#RRSciFiMonth : Space, the final frontier…
6 November 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #RRSciFiMonth, Backlist sci fi books, That Artsy Reader Girl, Top Ten Tuesday
I’m combining today’s Top Ten Tuesday with Sci-fi month, an event being hosted by One More and Dear Geek Place (check out the #RRSciFiMonth hashtag to keep uptodate)
Top Ten Tuesday is a weekly meme where every Tuesday we look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) bookish examples to demonstrate that particular topic. Top Ten Tuesday (created and hosted by The Broke and Bookish) is now being hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl and future week’s topics can be found here. This week’s topic is :
Backlist Books I Want to Read
Nice and easy for me – pick up the kindle and flip back through the library making a note of the first ten books that I haven’t yet read – and in this case use only the Sci-fi books. I’m not going to lie, I feel a bit ashamed of the number of unread books that I own just on my kindle – if I spent the next 10 years reading, without buying another book I’d have plenty to occupy me. I need help! Anyway – here are some of the sci fi books I have waiting to be read and hopefully I’ll be tackling some of these over the next month.
- Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky
- False Hearts by Laura Lamb
- Apocalypse Nyx by Kameron Hurley
- Dark Eden by Chris Beckett
- By Fire Above by Robyn Bennis
- The Stars Now Unclaimed by
- Austral by Paul McAuley
- The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin
- Bald New World by Peter Tieryas
- Gemsigns by Stephanie Saulter
So, which book do you think I should pick up first?
#RRSciFiMonth Skyward (Skyward #1) by Brandon Sanderson
6 November 2018
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: #RRSciFiMonth, Brandon Sanderson, Skyward, Skyward #1
Skyward is my first book review as part of the Sci-fi month being hosted by One More and Dear Geek Place (check out the #RRSciFiMonth hashtag to keep uptodate) and I’m so pleased to be able to report that I loved it. Was this a surprise? Maybe it shouldn’t be, I’ve read a few of Sanderson’s books already and loved them all but science fiction doesn’t sit quite as easily within my comfort zone so I usually pick up such books with a sense of trepidation – then add in the fact that this is a space opera and it’s enough to make me doubly nervous. If you’re harbouring such doubts I think I can reassure you. This is, in my opinion, storytelling at it’s best and I couldn’t put it down – just one more chapter, just one more page – until I found myself in the early hours of the morning still devouring the words. Skyward has not only given me a whole new confidence in picking up more from this genre but has also renewed my slightly failing joy of YA.
Where to begin with the overwhelming praise! Well, the story gets off to a quick start. We meet a young Spensa on an outing through underground caves on the planet Detritus, named for all the junk that circulates in space above it blocking out the stars. Her father is taking her to the top, something Spensa has longed for, and the two of them share a moment of pure joy when they witness the stars above through a momentary gap in all the debris. The joy is about to be short lived. Spensa’s father, being a pilot, is about to be called into battle where he is shot down, not as a hero but by one of his own colleagues, and then branded a coward for fleeing the scene.
As you may imagine Spensa spends the next few years being treated terribly by those around her (apart from her family). She refuses to believe the story of her father’s cowardice and longs to clear his name, she is also desperate to become a pilot and studies hard for the final entry examination.
Now, I don’t want to give away too much here. Suffice to say that Spensa is going to have constant obstructions to achieving her dreams. She’s going to make friends where she least expects and she’s going to grow up – and it’s downright entertaining watching her struggle and come up with creative ways of jumping the obstacles in her path.
The world building here is just wonderful. FIrstly you have the planet Detritus. The only surviving humans live here – scattered beneath the crust in a bid to keep the aliens that circulate the skies above detecting their whereabouts. As the years have passed the humans have become more ambitious – building ships to try to protect themselves but their know-how is woefully inadequate and the aliens outnumber them. Attacks usually take place when a large chunk of waste finally falls through the atmosphere and creates a gap for fighter ships to enter. We gradually learn of the way in which the survivors of humanity came to the planet and this is delivered in snippets of story telling delivered in various forms as the story progresses. The way this world is set up is really something else, the delivery is so smooth that you never feel like you’re doing anything more than reading a highly entertaining story. No info dumps. No huge chunks of information, no history lessons that are difficult to digest. It’s all blissfully incorporated into the story and delivered with perfect timing.
