imperial Security reporting to Simon Illyan. Miles gets the medical condition in his last adventure detailed in the novel Mirror Dance. In this novel, things go wrong on his next mission and Miles tries to cover it up, so he won’t face a medical discharge. They summon him to Barrayar to face his superior, the Imperial Security Chief, Simon Illyan.

Miles finds out Illyan has a medical emergency and that changes everything. They had installed a computer in Illyan’s brain many years ago. The computer has always failed in others, but Illyan has used it beyond its normal working life. His computer is glitching and he experiences memories as if they are happening now. The memories are cascading, and his life is in jeopardy. Miles must determine if the failures are natural or if someone caused them. The answers may prove catastrophic for the Empire but may show Miles a path to follow for the next phase of his life.

Recommendation

The events of Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold change the Vorkosigan saga from now on. Miles grew up and needed a change but change came to him unexpectedly and he had to prepare for the next phase of his life. He ends up well like he always does. I thought Memory came at the perfect time in the saga and set up Miles for the rest of his life.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Memory by Lois McMaster Bujold.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61880.Memory

Ethan of Athos by Lois McMaster Bujold

Cetaganda by Lois McMaster Bujold

Vor Game by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Warriors Apprentice (Book #2 of the Vorkosigan Saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Miles Vorkosigan gets involved in another planet’s war. Can he escape the mischief he started?

Warriors Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

In Barrayar (Book#7 of the Vorkosigan saga) by Lois McMaster Bujold, Lady Cordelia Vorkosigan faces an assassination and the birth of her son. Will she survive the regency and give birth to her son?

Barrayar by Lois McMaster Bujold

Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold

Falling Free by Lois McMaster Bujold

New Spring by Robert Jordan

New Spring by Robert Jordan is a prequel to the Wheel of Time series.

Introduction

New Spring by Robert Jordan is the prequel to The Wheel of Time series. The novel shows the prophecy of the birth of the Dragon Reborn which drove Moiraine to seek the Dragon Reborn. It also shows how Moraine and Lan meet and join forces. And it sets up the events before the first book of the series, The Eye of the World. Will Moiraine find the Dragon Reborn before the Minions of the Dark One find him and will she save him to defeat the Dark One in the Final Battle?

Summary

Moiraine and Siuan witness the Aes Sedai Keeper foretell that the Dragon has been Reborn. Moiraine and Siuan are friends and young Aes Sedai Accepted. The Amyrlin Seat of that time sends them on a mission to find the Dragon Reborn. When Moiraine becomes a full Aes Sedai, she continues her search.

At the end of the Aiel War, Lan and his crew learn that some people want to restore the destroyed kingdom of Malkier. Lan would have been the last king of Malkier, but doesn’t want to follow that path. They head toward a city close to where Malkier was located.

Moiraine and Lan meet on the road, but are suspicious of each others motivations. They continue to the city together.

At the city Moiraine searches for a potential Dragon Reborn while Lan tries to defuse the attempt to make him the King of Malkier. Their goals intersect in complicated ways and they help each other out. The novel concludes with them coming to a new understanding.

Recommendation

New Spring by Robert Jordan started as a 140-page novella (short novel) in the anthology named Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg. The novel expands on the story, but I feel that the ending was still rushed. The best thing about the novel is getting viewpoints from Moiraine and especially Lan. The novella did not have chapters while the novel had 26 chapters and an epilogue. I thought that was an improvement. My highlights of the novel are the foretelling of the Dragon Reborn, the first meeting of Moiraine and Lan, and when Morraine bonds Lan as her Warder. It was worth learning more about the events leading to the first novel of the Wheel of Time series.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of New Spring by Robert Jordan.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/187065.New_Spring

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Legends, edited by Robert Silverberg where the first shorter version of New Spring by Robert Jordan was published.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/202449.Legends_3

Review of Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan. When Rand fights the Seanchan, will they defeat him, or will he win across the Path of Daggers?

Path of Daggers by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan. When Rand forces the hand of one of the Forsaken, will the Forsaken defeat him or will he earn a Crown of Swords?

Crown of Swords by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan, Book Six of the Wheel of Time. Chaos reigns in the Westlands. They push Rand to the edge of insanity. Will he survive the box?

Lord of Chaos by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan, Book Five of the Wheel of Time.

Fires of Heaven by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan, Book Four of the Wheel of Time.

Shadow Rising by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan, Book three of the Wheel of Time.

Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Great Hunt by Robert Jordan, Book two of the Wheel of Time.

Great Hunt by Robert Jordan

This is the link to my review of Eye of the World by Robert Jordan, Book one of the Wheel of Time.

The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Introduction

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is Book #1 of the Secret Books of 2023. Tress barely survives on an island set on a sea that is not a sea of water. It is a sea of deadly spores. When her close friend Charlie takes a trip and goes missing, she must face deadly perils to rescue him from certain death. Will Tress succeed in her quest or perish herself?

Summary

[Insert Summary Here]

Recommendation

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson is a wonderful and sweet book. I loved the idea of twisting the Princess Bride. What if Buttercup as Tress must rescue Westly as Charlie? That’s the question posed by this novel. Tress must face pirates and environmental catastrophes to rescue her one true love.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/60531406-tress-of-the-emerald-sea

My review of Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson. Wax and Wayne must foil a plot started by the terrorist group called the Set to destroy their home and people.

Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson. In book 3.5 of the Stormlight Archive, Rysn and Lopen must uncover the secrets of the lost island of Akinah, or it will doom Roshar.

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. In book four of the Stormlight Archive, the war between humans and Voidbringers intensifies.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. In book three of the Stormlight Archive, Dalinar learns the truth of his past through his flashbacks.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson, a collection with nine stories that are part of the cosmere universe. An overarching plot, which he calls the cosmere interrelated many of the author’s works. He set the stories of the cosmere on a group of worlds that are connected through magical means. He set six stories on the worlds of his published novels, and three stories are about worlds that have not had a novel-length story treatment. All the stories in this collection are excellent.

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson

Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson

Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson, Book #7 of the Mistborn Saga.

Introduction

Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson is Book #7 of the Mistborn Saga. It is also the four and final novel featuring the characters Wax and Wayne. Wax and Wayne must foil a plot started by the terrorist group called the Set to destroy their home and people.

[insert image here]

Summary

[Insert Summary Here]

Recommendation

Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson is a rousing conclusion to the series of novels about Wax and Wayne. He wrapped all the evil plots from the previous novels up in one huge plot to destroy the world. This novel contains many connections to the greater story in the Cosmere than any novel that Sanderson has published up to now. The Cosmere is the overarching narrative that connects most of his works. I enjoyed the way he wrapped this series up. It was a satisfying ending. I’m looking forward to the next section of Mistborn novels.

Links

This is the link to the Goodreads page of Lost Metal by Brandon Sanderson.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23947089-the-lost-metal

My review of Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson. In book 3.5 of the Stormlight Archive, Rysn and Lopen must uncover the secrets of the lost island of Akinah, or it will doom Roshar.

Dawnshard by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson. In book four of the Stormlight Archive, the war between humans and Voidbringers intensifies.

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

My review of Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson. In book three of the Stormlight Archive, Dalinar learns the truth of his past through his flashbacks.

Oathbringer by Brandon Sanderson

Arcanum Unbounded by Brandon Sanderson