The pace is light speed. There’s plenty going on and a number of battle scenes that had me sat on the edge of my seat. This is a gripping ride. Fight sequences can be a bit hit and miss for me but this one translates to the page so well that I had no problem visualising it and it’s good. It’s real good.
Finally, the characters. I loved Spensa. She makes mistakes, she totally goes off on the wrong number, she also has her own prejudices and assumptions and quite often, (very often) she is woefully misguided and wrong and this is what makes her brilliant to read. Thankfully, she can be humble when she’s wrong. Her world is sometimes shaken up. She grieves. She spends a lot of time being alone but she also manages to turn things around and make friends. What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger and Spensa is a prime example of that. And on top of that she has her own secret friend who takes this whole story up to the next level – I loved, loved, this element of the story. There are also, of course, a good number of supporting characters who all play such crucial roles. And, I’m so pleased that at this point we didn’t go down the route of romance – I’m not saying that there won’t be something in future, who knows, but no instalove here. It’s a woo hoo moment.
I think my favourite part of this was watching Spensa grow, enjoying her time at flight school and loving the time she spends in the caves that become her temporary home.
I can see where the comparisons to Top Gun are coming from but for me this felt more like Star Wars in a number of ways – absolutely none of which I’m going to go into here. Just read it yourself and prepare to be wowed. Well, okay, I would just mention a great female lead, exciting battles in space, and on top of that – well, let me say that ‘the force is strong with this young Jedi’. Read it – and weep – because Sanderson undoubtedly knows how to play with the Heartsichord. There are sacrifices – but, more than that there is hope.
I loved it. I highly recommend it. I can’t wait for more.
I received a copy through Netgalley, courtesy of the publisher, for which my thanks. The above is my own opinion.
#SPFBO 2018 : Batch 4, Books 1-3
As mentioned in my post here as part of the SPFBO competition I’ll be randomly choosing six books per month for the next five months, I will then aim to check out at least the first 30% of each book during that month. I’ll post information about the first three books chosen at the start of the month and then about the remaining three during the mid way point with a conclusion around the end of the month about which books will be going forward or which will be eliminated. The conclusion for my first, second and third month’s reading can be found here, here and here Ultimately, the aim is to choose one book from the thirty I’ve been assigned – that chosen one will then be my finalist.
Books 1-3 in my fourth batch of books are as follows:
1. Clockworld by Ben Myatt
The Iron City has stood for thousands of years, but now, dark forces move within her metal walls to bring down her royal family and subjugate her people. Princess Aldreia, heir to the throne, must join with the peasant Tunnel-Runner Mouse to battle against the threats against her city and protect her birthright!
From the darkest cellars of the city Underworks to the skies around its tiers, the battle for the Iron City has begun!
- Goodreads: author page
- Website: http://bendanarama.wordpress.com
- Twitter: bendanarama
The Bastard from Fairyland by Phil Parker
The world’s sea levels have risen and washed civilisation away. Survival is a constant compromise, made worse when the Fae invade; a cruel and sadistic race eager to turn humanity into slaves. Robin Goodfellow is an elite Fae warrior with a long life steeped in blood and his loyalty rewarded by betrayal. Now he lives among humans, growing bitter and lonely, and wants no part in the war.
But Robin holds the key to victory for the Fae, the man who betrayed him demands his help and he’s brought Robin’s ex-lover along to ensure his cooperation. Trapped in the middle of the conflict and despised by both sides, Robin races across a flooded English landscape to rescue the two children who can help him make a difference.
What he doesn’t know is that powerful members of the Fae are manipulating him to succumb to his psychotic alter-ego, Puck, who’s ready to cause even more bloodshed.
- Goodreads: author’s page
- Website: https://www.philparker-fantasywriter.com/
- Twitter: philspeculates
3. Sorcerers’ Isle by DP Prior
Centuries ago, the Isle of Branikdür was mysteriously abandoned by the ruling Hélum Empire. Ever since, rival clans have battled for supremacy at the bidding of their sacred sorcerers.
During the once-a-year armistice for the Festival of Proving, the gifted warrior Snaith Harrow aims to leave his mark in the fight circles before marrying his childhood sweetheart. But following a freak accident, he discovers a terrible secret about the girl he loves:
Tey Moonshine is a daughter of suffering, and she has fallen prey to the things that stalk the netherworld. Under the influence of a demon that hides within her marrow, she gouges a magical codex into her flesh, believing it will make her the greatest sorcerer the isle has ever known.
Maimed from his accident and no longer able to fight, Snaith is apprenticed to the clan sorcerer, Theurig, and Tey is sent away from the village.
As Snaith is thrust headlong into a sorcerer’s world of misdirection and control, Tey must master the darkness that possesses her, if she is to stand together with him against the coming storm.
For the ripples of forbidden magic have roused the sleeping might of the Hélum Empire.
War is coming.
A war the clans can never win.
And the fate of Branikdür lies in the hands of a warrior turned wizard and a deranged girl who grows more deadly by the day.
Sorcerers’ Isle is a shocking tale of dark fantasy from international bestselling author D.P. Prior.
- Goodreads: author’s page
- Website: http://www.dpprior.com
- Twitter: NamelessDwarf
Weekly Wrap Up : 4th November 2018
We’re into November. I can’t believe it’s the 4th already. This week I started out by speeding through The Winters by Lisa Gabriele which is a retelling of Rebecca that was really good – my review will follow shortly. I also read Brandon Sanderson’s Skyward and loved that too and I’ve also read about a third of An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris and started Julie Kagawa’s Shadow of the Fox. I hope you’ve all had a good week. Here are my reads from last week.
- Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
- The Winters by Lisa Gabriele
Next week’s reads (obviously I won’t read all of these but I’ve started two already so three might be possible):
- An Easy Death by Charlaine Harris
- Shadow of the Fox by Julie Kagawa
- Dragonshadow (Heartstone #2) by Elle Katharine White
- Empress of All Seasons by Emiko Jean
Upcoming reviews:
- Starborn by Lucy Hounsom
- Envy of Angels by Matt Wallace
- Noir by Christopher Moore
- Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
- The Tethered Mage by Melissa Caruso
- In the Night Wood by Dale Bailey
- Skyward by Brandon Sanderson
- The Winters by Lisa Gabriele
I’d love to know what you’re reading this week.
#SPFBO End of Month Update
The third month of the SPFBO has come to an end which means that I’m now over half way through my books. As with the first and second month I chose a further six books at random to check during the course of October with the intention of reading at least 30% of each one. As the month got underway I posted about the books chosen and you can find out more information about them and their authors here and here. The aim of today’s post is to provide an update on my reading progress and also to decide which books have been chosen to stay in the contest after the second month. I really don’t like this part of the competition, I don’t like cutting books and I feel so bad for the authors of the books that are being cut but this is a competition and I only have one space. So, these are my thoughts this month with deepest apologies to all the authors whose books have been cut to date, I can’t deny that these were really difficult decisions. I’ve provided ratings for the books, but these are based on the first third of the book and therefore could be subject to change.
For this particular batch of books I’m rolling two books forward.
The next 4 books that I will be cutting are as follows with a short review of my thoughts on each:
A Wizard’s Forge (The Woern Saga, #1) by A.M. Justice
I made a good start on this and I have to admit I’m intrigued with what I’ve read so far (about 35%). The writing is good and very easy to get along with. The main protagonist is Victoria. After succeeding in her goal to become a scholar, travelling from village to village sharing wisdom, Victoria is unfortunately abducted, along with a number of other villagers and sold into slavery. Her new owner/master is manipulative and obsessive. His aim is to completely possess Victoria, body and soul and as the story progresses she is undoubtedly falling under his sway. I’m not really going to share too much more of the plot at this point but just discuss my thoughts so far. I did enjoy this and it’s a book I’d like to return to, complete and review when the first stage of the SPFBO is out of the way. As it is and up to the point that I read up to the only real issues I would note are that this seems very ambitious at the point I broke off, by which I mean there is a lot going on and plenty of ground to cover, as a result we seem to have jumps forward in time – which isn’t something I have a problem with as a rule but it felt here like the jumps left me feeling not quite as invested in Victoria as a I felt I should be somehow. Of course, I’m only just over a third into the book so there’s plenty of time for things to develop but at just slightly over my cut off point I wanted to feel a little more attached. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
Light Dawning by Ty Arthur
Light Dawning is a very dark story, or so it seems from what I’ve read so far. The story takes place in Cestia, once renowned for its opportunities it has been occupied by enemy forces who took over the city approximately three years ago. There is a rebellion movement although it’s chances of success seem slim. The occupying forces are brutal indeed and think nothing of slaughtering and raping those citizens who have managed to stay alive so far. Most of the survivors believe there is little hope and I’m inclined to agree with them. The main characters I read of up to the 32% mark were Myrr, who was, at the time of introduction, hiding in a safehouse from the knighthood, there is more to Myrr than originally meets the eye. Erret is a missionary who seems to be using the occupation and the rebellion to stir up more trouble – all in the name of encouraging more converts to join his flock. Casterley who, in spite of his family being terrorised and broken apart by the enemy believes the rebellion can make a difference. At this point all the characters come across in shades of grey – neither fully bad or fully good, which is something I do like. I think my main issues with Light Dawning is that it really does come across in the first third of the book as maybe too bleak or dark for me. There are dark forces at play, something demonic maybe – although I don’t have a clear take on that at the moment. I think with the casual way in which the ruling forces kill and slaughter it feels like pretty soon there won’t be a city left to rule – and maybe that’s not something that concerns them, they’re looking for something in the city after all. I guess I’m puzzled why they’re leaving people alive in the first place because they have very little regard for the remaining population. This could work well for others, it just felt a little to grim for my tastes, more a case of ‘this is me not you’. I would rate this 3 out of 5 stars.
Dark of Winter by Christopher Percy
Dark of Winter is another of the stories that definitely intrigued me and I think I will have to read more because I’m incredibly curious. I think I got off on the wrong foot with this one and didn’t find myself really enamoured at the start of the read but that changed with the introduction of the village and people of Sumner. This is such an unusual race of people. They seem to have suffered in the past and most of the villages have some kind of deformity, I’m not entirely sure why at this point. Other villages stay away from them completely. What I found pulled me into the story was the introduction of a character named Hidden. At the start of the story Hidden has encountered a monster outside the village which he captures and returns with (I would point out if you’re thinking of picking this up that there is a particularly gruesome scene at this point). This definitely portends evil and the approach of darkness. At the same time, the village is unaware of the fact that a contingent of soldiers is marching through the wilds with the intent of wiping them out. Things certainly seem bleak for Sumner. Alongside this, a young girl has gone missing from the village and in the freezing conditions is unlikely to survive long, are these all just coincidental or is something bigger at play? Search parties are dispatched to try and find her before it’s too late. What I liked about this – as I said, the village and it’s occupants are quite fascinating, the talk of monsters and the dark is intriguing and a village where the dead can talk and give you advice is definitely something to take notice of. Hidden also seems like a character that I’d like to get to know better. So, I got off to a slow start with this one but it had started to win me over. This is a book that I would like to return to and review fully. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
How to go to Hell in 10,000 Easy Steps by Douglas Todd
This book is very different indeed and actually quite compelling for that reason. It’s one of those stories where everything becomes very unusual very quick. The main character, Valerie, is fed up of life and has decided she wants to trade her soul for a better life – after all, she won’t need a soul once she’s dead will she? Unfortunately, Hell is having a few problems of it’s own at the moment which makes this trade off a tad unlikely – actually, Hell stopped trying to tempt souls with offers of fame and fortune a while ago, it seems they have plenty of people on the way down into the inferno of their own volition and don’t need to make such deals – of course Valerie wasn’t aware of that fact before she made her attempt and like it or not she’s garnered some unwanted attention, especially as she’s now had a brief stint in hell and didn’t like it. This is such an unusual book and another of my batch that I will definitely return to. In terms of criticisms so far. I wasn’t convinced by Valerie’s desire to trade her soul – that part of the story felt too rushed, I didn’t really feel her despair and it took a while to warm up to her. She’s quite a singular character and not one that I immediately liked. On top of that there is definitely oddity here and at least one part of the read that felt almost uncomfortable to read. But, I would like to read more, I can usually handle oddity quite well and I’d like to see how this concludes. I would rate this 3.5 out of 5 stars.
The two books I am rolling forward are:
Books and travelling with Lynn 